Emanuel Pleitez
Emanuel Pleitez | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 15, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, political figure |
| Known for | 2013 campaign for mayor of Los Angeles |
Emanuel Alberto Pleitez (born December 15, 1982) is an American investor and political figure, recognized for his 2013 campaign for mayor of Los Angeles. Raised in South and East Los Angeles, Pleitez became the first member of his family to pursue higher education, earning a degree from Stanford University in 2006. A combat veteran, he remains active in the United States Army Reserve. He serves as Chairman of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and is the Founder of East Los Capital, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm leveraging technology.
Early life and education
Pleitez’s origins trace back to South Los Angeles, with his upbringing taking place in El Sereno. He is the son of immigrants from Mexico and El Salvador and was brought up by a single mother alongside his sister.
During his time at Woodrow Wilson High School in El Sereno, he held the position of senior class president, achieved 19 varsity letters, and earned multiple academic scholarships. Subsequently, he enrolled at Stanford University.
While at Stanford, Pleitez engaged with various student organizations such as the Hispanic Undergraduate Business Association, ASSU student government, and the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. His political involvement included work as a field organizer for John Kerry’s presidential campaign and serving as special assistant to councilman Antonio Villaraigosa during Villaraigosa’s 2005 mayoral bid.
Before graduating in 2006 with a B.A. in urban studies, Pleitez received the Jerry I. Porras visionary leadership award along with the Cecilia and Tony Burciaga community development award.
Career
Pleitez began his professional journey in 2007 as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. Following President Obama’s election in 2008, he departed Goldman Sachs to join the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, concentrating on reviewing agencies within the Treasury Department. In 2009, he sought election to Congress representing California's 32nd District, competing against Gil Cedillo and Judy Chu.
After his congressional run, Pleitez was appointed special assistant to chairman Paul Volcker on the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB), where he contributed to policy recommendations concerning workforce development, tax reform, financial regulation, infrastructure financing, and residential energy retrofitting.
In August 2010, he joined McKinsey and Company as a management consultant based in Los Angeles. He left McKinsey in February 2012 to assume the role of chief strategy officer at Pasadena-based technology company Spokeo. Subsequently, Pleitez served as Commissioner for the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pensions while leading strategy and business development efforts at education technology startup Qlovi. He stepped down from the pension board to undertake training with the U.S. Army Reserve.
Following his military training, Pleitez joined Sunstone Partners, a Silicon Valley private equity firm focused on growth buyouts within technology-enabled services sectors. Currently, he is a founding managing partner at East Los Capital, a private equity firm that integrates technology into its investment approach.
Pleitez has been featured in trade publications:
- Addressing hedge fund allocations within pension funds in Pensions & Investments
- Examining COVID-19’s effects on portfolio companies in private equity and venture capital sectors for PE Hub
- Discussing how private equity dry powder influences economic recovery in PE Hub
- Highlighting venture-backed companies’ dependence on non-bank lenders amid the pandemic for Mergermarket
- Exploring diversity issues in venture capital related to public pension fund policies in dot.LA
Non-profit involvement
Emanuel Pleitez has participated extensively in charitable and non-profit endeavors. During his time at Stanford, he managed initiatives for El Centro Chicano and currently holds the position of chairman at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Between 2008 and 2014, he was a board member of the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF), where he also served as Chairman. In 2009, he contributed as a Development Assistant for the United Farm Workers Foundation.
In 2011, Pleitez launched Inspira, a web series that showcases motivating Latino leaders, acting as both executive producer and host alongside Gabriela Fresquez. He has provided guidance to various non-profit organizations such as the New Leaders Council, No Labels, and the Woodrow Wilson High School Alumni Foundation. In 2013, he became a board member of the California Children's Academy.
2013 Los Angeles mayoral campaign
In July 2012, Pleitez declared his intention to run for Mayor of Los Angeles, aiming to address what he saw as a lack of strong candidates and to motivate and revitalize the city by emphasizing principles like integrity, diligence, and equitable representation.
As one of two Latino contenders in the race, Pleitez pursued a vigorous and innovative campaign strategy. By January 3, 2013, he secured eligibility for the City of Los Angeles matching funds program by raising $150,000 in qualifying donations before the end of 2012.
During the primary election, Pleitez finished fifth with 15,263 votes (4%), which was insufficient to move forward to the runoff stage.