Rudy Carrasco is the United States regional facilitator for Partners Worldwide, a global network of Christian businesspeople who use business as the way to end poverty. He coaches partnerships that operate in high unemployment communities in seven U.S. states. In 2015 and 2016, these partnerships supported 382 businesses, graduated 328 people from business training, deployed 41 mentors, and created and sustained 681 jobs, all via partnerships in six U.S. states.

For 19 years, Carrasco lived and served at Harambee Christian Family Center in Northwest Pasadena, California. Harambee, founded by CCDA chairman emeritus Dr. John Perkins, provides leadership development programs for African American and Latino young people. Harambee has been recognized with numerous awards including a 2001 John Anson Ford Award from the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission.

A graduate of Stanford University, Carrasco is a board member of the Christian Community Development Association, a past board member of World Vision U.S., and a member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Alumni Hall of Fame. His articles have appeared in Forbes, Christianity Today, and Discipleship Journal, and he is a past columnist for the Pasadena Star-News daily newspaper. 

Born in East Los Angeles, Carrasco lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his wife, Kafi, and their four children. Kafi leads a CCDA member ministry, Restorers, which provides ESL, tutoring, and entrepreneurship programs. Rudy spurred the development of CCDA’s Market Solutions initiative and provided support for CCDA regional events across Michigan.