Carmen Cusido

Carmen Cusido is a longtime mental health advocate. She received her bachelor’s from Rutgers University and a master’s degree from the Columbia School of Journalism. She also attended the Yale Writers’ Workshop and participated in a leadership course at Harvard Business School. Cusido began her tenure as a communications manager at the New Jersey Department of Labor in October 2024. Before that, she was a senior account director at MikeWorldWide’s public affairs practice. Cusido has also taught at Hudson County Community College (HCCC), and Rutgers, Columbia, Montclair, Kean universities. Before joining MikeWorldWide, Cusido served as a speechwriter and former director in the Office of Public Affairs at the New Jersey Department of Education. In her 19-year career, Cusido has also worked at organizations like Twitter and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Cusido’s writing has appeared in Newsweek, Oprah Daily, The Independent UK, Refinery29, Health, NBC News, CNN, NPR, Cosmopolitan, New Jersey Monthly, and other publications. In addition to this work, Cusido has written about U.S-Cuba relations, the lives of immigrants, and her recovery from anorexia.