Tomás Aponte is a Government Innovation Fellow working with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families. He is currently supporting the department in reducing the over-representation of Black and Indigenous children in out-of-home care by providing services that are culturally responsive and specific. As a first-year fellow, with the Procurement and Economic Mobility team at the Government Performance Lab, Tomás helped cities across the United States and Latin America make their procurement practices more efficient, effective, and equitable.

Prior to joining the GPL, Tomás worked at Greater Boston PFLAG as the Director of Program Outreach & Impact working to achieve LGBTQ+ equality by changing hearts, minds, and laws at a local and national level. Tomás holds a Master of Arts in International Development & Social Change from Clark University and a Bachelor of Arts in Dance & English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.