Zimar Batista is the special assistant to the president and CEO with the Public Welfare Foundation. He was previously a program analyst, where he oversaw the foundation jurisdictions of Milwaukee, Michigan, Oklahoma, Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Washington, DC. He supported the program team, which leads grantmaking efforts across the sites by providing analysis and programmatic support to drive the foundation’s mission.
What is your greatest career accomplishment to date?
My greatest career accomplishment to date was being part of the very first ever Afro-Latinx Lideres Avanzando Fellowship Program which allowed me to draft a policy brief centered around increasing teacher diversity by funding minority serving institutions, highlighting the teacher of color shortage and addressing solutions to solve this problem nationwide.
What is your greatest personal accomplishment to date?
Serving as an AmeriCorps member for two consecutive years. This national service opportunity has been one of the greatest accomplishments for me personally because it allows me to submerge myself in understanding students’ struggles beyond the classroom and the barriers of the educational system across the Greater Washington region. Teaching and providing support to students is an act of service and this same personal accomplishment allows me to think of strategic ways to solve other societal problems.
What do you do today to impact your community?
Beyond volunteering, I love to be in a community with other Latino Lideres across different sectors; therefore I have joined other leadership opportunities such as Hispanic In Philanthropy a space in which I can learn how other leaders are influencing various sectors and collaborate along with them in projects that are meant to support our comunidad. I also dedicate my time volunteering to educational tutoring at the Latin American Youth Center where I first began my AmeriCorps service in Washington, DC.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself staying in the field of philanthropy, growing, learning, and centering community voices at the programmatic core of this sector. I have found love and joy working in this field and I see myself continuing my philanthropic career in all aspects of philanthropy in the next five years.
What is the biggest issue that you want to help solve, and why?
In both my professional and academic experiences, I have had the pleasure to work on a variety of issues such as public health, civic engagement, housing justice, and education among other issues. From learning and implementing programmatic ideas on these issues, criminal justice came at the center of all these intersections. I want to help solve the mass incarceration crisis that exists in the United States; this is an alarming national issue that is affecting millions of American families and system-impacted people affected by the current carceral system.
What is a moment when you realized the impact of your work?
When I hear grantees share how thanks to the foundation grantmaking support, they were able to advance their projects, create more movement-building work, and advance more justice reform efforts within the state and the communities they represent.
Who inspires your leadership?
I’m inspired by many leaders and mentors in my life starting with my grandmother, my mom, my aunt, and my cousin who is like a little sister to me. Professionally, amazing leaders such as Cynthia Torres, Byron L. Williams, and Leni Dworkis.
What is a surprising hobby or interest that helps you stay creative and energized?
This may not sound like a hobby to some but, for me, it is. I absolutely love comedy, especially listening to aspiring local comedians from the community. Comedy is a safe space for me to disconnect from my day-to-day responsibilities, and laughter is always a fuel for more creativity.
What is your Latino background?
I am Dominican American. I was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but raised in the Dominican Republic for more than sixteen years. Both of my parents were born and raised in the Dominican Republic.
What song do you listen to that motivates you?
In English, “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons and in Spanish, “Lo Mejor Ya Va a Venir” by Reik.
