Meet 👉 Denisse Arias, Director of Leadership Development & Equity.
Q: What led you to your role as Director, Leadership Development & Equity at Teach For All?
During my tenure at Teach For All, I’ve held diverse roles, across different functions, working in external engagement, supporting our partners' MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning) efforts, and co-leading a team dedicated to enhancing partner support through fostering vibrant communities and learning experiences. Over time, I was increasingly finding myself drawn more and more toward a focus on leadership development and DEI. My current role allows me to fully dedicate myself to these areas, supporting our global organization and network partners, participants, and alumni in their equity-focused leadership development.
Q: What are some of the key projects you are working on?
In addition to my role in the Leading from Lived Experiences Fellowship, I have been actively engaged in various educational initiatives. This includes participating in and now contributing to the DEI Advocates series, which helps network staff enhance their DEI engagement skills—a key experience that guided my own career shift. I am also working on reinvigorating spaces within our organization to explore equity-centric topics more deeply.
Q: Could you tell us more about the Lived Experiences Fellowship?
The Leading from Lived Experiences Fellowship is created by and for individuals across our network who have firsthand experience with inequity. This initiative is vital for driving the end of inequities in our systems and societies because it harnesses the unique perspectives of those who have faced marginalization. To build a world where all children can thrive, we must support and learn from those whose backgrounds mirror the students we aim to support.
We recently welcomed the 4th cohort of 39 Fellows from 24 diverse contexts in our network and introduced 6 alumni mentors to support new regional tracks and the reintroduction of an in-person immersion, organized in collaboration with Teach For Malaysia.
One of the great things about this Fellowship is that it’s really collaborative - we’ve got more than 15 staff and alumni of the Fellowship contributing and co-leading different efforts to make this Fellowship happen.
Q: What advice would you give to other professionals working on DEI?
What I have found useful in my role is having a community of people around me to strategize and lean on especially in moments of frustration - having others who are in the work with me has been invaluable. A part of that has been having allies and knowing when to ask for support, particularly as someone who has lived experiences of inequity.
An experienced math and Science teacher with excellent classroom and behavior management skills. Good pedagogy and teaching strategies to achieve results. Certified both in the USA and the UK as a teacher. .
1yI am very much interested