Maribel Martinez is a social sector leader with over 25 years of experience in education and nonprofit management. She began her teaching career in MiamiDade County, Florida, the fourth largest school district in the country, teaching students with disabilities and second-language students before transitioning to becoming a reading specialist. Later, she led professional development for new teachers.
In New York City, Maribel had the privilege of leading the launch of the first all-digital teaching platform. She worked closely with the board of education to manage change and integrate technology nationally to increase student achievement. It was there that Maribel took notice of the homework gap and began collaborating with nonprofit groups in New York City on digital inclusion, distributing computers to K-8 students in asset-limited neighborhoods.
Maribel is considered a national digital inclusion expert and has first-hand experience collaborating with HUD-assisted housers to implement multi-year digital equity plans. She’s also worked with industry partners on targeted outreach campaigns aimed at income-constrained people, created and led publicprivate partnerships across multiple sectors to close the digital divide, developed computer and tablet training curricula and train-the-trainer programs, worked with stakeholders to build capacity and create talent pipelines into college and tech for asset-limited communities, and developed innovative processes to accelerate tech adoption for hundreds of thousands of end-beneficiaries. Maribel’s blended and virtual digital skills training curricula for secondary students, working-age individuals, and older adults have been adopted in 30 U.S. cities and counting.
Maribel holds a B.S., M.S., and an Ed.S. in education and was recognized in 2006 by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She studied mentoring and teacher induction through her doctoral work, and in 2018, Maribel completed a nonprofit management certificate with a concentration in financial success from Cornell University.
Maribel lives in Miami, Florida, where she was born and raised.