Aracelis Lucero is the Executive Director of Masa. She has been involved with the organization in various capacities since 2007. After working as a mentor at Masa’s community center in the Bronx, Aracelis decided to lend her financial planning and management skills to the organization as a member of the Board of Directors. During her tenure on the board, she worked on budgeting, strategic planning, capacity-building, program evaluation, and fundraising initiatives. As a native New Yorker from the South Bronx, born to Mexican immigrant parents, Aracelis is deeply committed to the academic and economic advancement of Latinos in the U.S. and in Latin America.

Aracelis attended Middlebury College as a Posse Scholar, earning a Bachelors degree in Economics and French. She worked in finance for six years, first at Lehman Brothers as an Operations Analyst/Manager, and later at Barclays Capital as Assistant Vice President of Credit Financing and Emerging Markets. Aracelis’ work at Masa and on development projects with indigenous communities in Mexico inspired her to switch careers and move into community-oriented and economic development work. In 2012, she earned a Masters in International Affairs with a concentration in economic and political development and a focus on Latin America from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.

Cristina is currently in the process of obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at The City College of New York. She was raised by her single mother who migrated from Mexico in the early 90’s. Growing up she witnessed the struggles a single Latina parent faces. Due to the limited resources she had growing up, Cristina wants to make a positive impact in children’s lives. She is excited to continue her journey at Masa, as she knows working for this organization will provide her with the opportunity to help the Mexican/ Latino community grow.

Kyla has lived and worked in Mexico and been an advocate for the most vulnerable populations throughout her career, including immigrant communities, women, children, and economically disadvantaged groups. Prior to joining Masa, Kyla worked in results measurement for social impact with MarketShare Associates, a global consulting firm. Previously Kyla worked for many years with Innovations for Poverty Action both in Mexico and the United States, where she implemented research on health, education, financial inclusion, and good governance and provided support and oversight to IPA’s country programs in Latin America. After many years working internationally, Kyla is excited to be working closer to home in New York City and supporting the immigrant community in the South Bronx.