Catalina Velasquez is a trailblazing transgender refugee, Colombian-Latina, feminist scholar, social impact executive, and movement builder. She is the Executive Director of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), the largest immigrant-led coalition in Washington State. Her work embodies intersectional feminism, decolonial methodologies, and transformative justice, making her a luminary in immigrant rights advocacy and beyond.
Under her leadership, WAISN independently grew and cemented critical movement infrastructure and mutual aid initiatives such as Washington’s only Deportation Defense Hotline and sole Fair Fight Bond Fund in the state to bond immigrants out of detention. Catalina also oversaw the equitable disbursement of over $400 million in COVID-19 relief for Washington immigrants. She spearheaded legislative advocacy at the state level that secured over $ 60M in funding for immigrant healthcare, housing, and education. Her focus on building solidarity networks has led to her regranting of $2.5 million in seed funding to over 47 community groups that, in the past years, many have become their own 501c3 nonprofit organizations.
Catalina’s career spans leadership roles across progressive organizations. She previously served as the Executive Director of People for the American Way Foundation’s Young People For (YP4), where she restructured programs to fund fellowships for over 200 young leaders within a popular education model. Catalina also co-founded Megaphone Strategies, one of the most diverse PR firms in progressive politics.
Additionally, Catalina served as the founding board member and board Vice-Chair of Our Revolution, advancing progressive politics nationwide. Catalina helped establish United We Dream’s Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP) and has worked in the past at Casa Ruby LGBTQ Resource Center, End Rape on Campus, and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice.
Catalina was the first transgender immigrant Latina appointed as Commissioner for the District of Columbia Office of Latino Affairs (2013–2017) under Mayor Vince Gray and later Muriel Bowser. As Commissioner, Catalina granted up to $50,000 to a portfolio of 20 organizations.
She was also handpicked by Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign to join his LGBT Policy Team, earning recognition as one of Rolling Stone’s “16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election” and Mitu’s “Young Latinos Leaving a Footprint in Politics.” Most recently, Catalina’s leadership was recognized as a force of change on GoMag’s 27 LGBTQ+ Leaders At The Helm.
Catalina’s accolades include the 2017 Woman of Excellence Award from D.C.’s Mayor Bowser’s Offi ce of Women Affairs, the 2017 Advocacy Award by the Latino GLBT History Project, and the 2024 Creating Change Immigrant Justice Award by the National LGBTQ Task Force. Catalina has also been named an Ambassador for Peace by the Universal Peace Federation. Her work has been featured by Hispanics in Philanthropy, Netroots, Change Philanthropy, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, and INATAI’s 2025 Regional Convening “Shaping the Future: Statewide Organizations.”
Catalina is a doctoral candidate in Feminist Studies at the University of Washington (UW), where her research focuses on feminist world-making through mutual aid and solidarity networks. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Master’s in Feminist Studies from the University of Washington. Catalina’s visionary leadership is rooted in feminist and decolonial principles.
Her doctoral research at the University of Washington examines feminist world-making through mutual aid and solidarity networks, with WAISN as a case study. Her research focuses on transnational relations, decolonial methodologies, following forced migration patterns, pursuing refugee justice, across-difference solidarity building, historicizing U.S. and Latin American foreign policy, engaging transgender and queer theory, monitoring of surveillance technologies and practices, and tracing political economies.
Catalina’s academic rigor complements her practical achievements, and her academic excellence earned her the prestigious Presidential Scholarship at the University of Washington, Seattle