Samy Nemir Olivares

Samy Nemir is a genderqueer Latinx writer, speaker, communications strategist, and an advocate for human rights and social justice. Samy was born and raised in Puerto Rico of a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother, both working-class and living with disabilities. Growing up being bullied as a child and surrounded by inequality, Samy became since childhood an outspoken activist for Latinx, LGBTQ+, immigrant and women's rights, as well as, youth and education. Samy started his career as a journalist and photojournalist, and their work has appeared in The New York Times, Huffington Post, Vogue, Teen Vogue and, many other outlets. Samy is also a national speaker, moderator and facilitator discussing topics such as gender, race, DEI, leadership and personal development in venues such as at the United Nations, colleges such as CUNY and Cardozo Law School, companies such as Accenture, and nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood. Samy frequently speaks to youth through their project THRIVE to educate, inspire and empower LGBTQ youth through mindfulness, healing and mental health for personal transformation and social change.

In 2016, Samy joined the Clinton presidential campaign as nationwide Latinx strategist. Later, Samy worked on economic, social and racial justice campaigns at the national community organizing nonprofit Center for Popular Democracy. On 2018, Samy ran for office in New York City and was elected District Leader, and later ran for New York State Assembly. Today, Samy works as an advocate in Lambda Legal, a civil rights nonprofit for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV as well as consultant under Cuir Strategies they founded for communication strategy and personal development trainings.

Samy has a lifelong committed to community service. During Covid, Samy co-founded Bushwick Ayuda Mutua -a mutual aid network that grew to hundreds of volunteers and until today has fed over 30,000 families, particularly immigrant and low-income families in Brooklyn. Today he serves in multiple board of directors including United We Dream, Equality NY, ALPFA Pride+ and Gay Latino Collective.

In recent years, Samy has been named one of the Power Latino 100 honorees in New York State in 2021, as well as among the Brooklyn Power 100 and Pride 100 in 2022 by City and State. Personally, Samy lives in Brooklyn, New York and enjoys dancing salsa, painting, traveling, beach and drag shows.