Isabel Ortega-Hernandez

Project assistant

Isabel@EstolanoAdvisors.com

Isabel is passionate about building community-centered solutions that empower communities of color to thrive.

Isabel provides project and research support advancing community development, transportation, and economic development initiatives. She brings a community-centered approach, with strengths in bilingual outreach and translating complex information into accessible tools and resources.

Prior to joining EA, Isabel worked across nonprofit, government, and community spaces focused on systems change. She served as a Policy Fellow at the Latino Policy and Politics Institute, where she supported research and advocacy efforts related to racial data equity, the impact of automation on workers, and unaccompanied minors. She also interned in legislative and state agency offices supporting constituent services and policy research. In her hometown of Santa Ana, Isabel organized efforts focused on youth transit access, tenant rights, and public health. Most recently, she managed the BLOC Network at Uproot Talent, supporting leaders of color in social impact fields.

Isabel earned B.A. degrees from UCLA in Labor Studies, Political Science, and Chicano/a/e and Central American Studies, and holds an A.A. from Santa Ana College. At UCLA, she was awarded the Astin Scholars Community Engaged Award, Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School, and Mellon Data Justice Award. Isabel also participated in public health, human rights, and cultural memory programs abroad. As the eldest daughter in a mixed-status immigrant family, her experiences continue to shape her commitment to collective care and community leadership. Outside of work, she enjoys sunset bike rides, trying new local cafes, and experimenting with new cooking recipes.