Maria Teresa Kumar

María Teresa Kumar is a Colombian American political rights activist, social entrepreneur, and Emmy-nominated journalist who serves as the founding president and CEO of Voto Latino, a leading Latinx voter registration and advocacy organization in the United States. Kumar co-founded the organization alongside actress Rosario Dawson. Under her leadership, Voto Latino has directly registered more than 1.4 million voters and raised over $75 million to support its mission of educating and empowering Latino voters. Kumar holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of California, Davis, and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she explored the role of technology in addressing inequality.

Kumar is recognized for her work in American civic engagement, utilizing technology, social media, and celebrity influencers to mobilize voters. She was among the first to use text messaging for voter registration and later launched a peer-to-peer voter registration app that Apple’s App Store named among the top four political apps. Her approach to applying consumer marketing strategies to democracy led Fast Company to include her among creative minds in global business. Kumar has appeared on MSNBC as a contracted on-air contributor and regularly appears on programs including "Meet the Press," "Real Time with Bill Maher," and "NBC Nightly News." She received an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis category for co-creating and hosting the MSNBC special "Beyond Borderlines," the first English-language televised town hall focused on Latino issues and the role of Latinos in American politics.

Kumar’s influence extends beyond media. She spoke at the Democratic National Convention, advocating for Latino voter turnout, and has been a leading voice on issues such as immigration reform, birthright citizenship, gun violence, reproductive justice, and climate policy. Kumar chairs the Latino Anti-Disinformation Lab and serves on the boards of EMILY'S List and the World Economic Forum Global Shapers. Her leadership credentials include recognition as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Council on Foreign Relations life member, Aspen Institute scholar, and Hunt Alternative Fund Prime Mover.

Kumar’s work has earned her recognition from Elle Magazine as one of the ten most influential women in Washington, D.C., Hispanic Business among the 100 most influential Latinos in America, and Latino Leaders among the 100 Most Influential Latinas. She received the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Leadership Award, the Women's Media Center Emerging Journalist Award, and was named a National Women's History Alliance honoree. She was also selected for the Carnegie Corporation of New York Great Immigrants, Great Americans award, which honors naturalized citizens who have made significant contributions to American society. Through her work at Voto Latino and in public discourse, Kumar shapes the conversation around inclusive democracy and the influence of the Latino electorate.