Akash Kalia
Akash Kalia studied business with a focus on Entrepreneurship at the University of Oregon before returning home to save his family business. While still in high school and in college, Akash started a number of small businesses in the technology sector.
After college, Akash bought and overhauled his family’s hotel, nearly doubling the profits within a year while paying each employee a living wage.
Akash saw the innovative value of leveraging existing housing vouchers to convert his Palms Inn into permanent supportive housing.
Akash was very hands-on in the conversion, particularly with the collaborative efforts to build a sustainable community, and in fostering positive respectful relationships between the residents and staff during the transition.
$1.3 million in Grants made through CFSC’s Julia L. Grant Basic Human Needs Grant Program
The Julia L. Grant Fund for Basic Human Needs program addresses the pressing challenge of meeting the basic needs of individuals and families in Sonoma County. This year, the Basic Human Needs program supported 50 organizations with over $1.3 million in grants, supporting a critical safety net of organizations throughout…
