She is the Founder and CEO of LEAD Filipino, a national nonprofit organization that advances Filipino American civic engagement across California, Texas and Nevada.

A Queer Filipina American leader shaped by San José's civic culture, Ethnic Studies and civil rights organizing traditions, she brings more than 15 years of experience spanning government, healthcare, advocacy and civic engagement.

In 2015, she founded LEAD Filipino as a voter registration project in front of Seafood City. Today, the organization operates across multiple states and runs initiatives in civic engagement, leadership development, health equity, and community-based advocacy. Under her leadership, LEAD Filipino has spearheaded the Silicon Valley Filipino Cancer Study with Stanford Health Care, California's first Filipino Advocacy Day at the State Capitol, advocacy efforts that contributed to the passage of AB 490, the Justice for Angelo Quinto Act, and field engagement programs across California and Texas.

Prior to serving with LEAD Filipino full-time, Dr. Cortez held senior leadership roles at Pacific Clinics and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and worked within local and state government, immigrant rights, DEI and economic justice.

She has spoken at the White House, colleges and universities, Fortune 500 companies, and conferences nationwide on civic participation. Her work has been featured by NBC Bay Area, ABC7 News, and in the SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies. She is the recipient of multiple honors, including Silicon Valley Business Journal's 40 Under 40 and Woman of Influence awards, the Larry Itliong Legacy Award, Stanford Medicine's 2025 Community Health Advocate Award, and the 2026 Golden State Warriors Impact Award.

Dr. Cortez holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from the University of Southern California, where her field research focused on scaling organizations.