Sacramento is rich with diverse talent worth celebrating. That’s why The Sacramento Bee again is partnering with Nehemiah Leaders Programs on Change Makers, our program honoring courageous, innovative and diverse people who are shifting our region’s landscape when it comes to the economy, public advocacy and more.
Want to help us? We’re now accepting nominations for Black, Native American, Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders throughout Sacramento, its suburbs and neighboring counties.
Nominees should be leaders who find solutions to critical issues through community organization, arts and entertainment, education, entrepreneurship, law, medicine and health care, science, politics, nonprofit leadership or activism. (Yes, we’re probably missing a few categories, too.)
Together with Nehemiah, we’ve celebrated pioneers in the Latino, Black, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities since 2022.
Now, we’re looking for the next 60 to celebrate. And we’re welcoming nominations for Native American leaders as well.
Winners will be honored at a gala, set for October. We’ll also do stories about them at SacBee.com, on The Sacramento Bee app, in our newspaper, and, this year, in a new glossy magazine.
Change Maker Dr. Elisa Tong makes her way toward her table during Change Makers Celebration 2025 on April 4, 2025, at Sacramento State. JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com
Change Makers say being selected is just a start — it’s not just an honor, but a title to live up to.
American River College President Lisa Cardoza, a 2024 Latino Change Maker, said her selection uplifted her both professionally and personally and opened her eyes to what Change Makers have in common.
“Us Change Makers, when we see a problem, we want to find a solution,” Cardoza said.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, March 27. Submit your nomination here: forms.gle/wk9oYbUja34UEXZ87.
Questions? Reach out to Lauren Chapman: lchapman@sacbee.com.
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Lauren Chapman is The Sacramento Bee’s service journalism editor. Based in Sacramento, she rejoined The Bee in 2025 after first interning in 2014. She spent the last decade covering state government in Indiana, winning national recognition for her work building civic literacy resources and tools.