Abril Vela is a Chicago native and proud alumna of Chicago Public Schools who discovered computer science at Northside College Prep. Inspired to expand access, she founded Chicago Girls in Computing in high school to support young women pursuing tech. A product and national advocate of the #CSforAll movement, she has championed equitable computer science education nationwide.
She earned a B.S. in Information Science from the University of Michigan in 2018 and has since worked as a social entrepreneur advancing equity in tech. Abril has served as Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of Computer Science at CPS and as Project Manager at AnitaB.org. In 2021, she co-founded CS for Success, an educational consultancy focused on scaling accessible, high-quality computer science programs, with recent emphasis on multilingual learners. With support from Greenhouse, she continues to grow as a leader committed to equitable education for all.
Leadership
- Founder, Chicago Girls in Computing
- National Advocate & Spokesperson
- Special Projects Coordinator, Office of Computer Science, Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
- Project Manager, AnitaB.org
Co-Founder, CS for Success
