Ready to Support Your Journey
Why Destino
Destino is the Spanish word for destination — the place toward which you are moving.
Strategy defines that destination: your purpose, priorities, and direction. But reaching it requires aligned leadership, clear governance, and systems that support implementation.
We believe:
Governance shapes how decisions are made.
Leadership shapes how strategy moves forward.
Capacity determines whether strategy is sustained.
When these are aligned, organizations become more focused, stable, and effective.
Our work connects strategy, governance, and capacity so leadership is collective, decisions are clear, and direction is shared.
About Our CEO
María A. Fernández, Ed.M (she/ella)
Welcome! I’m glad you’re here.
I founded Destino Strategy Consulting to help nonprofit, public, and philanthropic organizations strengthen strategic leadership and align governance with a clear direction.
My academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University and a Master’s in Education (Ed.M.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I hold professional certificates in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University and Nonprofit Governance Consulting from BoardSource™.
My professional experience includes leadership roles in nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, board service, and community engagement. As a first-generation college graduate, mother, and practitioner shaped by lived experience and research-informed practice, I bring both rigor and a deep value for relationships in community to my work.
Clients describe my approach as thoughtful, responsive, and supportive. I help leadership teams move from reactive decision-making to shared direction and structured — yet adaptive — implementation. Through our extensive consultant networks, we organize the best collaborative consulting team to help you achieve your goals.
A proud native of Los Angeles, California, I’m also grateful to have called Yanaguana (San Antonio), Texas my home for the past 13 years. There you can find me enjoying time with my husband, two teenage children, and our spirited dogs, Canelo and Bonbon.
I look forward to connecting with you!