When Laura Libman left a successful aerospace career, she didn’t plan to start a nonprofit. But a summer of field research in rural Mexico after graduating from Thunderbird changed everything. In this episode, she shares the incredible and inspiring story of how the Tia Foundation was born—from horseback surveys and homegrown health worker training to empowering women like Juana, who used her training to save lives and spark change in her village. Today, Tia Foundation is on track to reach one million people. This is a story about grit, vision, and what happens when you give people the tools to lead.

Please support Tia Foundation Here:

https://tiafoundation.org/donate-to-tia-foundation/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauralibman/

As President of Tia, Laura Libman brings together her diverse background in global project management, knowledge engineering, and aerospace marketing with a deep commitment to social impact. After years working as a contractor, she earned a full-tuition scholarship to Arizona State University West, where she graduated summa cum laude in English. She went on to pursue her M.B.A. at Thunderbird School of Global Management, focusing on International Development with an emphasis on Latin America. While there, she received multiple scholarships, became a certified Global Mediator, and was honored with Thunderbird’s Distinguished Alumni Award for Global Citizenship.

Her studies and field experiences—ranging from meetings with leaders at the World Bank, IMF, and USAID to observing international development programs firsthand—equipped her with expertise in social impact measurement, monitoring and evaluation, and building learning cultures. She now shares that knowledge with students at Arizona State University’s Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation.

Beyond her professional work, Ms. Libman serves on the Board of Directors and as a Group Leader for The Washington Street Foundation, a Phoenix-based mentoring program supporting economically disadvantaged children. She is also an active member of The Border Trade Alliance, The Arizona-Mexico Commission, The National Hispanic Honor Society, and The National Society of Hispanic MBAs.

This podcast is sponsored by Freshwater Investments