Claudia Pagon Marchena is a JD candidate at Yale Law School. She graduated summa cum laude from Florida International University, where she majored in economics.

After graduation, Claudia started her public policy career with the office of U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and later transitioned to the office of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14). In this capacity, she served as the Congresswoman’s principal advisor on economic policy, the federal financial regulatory apparatus, Puerto Rico, and housing. She oversaw the introduction of visionary, progressive legislation, and secured millions of dollars through the appropriations process for environmental cleanup, postal banking pilot programs, and public health campaigns.

Claudia is passionate about creating a more equitable financial system for working-class families. During the pandemic, she introduced a suite of proposals that sought to ensure that any corporation receiving federal funds kept workers employed at living wages. She also contributed to efforts to launch the Emergency Rental Assistance program, which deployed billions of dollars to working families during the pandemic. Finally, she served as the primary lead on a campaign to provide debt relief options to constituents affected by the collapse of the taxi medallion market in New York City. In 2020, Claudia was profiled by Forbes for her work. She currently serves as a political appointee of the Biden-Harris Administration at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where she advises senior officials on congressional engagement. She also leads agency efforts to provide Congress with technical assistance on a range of proposals it is considering.

Claudia was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and is an avid podcast listener, barre enthusiast, and amateur cook.