December 17, 2025

Ms. Welcomes Jazmin Segura 

by Jazmin Segura 

Jazmin Segura (she/her) joins Ms. Foundation as the Senior Director, Grantmaking & Capacity Building. 

What brought you to Ms. Foundation?

Growing up in Boyle Heights, a predominantly Latino and low-income neighborhood in Los Angeles, I learned early that success and struggle could coexist. As the first in my family to graduate high school and attend a four-year university (go Bears!), I fought hard to sit at tables and be in rooms that should have been accessible to all of us. I experienced firsthand how narratives about women of color shaped not just our opportunities, but our sense of worth and belonging.

Those experiences fueled 17 years in the immigrant rights movement and social justice philanthropy, where I led state-level policy initiatives and managed collaborative pooled funds focused on housing justice in California. This work taught me that lasting change requires moving resources directly to frontline communities advancing their own bold visions, not controlling them.

I joined Ms. Foundation because of its commitment to building women’s collective power and to scaling trust-based philanthropic practices nationwide through an intersectional lens. In this critical moment when fundamental human rights are under attack, I’m committed to moving resources to those leading the fight, amplifying their strategies, and using my position to shift power where it belongs because for far too long frontline communities have been forced to work harder, wait longer, and do more with less. This work is urgent and deeply personal, and I’m privileged to do it!

What gets you out of bed every morning?

The sunrise! I love looking out my window and seeing the sunrise. Also NPR, I need to wake up to credible media outlets. I like to be in the know while I enjoy my freshly squeezed celery juice!

Who is a badass feminist who inspires you?

This is tough, but most recently I’ve been deeply inspired by Supreme Court Justices Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Their bold dissents this year have been unapologetic and absolutely inspiring. Justice Sotomayor powerfully stated: “I will not be complicit in so grave an attack on our system of law.” These justices give me hope that even in the darkest moments, there are people willing to hold the line and speak truth to power.  

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t shrink to make others comfortable. The right people will rise to your level and lift you even higher! And boundaries are not selfish; they are a form of self-love.