Maria Alexandra (Alex) Arriaga
Alex Arriaga is Senior Strategy Advisor for the Children's Policy and Funding Initiative at Tides Center and is Founder and Partner at Strategy for Humanity. Alex has served in leadership positions at the White House, the US Department of State, in the US Congress, at major non-profit organizations, and now in the private sector. She has extensive experience working at the global and national level crafting policies, bridging communities, and achieving priorities to advance human rights. At the state and local level, she is known for working to enable education for all.
At Tides, Alex provides overarching strategy and guidance to donors and grantees so that their work together leads to greater outcomes. She has facilitated donor efforts to craft a joint vision, plan, and theory of change for the Children's Policy and Funding Initiative; has helped identify potential grantees that bring diverse expertise, lead different sector-specific networks, and engage affected children and their communities overseas. She also facilitates consultations and convenings with experts to share knowledge, improve plans, and create conditions where the efforts of stakeholders together demonstrates that the sum (of actors) is greater than their individual parts (and siloed actions).
Alex launched Strategy for Humanity as a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations and those who fund them to develop effective strategies, conduct smart advocacy and analysis, and achieve meaningful results. The firm embraces different experiences and perspectives as an asset for success. Grounded in the belief that how you do business is as important as what you achieve, the firm creates conditions that enable sectors to bridge their differences in order to craft and advance a common agenda on critical issues. At Strategy for Humanity, Alex leads a team of highly experienced leaders with deep expertise, creative problem-solving, and effective leadership.
Previously, Alex was active in the public and non-profit sectors. While serving at the White House, Alex was appointed as Special Assistant to President and chief of staff to the President’s Special Envoy for the Americas. Arriaga previously served as senior adviser in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State where she was US Delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (twice), a member of the Department’s Bosnia Task Force, and Executive Director of the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. Alex began her career in the US House of Representatives as director of the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus where she involved a majority of the U.S. Congress (across party lines) and focused on over 100 countries and myriad issues.
At the local level, Alex is active on education issues. The Arlington School Board recognized Alex as an Honored Citizen for her extraordinary and multi-year contributions to improve the education experience for students with disabilities. Arriaga’s work was showcased in More Autism Training for Teachers (The Washington Post). In recognition of her strategic and impactful thought leadership, Alex was appointed by the governor to serve on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Alex has written numerous published articles and reports and serves on nonprofit Boards. She is a bilingual spokesperson in English and Spanish and of Spanish and Chilean descent.
At Tides, Alex provides overarching strategy and guidance to donors and grantees so that their work together leads to greater outcomes. She has facilitated donor efforts to craft a joint vision, plan, and theory of change for the Children's Policy and Funding Initiative; has helped identify potential grantees that bring diverse expertise, lead different sector-specific networks, and engage affected children and their communities overseas. She also facilitates consultations and convenings with experts to share knowledge, improve plans, and create conditions where the efforts of stakeholders together demonstrates that the sum (of actors) is greater than their individual parts (and siloed actions).
Alex launched Strategy for Humanity as a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations and those who fund them to develop effective strategies, conduct smart advocacy and analysis, and achieve meaningful results. The firm embraces different experiences and perspectives as an asset for success. Grounded in the belief that how you do business is as important as what you achieve, the firm creates conditions that enable sectors to bridge their differences in order to craft and advance a common agenda on critical issues. At Strategy for Humanity, Alex leads a team of highly experienced leaders with deep expertise, creative problem-solving, and effective leadership.
Previously, Alex was active in the public and non-profit sectors. While serving at the White House, Alex was appointed as Special Assistant to President and chief of staff to the President’s Special Envoy for the Americas. Arriaga previously served as senior adviser in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State where she was US Delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (twice), a member of the Department’s Bosnia Task Force, and Executive Director of the Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. Alex began her career in the US House of Representatives as director of the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus where she involved a majority of the U.S. Congress (across party lines) and focused on over 100 countries and myriad issues.
At the local level, Alex is active on education issues. The Arlington School Board recognized Alex as an Honored Citizen for her extraordinary and multi-year contributions to improve the education experience for students with disabilities. Arriaga’s work was showcased in More Autism Training for Teachers (The Washington Post). In recognition of her strategic and impactful thought leadership, Alex was appointed by the governor to serve on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Alex has written numerous published articles and reports and serves on nonprofit Boards. She is a bilingual spokesperson in English and Spanish and of Spanish and Chilean descent.
