Rosa Maria is a triple first-generation professional raised in the Bay Area, California. She is committed to creating equitable workspaces, promoting universal basic needs, advocating for disability rights, and supporting POC career pathways in higher education. She strives to ensure that those she works with feel valued authentically and empowered to confidently navigate their professional journeys, leveraging their lived experiences and community.
Rosa Maria has a background in education, food initiatives, and labor rights. She earned a Master’s in Education from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, specializing in Education Leadership, Organization, and Entrepreneurship with a Concentration in Higher Education. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Human Development and Education from the University of California, Davis.
Before moving to the East Coast, Rosa Maria worked at the UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program, where she supported training on “know-your-rights,” capacity building, and collaborative action sessions for historically minoritized and exploited populations, including farm workers, domestic workers, and young workers. She also has a strong foundation in intersectional basic needs work, having served as the Director of the UC Davis Food Pantry and contributing to the development of what is now the Basic Needs Hub.
