Verónica Colón Rosario is the new and first Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation. This was announced by the Board of Directors of the entity dedicated to feminist philanthropy and co-chaired by the renowned feminist leaders Sara Benítez and Elba Montalvo.
“Verόnica brings a fierce commitment to gender equity and women’s empowerment—and an array of skills and experience—to her new position. She has designed and managed programs in a range of settings; raised money from foundations and individuals; planned and implemented fundraising events, workshops and conferences; and carried out organizational analyses. She is known for her ability to build bridges and create mutually beneficial connections among diverse individuals—from nonprofit participants to colleagues to board members to elected officials.” -recognized the Co-Chairs of the Board
Born and raised in San Lorenzo Puerto Rico, Verόnica lived for eleven years in Washington D.C. and has traveled extensively within Latin America. She began her career at the National Institutes of Health before pursuing her MA in Latin American Studies from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University. After Georgetown, Veronica joined the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Latin American Program. She later joined the National Science Foundation as a Social Scientist for the Directorate of Social and Economic Sciences.
When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Veronica came back home to contribute to the recovery efforts. She joined Grupo Guayacán Inc., a non-profit that supports start-up entrepreneurial efforts. She was then recruited to launch and serve as the Director of Holberton School, a Puerto Rican software development program with roots in San Francisco. She is currently on the board of the True Self Foundation, which supports Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ community—particularly trans and gender-fluid individuals.
“Over the course of my career, I’ve worked and lived in many places and addressed a range of economic and social issues,” Verόnica explains, “but at the heart of everything that I’ve done is the goal of gender justice. I feel as if my multi-disciplinary background and training all comes together to support me in the wonderful position that I am about to fill. Being the Executive Director for the Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation is the job that I have been preparing for all my life.”
The Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation is the only entity in Puerto Rico dedicated exclusively to feminist philanthropy. The organization launched officially just days before the pandemic started in 2020, and since then it has been dedicated to support women, girls and gender-fluid individuals in Puerto Rico. For more information visit www.prwf.org.
