Ashley Fermina Soto

Project Coordinator, Social Innovation, Steelcase
Emerging Leader

A West Michigan native, Ashley Fermina Soto is a strong leader grounded in her commitment to justice. Raised by a single mother, Soto is a first-generation college graduate who served as president of her sorority for two years and oversaw the Right to Success College Access Program.

She began her career at the height of the pandemic, supporting a pipeline of over 200 Latinx college students in early career navigation. Soto has built a career in place-based community impact, interrogating power and playing a meaningful role in restructuring institutional systems to expand access for all. Her honors include the U of M MLK Jr. Spirit Award, the Hispanic Center Desafío Award, and DTL’s National Neophyte of the Year. As a queer Black Latina, it became easier for Soto to envision herself as a leader thanks to the women role models who looked like her and helped her navigate long standing systems not built for the children of immigrants, people of color, queer folk, and other disenfranchised communities.

“Great leaders take it upon themselves to build authentic relationships from the connections they make,” Soto says. “Take the extra step to embrace people fully for who they are—not the titles they hold or the places they work … that’s when the magic happens, and everyone thrives.”