Él Martinez (they/elle pronouns) is a 22-year-old community organizer, public health worker, multi-disciplinary artist, and consultant currently enrolled as a senior at Clark University majoring in Community, Youth, and Education Studies - with a minor in Spanish.

Él describes themself as a queer, trans, non-binary person of color. Él is mixed race (Afro-Boricua and white) and several years into reconnecting to their indigenous Taíno/Arawak heritage. They are fluent in English and speak Spanish at an intermediate level, with the hope of becoming fluent and eventually moving to their homeland of Borikén/Puerto Rico.

   In their early teens, Él's activism emerged out of the need for district-wide training in their public school system. Since then, their freelance consulting clients/audiences have included youth, parents, teachers, nurses, non-profits, and corporate entities. Él has spoken on panels, facilitated dialogues, hosted trainings, and more on a wide range of topics from LGBTQ+ inclusivity to carceral abolition.

   Outside of professional development work, Él has spent years participating in legislative advocacy in the state of Massachusetts on behalf of the "Gender X," "No New Women's Prison" and "Healthy Youth Act" bills. Él has also spent years as a participant and leader of community and LGBTQ youth-centered programs including a position on GLSEN's National Student Council, as a Peer Leader for Framingham GLASS (a program of JRI Health), and as Program Coordinator for Lesley University’s Office of Community Service. Building upon their previous skills in media relations, event planning, group facilitation, public speaking, and grassroots organizing.

   Aside from their studies as a full-time student, Él is pursuing interests in public health and harm reduction fields. They currently work as the Adult Advisor for SWAGLY, an LGBTQ+ youth program of AIDS Project Worcester in addition to interning in the Health Promotion Services department's syringe service program (SSP). In their spare time, Él enjoys contributing to local mutual aid efforts, creating art, and attending virtual events/professional development to further expand their knowledge.