Maria Martinez holds degrees in art education and English as a second language from the University of Northern Colorado. She has worked in the fields of domestic violence and corrections. Maria is a survivor of a stroke and a brain injury. Maria is a support group leader, peer mentor, brain injury advocate, and the director of Pueblo Brain injury, LLC. She is a board member of the Colorado Advisory Board, an advisory board member for the TBI Technical Assistance and Research Center, and a Professional & Lived Experience Contributor to the NCAPPS Learning Collaborative, Understanding and Addressing Inequities in Human Services University of Wisconsin Institute for Research on Poverty.