Cesar Aleman

Prior to joining UpTogether, he served as inaugural Director of the Connecticut Urban Opportunity Collaborative (CUOC), a collaborative of the three largest community foundations in Connecticut. Cesar led efforts to drive solutions for dismantling structural barriers to advance economic mobility. Cesar worked alongside community foundations, grassroots organizations, and government entities, and has played a pivotal role in the multi-million dollars invested in direct cash for Connecticut communities. Cesar is particularly passionate about building infrastructures to build power and amplify resident leader voices to shape a prosperous future for our communities.

Throughout his career, Cesar has been at the forefront of transformative work, including leading investigations at the National Fair Housing Alliance that resulted in significant policy changes at major platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook). His work is centered on equity, collaboration, and empowering communities to build their own solutions. Cesar aligns his efforts with organizations like UpTogether to challenge traditional systems and advocate for transformative change.

With experience in both grassroots organizing and public partnership building, Cesar has successfully led cross-sector collaborations, managed large-scale initiatives, and delivered impactful results. Whether improving community engagement through innovative technology or driving policy reform, he is committed to creating pathways to economic justice. Cesar firmly believes that when communities are trusted and given resources to make decisions for themselves, they can break cycles of poverty and create lasting prosperity.

Cesar shares UpTogether’s mission and is eager to continue collaborating with organizations dedicated to uplifting families, advancing equity, and building a more just and prosperous future for all.