Caroline Medina (they/them) is the Senior Advisor for Data Policy and Strategy at the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), where they lead research, policy, and advocacy initiatives to strengthen the ethical and responsible governance of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data. Their work focuses on ensuring that SOGI data are collected, protected, and utilized in ways that inform evidence-based policymaking, civil rights enforcement, and intersectional research to benefit LGBTQI+ communities.

Before joining MAP, Caroline served as Director of Policy at Whitman-Walker’s Institute for Health Research and Policy, which leverages cutting-edge research, policy analysis, and education to promote health equity nationwide—particularly for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV. In this role, they led initiatives to expand access to high-quality, affirming health care and insurance coverage, while addressing structural barriers and discrimination in health systems and programs.

Previously, Caroline was the Director of LGBTQI+ Policy at the Center for American Progress, where they developed and promoted policies to expand legal and lived equality for LGBTQI+ people across the United States. Earlier in their career, they spent five years working for members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, managing a legislative portfolio focused on health care and economic justice and contributing to the advancement of the state’s ban on conversion therapy.

Caroline’s work at the intersection of policy, research, and advocacy reflects a commitment to building data systems and governance structures that equitably represent LGBTQI+ people and inform inclusive policy design. They are particularly interested in fostering inclusive data practices as a foundation for achieving health equity and strengthening civil rights protections.

Caroline holds a Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics and Political Science, with a concentration in social and economic policy, and a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College.