Badass of the Week: J. Roberto Gutiérrez

J. Roberto Gutiérrez is the founder and President of LEEP, Latino Educational Equity Partnerships. Established in 2015, with co-founder, Nelson Broms, Mr. Gutiérrez directs the national strategy for growth, advancement and strategic partnerships of the 501(c)3 organization. LEEP develops K-12 education strategies to advance culturally-responsive public schools that uplift character and form students as citizens and life-long learners. Students prepare for college through an academically rigorous, content-rich, dual-language program. LEEP is headquartered in San Antonio, TX with future schools planned for Austin and Ft. Worth-Dallas.

A social entrepreneur, Mr. Gutiérrez is also a writer, poet, and independent filmmaker. He has served as a national spokesperson for a top-tier university. He is an international communications executive and an education leader. From 1982 to 2002, Gutiérrez served as co-founder and CEO of the internationally acclaimed Hispanic Telecommunications Network. He produced 1200 half-hours of the Spanish language series, Nuestra Familia broadcast weekly on UNIVISION. Gutiérrez also produced numerous feature-length programs broadcast on PBS and ABC capturing the Latino immigrant experience in America. In 1999, he was awarded a prestigious Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Notre Dame for a body of work advancing justice and peace in American broadcasting.

In 2007, Gutiérrez was recruited as senior vice president of communications and public affairs for Edison Schools, the for-profit education management company located in New York. With the Institute of Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Gutiérrez directed an internal research study compiling best practices in support of English Language Learners. Working with parents and community leaders in Philadelphia, Gutierrez directed community engagement strategies to increase parent involvement in Philadelphia’s most underserved neighborhoods.

Most recently, Gutiérrez served as Chief Advancement Officer for the Phoenix-based charter school network, Great Hearts America. He led advancement for the network’s first out-of-state expansion in San Antonio and Irving, Texas. He spearheaded a $12 Million fundraising campaign in San Antonio to launch the classical K-12 school network there and subsequently launched a $13M campaign in North Texas. Reporting to the CEO, Gutierrez directed communications and public affairs.

J. Roberto Gutiérrez holds a B.A. in English and Communication Arts from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. He has advanced studies in Strategic Communications and Theology. He is married to Rosita Jimenez Gutierrez. His children, Robert and Cristina Gutierrez are both education professionals and life-long learners. Gutierrez lives in San Antonio, Texas, and Brooklyn, N.Y.