Sheyla Asencios serves as the Director of Public Affairs for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She is a first-generation Peruvian-American with over 14 years of experience as a political operative, consultant, and strategic communicator. She has an extensive portfolio leading teams, building partnerships, and tying issues to elections. Sheyla hails from Florida and has worked in leadership roles for issue advocacy and political organizations in support of reproductive freedom, healthcare and labor, as well as worked in countless local and statewide campaigns across the country.
Prior to joining MBDA, she worked as the Program Director for Scale for Change, the in-house political consulting firm and subsidiary of Planned Parenthood, leading the field programs of multiple states across the country during the two election cycles following the fall of Roe. Her passion for healthcare was sparked after serving as the District Director and Healthcare and Commerce Policy Staffer to Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), where she led his district team during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheyla’s area of expertise lies in political campaigning and strategic messaging to diverse communities. She has appeared as a guest political commentator for several Hispanic media networks and has worked as an editor and freelance reporter and writer for publications in Florida. In 2013, she received recognition in the Congressional Record by Congressman Alan Grayson for her work with the Hispanic community. Sheyla is a 2017 Ricardo Salinas Scholar of The Aspen Institute. She graduated with honors from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, and holds a master’s degree in Global Strategic Communications from Florida International University.