Fall 2025 Fellow
Helen Iris Torres is the CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), where she leads one of the nation’s most influential Latina organizations. As the CEO of HOPE for over 20 years, Helen has strategically built a Latina leadership and advocacy infrastructure in California, composed of thousands of civically engaged Latina leaders in elected and appointed office, as well as in business, philanthropic and community leadership roles.
Ms. Torres has led coalitions in California that have advocated and led to the first Latina to serve on the California Public Utilities Commission and the first Latina to be appointed to the California Supreme Court.
She has served on various commissions under California Governors Davis, Schwarzenegger, and Brown, overseeing AmeriCorps funding and governing on the influential Little Hoover Commission. Ms. Torres is a member of the Southern California chapter of International Women’s Forum. She is also an advisor on a workforce committee for the 2028 LA Olympics. She serves on the Weingart Foundation Board and the Public Policy Institute of California Board. She has been recognized by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a “community hero” and by Hispanics in Philanthropy for her advocacy work on behalf of Latinas.
Ms. Torres is a sought-out speaker on women issues and an advisor to key projects such as The Shriver Report: A Womens’ Nation Changes Everything. She was featured in Life Moments for Women, a book supporting The Women’s Foundation of California. She has been honored with numerous awards including “Advocate of the Year” from Latina Style magazine, “Advocate of the Year” by the California Hispanic Chamber, and a “Latina of Influence” by Hispanic Lifestyle.
Study Group: “Democracy Rewritten: Build Your Own Country (Without Breaking Everything)”
Tired of being told how democracy should work? In this four-session political science study group, students flipped the script and built their own society from scratch — starting with the Declaration of Independence, ending with their very own Modern Constitution. Along the way, they tackled what to do about free speech trolls, unfair voting systems, misinformation mobs, and whether their Constitution needs AI rights or TikTok bans.
Using the Bill of Rights as a launchpad (not a rulebook), they explored race, gender, power, inequality, and the weird, fragile ways democracy works today.
Fall 2025 Semester Recap
Helen Torres said this about her experience at USC’s Center for the Political Future: “I appreciated getting to interact with the upcoming next generation of leaders. It really empowered all of us in the room when we came together. We shared ideas, we thought about what the challenges are today, but came up with solutions for the future.”
USC students in Helen’s study group shared this about their experience:
“Being given the opportunity to learn from Helen Torres, who is a trailblazer in Latina leadership, and discuss with my brilliant peers has been a transformative experience. Throughout our sessions, we were able to create our own society deciding our values and principles. Now, I have a printed copy on my wall of the Declaration of Independence we created as it reminds me that we are creating policies to shape a society for future generations. This class truly taught me the power of civic knowledge, and gave me the confidence to become an active participant in opening doors for myself and for others.”
Isabella Calderon, Political Science
“While we thoroughly discussed the pitfalls of our current political system and institutions, more importantly I learned the power of our generation to make the changes that we wish to see in the world. I learned about the power of political discourse, and the importance of preserving its vitality to maintain a strong, healthy democracy. My favorite aspect of this study group was that all perspectives were welcomed, and everyone contributed to our creation of a more ideal political system. I am grateful for the opportunity to talk about current events and issues, such as the role of finances in politics and the Supreme Court case on voting rights. I also enjoyed creating our own Declaration of Independence and Constitution.”
Helen shared her thoughts on the importance of politics, her first political experience, her advice for having respectful political discourse, and what she appreciates about CPF in her “Quick Takes: Q&A with CPF Fellow Helen Torres” video.