At just 26 years old, Carlos Mark Vera has already helped reshape access to opportunity in one of the nation’s most exclusive spaces: Congress. As the founder and executive director of Pay Our Interns, Carlos turned his lived experience as an unpaid intern into a national movement that secured over 48 million dollars in funding for paid internships on Capitol Hill.

In this episode, Carlos shares how persistence, policy, and personal storytelling came together to fuel change. He reflects on building a more inclusive pipeline for students, especially those from Black, Latinx, and Native communities, and why paid experience is essential for shaping diverse leadership across every sector.

A powerful story of advocacy, strategy, and leading with purpose.