In Conversation
Kelly San Martin for Bold. Brilliant. Unstoppable.
Read the transcript
Kelly San Martin: Your voice, your perspective, and ambition are needed.
What does being an Influential Woman mean to you?
Kelly San Martin: Being an influential woman means understanding that influence is not about titles, popularity, or being the loudest in the room. It is about how you make people feel, the doors that you open for others, and the courage to keep showing up authentically, even when the path is difficult. To me, influential women lead not only with integrity, resilience, and purpose, but they create impact not just through their successes, but by empowering others to believe that they belong in spaces that they once felt were out of reach at the tables that we're currently building for them.
What's one piece of advice you would give to younger women chasing their dreams?
Kelly San Martin: For younger women chasing their dreams and their goals, my advice is this do not shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Your voice, your perspective, and ambition are needed. There'll be moments when you're gonna doubt yourself, you're gonna feel overlooked, think that you're maybe even behind, but keep going no matter what. Focus more on proving to yourself, not others. By becoming in alignment with who you truly are, what you want to build, invest in your education, your health, and your confidence in your community, and remember success is not about rushing to the finish line, it's about building a life and a career that genuinely reflects your values and your purpose.
Her Story
About Kelly
I've been working in government for over 15 years, specializing in procurement and government contracting. In my role, I manage a contract portfolio that serves all internal county departments, covering everything from emergency response to language services. My day-to-day involves a lot of technical assistance, strategy, and operations work, helping departments determine the best use of resources. I'm deeply passionate about policy and shaping it from all different sides - federal, state, and local. To me, policy is the start of everything. I hold a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Spanish, an MBA that I completed in 2023, and I'm currently a doctoral candidate. I'm a committee member of LUCC, the Large Urban County Caucus for NACO (National Association of Counties), and I'm a graduate of the Hope Leadership Institute program through ISBANA's Organizing for Political Equality, which is a big deal here in California. Being selected for the Hope Leadership Program is my most notable professional achievement - it's very intense and focuses on collaborating with policy, access, and equity, which I'm very proud of.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to not stopping and pursuing every opportunity, or creating my own. I believe in knocking on doors and actively seeking out chances to grow and make an impact. If an opportunity doesn't exist, I create it myself rather than waiting for it to come to me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is: if you feel a twinkle in your heart, it means that's where and what you're meant to do. That twinkle is important - it's a sign that you're on the right path and doing what you're meant to be doing.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to be a leader. Find the opportunities where you can be a leader, or find where there's a gap. Look for those spaces where leadership is needed and step up to fill them.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think there are a ton of opportunities in my field right now. It's a great field for women as a career because the skills are transferable - you can take them from private sector to nonprofit to policy work. My advice is to be curious and explore all the different paths available.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are integrity, fairness, and kindness. These principles guide how I approach both my professional responsibilities and my personal relationships.
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