Meet Martha: Spark’s Newest Team Member
We are thrilled to welcome our newest team member: Martha Vargas! In her new role as Program Manager, Martha is bringing over 20 years of experience as well as a passion for empowering families towards economic self-sufficiency. Let’s get to know Martha a bit better…
Welcome, Martha! Could you share something about yourself that would help us get to know you better?
Martha: I’m from El Paso, Texas and was raised in a tight knit Mexican family. I love music and love to dance. I haven’t met a spreadsheet I didn’t like. I really love food but to my great sadness (and my mother’s), I am a hot mess in the kitchen. I studied in Minnesota and had the opportunity to study abroad for a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. That’s when I was bit by the travel bug. I’ve traveled to close to 30 countries and studied four languages since then. I’ve been to every continent but Antarctica (crossing that one off in January 2023) and my favorite travel partner is my mother.
You had the chance to travel to many places throughout the world, can you tell us a little bit about how travel has impacted you?
Martha: World travel has opened my mind to possibilities, the importance of seeking to understand versus the need to be understood and my choice to leave corporate America for nonprofit work. I remember a trip to Dubai and Kenya and the vast contrast between these two countries. I visited a Maasai tribe and had a chance to tour a village. I remember feeling like they had life figured out. It wasn’t about individual achievement but about family and the tribe community.
Through our mission of building partnerships to lift communities out of poverty and empower future leaders, we seek to have a lasting & sustainable impact. What does making an impact on the world mean to you?
Martha: I come from a long line of strong women that have been changing their corner of the world for generations. It is a legacy I cherish and take very seriously. I made a conscious decision to leave corporate America many years ago so that I could do my part. I wanted my efforts to mean something and I have found that it is very fulfilling work. I wouldn’t do anything else.
What excites you most about joining the Spark Ventures team?
Martha: Joining the Spark Ventures team means I can make a difference in a global setting. That fills my heart with joy! I’m beyond excited to be part of this amazing organization seeking to change the world one child at a time, and one woman entrepreneur at a time.