Elevating La Cultura Podcast

Hey hey! I can not believe we’ve made it to the end of Season 10. It’s still a little surreal to realize I’ve been doing this for 10 seasons. Thank you SO much to everyone who has continued to support and taken us to over 8000 downloads…next year we will hit 10k for sure!  This season is filled with amazing leaders that really want what’s best for their communities and are working hard to spread t...

Jasmine Lopez is the founder and executive director of The Firehouse Dream.  As a Latina Creative  and Mental Health Advocate, Jasmine believes that in order to build thriving lives we must have a healthy relationship with self, the world and money. She spends her days at TFD casting vision, dreaming BIG with and for the community,  building strong relationships and partnerships, while partnering...

Tabitha Nieto is the Executive Director of the COR Community Foundation. She has been a Certified Hypnotherapist for over ten years, a Women's Coach, and an experienced Facilitator for women. She is trauma-trained, having spent hundreds of hours studying Complex and Developmental Trauma, advanced leadership development, and group facilitation courses.  She is an experienced workshop facilitat...

Sarah Taylor was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago as a first generation American. In 2012, Sarah established Yo Soy Ella Inc., a nonprofit organization with the purpose of providing visibility to the importance of women’s mental wellness.  As the Founder and Executive Director, Sarah saw the necessity for women of color to seek health equity, feel connected and informed in the discussio...

Rita is a passionate Somatic and trauma therapist, Freelance educator, public speaker and story-teller. She is also a Group facilitator, Community- builder, agent of change and happy aunt. She loves her work and is thrilled to be a part of the global community that strives to bring an effective blend of experience, expertise, clarity, concern and action to the counseling and educational process in...

Gisela Quiñones is the founder of Latinos Homeschooling, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Latino homeschooling families. Over the past four years, she has worked tirelessly to grow the organization, which she started in her search for a Latino community group. Latinos Homeschooling has successfully hosted three conferences and provided numerous classes and workshops for the communi...

Clarybelle Camacho is a Chicago youth teaching artist, wife, mother, and community leader; with a passion to give and be involved in the community. She states , "I am committed to learning, collaborating and giving 110% in what I do and who I am. Clarybelle is the Founder of “A Beautiful Project,” a faith-based organization with a mission to build a society, where every young woman can realiz...

Today I’m talking with Jennifer Franco, a passionate advocate, author, and educator from the Northside of Chicago. She has overcome the challenges of being a first-generation, low-income Latina mother to make significant strides in the academic sector. With a B.A. in Political Science from NEIU and an M.A. in Women & Gender Studies from Loyola, she's currently pursuing a PhD in Higher Edu...

Today I’m talking with Juliana Rubio Slager. She co-founded Ballet 5:8 in 2012 and is known for her unique ability to engage audiences in discussions of life and faith through choreography.  She has created over 50 works for the Company and School during her tenure at Ballet 5:8. She has had the privilege of working daily at the School of Ballet 5:8 and has guest taught at over 100 schools across...

We made it to season 10 of the Elevating la Cultura Podcast!  I wrapped up season 9 a few months ago and at the end of the season I announced the Elevating la Cultura rebrand! I worked with Ruby Herrera from Episode 108 to design a beautiful new logo, and brand story. So you’ll be seeing a new look for this season.  This season, I’m talking with Latinas who have founded non-profits. Did you know t...

Hey!  I’m popping in here for a bonus episode of the Elevating la Cultura Podcast. I know we’re in between seasons but today I’m coming on with Yovana from the Making Lider Moves Podcast and we’re sharing ALL THE INFO on our upcoming Latina Brilliance Summit happening this September.   Check out https://www.latinabrilliance.com/ for all the info and to purchase tickets. We're so excited for t...

Ayyyyy! I can not believe we’ve made it to the end of Season 9. That’s nine seasons over the past three years. I’m so grateful to all my listeners for continued support and for taking us over 7200 downloads. And to all my guests this season who have taken time out of their days to share their stories to inspire others.  This season was amazing as we featured phenomenal mujeres, who are sharing the...

I’ve got my last guest for Season 9 on the mic today. Ruby, from Ruby Creative Co.  She has a passion for empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations to achieve their marketing and design goals.  Born and raised in Chicago, IL, but now residing in Arlington, TX, she discovered her love for community-focused design at a young age. Ruby Creative Co., believes in starting with your...

Alicia is a Latina entrepreneur and founder of San Maris Botanicx. San Maris is a matriarchal owned candle brand redefining elegance with the finest fragrance oils and wax.  Breaking away from conventional Botanica candles, they craft clean and sacred aromas that embody the rich stories of Latin America.  From oral traditions to captivating scents, each candle encapsulates the essence of our herit...

Hey! Today’s episode is a little different because I have a HUGE announcement. I’m going to be chatting with Monika from Our Latina Lens, who I had on the podcast previously on episode 75 in season 7. We are collaborating on a BIG event that will be hosted here in Chicago called the Cuentos Reframed - a three day summit for photographers and creatives! If you caught our live on Instagram last week...

Stephanie is a first-generation Latina from the Northside of Chicago. Her parents’ migration from Colombia fuels her passion for creating equitable and attainable economic opportunities for communities of color.  As the Director of Career Launch Chicago with the City Colleges of Chicago, Stephanie collaborates with Chicago Public Schools and local businesses to develop and implement Youth Apprenti...

I’ve got Vanessa on the mic today, but she goes by Fitnessa, a Miami-based online fitness specialist who is passionate about helping women sculpt their ideal bodies through muscle building and fat loss. Her flagship program, the "90 Day Hourglass Physique," focuses on creating healthy habits that allow for a balanced lifestyle. Fitnessa emphasizes the importance of intermittent fasting a...

Dahlia a first-generation, Chicana-Indigenous educator dedicated to empowering communities through somatic social-emotional learning and restorative justice. Dahlia has earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Community Engagement and a Certification in Somatic Healing Modalities. As a somatic movement healer, Dahlia guides people to be present with their bodies through me...

Erica is the face behind ViajErica - which is a play on words combining the word "Viajera" and her name. A viajera is a traveler, for the past 8 years she has been exploring, while also going from nurse to health tech professional to unemployed. Erica took her unemployment as an opportunity to explore the thing that lights her up inside and makes her feel alive - traveling.  Erica loves...

I'm back with another great guest! Cynthia Harmony is a bilingual author and educational psychologist, originally from Mexico City. She is a 2023 recipient for the Sustainable Arts Foundation Illustrated Children's Books Award and author of MI CIUDAD SINGS, MI CIUDAD CANTA (Penguin Workshop, 2022) OUR WORLD: MEXICO (Barefoot Books, 2023) and a three star recipient A FLICKER OF HOPE, and ...

Margarita Lopez is a Realtor with Oak Park’s Baird & Warner office. Her commitment to providing exceptional customer service and her extensive knowledge of the real estate market has allowed her to build a successful career working with sellers and buyers throughout the Chicagoland area and beyond. She has consecutively been recognized by the Chicago Association of Realtors with their Top Prod...

I’m excited for our first guest of the season!  Dr. Violeta Garcia is a dynamic Executive Coach and Systems Designer with over 20 years of experience in facilitation, training, and coaching. She's dedicated to empowering women of color to unlock their potential to live powerful lives. Dr. Garcia has a strong track record of transformative impact and is a trailblazer in fostering diversity for...

Welcome back for a new season!!!  When I was thinking about the topic of this season, I was like, I’ve done pretty much all the topics. I’ve also been getting pitches from more brilliant Latinas via Linked in, Instagram, Website, in person…all the ways…and I wanted to create a season that could feature an array of positions and areas of expertise.  So after thinking about it for a while, and after...

Heeeeeeey! We’re wrapping up another amazing season of the Elevating la Cultura podcast. And we have officially passed 5600 downloads! Thank you so much to all my listeners for your continued support through each season. I’m especially grateful to each guest that takes time out of their day to share their story and inspire others. The elevating la cultura brand has grown since last season with a n...

Hola!  We have our last guest of the season today: Deborah Avalos is the Director of Procurement Services at a premier Healthcare system in Chicago. She is a Nurse by background and has over 20 years of healthcare and supply chain experience.  She leads Strategic Sourcing Services, which manages a $720M portfolio of medical, surgical and lab products. She has oversight of Procurement Analytics, wh...