By Karen Krynen, Director of Communications, DBTI
(Rosemead, California) – The Salesian community is honored to welcome back Steve Delgado (EL ’89) to Don Bosco Technical Institute as the 2026 Graduation Keynote Speaker.
Delgado currently serves as Co-CEO of Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang rehabilitation and reentry organization, serving more than 10,000 individuals annually with a $55 million operating budget. A mission-driven leader with more than 25 years of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, he has dedicated his career to expanding opportunity, dignity, and belonging for marginalized communities.
In 2019, Delgado joined Homeboy Industries as Chief Development Officer, following a personal calling to serve communities in Los Angeles. In that role, he led the organization’s landmark Hope in Action campaign, raising more than $160 million in private support and significantly expanding its reach. He also secured nearly $40 million in federal, state, and local funding by cultivating key public-sector partnerships.
He was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2021, where he oversaw advancement and helped scale Homeboy’s 16 social enterprises—strengthening both revenue generation and workforce development opportunities for program participants. He also led the expansion of the Global Homeboy Network, which now connects more than 600 organizations worldwide inspired by Homeboy’s model of kinship and healing.
During his tenure, Homeboy Industries has received transformative recognition and investment, including a $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett, as well as the prestigious Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. In close collaboration with Greg Boyle, Delgado is also helping to advance Hope Village—an innovative, place-based model integrating reentry services, housing, and social enterprise designed to serve as a national blueprint.
Prior to joining Homeboy Industries, Delgado served as Vice President for Advancement at Whittier College and previously held executive leadership roles in both a Fortune 1000 company and as president of a privately held media company.
A native of Los Angeles, Delgado holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a proud alumnus of Don Bosco Technical Institute.
His return to Don Bosco Tech makes this moment especially meaningful, as he comes back to his alma mater to inspire the Class of 2026 as they prepare to begin the next chapter of their journey.
This article was originally published in Bosco Tech’s Monthly Newsletter, The Gear: Issue 162, May 2026