Dr. Teresa Granillo is the CEO of AVANCE, Inc., a non-profit that breaks the cycle of inter-generational poverty through innovative, two-generation education and support for families with young children. Dr. Granillo was a first-generation college graduate of The University of Arizona earning a BA in Psychology and graduating Magna Cum Laude. She then went on to earn a Master’s of Social Work, a Master’s of Science in Psychology, and a Dual Ph.D. in Social Work and Psychology from the University of Michigan. Prior to AVANCE, Inc. Dr. Granillo spent nearly six years serving as the Executive Director of Con Mi MADRE, a two-generation non-profit that focuses on helping young Latinas to pursue higher education and engages mothers in their daughters’ education process. Under her leadership the organization expanded across the state of Texas.
Dr. Granillo served as a Tenure-Track Professor at UT Austin in the School of Social Work. She taught clinical skills to social work students focusing on evidence-based and culturally responsive practices for children and families. She also led a successful line of research in the area of Latina/o mental health and help seeking with a particular emphasis on Latina youth.
Dr. Granillo has also served the community through various volunteer positions. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council for the Hogg Mental Health Foundation and is a board member for Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Unidos US (formerly the National Council of La Raza). She has served as Education Chair on the Board of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, board member for a women’s empowerment non-profit, HERdacity, and member of the Education Committee of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She has received several awards and recognitions including the Austin Under 40 Award in Non-profit/Community Service, The Lora Lee Peterson Teaching Excellence Award, the Women of Distinction Award from the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, and the Estrella Award from the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas.
Dr. Granillo has spent over two decades working to ensure that Latinx children and families have all the mental, physical, social, and economic resources to thrive. She is particularly passionate about the power of education. As a first-generation college graduate, she knows firsthand how an education can end the cycle of poverty.

Session: Engaging Parents and Utilizing their Strengths to Support Learning at Home (Also in Spanish)