Esperanza United
Leo Martinez currently serves as the Senior Manager of Training and Technical Assistance at Esperanza United, where responsibilities include developing and managing national training and technical assistance strategies focused on gender-based violence, cultural responsiveness, and victim services, particularly within the Latinx community. With over 10 years of experience, Leo has successfully managed multi-year grant projects, led peer learning communities, and coordinated technical assistance efforts for various federally funded initiatives. As the Principal Consultant at Leo Martinez Consulting, expertise is shared through national speaking engagements on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy for under-served communities. Leo's past leadership includes serving as the founding President of Latino LinQ and contributions to various organizations, emphasizing community education and program management in the context of domestic and sexual violence. Leo holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Human Services from Clayton State University and an Associate's in Education from Escuela Normal Superior "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento."
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Esperanza United
Founded in 1982 as a women's shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota, Esperanza United has grown into the national institute on domestic violence in the Latin@ community. We provide training and consultations to practitioners and activists throughout the United States as well as in Latin America. ' We root our work in the St. Paul, Minnesota community, offering a range of critical services in Minnesota from enhancing safety for Latin@ survivors of gender-based violence to strengthening youth leadership. We ground everything we do in the lived realities, hopes, and dreams of Latin@ communities. Our public policy initiative engages in federal and state public policy advocacy efforts and our national research center conducts research on issues that affect Latin@s in the United States and abroad. Our organization seeks input from members to inform policy advocacy efforts on key legislation impacting Latin@ families experiencing domestic violence and gender based violence. From highlighting the need of immigration reform to ensure protections for immigrant survivors to documenting the health impact of violence, we encourage communities to share stories of human rights violations, discrimination, community concerns and successes that will be brought to policy makers to help shape our laws.