Jordan Mareno

Jordan joined ESG in 2024 to support the postsecondary transitions portfolio. Her journey to ESG featured stops in various sectors. After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with a B.S. in business administration, Jordan began her career as a management consultant, specializing in corporate purpose and social impact. Later, she stepped into the nonprofit sector to design a K-12 partnerships strategy for an innovative STEM program. Partnering with students and teachers as they navigated schooling in a post-pandemic landscape inspired Jordan to pursue graduate education.

While working towards her M.Ed. at Vanderbilt, Jordan served as a Strategic Analyst for the Provost’s Office. Additionally, she completed a policy fellowship with The Education Trust – Tennessee. As a Policy Fellow, she analyzed local, state, and national policies impacting Tennessee institutions, students, and families. Squaring data with student voice, Jordan is dedicated to uncovering innovative strategies for expanding access to postsecondary education.

Why are you in this work?

I am committed to designing and thinking in the margins. We’ve inherited an education system that was designed for an average – and an outdated average at that. Designing processes and pathways for students and families who are excluded from the “average” will require rebuilding, reframing, and rethinking, but can produce a system that works better for everyone.

Why ESG?

ESG works with visionaries in communities across the country. I am so excited to work alongside bold, innovative educators, and to serve as connective tissue from one visionary to another.