Cara Esposito

Biography

Dr. Esposito is the Executive Director of the Leonetti/O’Connell Family Foundation, which funds innovative projects and initiatives that benefit Los Angeles County and improve the wellbeing of its communities. In May 2021, she launched a social enterprise under the governance of the foundation called Arete Rising, LLC, to support economic mobility for first-generation college students. Prior to her role as Executive Director, Dr. Esposito spent nine years as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney, with special emphasis in Juvenile Prosecutions.

Dr. Esposito graduated with a BA from Harvard University, a JD from Loyola Law School, an MPA and a Doctorate in Policy Analysis and Planning from USC’s Price School. Her doctoral dissertation evaluated collaborative governance, network partnerships and implementation of participative systems specifically focusing on service delivery and intrinsic transaction costs between for profit, non-profit and governmental organizations. In 2025, she will complete an Executive MBA from USC Marshall.

She is an adjunct associate professor at the USC Price School, where she teaches non-profit policy and theories of governance. She is the Board Chair of the Board of Councilors at USC Price and sits on the board at Loyola High School. Cara is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles and is married to Joseph Esposito with two sons.