Maria Santos Valentin

Maria Santos Valentin currently serves as Special Counsel at the Ford Foundation since May 2023, following a role as a Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow at NYU Law School's Grunin Center for Law and Social Entrepreneurship. Prior experience includes serving as Secretary and General Counsel at The Rockefeller Foundation from April 2019 to May 2022, where strategic and legal advice was provided on governance and operations. Maria also held pivotal positions at Open Society Foundations and its related entities, including Director of Legal Affairs and Deputy General Counsel. Earlier career highlights include roles at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and Clifford Chance US LLP. Maria holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. in Economics from Fordham University.