About Us
Who we are and why we do this work
Opportunity Arc Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California, working to expand access to the skills, knowledge, and employment resources that create lasting economic opportunity.
Our Mission
Expanding pathways to skills, work, and opportunity
Opportunity Arc Institute expands access to skills, knowledge, and employment resources that help individuals build pathways to meaningful work and long-term economic mobility.
We believe that every person deserves a fair shot at economic stability. When people have access to the right skills and the right resources — at the right time — they can build careers that change their lives and strengthen their communities.
Our work focuses on the practical barriers that stand between motivated individuals and real opportunity: gaps in digital literacy, limited access to job-ready skills training, and difficulty navigating the complex landscape of available workforce programs.
Why This Work Matters
The barriers we work to remove
In Los Angeles, economic opportunity is unevenly distributed. We focus on the specific barriers that prevent individuals from accessing the workforce on fair terms.
As more jobs require basic digital literacy — from sending emails to using software tools — workers without these skills are increasingly locked out. We help close this gap with accessible, practical digital education.
The skills employers need are shifting rapidly. Many job seekers have the drive but lack access to the specific, practical training that makes them competitive. We connect people to training that is employer-relevant and career-ready.
Los Angeles has significant public workforce infrastructure — but it can be difficult to find and navigate. We make it easier for people to understand what's available and how to access it.
Professional networks remain one of the strongest predictors of employment success. We work to ensure that individuals without established networks can still access pathways to real opportunities.
Our Team
The people behind the work
Opportunity Arc Institute is led by a small, committed team with deep roots in law, organizational management, and nonprofit service.
Marla Julian
Executive Director
Marla Julian is the Executive Director of Opportunity Arc Institute, bringing over a decade of professional experience across major media and entertainment organizations including HBO, MGM Studios, and CBS Studios. She holds a degree from the University of San Diego. Marla is a builder — someone who knows how to take an idea and turn it into a functioning organization. She brings a steady hand to the work of standing up systems, managing operations, and keeping a team aligned around a shared mission. At Opportunity Arc Institute, she leads with a commitment to making economic opportunity real and accessible for people in Los Angeles who need it most.
Marinna Julian
Co-Founder
Marinna Julian is a licensed attorney and member of the Guam Bar Association, with a strong background in legal advocacy and community-focused service. She holds a Bachelor's degree from California State University, Northridge, and a Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. Marinna brings valuable expertise in legal compliance, access to justice, and issues impacting underserved populations. She provides strategic and legal oversight to support the organization's mission and ensure responsible, effective program implementation.
Kevin Lee
Strategic Advisor
Kevin Lee brings years of experience in nonprofit operations, data management, and program evaluation, with a career spanning organizations across San Francisco and Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Kevin has built deep expertise in funder reporting, outcomes tracking, and the data systems that help nonprofits demonstrate and improve their impact.
Governance
Board of Directors
Our board provides independent governance oversight and brings external expertise that complements the founding team's operational experience.
Billy L. Little, Jr.
Board Member
A nationally recognized capital defense attorney, retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, and former Administrative Law Judge, Billy brings to the board a rare combination of legal expertise, institutional accountability, and deep commitment to advocacy for justice-involved and underserved populations.
Therese David
Board Member
Research and Training Manager at J-PAL Global (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab) at MIT — one of the world's leading poverty research institutions, whose co-founders were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics. Therese's work centers on impact evaluation methodology, research training, and program design for low-income populations. Her presence on the board brings MIT-caliber research and evaluation expertise to the oversight of Opportunity Arc Institute's programs and represents a significant credibility signal for an organization in its founding year.
The founding leadership team — Marla Julian, Marinna Julian, and Kevin Lee — also serve on the board.
Where We Work
Rooted in Los Angeles
Opportunity Arc Institute is based in Los Angeles, California — one of the most diverse and dynamic cities in the United States, and one where economic inequality remains a persistent challenge.
We focus our work on Los Angeles County, connecting individuals to a network of resources that spans the city's diverse communities and neighborhoods.
Los Angeles has a rich ecosystem of workforce development infrastructure — WorkSource Centers, public libraries, community colleges, and county programs. Our role is to help people navigate and access this ecosystem effectively.
Our Theory of Change
How change happens
We believe economic mobility is achievable when three things align: the right skills, the right resources, and the right connections — at the right time.
When individuals gain practical, employer-valued skills and are connected to vetted employment resources and real opportunities, they are able to find and sustain meaningful work. Meaningful work leads to income stability — and over time, to genuine upward mobility.
We also believe that impact compounds. When one person achieves economic stability, they often become a resource and model for others in their community.
A Note on Transparency
We're honest about where we are
Opportunity Arc Institute is a young organization. We are building the systems, partnerships, and program infrastructure needed to generate rigorous, longitudinal impact data that will demonstrate real change over time.
We welcome funders, partners, and community members who want to support this work at its formative stage — and who understand that the most meaningful impact often requires investment before the data is fully in.