President, Chief Executive, California Wellness Foundation
“Tate oversees a foundation with $1 billion in assets. He joined the California Wellness Foundation in 2016 as vice president of public affairs and developed the department for the foundation, which awards more than $50 million a year in grants and investments that promote health equity, justice and advocacy for communities and individuals beset by poverty and other equity issues. In 2020 he was appointed Cal Wellness’ executive vice president and served as chief deputy to the president and CEO. He was named president and CEO of the organization last year. Tate previously served for 10 years at Hopelab, a nonprofit health-focused endeavor and part of the Omidyar Group. President Obama lauded Hopelab for its social innovation. Tate has a bachelor’s in English from USC and divides his time between Cal Wellness’s Oakland and L.A. offices.
What’s the best advice you ever received? A piece of advice that has served me well is, “Don’t borrow trouble.” If something is outside of your control or isn’t deserving of your attention, don’t take the bait and engage in it. I’ve taken it to heart as a reminder to get clear about the things I can influence and to focus my energy there.
What’s your favorite film? One of my favorites is “Aliens,” with Sigourney Weaver. For a kid in the 1980s like me, it was the kind of blockbuster sci-fi action movie that captured our collective imaginations. At its heart, it’s a hero’s journey about trusting yourself, protecting what’s important, and survival. Sure, the special effects are a bit dated, but it still delivers – thrills, laughs, and iconic dialog: “Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?”
What’s at the top of your bucket list? I’d like to go on a roots tour with my sisters. My father grew up in the Jim Crow South, in Macon, Mississippi. His family fled after an incident of racial violence. They left the country for the city and landed in St. Louis, where they were safer but extremely poor. Life wasn’t easy; it was the kind of brave, but heartbreaking move many Black families made in that period to build a better life, and my sisters and I have benefitted from that bravery. We each went to college and have built careers in the nonprofit sector, doing social justice work. I’d like us to travel as a family back to my father’s hometown and spend time together reconnecting to that family history and appreciating what my parents and grandparents accomplished in spite of great odds.
What was your first car? Would you like to have it back? My first car was a hand-me-down family car – a beat-up Dodge that got me back and forth to high school. As part of the arrangement, I had to take my sister back and forth to her appointments and take care of the maintenance. I learned to change the oil, fix a flat and save for gas money. Would I want it back? No!
What’s the best thing about living in Los Angeles? I was born and raised in St. Louis and Oklahoma, so the diversity of L.A. – the culture, food, music; the beach, the mountains – all of it was exciting. Plus, L.A. is a place where people come to pursue their dreams, and I related to that.”
YEARS ON LA500: 1
