About Civil's founder
A strategist trusted in high-stakes philanthropy and mission-driven leadership.
With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of public, private, and philanthropic leadership, Midy Aponte-Vargas is a strategist known for guiding organizations through moments of consequence.
As Civil's founder, she partners with mission-driven enterprises and foundations to architect sustainable growth models, design precision communications, and navigate complex change management. Her counsel is sought by leaders who require more than advice. They turn to her for elite-level strategy and disciplined execution that protects credibility, builds influence, and advances transformative outcomes.
A career built on addressing complex issues through community collaboration.
Midy Aponte-Vargas is the founder of Civil Strategies, a consultancy that partners with philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, and mission-driven enterprises during pivotal moments of change. With more than two decades of experience across public health, cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and global advocacy, she is recognized for guiding leaders through complex decisions that demand credibility, strategic clarity, and long-term sustainability.
Her career includes leading national public health campaigns that reduced youth smoking rates, advising Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations on crisis and litigation communications, and directing landmark heritage initiatives in collaboration with the Obama Administration and the National Park Service. She served as the founding executive director of the American Latino Heritage Fund at the National Park Foundation, where she advanced historic designations that recognized Latino contributions to the national narrative.
At Spitfire Strategies, she expanded the firm’s reach as Chief Experience Officer, establishing its Denver office and strengthening global operations. In this role, she oversaw business systems, talent development, and client service infrastructure while advancing major portfolios in digital rights, migration, climate adaptation, and public health. Her work extended across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, including China, ensuring organizations had the strategies and operational capacity to influence policy and achieve measurable impact.
In launching Civil Strategies, Midy brought this breadth of experience together to provide senior counsel in strategy, operations, and communications. Civil partners with a select number of organizations each year, strengthening financial resilience, enhancing organizational effectiveness, and equipping leaders to thrive in high-stakes environments.
She previously served on the boards of the YWCA National Capital Area, Latino Outdoors, the Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, the Alaska Wilderness League, and Hispanics in Philanthropy and holds a degree in Communications from Florida International University.