Summary
Monica Martinez is the Co-Founder of EduDream where she provides leadership, management, and strategic direction for the organization’s P-12 research, practice, and policy work to ensure it is grounded in addressing educational equity. As a researcher, she cultivates strong and collaborative relationships with partners and clients and provides actionable solutions that inform strategic, programming, and policy decisions. Together with Michelle, as Co-Founders, they are committed to cultivating a supportive and human-centered team that delivers high-quality, rigorous, and accessible work. A daughter of immigrants, Monica grew up in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago and attended her local Chicago Public School. Her transition from high school to college has profoundly influenced her career path, igniting her passion for improving access to equitable educational opportunities.
Education
- MPA in Public & Nonprofit Management & Policy from New York University
- BA in Public Policy and Latin American Studies from The University of Chicago
Previous Experience
Monica is well-versed in research methodologies from 15+ years of applied research experience. Her cross-cutting professional experience includes working for nonprofits, the City of New York, as a district administrator, and a strategist for a collective impact backbone organization. Monica also has substantial experience providing robust but realistic technical assistance to organizational leaders and practitioners that builds data use capacity to guide continuous learning and improvement. She is a 2013 alumna of the Harvard Center for Education Policy Research Strategic Data Project (SDP) Fellowship and is fluent in written and conversational Spanish.
Outside of work, you can find Monica…
- At the park with her pitbull mix, Mika
- Learning French on Duolingo
- Sipping on a small batch of tequila with family and friends
