Karla, an immigrant from El Salvador and a proud mother of three has carved a niche for herself in education through her dedication to fostering equity. Holding a Master's in Teaching, Karla's professional journey reflects her deep-rooted passion for creating inclusive and diverse educational environments. In November 2016, she co-founded an initiative to establish the Equity Institute in 2020, where she currently serves as the CEO. Her prior experience as an educator and non-profit professional, combined with her leadership at the Equity Institute, underscores her commitment to developing community-centered programs to recruit a more racially and ethnically diverse group of educators.

Under Karla's dynamic leadership, the Equity Institute has made significant strides in the community. Her strategic initiatives, such as developing pathway programs to increase the number of teachers of color, have been instrumental in the organization's success. Her fundraising efforts, which have raised over $5 million, have bolstered the Institute's capacity to support educators and leaders from historically underserved communities.

Karla is a Deeper Learning Equity Fellow, a Pahara NextGen Fellow, a Google for Education advisor, and has served as a community advisor for the Nellie Mae Foundation. Her engagement in the Health Equity Collective also highlights her broader commitment to equity across sectors. Having convened over 1,000 community members through monthly meetups and presented at several education-based conferences, Karla continues to advocate for systemic change, embodying the principles of equity and inclusion in every aspect of her work.