Erika Malfavón Álvarez

Reimagining Systems for Community Equity

Title: Operations and Facilities Director

Organization: Felton Institute

Age: 31

Erika Malfavón Álvarez is a strategic Latina leader dedicated to building inclusive systems that uplift children, families, and the communities that support them. Her leadership is grounded in her lived experience as an immigrant and first-generation college graduate, shaped by cultural responsiveness and a deep commitment to service. Erika draws strength from the sacrifices her parents made to bring her to the U.S. at 13, and from her grandmother, whose compassion and care for the community shaped Erika’s path to public service.

Erika has dedicated her career to providing support services that enable children and families from historically marginalized backgrounds to succeed. Focused on advancing equity in early childhood, she has worked in Bay Area nonprofits, providing administrative support at a children’s counseling clinic and early intervention services for children with developmental needs.

As Director of Operations and Facilities for Felton Institute’s Children, Youth, Family, and Transitional Age Youth Division, she leads a growing, multiservice infrastructure. Her systems-thinking approach has improved modernized environments and amplified impact. She prioritizes people-centered operations to support frontline staff and foster inclusive learning environments.

Erika is a current Latinos for Education Fellow and volunteers with the Chicana Latina Foundation reviewing scholarship applications. She holds a certificate in DEI in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. Trained in suicide prevention intervention, she has served as a crisis hotline advocate with Verity’s 24/7 support line for sexual assault and human trafficking survivors.

Outside of work, she enjoys staying active, being outdoors, and spending time with family. With vision, purpose, and integrity, she continues to reimagine systems that honor her roots and the cultural wealth of the communities she serves.