LEANDRO OTERO

As an experienced education professional with a Master's in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania, Leandro has a proven track record of success in developing talent pipelines and recruitment strategies for under-resourced schools. Leandro served as the Managing Director of Talent and Partnerships for Teach For America in Los Angeles, where he placed over 1,000 corps members and alumni teachers in low-income schools. He also doubled TFA LA's revenue stream, expanded its teacher corps size, and increased third-year teacher retention rates. With eight years of experience at Teach for America working with 120+ schools across the greater Los Angeles area, Leandro has a deep understanding of community assets as well as the challenges they face. One of Leandro’s greatest strengths is relationship building and he navigates the complex political landscape of the nation’s second largest school district with ease.  He holds long-standing relationships with both charter networks & traditional school districts including LAUSD, Lynwood USD, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, Green Dot, KIPP, Camino Nuevo, Ednovate, Bright Star, Para Los Niños, Synergy, PUC and several other charter schools.  

Leandro currently work at Soundtrap for Education, a Spotify company, where he serves as an Education Partnerships Lead, driving growth and adoption of our edtech platform in K-12 schools. His focus is on large, strategic accounts and he is passionate about collaborating with teachers, administrators, and districts to create innovative music and podcasting projects that empower students to express themselves and learn in new ways. Leandro a fierce advocate for equal access and opportunity for underserved students populations.

Leandro has long-standing roots in southern California and his work for educational equity extends beyond the boundaries of his day to day work.  He has served on multiple boards as well as being a Latino Advisory committee member and a member of TFA’s executive director fellowship.