Bianca Diaz was born and raised in Boston. Her love of learning about new cultures led her to pursue a B.A. in international political economy and diplomacy from the University of Bridgeport. During undergrad, she participated in service trips and found her passion for social justice. After graduation, she served as an AmeriCorps Member with City Year for two years. Bridging her interest in community and education, Bianca completed an M.Ed. at Merrimack College. She also holds an MSW from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Bianca loves traveling, trying new food, spending time with family, and reading.

Karin joined Steppingstone in 2008 to lead the National Partnership for Educational Access (NPEA). Bringing many years of experience in nonprofits, management, and professional development, prior to joining Steppingstone Karin was the executive director of Summerbridge Cambridge and developed and led the training and technical assistance program at Horizons for Homeless Children. Outside of work, Karin enjoys traveling, sharing great meals with friends, and listening to live music. Karin holds an M.S.W. from Boston College and her Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Kate brings a wealth of experience in meeting and event planning to NPEA. A Providence College graduate with a major in humanities and a double minor in human studies and Spanish, she began her career managing marketing and production for trade and consumer shows nationwide. She then transitioned to working with a wide variety of associations, overseeing a range of events from golf outings to multi-day conferences and expos. Kate’s passion for uniting diverse individuals around shared interests has led her to NPEA, where she assists with planning the annual NPEA conference, as well as various other member networking events.

Carrie first joined Steppingstone in 2011 as the NPEA Member Services Associate and currently serves as NPEA’s Director of Programs. Prior to Steppingstone, Carrie worked in a community action agency and completed a service year with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Outside of Steppingstone, she has spent the past 10+ years serving as a bereavement peer support group facilitator for middle school-aged children at The Children’s Room in Arlington, MA. Carrie earned a B.A. in American Studies from Dickinson College and completed a certificate course in management from HBX – Harvard Business School.