“When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else's oppression, we'll find our opportunities to make real change.”
— Ijeoma Oluo
Our Team
FOUNDER / CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Jen M. Torres
Growing up in an underserved region of Puerto Rico, Jen saw first hand how important access to quality and equitable education is to both individuals and the development of communities.
Over the course of her 16-year career in the education sector, Jen has been a passionate advocate for social justice, community engagement, and creating liberatory spaces for all students. Her commitment to making a difference in education led her to leave the classroom and serve as the Director of Family Engagement for STRIVE Prep Charter Schools in Denver, Colorado. In this role, she successfully spearheaded their family engagement program, implemented effective recruitment and enrollment strategies, and initiated health and wellness initiatives across 11 campuses, benefiting over 3,800 students and their families.
Jen’s dedication to racial justice work shines through her active involvement as a member and lead on the Advisory Council, where she took the initiative to design and implement Diversity and Equity training for more than 500 staff members.
Relocating to D.C., Jennifer continued her impactful journey as the Director of Program Design and Strategy at a non-profit organization devoted to rectifying inequities in school systems. Focused on translating dialogue into action, she recognized the need for more tangible antiracism and DEI initiatives. To address this, she founded SimplyLead, an organization dedicated to partnering with other organizations and communities, seeking to foster antiracist spaces.
Known for her exceptional problem-solving abilities, Jen excels in codifying processes and procedures across school systems and organizations. Her expertise lies in dismantling and re-creating system designs, empowering Black and Brown students and adults to thrive in inclusive environments. With her unwavering dedication to social justice and a profound desire to create lasting change, Jen continues to inspire and empower those around her through her transformative work.
CREATIVE COLLABORATOR, WRITER
Sondra Rose Marie
Sondra Rose Marie currently works as a Senior Copywriter at Ten35, a multicultural marketing agency. She and her team help guide brands through creating responsible and inclusive marketing campaigns with the goal of inspiring companies to invest resources into the communities they market to.
Informed by her experiences as a queer Black woman, Sondra frequently takes on freelance writing opportunities that explore topics close to her heart, such as racial equity, LGTBQ+ rights, and destigmatizing mental health. Sondra is the copy editor for The Queer 26 and a contributing feature writer with TAGG Magazine. When she’s not writing, Sondra cares for her ever-growing collection of houseplants, enjoys local dance classes, and makes a habit of spoiling her nieces and nephews with her partner, Faith.
DATA EXPERT
Jose Loera
Jose, a Colorado native attended public schools in the Denver metro area. He is a strong proponent of providing tools parents need to support their student(s) in attaining a higher education. While serving underserved communities he has pushed parents to expect more from their students and in turn also pushed students to expect more from themselves.
Coming from first generation parents, he witnessed the opportunities available to those who seek to attain higher education and set a foundation for the children behind them. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a B.A. in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in local government management from the University of Colorado Denver.
Jose has served the students of the Denver metro area for the last 12 years in a family engagement capacity and as the Director of Data for a network of charter schools for the past four years. His experience in college demonstrated the inequities of resources in public education. His passion lies in getting more students into the classrooms of higher education and making them believe they belong there.
CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER
Victoria F. Vega
As an Artist, Organizer and Communications Manager, Victoria places people at the center of her work. Whether it be through a painting, community healing space, or through a social media post – social justice is a recurring theme. Victoria is a proud Latina, half Puerto Rican and half Uruguayan born and raised in Miami, FL. She is a product of the Miami-Dade County Public School System and a champion for education.
Victoria has earned a Bachelor of Science in Communications & Rhetorical Studies with a Minor in Political Science on a Pre-Law Track at Syracuse University and is set to graduate from American University with a Master of Arts in Strategic Communications in May of 2023. While at Syracuse University, she was able to conduct university funded research as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar on the topic of Racism and Colorism within the Cuban Communities of Miami, FL. As a student and President of the Zeta Epsilon chapter de Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated on Syracuse University’s campus – she was able to create and host a multitude of educational programming, her favorite one being Unity “La Revolucion”: exploring the intersectionalities of activist movements.
TECHNICAL PROGRAM MANAGER & PODCAST HOST
Lee Knight
Lee Knight (they/them/their) is a black, non-binary, musician, art historian and software engineer with a resolve for blockchain technologies. Lee thrives at the intersection of technology and community. Propelling diversity, equity, human coordination and technology forward while advocating for the equitable inclusion of marginalized individuals within tech sectors.
Lee is also known for their artistic pursuits as an art historian and musician. As an accomplished musician, Lee performs with their solo project Black Wolf Electric as well as other Denver based groups. With their musical prowess and captivating stage presence, Lee brings a unique energy to the Denver music scene, infusing their performances with authenticity and emotional resonance.
In a world that often favors conformity, Lee’s presence in Denver enriches the community with their diverse interest, demonstrating the transformative impact an individual can have when challenging societal constructions and norms by embracing one’s authentic self in an effort to strive for a world where justice, compassion and equality prevail.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER & FACILITATOR
Faith Carrion
Faith Carrion is the Head of Customer Experience for An's Gelato in San Diego. She has over ten years of professional development experience and management training in the service and hospitality industries. Faith volunteers to mentor queer youth with the San Diego LGBT Center. She is intentional about weaving her lived experience as a first generation Mexican-American, queer, and gender fluid individual into her professional career.
When not working her "9 to 5" Faith acts in theaters across Southern California and is a loud and proud advocate within the Fat Liberation Movement on social media. She lives with her partner, Sondra. The two enjoy hosting dinner parties with their friends and family, watching too much Netflix, and drinking coffee by the beach.
TRAINING AND STRATEGY FACILITATOR
Ryan Jones
Ryan Jones (he/him/his) is a passionate diversity advocate and educator with over 10 years of experience working in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space and its intersection with K12 education and philanthropy. He currently serves as the Senior Manager, Advocacy and Public Partnerships at DonorsChoose. Prior to that was a Senior Partnerships Strategist and Communications Manager at Kindred, a national non-profit whose mission is to support parents, staff, and educational system leaders in partnering to co-design equitable, anti-racist schools that advance collective well-being. In this role he provides subject matter expertise on racial bias and organizational dynamics while also facilitating workshops to staff, parents, and school leaders. Prior to joining Kindred, Ryan was the Associate of Communications and Partnerships at Education Forward DC.
Ryan currently lives in Washington, DC but began his career as a high school English teacher in St. Louis, Missouri with Teach For America, after which he served as the founding Blended Learning Instructor at KIPP Inspire Academy. Ryan graduated from DePauw University with a B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology and a minor in English Literature and received his Master’s in Secondary Education from the University of Missouri.
TRAINING AND STRATEGY FACILITATOR
Valeria Martinez
Valeria currently works at the Colorado Education Initiative as an Implementation and Partnership Associate. Valeria supports multiple projects focused on accelerating equity and community engagement, including facilitating equity councils, supporting districts in developing community graduate profiles, and launching a culturally responsive family partnership learning series for the state of New Mexico. Valeria joined the CEI team in February 2020, bringing experience working for a public charter school network supporting family engagement and advocacy efforts. As a passion project, Valeria started Yoga Valiente in 2021, where she offers donation-based, trauma-informed, bilingual yoga and meditation classes for communities in Denver and Aurora.