The People Behind the Mission – Luis

Luis is a busy man at Build Up Justice NYC. As our Controller, Luis oversees everything from day-to-day accounting to the organization’s government compliance as a nonprofit. A native New Yorker, he has spent most of his career in accounting and joined BUJNYC four years ago. We caught up with Luis to learn more about his work in our latest staff Q&A.

Q: Tell us about your time living in New York City—have you spent your whole life here?

Luis: Yes, I grew up in New York City and was raised by a single mom. Back in the 80’s to mid-90’s, we used to live in Washington Heights. I went to school, college, played catcher in baseball, studied martial arts and received a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do all in NYC. Two months after I graduated from college, I got a job as an accountant and the rest is history!

Q: For people who might not know what a Controller does and just how important a job it is to an organization, tell us about your role and what kind of work you handle day-to-day.

Luis: The Controller’s job is so important to an organization because their role is ensuring accuracy and integrity in the company’s financial reporting and compliance with legal requirements.

The main focus is managing accounting operations. Controllers make sure that vendors are paid on time, payroll is processed accurately and in a timely manner, and financial reporting is accurate. We also help manage the organization’s cash flow, ensure compliance with regulations and government contracts, file taxes and manage audits. So, it’s a lot to keep track of!

Q: How has working at Build Up Justice NYC been different from some of the other places you’ve worked at in your career?

Luis: What I enjoy most about BUJNYC, which I haven’t always experienced in my other jobs, is how we all work as a team to get the job done. My office door is always open for when my expertise and skills are needed and that’s the same with all my colleagues on the leadership team.

Q: You’ve been with us through a recent period of immense growth for the organization. How does it feel to see BUJNYC expand its work in recent years, and how has that impacted the work you and your team handle?

Luis: When I came on board four years ago, there were only 52 of us; now, the organization has doubled in size. It feels fantastic to see BUJNYC expand its work. It shows that our mission is resonating in the city and that we’re making a real impact in the legal aid field. I am extremely proud of being part of that growth. My team is great. They keep their skills current by doing trainings and mentor each other—without them, accomplishing the organization’s mission would be extremely difficult.

Q: Many organizations are concerned about funding cuts at the federal level and worry about the precarity of this moment. What’s kept you optimistic about the future of nonprofit work in the coming years?

Luis: As of this writing, I am cautiously optimistic. My optimism relies on the strength of our team, its adaptability and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support our teams. We continue to work closely with city and state agencies to meet program outcomes. We are also increasing our outreach strategies and collaboration with other nonprofit organizations to build a strong coalition of NYC legal aid providers.