I’ve spoken at the White House, with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit and healthcare organizations, and colleges and universities across the country on topics around creating and running nonprofit organizations, voter rights, LGBTQ+ leadership, Filipino and AAPI civic engagement, and coalition and movement building.

I’m available for keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, moderation and interviews — and would love to connect.

I generally coordinate speaking engagements 4-6 weeks in advance.

Recent speaking engagements include:

  • Keynote speaker: 2026 Kommunidad Konference in San Francisco (February 2026)

  • Guest lecturer: “Filipino Identity Across Democracies” presented at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines and University of the Philippines-Diliman, Manila, Philippines (March 2026)

  • Rally speaker: 2026 San Francisco PRIDE Main Stage (June 2026)

  • Plenary moderator: 2026 FANHS Biennial Conference in Washington, DC (July 2026)

  • Keynote speaker: Inaugural CCYC Convening in San José (August 2026)

See me in action

Official Bio

Please refer to the bios below.

  • Dr. Angelica [Gel] Cortez is an award-winning nonprofit founder, activist and civic leader working at the intersection of democracy, racial equity, public policy and Filipino and Asian American Pacific Islander community power. She is the Founder and CEO of LEAD Filipino, a national nonprofit organization building civic, cultural and community infrastructure for Filipino and AAPI communities. A longtime public policy and nonprofit leader, she has served in national and regional board leadership roles and was a 2024 Democratic National Convention delegate in Chicago.

  • Dr. Angelica [Gel] Cortez is an award-winning nonprofit founder, activist and civic leader working at the intersection of democracy, racial equity, public policy and Filipino and Asian American Pacific Islander community power.

    She is the Founder and CEO of LEAD Filipino, a national nonprofit organization she founded in San José to build civic, cultural and community-based infrastructure for Filipino and AAPI communities. Under her leadership, LEAD Filipino has expanded its work across California, Texas and Nevada, developing programs in civic engagement, leadership development, health equity, public policy, and grassroots organizing.

    Dr. Cortez brings nearly two decades of experience across government, public policy and advocacy, and the nonprofit sector. Her leadership has included service on local and national boards, including the Filipino American National Historical Society, where she serves as the VP of Accountability & Compliance. Her contributions have been recognized by local news media, the Golden State Warriors, and Stanford Health Care.

    Dr. Cortez earned her Ed.D. from the University of Southern California, where her research focused on scaling small organizations.

Headshots

Speaking Topics

  • AAPI leadership and representation

  • Base-building and movement frameworks

  • Building and sustaining nonprofit infrastructure

  • Coalition building and systems of advocacy

  • Creating versus running something

  • Cultural equity in public institutions and communities

  • Democracy, voting rights, and civic engagement

  • Designing field strategies in a new political era

  • Filipino American civic and political participation

  • Filipino Identity across Democracies

  • Health equity and public health frameworks

  • Queer leadership and inclusive movements

  • Racial equity and justice

  • Taking community organizing to policy change

Invite me to Speak