Who We Are

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Alex J. Barrio, Cofounder and President of Programming at Creative Civics, is a storyteller and non-profit advocate with a long record of community service in Florida and the United States. The grandson of Cuban immigrants, he has served as a director at Alianza for Progress and BoricuActivatEd, two non-profit organizations dedicated to lifting up Latino voices across the United States. He also served as the Director of Advocacy for Gun Violence Prevention at the Center for American Progress, sharing his story as someone impacted by gun violence to help shape policy. 

Alex has firsthand experience on both sides of the civic engagement world, having  hosted hundreds of constituent meetings while District Director for Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL) and as a legislative analyst with the Florida Senate Democratic Caucus. He has also served as political director for SEIU Local 1991 in Miami and in various positions, from canvasser to campaign manager, on a variety of campaigns dating back to 2004. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a J.D. from Florida International University College of Law.

Jess Burnquist, Cofounder and President of Education at Creative Civics, is the current VP of Impact Education at Creative Visions where she cultivates meaningful partnerships and programming that support educators and empower youth through the lens of human rights and creative action. She taught high school English, AP Literature and Creative Writing for over 17 years in various Arizona high schools.

In addition to her certificates in digital marketing, secondary education and nonprofit management, Jess earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. 

Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Time, NPR, Natural Bridge, Ms. Magazine and various online and print journals. She is a recipient of the Joan Frazier Memorial Award for the Arts and received a Sylvan Silver Apple Award for teaching. 

Creative Civics empowers people of all ages to use their voices. We teach storytelling and advocacy skills, then connect you with real-world issues and leaders to make a difference.

We envision a world where people feel empowered to tell their story, hold leaders accountable, and advocate for a more equitable society.