Bio


Dr. Barbara Gomez-Aguinaga is the Associate Director of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, overseeing the longest-running scientific research on Latina/o entrepreneurship. As a Latino politics scholar and social equity expert, Dr. Gomez-Aguinaga has conducted and managed research on pressing social and economic issues facing the Latino community in the United States, including health, immigration and economic equity through entrepreneurship.

In the past, Dr. Gomez-Aguinaga was an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Social Equity, and served as researcher and independent research contractor for multiple organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico, conducting research on the use of solitary confinement across the state; the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, DC, providing support for the U.S. Immigration Policy Program on issues such as immigration enforcement and deferred action; and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, CA, doing research on immigration enforcement policies, unaccompanied minors and the DACA program.

Her research has been featured in prominent media outlets such as the New York Times and NBC News, has led to policy changes in the criminal justice system in New Mexico, and has been cited in the US Courts, the Senate, and congressional hearings and testimonies addressing the incorporation of racial minorities and immigrant youth.

Current Role at Stanford


Associate Director, Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative