Alfred Lomas

Raised in South Los Angeles, Lomas grew up surrounded by gang activity, substance abuse and violence. At age 13, he became gang involved. For years, violence and addiction were deeply embedded in his life, and he saw few alternatives to the environment he had always known.

As a young adult, Lomas joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served in Security Forces and the infantry. In his late 30s, Lomas entered rehabilitation and began a process of recovery and transformation. For the first time, he experienced what could happen when someone was given access to support, resources and a genuine opportunity to change.

He came to understand that people are more likely to choose another path when they can see that another path exists—and when they have the tools and support to pursue it. That realization became the foundation for Inner City Visions (ICS), which Lomas founded in 2007.

Today, the lived experience that once connected Lomas to gang culture gives him an uncommon ability to build trust in communities where traditional systems may struggle to connect. He has become a recognized leader in community-based violence intervention, conflict mediation and crisis response, working directly with gang members, families, schools, community organizations and public agencies to interrupt violence and create safer neighborhoods.

Lomas serves as a Lead Community Violence Interventionist (CVI) working with the Los Angeles Public Health Office of Violence Prevention and has been called upon to mediate and de-escalate conflicts involving transnational gangs and help maintain ceasefire agreements. He was recently appointed to the USC Department of Public Safety Community Advisory Board, which brings together university and community representatives to strengthen trust, advance community engagement and help inform approaches to public safety at USC and in its surrounding neighborhoods.

Lomas pioneered the Hardcore Gang Intervention and Collaboration Model and serves as an instructor with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Peer-to-Peer Certification Academy, helping build the capacity of community organizations and intervention professionals to respond effectively to violence.

His work has also helped advance community safety initiatives including Parks After Dark and Safe Routes to School, providing safer spaces and passage for children and families in communities disproportionately affected by violence. Through ICV's school-based work, Lomas and his team focus on reaching young people before violence, gang involvement or other circumstances derail their futures, providing intervention, mentoring, advocacy and opportunities for a second chance.

Lomas is also deeply committed to combating human trafficking and exploitation. He co-created the South Los Angeles Anti-Trafficking Committee, a coalition bringing together local and national organizations to connect survivors with critical resources and support.

He also developed ANGELITO, a mobile anti-trafficking application designed to provide around-the-clock virtual support, connect survivors with essential services, and provide information that can help guide intervention efforts. Implementation is pending funding.

Under Lomas's leadership, ICV was recognized as a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year for its work addressing human trafficking and supporting victims and survivors. In 2024, Lomas was recognized as one of Los Angeles' 100 Social Impact Heroes for his contributions to the community.

Lomas was also selected as one of 100 Angelenos featured in Alta / A Human Atlas of a City of Angels, an international social-impact project by artist Marcus Lyon in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute. Selected through a citywide nomination and curatorial process, the project documents 100 individuals creating meaningful social change in Los Angeles through portraiture, oral histories and personal narratives.

Lomas's work and personal journey have received national and international attention, with coverage in more than 200 media outlets, including a Los Angeles Times cover story, CNN, ABC World News Tonight, The New York Times, and NPR.

Nearly two decades after founding ICV, Lomas continues to use the influence and understanding gained from his past to create change in the community he has called home for most of his life. His approach is rooted in relationships, lived experience, and the belief that lasting transformation happens from within.

For Lomas, that belief is personal. His own life shows what can happen when someone has the opportunity, resources, and support to envision a different future. Today, he works to make sure others have that same opportunity.