Our Staff
NORMA REY-ALICEA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER
Norma (she/ella) is the Executive Director and co-founder of NextGen Talent. She has dedicated her career to the development of new educational models and career advancement solutions to close the opportunity gap for low-income students, with a focus on Latinx, Black, and immigrant students. Prior to NGT, she worked for Jobs for the Future (JFF), where she co-developed its Best Bets Services, providing professional training and tools to help students find career pathways meeting their interests and filling regional employer needs. Earlier in her career, Norma worked for the Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation (HOPE) in Jamaica Plain. As HOPE’s Director of Tutorial Services, she designed curricula, taught, and managed tutorial services for low-income Latinx students attending the Boston Public Schools. She is a proud indigenous Guarani Latina from Jamaica Plain, as well as a community activist on racial justice issues, affordable housing, and the rights of indigenous peoples and immigrants. Norma has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA in Government from Harvard University.
orquidia MONTERO, ASSISTANT director
Orquidia (she/ella) is the Assistant Director of NextGen Talent. Orquidia joins the NGT team from student affairs in higher education, supporting students through their ongoing development in the college setting. As a first-generation Dominican-American, Orquidia is passionate about bridging the educational gap that exists for low-income, first-generation collegegoers, and students of color. Orquidia has a Master's in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island and a BA in Modern Languages from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Daniel Zendejas, Project Director - Texas
Daniel (he/him) is the Project Director implementing NextGen Talent services in Texas. With more than 25 years of progressive experience in workforce development, career readiness, and leadership, Daniel's career passions are grounded in finding innovative ways to increase access for underserved and under-resourced people and communities to the best career opportunities. Prior to NGT, Daniel served as Director of Career Readiness and Alumni Re-Engagement for KIPP Texas Public Schools in Houston, where he implemented a number of initiatives to support high school students including career-focused student organizations, curriculum development in the career space, and a paid internship program for juniors and seniors. He also generated funding support for a "Tour of Texas" where students visited two-year colleges throughout the State that housed the most competitive training programs toward high-paying industry-needed careers. Daniel is a graduate of Trinity University (BA) and the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston (MM).
karina martinez, QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Karina (she/ella) assists NextGen Talent with outreach to career-focused postsecondary programs to contribute to NextGen Talent’s Navigator high-value postsecondary program finder. Karina seeks to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have equal knowledge and access to postsecondary opportunities as they chart their path to the future. Karina has her Master's in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Boston University. She also earned a BS in Film and Television from Boston University.
susan goldberger, senior advisoR & CO-FOUNDER
Susan (she/her) is a co-founder of NextGen Talent and provides pro bono product management services for our data products. She also serves as a senior project manager at the Burning Glass Institute, a non-profit data analytics firm focused on advancing the goals of equity and inclusion in the new economy. Prior to joining the institute, she served as Director of Educational Products at Emsi Burning Glass Technologies and VP for Planning and Venture Development at Jobs for the Future (JFF). At JFF she led the development of innovative educational and workforce training programs for low-income and underprepared populations on district, state, and multi-state levels. Susan holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the Heller School and a BA from Brown University.