Political Rights Activist, Social Entrepreneur & Emmy-Nominated Journalist; President & CEO of Voto Latino
Maria Teresa Kumar Biography
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.
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Maria Teresa Kumar Speaking Topics
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Building Movements: Leveraging Innovative and Creative Initiatives to Impact Change
Named by Fast Company as among the most 100 Creative Minds in Business Worldwide for her unique use of technology, media and celebrity to make transformative change and mobilizing the fastest growing group of Americans, Maria Teresa Kumar intimately understands how to utilize innovative approaches to build movements and bring people together. Under her leadership, Voto Latino launched the first ever national mobile voter registration campaign and directly registered over a quarter-million voters, while influencing countless more, during the 2008 election. In this presentation, Kumar shares with audiences how to utilize social networks, technology, and other viral sharing resources to build and maintain buzz – whether for products, services, campaigns, or social causes.
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Our Changing America
In this well-informed, lively, and compelling presentation, Kumar addresses many of the issues driving our national discussion. From the ever-changing demographics in the U.S., to the business, economic, and political ramifications of such a shift. A reflection of her MSNBC show by the same name, Kumar engages audiences on some of the most important political, social, and economic topics facing us today.
Maria Teresa Kumar Videos
Voto Latino President Maria Teresa Kumar announces Voto Latino's voter registration campaign
On this National Voter Registration Day, our co-founder and president, Maria Teresa Kumar, appeared on Morning Joe to highlight why registering and...
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What are the speaker fees for Maria Teresa Kumar
Speaking fees for Maria Teresa Kumar, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Maria Teresa Kumar are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Maria Teresa Kumar, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Maria Teresa Kumar speak about?
Maria Teresa Kumar is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business, Business Leadership, Civil Rights, College, DEI, Disruptive Thinking, Diversity & Inclusion, Female Leadership, Government, Hispanic Heritage, Immigration, Influential Women, Innovation, Leadership, Political, Social Activism, Social Media, TED, Thought Leadership, Women, Women's History Month -
Where does Maria Teresa Kumar travel from?
Maria Teresa Kumar generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Maria Teresa Kumar’s agent?
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Maria Teresa Kumar is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Building Movements: Leveraging Innovative and Creative Initiatives to Impact Change, Our Changing America, Business Opportunities from the Largest Growing Consumer Market in the U.S. and Politics, Policy, and Prosperity. The estimated speaking fee range to book Maria Teresa Kumar for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Maria Teresa Kumar generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dolores Huerta, Sylvia Acevedo, Diane Guerrero, Mariana Atencio and Anna Maria Chávez. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Maria Teresa Kumar for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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