Martha Varela

Martha Varela is an educator, community advocate, entrepreneur, and veteran whose leadership is rooted in service, collaboration, and a deep belief in the potential of the human family.

With twenty years of nonprofit experience, she is dedicated to empowering communities, developing future leaders, and building partnerships that create lasting positive change in St. Paul, Minnesota, Los Angeles, California, and beyond.

Known for her hands-on, people-centered approach, Martha brings people and organizations together around shared goals, helping communities identify strengths, solve problems, and create opportunities for success.

Rather than focus  on individual recognition, Martha helps to create environments where people feel valued and inspired to achieve meaningful goals together. She helps build strong partners who are examples of working together.  

She says, “When we recognize or own and one another’s contributions, the whole effort is something bigger.”   

She holds a M.A. in Public Administration from City Univ, New York and a B.A. for the University of Minnesota and a 91B10 Medic from the US Army Academy of health.