Ann Hernandez

Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) are deep-rooted passions for Ann Hernandez. As a biracial woman of color (Mexican- and Irish-American) and the daughter of a man living with blindness, she has always had a personal interest in inclusion and accessibility, which became the catalyst for a career driving organizations and social systems toward a more diverse and equitable future.

After studying the performing arts and education at Knox College in Illinois, Ann sought out an opportunity to be immersed in a new culture and move across the country to southern Arizona as an elementary classroom teacher, focusing on how students’ identities from home and school intersect. This love for embracing change and learning about new geographical cultures brought Ann later to Ann Arbor, Michigan; Washington, DC; and Houston, Texas. In these roles, Ann worked in the DEAI sphere as a designer of inclusive educational content at Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, as a learner and mentor in the Association of Science-Technology Centers’ (ASTC) Diversity and Leadership Development Fellows Program, as a manager of inclusion initiatives at ASTC, and as a thinking partner to museum and zoo CEOs and boards who participated in American Alliance of Museums’ Facing Change Project.

Ann’s most recent chapter has brought her closer to family (and more salsa dancing opportunities) in Texas. Working on Space Center Houston’s leadership development program, the Human Performance Accelerator Lab, she gets to work with corporations and businesses of all kinds on mindsets and tools for effect teams and individuals, based on research from NASA. Using her understanding of leadership, professional development, education, and the museum field, Ann is thrilled to help Cambio participants find their best foundation in equitable practices.