Team - Voto Latino

Board

Ingrid Duran

Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation Board Member

IngridDuran

Ingrid M. Duran is CEO & Founder of D&P Creative Strategies, a company that she and her wife, Catherine, founded in 2004 to increase the role of corporate, legislative and philanthropic efforts in addressing multi cultural issues. D&P specializes in public affairs and government relations and
represents Fortune 200 companies as well as non-profits and trade associations.

Prior to starting D&P, Ingrid was President & CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a leadership development institute founded by Hispanic Members of Congress in 1978. CHCI’s mission is to develop the next generation of Latinx leaders and to build a diverse and inclusive workforce across industries. She grew the organization over six years from a $700K budget to a $7 million dollar budget and launched both their scholarship program and their renown annual conference. Preceding her leadership of CHCI, Ingrid was recruited to run the Washington, DC office of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) representing Latinx community interests to Congress and the Clinton Administration.

Ingrid’s public service began at an early age when she served as a Corporal in the US Marine Corps. She continued her public service on Capitol Hill, where she worked for six years under the Clerk of the US House of Representatives and on the House Banking Committee under the leadership of then Chairman Henry B. Gonzalez. Ingrid also served as a Legislative Assistant for former Representative Gene Green.

Her efforts as a strong steadfast leader and advocate for the LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities have garnered her national accolades and numerous honors, including the Premio Dignidad Award from LLEGO; the Nation’s 100 most influential and powerful Hispanics for HISPANC and PODER magazines; and a Latina of Excellence by HISPANIC magazine. Along with her wife Catherine, Ingrid was recognized by the Hispanic Women’s Corporation and The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force with their 2012 Leadership Awards; Latino Magazine’s 2013 Power Players; Working Mother Magazine’s Legacy Awards; and Hispanic VIP’s Premio a la Excelencia for their work in the Hispanic community. In 2014 Latino Magazine recognized her in the Top 10 leaders in the Latinx community and People en Español named her one of 25 Most Powerful Latinas in the U.S. Ingrid was named one of The Hill’s 2018 top lobbyists in Washington, DC.

Together, Ingrid and her wife Catherine founded PODER PAC, a political action committee by Latinas for Latinas. PODER PAC is a national effort to increase the number of Latinas elected to Congress.

Through their production company, Freemind Beauty, they have also produced six films The Latino List I & II, The Out List and The Trans List for HBO and The Boomer List and The Women’s List for PBS American Masters.

Ingrid earned a bachelor’s degree from Park College and is a graduate of Harvard’s JFK School of Government Executive Program; Harvard’s Business School Corporate Governance Program; and the Center for Creative Leadership. She is a 2002 National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow.

Brandon Hernandez

Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation Board Chair

Brandon Hernandez is an award-winning communications leader, executive advisor, and political consultant with strong expertise in how to successfully navigate California’s political, legislative, and business landscape. Leveraging in-depth knowledge of both the public and private sectors, Mr. Hernandez advises corporations, non-profits, and political campaigns to succeed at the state and local levels. He has been named a “Top 20 Under 40” Environmental Leader by San Francisco 7×7, received multiple national awards for a groundbreaking Spanish language campaign, and was recognized with “June 24 – as Brandon Hernandez Day” by former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

As the Founder and Principal of Reforma Strategies, Brandon Hernandez directs world-class client solutions in the areas of Political Strategy, Public Affairs, Media Relations, Government Relations, Hispanic Communications, Reputation Management, Marketing & Ad Campaigns, Crisis Management, Issue Advocacy, and Initiative Leadership. Regardless of the industry or challenge, he has helped organizations move past complicated events, protect reputations, and prepare for media and legislative appearances. With extensive insights, connections, and strategic leadership experience, Brandon helps companies establish or expand business operations in California, representing the fifth-largest economy in the world.

For 13 years, Brandon served PG&E to meet the needs of its customers and the State of California, most recently working as the Senior Director for External Affairs and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, he led a statewide team and oversaw legislative policy, collaborated with stakeholders and government agencies, and organized public affairs activities across the state and nation. He spearheaded PG&E’s strategic rollout of more than $6B in capital investments across Northern California, established the first Zero Net Energy substation in the United States, and led a partnership to make San Francisco the greenest city in America. Previously, Brandon directed Public Affairs for the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco in California and Washington DC, worked as a policy advisor for the California State Assembly Speaker and was lead for various corporate and political clients at a leading media and political consulting firm.

Mr. Hernandez holds a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Beyond his professional endeavors, he serves as a Board Director for civic causes and non-profit organizations, including Voto Latino and the LGBTQ Victory Institute. Brandon enjoys travel immensely, has a passion for architecture and urban planning, and loves to explore cities around the world.

María Teresa Kumar

Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation President & Board Member

MariaTeresa mariateresakumar

María Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino’s founding president, is an American activist and social entrepreneur and an Emmy-nominated MSNBC contributor seeking to shake up the political process. Leveraging youth, technology, social platforms and influencers, Voto Latino reaches 6.5 million monthly. Voto Latino is a key civic engagement organization, registering 500,000+ voters. In 2018, Voto Latino registered 15 percent of new Texas voters.

Fast Company named Kumar among the 100 Creative Minds. Elle named her among the 10 most influential women in DC and Hispanic Executive named her among the 10 most influential Latinos. HBO’s Celebrity Habla profiled her work and Austin College awarded her the Posey Leadership Award.

Kumar serves on the boards of EMILY’s List and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a Council on Foreign Relations Life Member.

Kumar is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School and UC Davis.

Eve Maldonado O’Toole

Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation Board Member

Eve Maldonado O’Toole is leader of Holland & Knight’s Local Government Group and Principal of Evolve Strategies LLC. She brings more than 20 years of federal lobbying experience, with substantial background in state and local government/public sector advocacy, regulatory, appropriations and policy development, and in establishing and executing local public-private partnerships, successful grassroots campaigns and coalitions, and positioning state and local officials and municipalities nationally.

With close working ties to Congress and the executive branch, Ms. O’Toole has a strong record of advancing a wide range of public interests. These include transportation and infrastructure, energy, environment, water, natural
resources, community and economic development, public safety, housing and homelessness, health and human services, workforce, education, civil rights, telecommunications and technology, homeland security, emergency
preparedness and recovery, defense and base reuse, and public finance.

Among other key local government/public agency and public-private partnerships, Ms. O’Toole currently represents cities from San Francisco to Philadelphia, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, San Mateo County’s transportation agencies and the 480-member League of California Cities, where she previously served as head of its Washington, D.C., office. She also leads and manages the advocacy for several national coalitions, including Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment, Mayors Against LGBTQ Discrimination and the Water Agency Leaders Alliance.

Ms. O’Toole previously served as senior vice president and director of the Intergovernmental Group practice of MARC Associates, a federal relations consulting firm. She also worked as a government affairs representative with another large law firm, serving as federal representative for Los Angeles County. She currently serves on the board of the California State Society and has served on the board of The Representation Project and the Women’s Campaign Fund. She recently co-founded GrupoMas, a social network of LatinX professionals interested in California’s economic, political, arts, entertainment and cultural affairs. She also was vice president for development and treasurer for MANA, a national Latina organization.

Brian Stansbury

Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation Board Treasurer

Stansbury

Brian Stansbury is a partner in the Washington, DC and Houston offices of King & Spalding LLP. Brian and his colleagues at King & Spalding have served as pro bono legal counsel for Voto Latino.

Brian specializes in complex environmental, toxic tort, and commercial litigation and crisis management. Brian represents an array of clients, including those in the energy, automotive, chemical, food, technology, and telecommunications industries. He has handled matters involving criminal and civil violations of the Clean Air Act, the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, customs laws all over the world, and allegations of obstruction of justice and wire fraud. Brian also advises clients researching and pursuing opportunities in the Republic of Cuba.

In addition to his pro bono work for Voto Latino, Brian maintains a robust pro bono practice representing people of limited means in immigration matters. Brian is a co-founder of the UndocuNeighbor initiative, which has assisted families separated at the US border and Dreamers who want to renew their DACA status. He has secured asylum for numerous people from Africa, Central and South America, and Asia. Brian also provided legislative analysis and counseling for the National Immigration Forum in connection with the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill, which passed the US Senate but died in the US House. Brian is counsel to the Community Justice Action Fund and the Community Justice Reform Coalition, which focus on policy reform and building resources for communities of color working at the nexus of gun violence prevention and criminal justice reform. Brian also served as personal counsel to the widow of Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Brian has served as chairman of the board of New Leaders Texas and served as an adviser and fundraiser for Congressman Joaquin Castro, Secretary Julian Castro, Representative Mary Gonzalez, Houston Mayor Bill White, and Houston Controller Chris Brown. Brian has also served on the board of trustees of the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, DC.

Brian obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas.

Staff

María Teresa Kumar

President & CEO

MariaTeresa mariateresakumar

María Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino’s founding president, is an American activist and social entrepreneur and an Emmy-nominated MSNBC contributor seeking to shake up the political process. Leveraging youth, technology, social platforms and influencers, Voto Latino reaches 6.5 million monthly. Voto Latino is a key civic engagement organization, registering 500,000+ voters. In 2018, Voto Latino registered 15 percent of new Texas voters.

Fast Company named Kumar among the 100 Creative Minds. Elle named her among the 10 most influential women in DC and Hispanic Executive named her among the 10 most influential Latinos. HBO’s Celebrity Habla profiled her work and Austin College awarded her the Posey Leadership Award.

Kumar serves on the boards of EMILY’s List and the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers. She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and a Council on Foreign Relations Life Member.

Kumar is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School and UC Davis.

Ameer Patel

Managing Director

Ameer serves as Voto Latino’s Managing Director, where he oversees the organization’s operations and programs. Prior to his role as Managing Director, Ameer led Voto Latino’s Programs department, where he focused much of his time on designing programming and experiments aimed at increasing Latino registration and turnout rates. In 2020, he led Voto Latino’s successful and award-winning campaign to register over 600k new voters.

Before joining Voto Latino, Ameer headed data and analytics efforts for various environmental groups building coalition-wide data programs and infrastructure. Before that he spent time working at Catalist, GMMB, and is a proud alumni of Senator Kay Hagan’s 2014 campaign and President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

When not in the office, Ameer enjoys cycling, skiing, and going on hikes with his dog Oso.

Camille Padilla-Diffoot

Campaigns and Partnerships Fellow

Camille is a fellow in the Campaigns and Partnerships division. Born and raised in Cabo Rojo, PR, Camille completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez Campus in English Literature and a minor in Writing & Communications. Now, Camille is a graduate student at George Washington University studying public policy with a concentration in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. After finishing her graduate studies, Camille hopes to attend law school to become a civil rights lawyer with a focus in women’s rights and LGBTQIA rights. Due to the recently high number of domestic violence cases, femicides and transfemicides happening in Puerto Rico, she hopes to contribute to helping victims and their families through her law practice. Fun facts about Camille are that she loves going paddleboarding at the beach, visiting bookstores and record stores around DC, and eating Puerto Rican and Cuban food.

Cynthia Pandurini

Director of Special Projects

Cynthia serves as the Director of Special Projects for Voto Latino. Her previous experience includes project and operations management for various other Latino-serving non-profit organizations in Washington, DC with a focus on policy advocacy for education, workforce and professional development and financial literacy. Born and raised in Southern California, she became a DC transplant in 2018. She is currently a graduate student at George Washington University.

Galilea Martinez

Campaigns Coordinator

Galilea is the Campaigns Coordinator for Voto Latino. Before joining Voto Latino she worked in progressive campaigns in the state of Oklahoma flipping seats and working to recruit and train progressives to run for office within the state. She is passionate about ensuring we have equal representation at all levels of government across the country. In her free time you can catch her reading a book, hiking, or trying local eateries. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma — Boomer Sooner!

Khushi Bhalla

Campaigns and Partnerships Fellow

Khushi is a fellow for the Campaigns and Partnerships division. Born and raised in Hayward, CA, Khushi is a sophomore at UC Berkeley studying political science and data science with a minor in public policy. After finishing her undergraduate studies, she hopes to attend law school. Passionate about helping people navigate the law, she hopes to work in criminal and corporate law. Eventually, she aspires to be a law professor to pursue her love of teaching. Some fun facts about Khushi are that she enjoys baking, traveling, and trying new coffee shops.

Liz Lebrón

Research Manager, Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab

Liz Lebrón is the research manager for the Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab (LADL), a joint project between Voto Latino and Media Matters for America, a nonprofit disinformation watchdog. Liz drives the lab’s research into disinformation campaigns that target the Latino community and threaten its access to the ballot box. Prior to joining Voto Latino, Liz served as the voter outreach manager for Pinellas County, Florida, where she led the transition from in-person to virtual voter engagement during the 2020 election cycle. Liz began her research career in corporate communications, where she worked with Fortune 500 companies and Forbes Global 2000 firms, before working in higher education while earning graduate degrees in communications and political science. When she’s not working to increase voter turnout in the Latino community, Liz is writing her dissertation on Latino politics.

Lydia Schwartz

Digital Manager

Lydia serves as Digital Manager for Voto Latino. In her role, Lydia oversees the execution of digital fundraising and engagement across various platforms like SMS, ads, email, and web.

Before joining our team, Lydia worked as a digital fundraising consultant for numerous progressive organizations in the lead up to the 2020 elections and in mail persuasion for the 2018 midterms. She is a proud AmeriCorps alumna, a graduate of the College of Wooster, and a DC native. When she’s not working, you can find her hyper-focusing on her latest obsession or just outside. She really likes being outside. 

Norberto Briceño

Director of Social Media

NorbertoBriceno norbertobriceno

Norberto Briceño is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied theater and Latin American studies. In 2014, he joined BuzzFeed as a staff writer, where he wrote articles and quizzes about geek culture, true crime, nostalgia, and Latinidad. In 2016, he co-founded Pero Like, BuzzFeed’s flagship Latino channel, where he produced a plethora of Latino video and editorial content ranging from social issues and Latin American food analysis to comedic skits and relatable Latino-isms. During his time there, with the support of a very small but talented team, the Pero Like Facebook page garnered nearly two million likes, while the YouTube channel has surpassed one million subscribers. He’s excited to be part of the Voto Latino family as the Director of Social Media.

Shannon DeForest

Operations Assistant

Shannon is the Operations Assistant at Voto Latino. Before joining Voto Latino, she worked in campaigns under Defend the Future and Organizing Corps 2020. She is passionate about advocating for voting rights and reproductive justice. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cat Toby, reading, and finding good coffee shops. She’s a graduate of Acadia University.

Sofia Cava

Campaigns and Partnerships Fellow

Sofia is a fellow in the Campaigns and Partnerships division. Born and raised in Sarasota, FL, Sofia is a sophomore at Duke University studying public policy along with certificates in human rights and politics, philosophy, and ethics. Passionate about immigration reform and political engagement, Sofia dedicates her time to serving the Latinx community. As a weekly tutor, Sofia works with community members looking to improve their English proficiency in preparation for the GED test. Sofia also serves as the External Committee Chair for Define America, a student group dedicated to echoing and amplifying the voices of immigrants. Sofia hopes to attend law school after graduation to become an immigration lawyer. A couple of fun facts about Sofia are that she loves going to farmers markets, baking, working out, and eating Peruvian food.

Stephen Kaiser-Parlette

Research Fellow

Stephen joined Voto Latino as a Research Fellow in May 2023. He is a recent graduate of The Citadel Military College of South Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Military Affairs. During his tenure at The Citadel, Stephen rose to the position of Company Commander. In this role, he was responsible for supporting up to 450 cadets to ensure they met their academic and military goals. Stephen’s commitment to community service led him to commission as a Logistics Officer in the Army National Guard, where he serves in his home state of Ohio. His deep passion for labor politics and economic justice fuels Stephen’s aspiration to a career in public office to advocate for labor rights and economic equality, and work towards a better future for all Americans.

Victoria Larsen

Executive Assistant

Victoria Larsen serves as Executive Assistant to the President/CEO of Voto Latino. She comes to Voto Latino after a stint in the sports industry spending time at the West Coast Conference and Giants Community Fund of the San Francisco Giants. Victoria obtained a Master of Arts in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco where her thesis argued for university presidents at Division I institutions to invest in their men’s basketball programs as a way to boost enrollment and grow their endowment. As a student-athlete at California State University, Stanislaus, she competed for the volleyball and track and field programs while earning a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology. Victoria and her 6-year-old chocolate lab, Sophie, were born and raised in Northern California. 

Supporters

Jessica Alba

Actress

Raul Castillo

Actor

Common

Rapper

Kat DeLuna

Singer

Michael "Juan Bago" Diaz

Actor, Producer

Lila Downs

Singer

Fat Joe

Rapper

Laura Gomez

Actor

Jaslene Gonzalez

Model

Nick Gonzalez

Actor

Diane Guerrero

Actor

Luis Guzman

Actor

Dolores Huerta

Civil Rights Activist

John Leguizamo

Actor, Producer

Eva Longoria

Actor, Producer

George Lopez

Comedian, Actor

Jennifer Lopez

Actor, Singer

Demi Lovato

Singer

Diego Luna

Actor

Al Madrigal

Comedian, Actor

Maná

Rock Band

Craig Newmark

Entrepreneur

Edward James Olmos

Actor, Director

Pitbull

Rapper

Dania Ramirez

Actor

Judy Reyes

Actor

Erik Rivera

Comedian

Adam Rodríguez

Actor

Robert Rodriguez

Film Director

Carlos Santos

Actor, Comedian

Romeo Santos

Singer

Gabe Saporta

Singer

Columbus Short

Choreographer, Actor

Amy Smart

Actor

Edgar "Shoboy" Sotelo

Radio Personality

Taboo

Singer

Pets

Darcy

My name is Darcy Bear (or Darcidious when I’m being naughty). I moved to DC from California with my mom Cynthia. I enjoy walking and taking my time smelling every blade of grass. Snacks, naps and belly rubs are my pleasures in life. I spend most of my days napping or playing with my favorite stuffed animal raccoon who’s name is Stinky.

Ruff!

Oso

My name is Oso. Or “Osito Athanasios-Patel” if you’re mad at me. I like to give lots of licks and I promise I can reach your face. Sometimes I worry about my existential personhood but then I remember ball is life.

My dad is Ameer and he’s always staring at the computer screen. So boring.

Woof!

Peanut

My name is Peanut, I like to run around, chew on everything, and am still learning who I am. My mom, Galilea is always talking to her computer screen like a weirdo. Catch me making new friends everywhere I go!

meow!

Pinot Noir

My name is Pinot Noir and, like a fine wine, I enjoy resting. I have a good home with lots of comfy nooks where I snuggle and think. I wish my mom, Liz, would be more zen, but she says she loves la lucha. I sleep on her feet at night to help her relax because I’m a good keekee.

bow wow!

Sophie

Hello, my name is Sophie and I love the ball, sleeping under the covers, and the Pacific Ocean. I am very kind to most of my peers I see out walking but have a keen awareness for willful ignorance, immorality, and utter incompetency so I stay far away. Victoria is my very best friend/soul sister.