Our Team
Ready to Launch was founded by Charlotte White Canter and Erica Liepmann, two friends who met working in politics in Los Angeles. They decided to turn their passion for helping more women get started in government and politics into their full-time mission, and they created the Ready to Launch fellowship program to provide support and resources for emerging women leaders.
Read more about this work here.
Founders
Charlotte White Canter
Co-Founder and Board MemberCharlotte’s background is in finance and operations, having managed multi-million dollar political campaigns, PACs, and nonprofit initiatives. Charlotte most recently managed economic development programs at Accelerator for America. She began her career at Goldman Sachs after graduating from USC. Charlotte previously served for five years on the board of The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, providing arts education to under-resourced youth, and served on the board of the California Democratic Party’s Asian Pacific Islander Caucus.
Erica Liepmann
Co-Founder and Board MemberErica’s career has spanned the public, private, and nonprofit sectors – with experience in public policy, program development, and communications. Most recently, Erica led digital communications in the Office of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. Erica has also worked on several political campaigns in staff and volunteer capacities. Erica is the past President of LA County Young Democrats. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and a master’s degree from USC.
Board members
Amaka Obidegwu
Board MemberAmaka is a Quality Improvement Project Manager at Health Net Inc., where she develops and deploys Medi-Cal Member Outreach Programs statewide. Amaka has her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and holds a Master of Public Health from USC. Amaka previously managed clinical trial recruitment for breast cancer studies at the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and developed a community ambassador program to increase diversity in clinical trials.
Marissa Roy
Board MemberMarissa is an attorney who represents local governments in high-impact litigation. During the Trump Administration, Marissa worked on prominent lawsuits challenging the Administration's anti-immigrant agenda. Marissa also serves as the Endorsements Chair for California Women's List, a PAC that supports women running for office in California. Marissa believes that political change grows from state and local government, and supports expanding access for more women to build a career in politics.
Jackie Molina
Board MemberJackie is a Supply Chain Operations Manager at Flexport International overseeing ocean imports into North America. After graduating from USC with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, Jackie began her career as a Consultant at Hitachi Consulting. Jackie has a long history of volunteer service in the LA area as a part of the National Charity League, including with LA County/USC Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.