Mario Lugay

Mario Lugay

Justice Funders

Senior Innovation Director

As Justice Funders’ Senior Innovation Director, Mario partners with philanthropy and field practitioners to design, pilot and scale both innovation and collective action that advances social movements. Mario comes to the organization via Stanford University’s d.school, where he served as a 2016-2017 Civic Innovation Fellow, and Guidestar, where he was an entrepreneur-in-residence. Mario is also the founder of the technology platform, Giving Side. In 2010, he co-founded New American Leaders, the country’s first and only organization dedicated to training first- and second- generation immigrants to run for elected office. He has held leadership positions at the Kapor Center for Social Impact, as well as the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, managing new and unprecedented philanthropic investments in both integrated voter engagement strategies and for a fair and accurate 2010 census count. He built significant community organizing experience as the National Coordinator of Racial Justice 911 and at CAAAV Organizing Asian Communities in the Northwest Bronx.