Azul Cortez (They/Elle)

Azul Cortez is the Project Manager for the Upside Tech Alliance at Kapor Center. Azul is excited to be supporting mission driven companies who center communities in scaling their impact across the United States. Azul’s background is in fintech/real-estate, economic development, grass-roots organizing and public policy. Azul is dedicated to creating intergenerational wealth-building opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Latine communities and beyond.

Prior to joining Kapor Center, Azul developed programming, educational outreach strategies, and facilitated the distribution of $2 million in shared-equity down payment funds while working at Landed and Mission Economic Development Agency. In doing this work, Azul was able to support 24 low-moderate income California families purchase below-market rate and market rate homes. Azul has also launched and scaled multiple advocacy campaigns while working at the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, most notably an engagement campaign in 2020, which promoted affordable housing residents to GOTV. The advocacy campaign led to a 15% increase, or 18,233 new voters turning out the polls across the 9 Bay Area counties. The advocacy campaign led to a 15% increase, or 18,233 new voters turning out the polls across the 9 Bay Area counties. Azul is a strong believer that democracy only works when communities are empowered to make decisions with tools and resources. Azul also spent two years studying and recording the barriers local artists face in the Bay Area to advocate for artist affordable housing opportunities. In all of these experiences, the common thread in Azul’s work has been promoting the opportunity to build an anti-racist and more just world which works for all of us.

Azul is proud to be queer/non-binary, first generation Latine professional from rural Baja California. They hold a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from UC Davis. In their free time, Azul continues to coordinate efforts in the asset building and economic justice sector to promote “good” public policy. Azul loves to travel, go to arcades, play with their two doggos and spend time with their partner.