Kelli Knight

Kelli Knight (she/her) is the Chief Operating Officer of Our Generation Cares (OGC) and CEO of The NextGen Garage, a for-profit social enterprise committed to uplifting youth through creativity, entrepreneurship, and community power. A strategic organizer, justice-driven leader, and queer single mom, Kelli has dedicated her life to building systems that center care, connection, and long-term sustainability, especially for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, foster, unhoused, and differently abled youth.

While OGC’s programs and social enterprises were in place before her arrival, Kelli has been instrumental in creating the operational backbone that allows these initiatives to thrive. From refining internal systems and grant tracking to organizing workflows and mentoring youth leaders, she ensures that the mission isn't just inspiring, it’s actionable. Her leadership supports the success of ventures like Desperado Cafe, NextGen Garage Studio, OGCares Labs, and the Long Beach Latino Chamber of Commerce, all of which reflect a larger vision for economic mobility and youth empowerment.

With a background in media production, public health, gender and sexuality studies, and nonprofit leadership, Kelli blends lived experience with professional expertise to drive real change. Her work is rooted in compassion and strategy, fueled by a commitment to co-creating spaces where young people are safe to be themselves, explore their potential, and build power together. Kelli is not just organizing programs, she’s helping build a movement where equity isn’t an afterthought; it’s the foundation.