David Ambroz

Named a Champion of Change by President Barack Obama, his commitment to fixing systems of care is deeply personal: he grew up homeless and in foster care, experiences he shares in his acclaimed memoir, A Place Called Home.

A graduate of Vassar College and UCLA School of Law, David doesn’t just advocate for change — he builds it and gets it implemented. He has helped design and pass transformative, cross-sector solutions including the first state tuition waivers for foster youth pursuing higher education, the Chafee Foster Care Independence Act extending foster care to age 21, and expanded protections and support for LGBTQ+ youth in care. David also co-founded one of the first Guardian Scholars programs at a community college — a proof-of-concept effective enough that it has since been replicated at more than 50 colleges across California, turning a single solution into a scalable system.

He co-founded the national awareness campaign FosterMore, helped establish the National Foster Youth Advisory Council at CWLA, and has served on numerous boards, commissions, and nonprofit leadership roles — always with an eye toward translating good ideas into durable, institutional change.

David has been recognized by Casey Family Program, the American Bar Association, Lambda Legal, First Star, CASA/GAL, and was recently honored with Vassar College’s prestigious Spirit of Vassar Award for his leadership and lifelong commitment to creating meaningful change for children. At Amazon, he leads corporate philanthropy and external affairs — living proof that a company’s bottom line and its social impact can move in the same direction. He lives in Los Angeles and is the proud father of a very happy toddler.