We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rose Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rose , thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned in school and why that lesson is important to you?

I was sitting in a classroom at the University of Miami, deep into my doctoral program in Applied Learning Sciences, when I heard a quote that would shape the way I lead to this day.

“It’s not enough to help people beat the odds. We have to work to change the odds altogether.”

That moment stopped me in my tracks. Until then, I’d spent much of my career in community advocacy—running programs, mentoring youth, and helping women navigate systems that weren’t designed for them. I believed deeply in empowering individuals. But what these words made clear to me was this: if we only focus on helping people survive broken systems, we risk reinforcing those very systems.

That idea stayed with me. It challenged me to ask harder questions—not just “How do we help?” but “Why is help needed in the first place?” It pushed me to shift from programming to policy, from charity to change.

It’s what eventually led me to this moment, where I now direct a government advisory board focused on dismantling gender inequity at a structural level. Every community meeting I hold is rooted in that lesson: Change the odds.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Dr. Rose Martin, a community psychologist, policy advocate, and Director of a government advisory board dedicated to identifying and addressing the systemic barriers women and girls face across our county.

I came into this work not through politics, but through people. I’ve always been driven by a deep desire to understand why things are the way they are—and how we can redesign systems to be more just, more inclusive, and more human. I studied history, earned a master’s in community and social change, and ultimately completed a doctorate in applied learning sciences—all at the University of Miami. Along the way, I worked in nonprofits, mentored young women, led community initiatives, and served as a board member before stepping into my current government role.

In this new role, my work centers around advocacy, research, and policy recommendations. We don’t provide direct services—but what we do is equally vital: we identify gaps in the system and advocate for structural change at the county level. From the gender pay gap to access to maternal healthcare, our job is to make the invisible visible—and to use data to drive lasting solutions.

What sets my work apart is that I approach advocacy through a systems lens. I believe advocacy isn’t soft—it’s strategic. I use data not just to inform, but to activate. And I’m deeply committed to elevating both research and lived experience in the policy process. You’ll often find me leading community roundtables, presenting to commissioners with district-specific data, or building coalitions that bridge sectors.

What I’m most proud of is the trust I’ve built with my community and my team. I’m not just showing up in spaces—I’m helping redesign them. And I want anyone who follows my work to know this: I believe in both truth and tenderness. I believe we can be bold and still deeply humane. And I believe leadership isn’t about spotlight—it’s about stewardship.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most important lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that if I just worked hard enough, stayed excellent enough, and served others well enough, the systems around me would recognize that and protect me.

For a long time, I thought merit would be enough. I thought that if I just kept my head down, focused on solutions, and proved myself through my work, the right people would notice—and fairness would follow. But the reality is, in many spaces—especially in government and advocacy—excellence isn’t always enough. Politics, power, and perception play their parts too.

I learned this lesson the hard way when promises I had been given professionally were broken, when opportunities I had earned were redirected elsewhere, and when leadership often required navigating structures that were not built with women like me in mind. It was painful at first. But it was also freeing.

I realized I couldn’t wait for systems to protect me. I had to learn to build my own power—to advocate for myself with the same urgency and strategy I used to advocate for my community. I had to stop thinking that being “good” would shield me, and start recognizing that being bold, strategic, and self-possessed was equally important.

Today, I carry that lesson forward in everything I do. I still lead with integrity. I still believe in community, service, and excellence. But I no longer expect that systems will naturally reward those things. Instead, I work to change the systems—and build new ones that recognize and honor the dignity of every person.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots I made was moving from community-based advocacy into government leadership. For years, I had worked on the ground—building programs, mentoring women and girls, organizing communities. My background in community psychology taught me to believe in change that starts from the grassroots.

But as I progressed deeper into the work, especially during my doctoral research, I noticed a painful pattern: we were helping individuals beat the odds, but the odds themselves were staying the same. I realized that while grassroots advocacy is essential, real transformation also requires systemic change. The policies, laws, and structures themselves needed to be reimagined.

That realization led me to pivot toward government leadership. I accepted the role of Director- stepping inside the very systems I had once worked alongside. It wasn’t about leaving advocacy behind; it was about carrying advocacy with me into spaces where policy is written and power is exercised.

One of the most important strategies I brought with me was the belief that good data doesn’t just inform—it activates.
Using frameworks like CEDAW—the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women—I helped ground our local efforts in global human rights standards. I began building data systems that could disaggregate community conditions by gender and geography, giving policymakers tools to see disparities clearly within their own districts. Data became the bridge between lived experience and legislative action.

Pivoting wasn’t just about changing roles—it was about changing strategies. Today, I continue working to ensure that advocacy, research, and public policy aren’t separate worlds—but interconnected forces for sustainable, systemic change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.miamidade.gov/commissionforwomen
• Instagram: @spiritual.rose
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rose-martin-515b83158