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Bio

Irene Franco Rubio is an impact producer, activist, writer, and scholar focused on advancing social and racial justice, immigrant rights, and abolitionist movements. Of Guatemalan and Mexican descent, Irene’s work bridges her lived experiences growing up in Phoenix, AZ, with a professional career rooted in grassroots organizing and advocacy across Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley in Ethnic Studies and a Soros Justice Fellow with the Open Society Foundations. Irene's impact work spans various projects at the intersection of media, movement-building, and public discourse. She recently led the impact campaign for Unbuild Walls: Why Immigrant Justice Needs Abolition by Silky Shah, working with creators and community organizations to amplify abolition-centered immigration justice messaging. As the host of the Abolition Lessons series on the Schools Not Prisons podcast, Irene uses storytelling as a tool to shift public narratives and challenge oppressive systems. Through digital strategy and creative campaigns, Irene collaborates with artists, influencers, and grassroots leaders to inspire collective action. She believes deeply in justice-centered impact work grounded in transparency, accountability, and solidarity, and she strives to uplift historically excluded voices across movements. Irene hopes to continue creating spaces for transformative conversations and actionable change by aligning art, media, and advocacy.