Team

Shantel Suárez Ávila

she/her/ella
Founder & Principal Resource Strategist
San Diego, CA

Shantel Suárez Ávila is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrant parents and a Chicagoland native now rooted in Escondido, CA. A dog mom, yoga student, creative spirit, and nature lover, she brings heart, intention, and a deep belief in possibility to everything she does.

In 2018, after receiving a bittersweet severance package, Shantel decided to fundraise boldly—centering community wisdom, practicing her values, and refusing to shrink people’s dreams to fit broken systems. That decision became the beginning of Más Allá, which she founded in 2019 as a fundraising practice grounded in love, justice, and possibility beyond the status quo.

With more than a decade of experience, Shantel has raised more than $53 million for women-led and BIPOC-led/serving organizations. She partners with organizations across the country to raise transformative revenue with care and integrity, while challenging harmful norms in nonprofit and philanthropic systems.

Shantel believes fundraising is about more than bringing dollars in the door. It is an opportunity to build power, strengthen relationships, practice our values, and move resources toward the communities and futures we want to see. Her work is rooted in collective well-being and a vision of resourcing that is more just, relational, and abundant.

She began her career at Obama for America Headquarters in 2012, where she deepened her commitment to grassroots power-building and community-centered strategy. Today, she is a former co-steward of the Community-Centric Fundraising San Diego Chapter and serves as a co-steward of the San Diego Solidarity Network and Community-Centric Fundraising North American Council.

Shantel is an alumna of DePaul University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, and the Next Economy MBA, focused on building an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative economy. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Change Management Specialist.

When she’s not talking about fundraising or organizing, you can probably find Shantel dancing to live music, deepening her yoga practice, camping, tending to nature, or enjoying a croissant and cup of coffee at Izola Bakery.

Connect with Shantel on LinkedIn →