Team
The beating heart of Escalera lies in the diverse and talented individuals that make up our team. Get to know the faces behind the passion, the hands that turn dreams into reality. The “Team” page is your backstage pass to the collective energy and dedication that fuels our projects. Meet the dreamers, doers, and change-makers who embody the spirit of Escalera.
Aylín Estrada
Development and Policy Director
Aylín believes in education as a key factor for local development and that stories can create impact in the world. She has experience with public grants and project management, and holds a Master’s degree in Development from the IDS, at University of Sussex.
Edgar Morales
Data Analyst
Edgar is originally from Guadalupe Victoria, a municipality of Ocozocoautla de Espinosa in Chiapas. He graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Autonomous University of Chiapas.
His passion and interest in data science led him to pursue self-taught studies. Edgar uses his knowledge to ensure the data is correct to continue our mission.
Eva González
Alcance Executive
Eva is a trilingual (Tzeltal, tzotzil and Spanish) psychologist. She was an Educational Community instructor at CONAFE and lived in a community in the highlands of Chiapas. She uses her passion and skills to introduce and support students, parents and teachers throughout their experience with Escalera’s programs.
Jacqueline Gómez
Management Coordinator
Jacqueline found her passion for education working as a teacher in rural communities. She has a law degree and amazing attention to detail. An Escalera scholarship recipient herself, she’s experienced education’s transformative power first hand. Today Jacky keeps Escalera’s accounting and management on point.
José Jiménez
Reach Coordinator
Jose brings 4 years of experience working with rural teachers and schools in Chiapas. He is passionate about the education sector and helping the most underprivileged have access to education. José is a patient and committed go-to person for thousands of students, parents and teachers participating in Reach. He studied law in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Liliana Peraza
Mentorship Coordinator
Liliana is the pedagogy champion in our team. She is originally from Tizimín, Yucatán, where she obtained her university degree in Education and a Master’s in Educational Research. Having been a teacher in indigenous communities she is well aware of the relevance of culture and linguistics. From this experience she is building learning pathways for teachers and students in Chiapas. Liliana holds a PhD in Sciences in Ecology and Sustainable Development.
Lucio Gómez
Emprende Coordinator
Lucio is the coach for the teachers running the Emprende program in their classrooms. As a social psychologist he enjoys promoting life skills for the youth in Chiapas. He has more than 10 years of experience using psychology as a tool for social transformation.
Maricriz Escalante
Operations Director
From a rural community in Chiapas, Maricriz understands the importance of education and is excited to use her experience to create and implement educational programs that empower students in Southern Mexico. She keeps the team united, safe and inspired.
Martha Guzmán
Emprende Administrative Assistant
Martha is from Tenejapa, speaker of the Tseltal and Tsotsil language. She graduated from the National Pedagogical University with a degree in Preschool Education for the Indigenous Environment. As soon as Martha steps into any classroom she creates an immediate rapport with students. She is driven by the firm belief that education is key to building social change, and is happy to work everyday to tackle the educational gap in the Highlands of Chiapas.
Melissa Floca
Advisor
Melissa is a mastermind behind our program’s design. Since 2017 she has advised Escalera in strategic planning, building key partnerships, and consolidating Escalera as a data-savvy organization. Melissa is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the CICORE Division of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and she is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Columbia Business School.
Rene Estrada
Logistics Coordinator
René is our organization’s repair and transportation guru. He keeps our vehicles running smoothly despite the heavy beatings they take on Chiapas’ rough mountain and jungle roads. He brings over fifteen years of experience working in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
Ricardo Masahiro
M&E Coordinator
Masa is an economist with an interest in issues of education, poverty and well-being. He is passionate about working with data and using it to improve people’s quality of life. He studied a master’s degree in Economics at the Center for Economic Research and Teaching, A.C. (CIDE).
Silvia Lopez
Facilities Manager
Silvia was born and raised in San Cristobal de las Casas, in the historic San Diego neighborhood. Besides taking care of our office, Silvia is a mother to three kids with whom she spends the afternoons doing homework and enjoying their time together. For her, the best part of working in Escalera is the comradeship among the teammates.