María Teresa Kumar is the founding president and CEO of Voto Latino and Voto Latino Foundation, chair of the Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab, and an Emmy-nominated on-air analyst for MSNBC. Voto Latino is the country’s largest and most effective Latinx voter registration and mobilization organization. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered over 1.4 million voters, 79 percent of whom go on to cast ballots.
Kumar advised President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and currently serves on the National Task Force on Election Crises and the Brooking Institution’s Working Group on Universal Voting. Named among Bloomberg Línea’s 100 Influential Latinos, Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative Minds, and Elle’s 10 influential women in Washington, Kumar is a leading voice in progressive politics. A sought-after political strategist, she also serves on the board of Steve Madden and Emily’s List. Additionally, Kumar is a lifetime member of the Council of Foreign Relations and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Kumar immigrated to the United States when she was four years old. She is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and the Harvard Kennedy School.