Who We Are:
We are community leaders who are passionate in strengthening our values-based network so that we can effectively lead at every level of the community. Miami’s Next Leaders is organized by alumni of New Leaders Council Miami. We are an independent, alumni-led organization dedicated to continually creating a better Miami.
Our Team: Board of Directors
Officers
Aaron Bos-Lun, President
Aaron originally moved to Miami in 2012 as a Miami-Dade County Public School teacher at Homestead Senior High School. Although a two year commitment, Aaron stayed four in order to be with a class from their Freshmen year up through graduation day, and was the Florida winner of Teach For America's Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. Aaron earned a Master's in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami while teaching full-time, and was recognized as one of SAVE's 2014 "Luminaries of LGBT Equality" for his work helping five urban high schools start up student-led GSA's (Gay Straight Alliances) in South Florida. Believingly the issues kids face in school require broader community solutions, Aaron became increasingly involved in the Miami progressive community, including as a New Leaders Council Fellow and Vice President of the Miami-Dade Young Democrats. Aaron briefly left Miami to earn a Master's at Harvard University, but quickly bought a one-way ticket for the week after graduation - Miami had become home. He went on to join national staff at Teach For America, become Chair of Engage Miami (youth civic/political organizing), and Executive Director of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party. Aaron's other roles have included helping Men4Choice expand nationally to mobilize pro-choice allies, and serving as a campaign strategist and operative for Shannon del Prado, Dr. Nancy Lawther, Representative Dotie Joseph, Congresswoman Donna Shalala, and the United Teachers of Dade - as well as his own mother's successful run for State Representative. Aaron is proud to serve on the Campaign Board of the Victory Fund to elect LGBT people to public office in all fifty states. In addition to his political work Aaron serves on the Advisory Committee of the Nyah Project to develop young Miami leaders of color through travel, and seeks to strengthen Miami's progressive ecosystem as President of Miami's Next Leaders.
Mileyka Burgos, Vice President
Mileyka is a Dominican-American activist living in Miami, Florida. She is the founding Executive Director of The Allapattah Collaborative, CDC, a non-profit organization focused on implementing place making techniques to foster identity, supporting wealth building strategies for marginalized communities of color and advocating for policies/procedures that support equitable, comprehensive and sustainable community development.
Mileyka holds a bachelor degree from the University of Miami and a master degree from Florida International University. She has dedicated much of her time to advocating for social justice in marginalized communities by establishing and assisting organizations focused on developing youth, empowering people, celebrating culture. She is an avid advocate of strategies that foster sustainability, identity and economic vitality in immigrant communities of color. Her initiatives have been funded by The Miami Foundation, JM Kaplan Foundation, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, and the National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders among others.
Gustavo Perez, Treasurer
Gustavo currently works for FIS Global, a financial software firm, as a consultant focusing on the retail and commercial banking sector. He mainly works doing implementations for new clients and helps them manage liquidity, credit risk, and keep up to date with regulations. Outside of work, his passions are civic engagement, activism and municipal government. He is the current treasurer of Engage Miami, a local nonprofit focusing on civic engagement and voter registration, as well as being a member of the Miami Forever Bond Oversight Board and the Community Advisory Board within the City of Miami. Born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Gustavo moved to Miami in 1996 and is a proud graduate of Miami-Dade Public Schools. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Babson College in 2010, and is currently enrolled in a Master of Arts program at the Florida International University Graduate School. He was a 2019 Fellow of Miami’s Next Leaders and a 2020 Fellow of the University of Miami’s Community Scholars in Affordable Housing.
Sarah Emmons, Secretary
Sarah is a proud Miamian and is thrilled to be again serving on the Board of Miami's Next Leaders. Sarah also serves as the Executive Director of Achieve Miami, an education non-profit that seeks to bridge disparities, provide meaningful educational experiences, and demonstrate the power of students learning with and from each other. Formerly, Sarah was the Managing Director of Radical Partners, an accelerator for social impact that specialized in capacity-building for social impact leaders. She also has experience managing social science research evaluations through her work as a Research Manager with the University of Chicago Education Lab and Crime Lab, and she started her career as a high school math teacher with Teach For America in Tulsa, OK. Sarah holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College. In her free time, Sarah enjoys traveling, yoga, talking politics, and cuddling with her French Bulldog, Lucy.
Leiva,
Immediate Past President
Leiva is the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for Miami’s Next Leaders. Leiva has spent the past seven years advocating for students as a teacher and leader in South Florida schools, with a particular focus on equity and social justice. A perpetual innovator, she has co-founded two companies in the last three years: her first venture is FitLit, a non-profit that blends fitness and literature for students, and her second is MetaMindset, an LLC that trains teachers, parents, and students on mindfulness, understanding the brain, and the importance of emotional intelligence. She has a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University, claims Spanglish to be her first language, is a twitter aficionado, and is a natural born storyteller.
Members-at-Large
Jono De Leon
Jono earned a Master’s degree in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami in 2011 after joining Teach For America in 2007 to help close the achievement gap for high-need students in Miami-Dade County. He joined the Guitars Over Guns family in 2012, acting as a mentor, Site Coordinator, and Director of Education before stepping into his current role as Chief Operating Officer.
During his eight years in the classroom, Jono co-founded a guitar program that reached over 2,000 students. He pursued several leadership roles within his school community, serving as the Activities and Athletics Director and the Enrichments Department Chair. From 2011-2015, De Leon was also Director of the Museums and Communications Magnet Programs, planning and overseeing the implementation of magnet curriculum through academic and enrichment courses, and co-facilitating all countywide recruitment efforts along with the school’s International Baccalaureate program.
Passionate about civic engagement, Jono is an active member of the Miami chapter of Miami’s Next Leaders – an organization focused on training and engaging our nation’s next generation of progressive leaders. After completing his fellowship in 2013, he remained a fixture at the MNL Institute, serving on the Curriculum Council in 2014 and as Capstone Director in 2015, 2019, and 2020. Jono has been an active member of the MNL Board of Directors since 2019.
Diana Mendez
Diana is the founding President of Miami’s Next Leaders (2018-2019). She is a Partner at Shutts & Bown, LLP, where she counsels clients through all phases of the government procurement process, including minority and disadvantaged business enterprise certification, contract negotiation, and bid protest litigation. Diana has consistently been selected as Rising Star by SuperLawyers since 2018.
Originally from Colombia, Diana moved to Miami in 1999. She received her B.A. in Economics and International Relations, magna cum laude, in 2006 from Florida International University. In 2010, she received her J.D., cum laude, from the American University, Washington College of Law, and a M.A. in International Affairs from American University’s School of International Service. In addition to her commitment to train and support progressive leaders, Diana is also dedicated to advance women in the workplace. A former member of the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women, Diana currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.
Vanessa Pierre
Vanessa is a former political candidate for the City of North Miami. She studied at BethuneCookman University for her Bachelor’s Degree,Nova Southestern University for her Master’s Degree and Morgan State University for her Doctoral Degree. Vanessa is an educator with a decade of experience in the field specializing in S.T.E.A.M., SPED, and English education. Vanessa is a civically engaged constituent as a Quality Education Board and Parks and Recreation Commission appointee in the city of North Miami, Miami’s Next Leader Fellow, member of the Association of Haitian Educators of Dade, an affiliate of the Ford Motor Company’s HERIMPACT network, and a Forbes Top 30 Under 30 nominee. Vanessa owns and operates a waste management company, EcoRenew Solutions, located in Haiti; that recycles and exports recycled materials.