Full Name
Omar Yanar - Moderator
Job Title
Founder/CEO/Superintendent
Institution Name
El Paso Leadership Academy
Speaker Bio
Omar Yanar is the Founder/CEO/Superintendent of the El Paso Leadership Academy (EPLA), an educational civil rights organization that pursues its mission through leadership focused public charter schools. EPLA will celebrate its 7th anniversary in the Fall of 2021 by opening two new middle schools and its first high school in East El Paso. The new campus will eventually serve 1200 students in addition to the original
Flagship middle school campus of 250 students. EPLA is currently ranked #2 for all public middle schools in the state of Texas for academic growth.
Prior to forming the EPLA, Yanar graduated at the top of his class at Franklin High School and went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History and a Master's degree of Education from Stanford University. Yanar then worked as a teacher for six years until he returned to school for a Master's of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Yanar co-founded El Paso’s first young professionals organization, Progress321 where he remained on the board for several years and served as its President for a full term. Additionally, he interviews El Paso students on behalf of Stanford University, is on the advisory committee for the El Paso Plaza Classic Film Festival and on the STEM Advisory Board for Irvin High School. He does pro-bono political/policy consulting, executive management consulting, and is an education/political writer and columnist. He is frequently asked to speak on panels and to act as keynote speaker at a variety of events and functions.
Yanar received the prestigious “Distinguished Alumnus in Education” award from the National Hispanic Institute in 2015 and received the first ever “El Paso Breakthrough Leader Award” with his fellow Progress321 founders in 2016. He was also inducted into the 5th cohort for the highly selective Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) which only selects participants from the top 2% of Latino entrepreneurs nationally. He obtained an executive MBA certification from the program through Stanford Business School.
The students and citizens of El Paso and of Texas are a top priority in his life and he looks forward to working with the community for the advancement of its youth and community through innovative curriculum, effective teaching methods and sound public policy.
Flagship middle school campus of 250 students. EPLA is currently ranked #2 for all public middle schools in the state of Texas for academic growth.
Prior to forming the EPLA, Yanar graduated at the top of his class at Franklin High School and went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History and a Master's degree of Education from Stanford University. Yanar then worked as a teacher for six years until he returned to school for a Master's of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Yanar co-founded El Paso’s first young professionals organization, Progress321 where he remained on the board for several years and served as its President for a full term. Additionally, he interviews El Paso students on behalf of Stanford University, is on the advisory committee for the El Paso Plaza Classic Film Festival and on the STEM Advisory Board for Irvin High School. He does pro-bono political/policy consulting, executive management consulting, and is an education/political writer and columnist. He is frequently asked to speak on panels and to act as keynote speaker at a variety of events and functions.
Yanar received the prestigious “Distinguished Alumnus in Education” award from the National Hispanic Institute in 2015 and received the first ever “El Paso Breakthrough Leader Award” with his fellow Progress321 founders in 2016. He was also inducted into the 5th cohort for the highly selective Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI) which only selects participants from the top 2% of Latino entrepreneurs nationally. He obtained an executive MBA certification from the program through Stanford Business School.
The students and citizens of El Paso and of Texas are a top priority in his life and he looks forward to working with the community for the advancement of its youth and community through innovative curriculum, effective teaching methods and sound public policy.
Speaking At
