Mark Rodriguez

Executive Director | Lohengrin Foundation

Mark Rodriguez’s professional story begins where many of today’s most urgent equity conversations still lead: the classroom. Raised in Chicago, Mark experienced firsthand the consequences of educational inequity.  In high school, when his algebra teacher was a victim of gang violence at the school and replaced by unqualified substitutes and open study hall sessions, he learned early on how failing educational systems will impact his future.  Years after receiving a passing grade for sitting in study hall, he lacked the foundational skills to compete with his peers and tested into remedial math in college where he taught himself the subject all over again.  This reflection and numerous others solidified both his self-belief and drive to challenge unjust systems.

As CEO of the Lohengrin Foundation, Mark leads an organization committed to advancing equity, access, and opportunity for youth and communities across Chicago and Boston. One of the foundation’s most significant current investments is a $15 million commitment to build a new Youth and Community Center in Chicago. The initiative aims to address the root causes of violence by offering safe spaces, supportive services, and youth-driven programming—designed not for the community, but with it. From early planning to partner selection, local residents, especially young people, have been invited to co-create the vision. This emphasis on proximity and co-leadership reflects a broader philosophy Mark champions: philanthropy that listens and centers lived experience and community. He points to affinity-based funds like Nuestro Futuro as further proof that everyone can be a part of the change they want to see, by joining together to mobilize resources and invest in areas they care about.

Mark’s introduction to 21/64 came at a moment when he was seeking new tools and frameworks to match the complexity of the work he was leading. What he received as part of the 2023 Certified Advisors of Color cohort was not only professional reinforcement but a kind of personal permission: to bring his full self—including his identity, spirituality, and lived experience—into professional spaces that historically discouraged it.

Raised to “leave personal identity at the door,” Mark found in 21/64’s curriculum and community an affirmation that authenticity is not just allowed—it’s essential. Today, courage, collaboration, and community are the values that shape how he builds partnerships, facilitates conversations, and moves resources.

Outside of his formal roles, Mark remains deeply engaged in faith-driven service. He volunteers through his church, serves on nonprofit boards, and sees both as extensions of the same mission: to connect, uplift, and invest in the well-being of others.

Mark enjoys travelling, cooking, crime thrillers, and spending time with his family. When pressed for a dream job in an alternate universe, he admits he might have made a great food critic. In conversation, what’s striking is the consistency between Mark’s values and his actions. He’s intentional about setting boundaries and making space for rest—not as a luxury, but as a form of resistance in a field that can easily consume the most mission-driven among us.

Mark describes himself as a builder and a connector, someone who sees the big picture but stays close to the ground. In that overlap between Self and Role, it’s clear: he’s not just working for equity—he’s modeling it.