As a high schooler, I loved school, but didn’t imagine an academic future for myself. My family couldn’t afford to send me anywhere, so I resigned myself to not pursuing college. Caring adults badgered me to apply. Between Pell Grants and scholarships, I was able to attend college. My experiences have made it clear to me that educational opportunities are often robbed from poor people and our society as a whole loses out when people don’t get a fair chance at education.

Leading a creative writing club for teens, teaching 7th and 9th grade with an emphasis on social emotional learning, creating teacher development programs, and directing a school with over 100 students with a commitment to social justice have been highlights of my commitment to education. At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, I studied the art and science of teaching adults. I believe that learners can be shown respect by diligently creating a well thought out and high quality learning experience; all offerings I create are rooted in that respect.

I’ve built communities across the country rooted in both spirituality, shared identities, and shared political goals. Whether that is founding a community hub that opened its doors offering social events to hundreds, community organizing to create a network of advocates to pass equity aligned bills, or leading groups where people find strength by sharing similar identities. I believe that community building can be complicated, messy, healing, and so much more in between; I’m committed to ideating, rethinking, and challenging the ways community building has been historically done.

In elementary school, I spoke English with a heavy Spanish accent, and felt the lack of culturally responsive education I received made my school experiences worse. I understand intimately how a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives can impact children. As a Latina, Jew, and woman of color, I’ve experienced society’s biases on personal and systemic levels. All of these experiences have led me to a lifelong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Whether that is honing my expertise through intensives studying Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Interventions in Education or studying Ethnic Racial Identity Development under top scholars; I put my learning to practice as I’ve worked with clients on projects ranging from curriculum audits to organizational audits. My approach to DEI is rooted in strategies based on data, meeting people where they are at, encouraging humble inquiry and centering socioeconomic class.

Bespoke and values-based leadership development is essential or there will be talented potential leaders who mistakenly believe they are not cut out for leadership having internalized the wrong messages society sends about a one size fits all leadership model. I use research based strategies paired with a diversity, equity, and inclusion mindset to write, think, and theorize about leadership. I believe when leaders work from a set of core values it sets the foundation needed to make decisions, build a team, and create worthwhile goals.

My child came into this world in April of 2020, the start of COVID-19. Having a child during this chaotic time had me spinning my wheels on how to both excel in my career and be the mother I wanted to be. I tried lots of things, read lots of books, and received targeted coaching. Over the years, I’ve found so many useful strategies and new mindsets that can support working mothers to be their best selves as parents and executives. I believe that working parents are inherently amazing and that workplaces can do so much better to serve this population.