About Dr. Cecilia M. Cardesa, EdD, MSEd, MA
Since 2016, Cecilia has pioneered transformative management consulting, crafting people-centered dialogues and fostering hope-infused environments. As the visionary behind TraumaVenture, she reshapes mental health narratives, propelling both individuals and communities towards healing and growth. Additionally, Cecilia is the Founder & Editor of MappingOnward—where conversations, sidewalks, and scholarship converge in a digital journal.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Dr. Cecilia M. Cardesa embodies a profound commitment to forgiveness, healing, and the relentless pursuit of a better world. Her work is infused with compassion, empathy, and an unwavering sense of hope.
Since 2016, Cecilia has served as a visionary management consultant, dedicated to fostering people-centered conversations, programming, and ecosystems rooted in hope. She founded TraumaVenture in 2016, driven by a mission to reshape mental health and trauma narratives.
With a diverse career, Cecilia has worked with Catholic nuns and women religious in sub-Saharan Africa and led transformative initiatives for social impact organizations. She served as CEO of Dress for Success Philadelphia and spearheaded the national Latino community engagement strategy for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Cecilia began her career in 1997 working refugees with a local Global Refuge (then Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) affiliate.
Cecilia's dedication to community development has garnered numerous awards and recognition, including the Vera 2016 Momentum Award for her work with start-ups in El Salvador and the 2019 Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Awardee (Malawi).
Education
Dr. Cardesa's academic journey reflects her interdisciplinary approach and deep commitment to understanding and addressing complex social issues. She earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Villanova University in 2002, focusing on the impact of globalization on international non-governmental organizations.
Continuing her quest for knowledge, Dr. Cardesa pursued a Master of Arts degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Her experiences, including a transformative visit to the Garden of Exile at the Jewish Museum in Berlin, deeply influenced her understanding of memory and trauma.
Dr. Cardesa further explored the power of storytelling in social value creation for her master's thesis at the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctoral dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania, completed in 2014, delved into the intricate dynamics of Situating Traumatic Memory in Social Value Creation, marking a significant milestone in her academic journey. Dr. Cardesa humbly and proudly began her academic journey in community college.