Member Spotlight: Laura Martinez
What is your industry or area of expertise?
Philanthropy and fundraising. My area of work has always been in education and education-adjacent nonprofits, but currently I work at an organization that does workforce development around supporting underserved communities and introducing them into the tech sector.
Why do you believe in the mission of BlackFemaleProject?
In all of my experiences, especially in education, it was always very important for me to represent my culture—I’m Latina, and what I've seen is that there are a lot of parallels in our experiences. I worked in OUSD in the Office of Equity, and I was really able to see firsthand the inequities that were happening in the Black community, and especially the Black female communities. I could say things my friends couldn’t say. They couldn’t speak their truth for fear of how other people would interpret that. And I felt that was a disservice. It’s important to build allyship, and if Black women are not supported—if they don’t achieve—we don’t achieve, either.
What brought you to BlackFemaleProject?
Precious asked, “How can we work together?” And I was like, “I’ll do anything.” I told her, “Your organization is the real thing. It’s authentic, and your voices need to be heard.”
How has BlackFemaleProject impacted you personally?
Being a part of BlackFemaleProject has continued to help me learn and understand my own privilege; even though I'm Latina, I do have privilege in how I enter spaces compared to my Black friends. I’m always inspired by the women in this community. I’m so proud of it, and I continue to navigate my life that way. Even if I'm in different spaces in the community, I want to make sure that Black women’s voices are heard.
What motivated you to join the board of BlackFemaleProject?
It started because I worked with Precious in the OUSD Office of Equity, and I have a background in philanthropy. We would talk a lot, and she said she needed support. So I started looking into how to build membership and a culture of philanthropy within BlackFemaleProject in the community. And it’s grown.
What BlackFemaleProject content or offering have you found most resonant?
The Teacher Truth series because of having worked in schools and really seeing it from an administrative point. It’s elevating the reality of how teachers—Black teachers in particular—need to be cared for because there is a lot that they are carrying. Their stories need to be heard. Also, it’s important for our kids to see themselves in our teachers. Black kids should see educators in their spaces, but also non-Black kids should see Black teachers because it impacts how you see the world.
Bio:
Laura Martinez has more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, specifically working on workforce development, education reform, and social justice issues. She has developed programs that moved the needle on educational outcomes for students of color and has led efforts to build strategic partnerships around educational equity. Laura is passionate about building healthy communities that positively impact people of color and works to empower local communities to become advocates for economic development as well as racial and social justice. Currently, she works as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Bitwise Industries, a company that works to build tech economies in underestimated cities.
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