Dr. Teresa Granillo, CEO of the nationally-recognized, Texas-based nonprofit organization AVANCE, has been accepted to the Newsweek Expert Forum, an invitation-only community of well-respected senior executives, speakers, authors, and academics from various industries, including business, social issues, environment, economics, government, education, health, sciences, and more. The forum provides members a supportive community for sharing expertise and ideas, vetted connections, high-quality interactions, and world-class publication opportunities.
Since joining AVANCE as CEO in 2019, Dr. Granillo has led her team in realizing a strategic plan focused on growing the impact and reach of AVANCE’s core programs. Under her leadership, the size of the AVANCE National team has more than tripled, and revenue has increased by over 600%, allowing the organization to expand its programming in depth and reach. Prior to AVANCE, Dr. Granillo served six years as Executive Director of Con Mi MADRE, another nonprofit whose two-generation programming supports young Latinas on the path to higher education. Before Con Mi MADRE, Dr. Granillo was a tenure-track professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. As a Latina raised by a single mother, Dr. Granillo knows firsthand how education ends the cycle of poverty and has dedicated her career to ensuring that all individuals have access to high-quality education.
As a member of the Newsweek Expert Forum, Dr. Granillo authored an article on dual language learning for newsweek.com, “Uplift Bilingual Children by Dispelling Myths and Improving Dual-language Learning.” Dr. Granillo draws on recent research and AVANCE’s work with advocacy organization UnidosUS to describe how negative attitudes toward bilingualism impact children developmentally and educationally and can be detrimental to their familial bonds and cultural identity formation. Dr. Granillo also dispels some persistent myths regarding bilingualism in early childhood and offers recommendations for improving outcomes for bilingual children, including acknowledging and understanding the cultural importance of dual language learning to empower parents and maintain family involvement in their children’s educational journeys.
“I’m honored to be accepted into the Newsweek Expert Forum,” said Dr. Granillo. “The work we do at AVANCE is so important, and I’m excited to share my expertise and our perspective with the community. I also look forward to learning from my peers and engaging meaningfully with diverse leaders. It is a great opportunity to discuss how we can all work together to move the needle on increasing economic mobility for Latino families across the country.”