Zoraima Diaz-Pineda strives to serve and empower families to improve their financial health in one of the poorest parts of the country. She currently leads the La Puerta Program, an initiative of the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB) that supports the inter-generational mobility and wealth creation of families along the Texas-Mexico border and reduces the racial and gender wealth gap.
As program manager, Zoraima is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of financial capability programs, including housing counseling, financial coaching, financial literacy education, and free support with taxes.
Prior to joining CDCB, Zoraima conducted financial services research, writing, program development, and policy analysis at the Institute for Assets and Social Policy, the Harvard Law School Bankruptcy Project, the National Council of La Raza, and the Texas State Senate.
Zoraima has a master’s degree in social policy from Brandeis University, a master’s in public affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in government and Mexican American studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She has been active on boards and with organizations in her community, including the TEDx Women Empowerment Steering Committee, the Congressional Financial Education Summit, and Rio Grande Valley Multibank.