Paula Vasquez Alzate joined McKnight in October 2020 and is currently the program and grants associate for Vibrant & Equitable Communities with the Grants & Program Operations department. In this role, Paula supports all aspects of the grantmaking process for Vibrant & Equitable Communities grantee partners. Paula is passionate about developing internal grantmaking tools and processes that foster ongoing learning, while keeping equity at the core of her and the Foundation’s work.

During her tenure, Paula has provided administrative and operations support to the Vibrant & Equitable Communities and Arts & Culture programs, and assisted with the Lake Street Alignment project, grantmaking redesign effort, and the Ford ACT initiative. She has dedicated her career to working with underrepresented communities. Equity is at the core of her work as she strives to support systems change.

Ua ntej McKnight, Paula tau ua haujlwm ntawm Lub Chaw Cowles ua tus saib xyuas kev kawm thiab kev koom tes hauv zej zog thiab ntawm Northrop ua tus kws tshaj lij kev txhim kho (ob lub koom haum yog McKnight cov neeg txais txiaj ntsig). Nws txhawb nqa lub tuam txhab ua las voos Black Label Movement ua tus tswv cuab ntawm pawg thawj coj thiab yog ib lub tuam txhab qub txav.

Nws tau kawm tiav bachelor of fine arts degree hauv kev seev cev los ntawm University of Minnesota thiab tam sim no tab tom kawm MBA ntawm Carlson Tsev Kawm Ntawv Kev Tswj Xyuas. Paula yug thiab loj hlob hauv Colombia thiab tsiv mus rau Tebchaws Meskas hauv 2014. Nws tau nyob hauv New York City thiab Miami thiab tam sim no nyob hauv Minneapolis.