Maria Echaveste

Maria Echaveste is the President of the Opportunity Institute, a non-profit focused on increasing social and economic mobility and advancing racial equity. Before that, she built a distinguished career working as a consultant, lecturer, senior White House official, long-time community leader, and corporate attorney. Echaveste also has been a Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Center for Latin American Studies since 2008.

Echaveste served in various capacities in President Clinton’s administration, including Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff (1998-2001); Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison (1997-1998), and Wage and Hour Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor (1993-1997).

Echaveste serves on the board of directors of UCSF-Benioff Oakland Children’s Hospital; Cadiz, Inc. (a publicly-held natural resources company); Mi Familia Vota, and SMASH (formerly known as the Level Playing Field Institute), focused on improving STEM education for students of color.

Echaveste received a B.A. from Stanford University and J.D. from U.C. Berkeley School of Law.