Ricky Valentin Peña is the administrative coordinator at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, where he conducts executive support and governance responsibilities for the benefit of the MCN Board and the executive and associate directors, and works with the membership and communications director to support nonprofit professionals and the organizations they serve.
Originally from Mexico, Ricky attained a B.S. in Business and Marketing and minors in Leadership and Political Science from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. He has previously worked with the City of Saint Paul on projects that gave increased financial empowerment for residents, immigrants, and refugees.
Outside of MCN, Ricky is currently part of the Community Equity Program by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, designed to empower active and rising BIPOC leaders from across multiple generations to develop or refine their knowledge, skill sets, and experiences within the public policy world. He’s also part of the Avanzando Liderazgo Program by LatinoLEAD, a similar cohort program focused on people of Latinx descent across all sectors—such as technology, healthcare, public policy, and art. Both programs have a high emphasis on cultural empowerment and solidarity.
When not serving, he can be found enjoying foods, writing, video games, music, learning niche topics, or exploring new ventures with his friends and family.