Madeline Henriquez

Madeline Henriquez is Executive Director of DAY ONE, leading with strategic clarity and a deep commitment to community transformation. A Hudson Valley leader with over 20 years of experience advancing economic mobility and designing systems that support children, families, and the workforce that cares for them. Grounded in lived experience and as a DAY ONE parent herself, she is known for building accessible pathways, centering those most impacted, and leading with a trauma-informed, person-centered approach. Prior to DAY ONE, she served as Executive Director of the Poughkeepsie Farm Project and co-founded Earth, Wind & Fuego, an award-winning social enterprise creating career pathways for those facing systemic barriers. At DAY ONE, she is driven by the belief that equity-centered work with children and families doesn’t only uplift communities—it builds them.

When I was a kid

I played “teacher,” using rescued lesson planners to map out instruction and schedules (yes, even gym!) and school chalk to turn the brick walls of my housing development into a full classroom for my cousins and neighbors!