Dr. Pooja Bhalla

Illumination Foundation

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Pooja Bhalla is the chief executive officer of Illumination Foundation, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit dedicated to disrupting the cycle of homelessness across Southern California. She assumed the CEO role in 2023 after joining the organization in 2017, bringing with her decades of experience addressing homelessness and healthcare disparities, including earlier work in Boston. Under Dr. Bhalla’s leadership, Illumination Foundation has grown into one of the region’s most innovative service providers, operating seven recuperative care facilities and five family emergency homes. In 2024 alone, the nonprofit served over 7,200 individuals and became the largest provider of family emergency beds in Orange County. She also led efforts to secure a $3.5-million grant from CalOptima Health to open the nation’s first recuperative care center for children and families. In addition to her executive role, she serves on numerous boards and committees, including the National Health Care for the Homeless Council and St. Jude Medical Center’s Community Health Committee.