Leslie Sanchez

Leslie Sanchez is an acclaimed author, sought-after political analyst and former director of a White House education initiative. Known for her straightforward style and in-depth understanding of the American social, cultural and political landscape, she was an on-camera member of CNN's award-winning 2008 election coverage team, making her the first Hispanic American hired as a political contributor at the network. Leslie has conducted interviews with many of the world’s leading personalities, from global recording artists to legendary sports heroes to leaders in business and politics. 

As founder and CEO of Impacto Group LLC, a premium communications and market research firm, she works with Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and government agencies that seek guidance on the social and economic trends affecting women and the emerging U.S. Hispanic community. Hispanic Business magazine called her one of the nation’s “100 Most Influential Hispanics," and she was named “Texas Powerbroker” by the Houston Chronicle for being among the most influential Texans in Washington. 

She is the author of two critically-acclaimed books: Los Republicanos: Why Hispanics and Republicans Need Each Other (Palgrave Macmillan, August 2007) and You’ve Come a Long Way, Maybe: Sarah, Michelle, Hillary and the Shaping of the New American Woman (Palgrave Macmillan, October 2009).

In 2011, Leslie launched Impacto Group Productions LLC, a Los Angeles and New York-based firm rapidly becoming a leading curator of digital, film, and television content redefining the U.S. Latino community for a global audience.

A fifth-generation American of Mexican descent, Leslie started her career selling encyclopedias door-to-door to earn money for college. Once she arrived in Washington, Leslie worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide for former U.S. Representative Henry Bonilla (R-TX). She later served as deputy press secretary at the Republican National Committee during the 2000 election cycle where she was one of the principal architects of the organization’s first-ever multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at Hispanic voters.  Soon after, Leslie was appointed by President George W. Bush as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Hispanic Education. Under her leadership, the initiative successfully built a grass roots network of 20,000 parents, educators and students, and issued two Presidential Commission reports aimed at closing the academic achievement gap.

Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and online media outlets such as CNN.com. Leslie has appeared on a wide range of major media outlets, including the Today show (NBC), The Early Show (CBS), the News Hour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), Oprah Radio, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Univision, and Telemundo.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.  Leslie is a strong advocate for expanding educational opportunities for Hispanic children and is active in charities and foundations that share this goal.