Born in East LA and raised in the rural farm town of Tulare in California’s Central Valley, José M. Andre Iniguez has dedicated his professional career to developing students and young adults toward achieving their full potential in and out of the classroom. Before consulting, he most recently served as Site Director for Year Up San Francisco where he oversaw the site’s programmatic and operational efforts toward bridging the opportunity divide for talented young adults by training and then matching them for internships at top finance and tech companies in the Bay Area. Previously, he served as the Director of High School Preparation and Alumni Programs at Equitas Academy Charter Schools, where he oversaw the strategy development, implementation, and evaluation of the inaugural alumni program providing the network’s scholars and families with support through pathways toward college and career success.

As Senior Program Manager at City Year Los Angeles, he led and implemented school transformation efforts inside K-5th grade classrooms that empowered students to get back on track to graduate high school. He has also led youth development and digital media efforts at MTV, Participant Media, and Swipe Out Hunger, among others. Raised by Mexican immigrant parents and the first to attend college in his family, Jose graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and earned a master’s degree in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also a graduate of the Broad Residency in Urban Education, earning a master’s degree in education leadership from The Broad Center. He is a proud member of the Beyhive, is inspired by Sonia Sotomayor and Paulo Freire, and enjoys creating memories with his eight nieces and nephews. He lives in Tulare with his husband, Rafael.

Mari is a passionate advocate for equity of voice and authentic narratives of student experiences, believing that centering the humanity of perspectives is paramount in fostering equitable and effective learning environments. With humble beginnings as a History teacher from Riviera Beach shaping brilliant minds and empowering students to share their own narratives of history, this Florida Orange made the Windy City home adding a southern sparkle to the Southside of Chicago. With a proven track record in robust instructional leadership coaching, Mari excels at empowering leaders to elevate their practice and cultivate student-centered communities. This commitment to fostering authentic learning extends to designing healing-centered wellness retreats and thought-provoking leadership conferences.

Formerly contributing to the excellence of Chicago Public Schools district leadership, Mari's expertise lies in developing and implementing comprehensive professional learning plans that build the capacity of network leadership and their teams. She effectively designed unique adult learning environments through experience data identifying professional development needs, evaluating and improving their effectiveness.Through a deep understanding of research-based, innovative adult learning techniques, Mari ensured that development initiatives were not only impactful, but directly contributed to enhancing the wellness of leaders within Chicago.

Prior to this role, Mari held leadership positions at Noble Schools on the Southside of Chicago, including Grade Level Dean and Humanities Department Chair. As Dean, Mari demonstrated strong instructional leadership by compiling campus data and utilizing trends to enhance student experiences in learning environments that foster community and belonging. Her commitment to fostering academic excellence and professional growth within educational institutions called her to focus her attention on the wellness and resilience of leaders. In the curriculum development space, Mari led the creation of standard-aligned curriculum and assessment resources for an 18-campus charter network and facilitated accompanying network professional development.

Mari holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Secondary Social Science and Adolescent Literacy from Concordia University-Portland, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. An alumna of Surge’s CHI24 Fellowship cohort, she is excited to use her expertise to take Alumni Impact to the next level.

Autumn joins Surge Institute as the Alumni Program Manager where she will work with the Alumni Impact team to support and fuel alumni programming. Prior to joining Surge, she served as a Career & Alumni Program Coordinator for Kauffman Scholars, Inc. where she worked to re-engage their alumni community. She was a key asset to their team creating two new programs and building a connection with the alumni community based on her affinity as an alum of the Program.

Beyond the labels of professional titles, Autumn is a mother, daughter, honorable friend, and an advocate for self-healing. She enjoys journaling, car rides with the windows down, and being around good people.