Leslie Martinez was born to Honduran parents in New York City and raised in the Bronx, New York. Martinez received a B.A. in history from Baruch College and an M.S.Ed.in leadership and museum education from Bank Street College of Education, both in New York City. Martinez worked at several museums in New York City and as a program manager at Cool Culture, an organization that provides low-income families with free access to New York City's cultural institutions.