Carlos Mark
Vera
Equity Fellowship Program Manager, Center for Public Leadership (Harvard Kennedy School)
Carlos is a social entrepreneur and advocate who co-founded Pay Our Interns in 2017 with less than $2,000. Under his leadership, the organization successfully pushed Congress to allocate over $150 million in funding for interns across the federal government, including offices within Congress, the State Department, and the White House.
His impact has earned him recognition as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree, Rising Star Award by the Latino Leaders Network, and a fellow at organizations such as Echoing Green, Aspen Ideas Festival, Hispanics in Philanthropy, Camelback Ventures, and New Profit Civic Lab.
Carlos has been featured in prominent media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR’s All Things Considered, CNN, and The Atlantic. He has also contributed written pieces to The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, USA Today, and MSNBC. Additionally, he has testified as an expert in hearings before the U.S. House of Representatives and the California State Assembly.
Recently, he was highlighted in an S&P Global case study on entrepreneurial leadership in the post-pandemic era and appeared in PBS’s "College Roadtrip Series."
A former college dropout, Carlos returned to school and earned a B.A. in Political Science from American University in May 2020. He also served in the Army Reserves as a generator mechanic.
