Jesus Plascencia was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After high school, he attended Pasadena City College and then transferred to California State University, Long Beach, where he studied human development and philosophy. Jesus initially wanted to be a philosophy professor but realized that he wanted to do more than discuss issues of morality – he wanted to make a real difference in people’s lives. He eventually found that his real passion is in the field of developmental disabilities and mental health, specifically within the Latino community.

As an undergrad, Jesus was a research assistant in the departments of Health Science, Healthcare Administration, Human Development, and Social Work. In these labs, he worked on an array of research projects, including barriers and access to healthcare for Latinos, access to resources for Latino families with children with autism, and differences in autobiographical memory between native and non-native English-speakers.

Besides his research experience, Jesus has also worked for the Brotherhood Crusade as a mentor to at-risk youth in South Central Los Angeles, Autism Learning Partners as an applied behavior analysis therapist to children with autism and other behavioral issues, and the Neurological and Physical Abilitation clinic as a teacher and behavior interventionist with children, adolescents, and young adults with developmental disabilities. Jesus began working for Level Up Solutions as a Direct Support Professional in the summer of 2018 and promoted to Manager of Services in the winter of 2021.

In May of 2020, Jesus attained his Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship from USC’s Marshall School of Business. His goal is to take the professional experience he has gained in the field and his business education to address the disparity in access to quality services for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or psychological diagnoses from low socioeconomic backgrounds.