Diana Maldonado

Best-selling author, speaker, and business strategist, Diana Maldonado shares stories from her journey in politics and impact in the public sector through the lens of a Latina in Central Texas. Diana has an established record for accomplishing the “impossible” while building lasting relationships.

As CEO of Maldonado Strategies, her sharp insight for pinpointing incongruencies, combined with her method for listening and collaborating, helps organizations design and implement innovative solutions to accelerate their big vision goals and become the leading edge.

As the first Latina elected to represent Williamson County in the House of Representatives, she advocated for education, business, and safe communities. In this role, she authored/co-authored 88 bills and was named “Freshman of the Year” by her colleagues. Through her collaboration with key stakeholders, she secured nearly $16 million for education, $10 million for road expansion, and additional funds for renewable energy initiatives and walking trails in parks. She served as Secretary for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Defense & Veterans Affairs, and on the coveted State Affairs committee.

From her six years on the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees and elected by her peers as president and first Latina to this role, Maldonado oversaw a successful $349 million bond election while improving academic outcomes and goals.

Maldonado led as the President & CEO at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce where she successfully led membership engagement, strategic policy initiatives and revenue diversification efforts. She managed the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic presented to small businesses and expanded advocacy and legislative efforts during a historic moment for Latinos in their advancement and representation as the largest demographic in the United States, as of mid-2021.

As a global marathon runner, Diana has raced in notable cities including Paris, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, and London and takes in hiking expeditions with her favorites in Morocco and Patagonia. Through travel, she writes about overcoming obstacles in Show Your Work: Successful Women Share the Bumpy Roads to Their Biggest Wins and Going Places: Soul-Stirring Essays About the Travel That Changed Us and inspires others to live more holistically. Diana is the mother of two adult children, Alex and Denise, and spends time with her granddaughter, Camila where she taps into ger greatest joy.