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.

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