www.negociosnow.com
March 2020 23
Age: 35
Title: CEO & Founder
Name of Organization: Avanza
Strategies
Grisel Maldonado collabora-
tes with educators to drive cultu-
rally responsive program strate-
gy, develop new initiatives, and
evaluate impact, with a speciali-
zation in postsecondary success.
Maldonado is also the foun-
der of EdPower, a non-profit or-
ganization that aims to specifica-
lly address income inequality by
supporting youth of color to de-
velop aspirational postsecondary
visions and be equipped with the
tools they need to achieve them.
Prior to founding her orga-
nizations, Maldonado drove
impact through admissions at
Brown University and bolstering
research-based programs for
first-generation college students
of color at the Noble Network
of Charter Schools, Northwes-
tern University, the University of
Chicago's Urban Education Insti-
tute, and Chicago Public Schools.
A first-generation college
student raised by hard working
Mexican immigrants in the Pil-
sen neighborhood of Chicago,
Maldonado knows first-hand
the dearth of guidance and re-
sources that exist for similar stu-
dents growing up. Many times,
she was pulled away from the
educational system but was for-
tunate to find key mentors who
led her back and encouraged
her journey. To give back, she
has dedicated her career to buil-
ding innovative models of high-
quality educational programs to
meet the needs of all students,
especially those underestimated
first-generation college, low-in-
come, black, and Latinx students
who have been underserved.
Maldonado received a Ba-
chelor of Arts in History and His-
panic Studies from Brown Uni-
versity and is currently pursuing
an executive M.B.A. from Nor-
thwestern University's Kellogg
School of Management. She is
a proud alumnus of the Surge
Institute Fellowship, member of
Education Leaders of Color and
Señoritas Latinas Unidas, and
served on the board of Instituto
del Progreso Latino.
Be grateful for your accom-
plishments but never forget
that you did not get there alo-
ne. Always ask – how am I sup-
porting those coming after me
to also achieve their wildest
dreams?
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"B
e grateful for your
accomplishments but never
forget that you did not get there
alone. Always ask – how am I
supporting those coming after me to
also achieve their wildest dreams?"
Grisel
Maldonado
Fostering
Youth
