Dr. Maria Martha Chavez-Brummel is a dedicated social innovator who has focused her career on finding creative solutions to social challenges, particularly in the field of education. Her work ranges from early childhood education to higher education. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Catch the Next, Inc., which uses data-driven approaches to reduce the opportunity gap in higher education. Through her leadership and the establishment of a network of like-minded individuals, she has had a significant impact on teaching practices, leading to improved outcomes for thousands of students in community colleges and beyond.

Chavez is a former assistant dean and faculty member of Yale College. At Yale, Dr. Chavez founded the Asian Chicano Native American Cultural Center and the Chicano Boricua Studies. She is a member of the Yale Elihu Society and holds a lifetime Honorary Faculty Member status. She is a Fellow of Berkeley College and has served in President Peter Salovey's world leaders network of alums and the Yale Alumni Fund. Additionally, she has served on the Graduate School Executive Committee.

Chavez established the LULAC Head Start Program and the Latino Youth Center in New Haven, CT. She was also the Assistant to the Vice President of US Programs for the Save the US Children Federation and led the Campaign for America's Forgotten Children. Her community organizing efforts resulted in five learning centers in the Central Valley of California, New Mexico Hispanic Villages, and the Navajo and Hopi Reservations.

Chavez Brumell is also the founder of the Minority Admissions Program at Kansas State University, where she worked as Assistant Director of Admissions.

Dr. Chavez-Brummel has pursued a diverse educational path, reflecting her wide-ranging interests and dedication to learning. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Spanish Literature and a Master's Degree in Education focused on Curriculum and Instruction, all from Kansas State University. Her academic accomplishments also include earning a Master's degree in Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University. Furthermore, she was honored as the recipient of the John Perry Miller Dissertation Prize for Research from the Yale University Graduate School.

In 2021, Dr. Chavez-Brummel received the Edge Commendation for Education Innovation from the John Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education in recognition of her contributions to education and social innovation. In 2023, she was honored as one of CT's top 50 Women Leaders, and in 2024, she was recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Business by Business World Eureka.