Rubén Vázquez has over 20 years of experience in social justice, advocacy, civic engagement, community-based initiatives and fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion at a personal, institutional, and systemic level. He has dedicated his career to advocating for underrepresented populations and engaging them to become primary stakeholders in their community. Rubén has worked in nonprofit, for-profit, education and government sectors. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Hamline University and a Certificate in Global Arbitration Law & Practice from Hamline Law School & Queen Mary University, London, England.
Rubén and his family immigrated to the United States from Mexico City more than 40 years ago. In 2016, Rubén was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Minnesota Council of Latino Affairs. In addition, he has also sat on several community boards and advisory committees. In 2016, Rubén was a candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives. In 2021, Rubén was recognized by the Twin Cities Business Journal as a notable LGBTQA executive in the Twin Cities.
Creating a space of belonging through diversity and inclusion are important to Rubén. As a member of the LGBTQ+, Latino, and the immigrant communities, Rubén’s philosophy is, “diversity is what makes us different, inclusion is how we incorporate those differences that yield stronger communities of belonging.”