2026 Awards

Alexander Roque

Talent

President and Chief Executive Officer, Ali Forney Center

Alexander Roque’s career in the non-profit sector has been marked by transformative leadership, innovative program design, and strategic capacity building. From 2011 to 2019, Alex spearheaded fundraising and capacity-building efforts at the Ali Forney Center (AFC), significantly contributing to the organization's growth. In 2020, Alex was named President and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, he has developed groundbreaking models to eliminate barriers to care, including a pioneering residential treatment program that addresses both housing and mental health needs for LGBTQ youth. Through his work at AFC, Alex serves as a bold advocate, challenging city, state, and federal systems to do more to protect LGBTQ youth. Through his leadership, there have been significant policy, funding, and system changes in New York City, State, and on a Federal level. His leadership extends beyond New York, with the launch of an international technical assistance and training program that now supports over 71 providers in the United States and operates across 23 countries, delivering AFC’s model on a global scale. Alex’s dedication to social justice has earned him recognition as one of the top Hispanic leaders and a place on New York State’s Pride Power List. He was also named an Elevate Prize Winner, a prestigious award recognizing his impact on the lives of homeless LGBTQ youth. Additionally, he has worked with the Center for Anti-Violence Education, supporting the empowerment of young women and girls facing gender-based violence, homophobia, and transphobia. In 2018, Alex was appointed to the board of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and works to support the foundation’s youth mental health programs and initiatives worldwide.

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