Capital IDEA’s mission is to lift working adults out of poverty and into living-wage careers through education and career advancement.
We envision a thriving Central Texas where non-traditional students have the opportunity to get an education, enter a skilled occupation, earn a living wage, and reach their full potential. At the same time, we aim to make it easier for our leading employers to stay, grow, and hire locally from a diverse pool of motivated workers properly trained for the best careers of today and the future.
Equity is integral to the mission, culture, and practices of Capital IDEA. Since our founding in 1998, we have acted on the principle of “all people, all together.” While inequity leaves people behind, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color, we employ a diverse staff, 75% of whom are of color, to reach a diverse, low-income community. Our student body is 80% students of color. They represent a diversity of ages, religions, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities, all of whom it is our privilege to support and serve.
We stand committed to creating a more equitable Central Texas through equal access to higher education and employment, and by continuing our work of advocating for substantial and meaningful reforms to any system within our spheres of higher education and workforce development that perpetuates inequity.
History of Capital IDEA Capital IDEA is an austin-based nonprofit that launched in 1998. We emerged from the shared goals of the local business community and Central Texas Interfaith (formerly Austin Interfaith). CTI is a multi-issue, multi-ethnic, nonpartisan social justice organization made up of congregations, schools, unions, associations, and nonprofits that work together to develop the leadership to address issues that affect the well-being of families in the community.
One such issue was the rising cost of living in Central Texas — pushing low-income families further away from the urban core, and further into debt and other desperate situations. At the same time, regional employers were having a hard time filling their workforce needs. Capital IDEA was formed to bridge this gap by using postsecondary education for non-traditional students as a pathway to career advancement and success.
In our more than two decades of service, Capital IDEA has grown with funding from the City of Austin and Travis County, as well as a growing number of corporate and philanthropic partners. The US Department of Labor, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Texas Legislature have funded programming.
For more on our history, read: Bennett, Willie and Rev. John Ogletree, “IAF: Examples of Institutions Organizing on Behalf of Families,” Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 9.
Our Outstanding Leadership 
Alyssia Palacios-Woods is a community builder and non-profit leader with over a decade of experience supporting workforce development initiatives in Central Texas. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) dedicated to best practices in non-profit operations and fundraising. Prior to joining Capital IDEA, Alyssia served as the President & CEO of the Austin Young Chamber, where she championed regional collaboration, entrepreneurship, talent development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has been a member of the Opening Central Texas for Business Task Force for COVID-19 rebuilding, the Austin Homelessness Task Force, and the National YP Week Advisory Council. Alyssia was recognized as an Austin Business Journal Profiles in Power Nominee in 2019 and an Austin Under 40 Finalist in 2023. She received her bachelor's degree from St. Edward's University and her master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Previous board service includes the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Transit Forward, and Capital IDEA. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for The New Philanthropist and the Regional Advisory Council for Austin Community College.
Eva Rios-Lleverino has been with Capital IDEA since its launch in 1998. She plays an instrumental role in leading the organization’s programmatic operations and administration. Eva has more than 25 years of experience in the higher education and nonprofit sectors. She was selected as a McBee Fellow by the Austin Area Research Organization in 2014, and was named an Emerging Leader in 2012 through the Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders’ Leadership Program. She is a 2007 graduate of the Hispanic Austin Leadership Class and a 2004 recipient of the Austin Business Journal’s “Rising Star Award.” She holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Texas A&M International University. Her passion for Capital IDEA’s mission is centered on a desire to provide opportunities for people to have a better future and to see lives changed forever.
Kisha C. Smith joined Capital IDEA in 2024, bringing with her a wealth of experience including previous service as a Director of Finance. She has over 20 years’ of experience in finance and over 15 years of experience working with federal and state funded grants in various industries and non-profit sectors including higher education. Across her career, she has managed over $15 million dollars in federal and state funds. Kisha is an Alum of Leadership Austin Essential 43 Class of 2022, a graduate of Cornell Women’s Entrepreneurship Program and holds a master’s degree in accounting as well as a master’s degree in business administration. She believes in collaboration to navigate challenges, in seizing opportunities to reach new milestones, and is looking forward to leveraging her experience to promote growth and financial health at Capital IDEA.
Joining the Capital IDEA team in the fall of 2017, Amy brings 19 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. After earning her Masters degree in Museum Studies, Amy began her career working for a philanthropic family foundation in Los Angeles, California. This exposure to philanthropy led Amy to an interest in using her skills to raise funds for nonprofit organizations. For the past decade, Amy has dedicated her career to the Austin nonprofit community, leading fundraising and communications efforts at the United Way for Greater Austin, Mission Capital, and the Central Texas Food Bank.
Our founding board members were reflective of the community and corporate engagement that developed our mission. They represented social justice stakeholders, as well as leading healthcare and technology names in the region and this continues to be true today.
BOARD CHAIR
| HCA Healthcare
BOARD VICE CHAIR
| Central Texas Interfaith
SECRETARY
| Baylor Scott & White Health
TREASURER
| Central Texas Interfaith
BOARD MEMBER
& CAPITAL IDEA ALUMNI
| Penumbra, Inc.
BOARD MEMBER
| Central Texas Interfaith
BOARD MEMBER
| Central Texas Interfaith
BOARD MEMBER
| Central Texas Interfaith
BOARD MEMBER
| Ascension Texas
BOARD MEMBER
| Central Texas Interfaith
BOARD MEMBER
| Texas Mutual
Why we take action today 
*Austin has seen the nation’s second highest increase in suburban poverty since 2000.
*Brookings Institute*24% of all Travis County children live in poverty, and 27% of children under the age of 5.
*CAN Community Dashboard* It takes an income at least twice the federal poverty level for families and individuals in Austin to make ends meet.
*Center for Public Policy PrioritiesFor more information on our annual reports or to speak to our
partnership development team please contact:
