Meet Our Staff

Anthony Pico is Program Manager at the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and a nationally recognized child welfare advocate and expert. His career began at age 16 with an appointment to the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care under California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George.

Across two decades, his work has taken him through the California Youth Connection — one of the most influential youth-led advocacy organizations in the country. He also served as a Legislative Aide and District Representative in the California State Assembly, working across committees helping shape policy on everything from foster care and judiciary reform to veterans affairs.

Most recently, he served as advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Native American Affairs. As program manager, he helps run the We Are LA homelessness prevention and Transition Aged Foster Youth programs at the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles.

Anthony spent most of his life in the foster care system — his journey was featured on NPR’s This American Life. Since then, he’s earned a number of awards and has been recognized in the Congressional Record for his work to prevent child abuse.

He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Loyola Marymount University, serves on the board of A Home Within, which provides free mental health services to foster youth nationwide, and is a devoted caretaker of his orange tabby cat, Malik.