Growing Up Latina

When life throws you curveballs, it can lead to a complete shift in perspective and purpose.  In this episode we are joined by Joyce Rojas, who, after facing divorce, navigating the recession, and surviving a near-fatal truck accident, transformed herself into the Licensed Financial Advisor that we now know as MoneyMindsetMami . Her story is a powerful testament to the idea that wealth begins in t...

Dive into the fascinating journey of Zoila Darton as she takes us on a compelling narrative, starting with her roots in Latin music, leading to the creation of her own Creative Agency, Word Agency, and exciting collaborations with iconic brands like Rare Beauty… owned and created by the global sensation, Selena Gomez. In this conversation, Zoila candidly shares the pivotal decisions that shaped he...

What do you do when you've hit rock bottom? Tina Cabrera joined us in the sala this week to share how she rose from the ashes. Tina, an entrepreneur and virtual trainer, has a track record of helping people achieve both physical and emotional well-being. She discussed how she started working at a very young age, how the spirit of hustle has always been a part of her, her passion for training, her...

It got extra Bori in la sala this week as Gabrielle Santana, better known as Gaby Santana, joined Alyi V to discuss her love for Puerto Rico, her upbringing which involved losing both of her parents, leaving corporate America to become an entrepreneur, her journey with curly hair leading to her rise to fame on social media platforms, her jewelry brand Santana & Co., and even her experience with en...

Step into the Sala with Alyi V and meet our extraordinary guest, Shaira Frias, in this special episode that shines a spotlight on her entrepreneurial journey. As the proud owner of Luna Magic Beauty, Shaira has graced the pages of Forbes, swam with the Sharks on Shark Tank, and shared her story with CNN. A Dominican by heritage, she grew up in the vibrant heart of New York, where taking bold risks...

The talented Grizel "La Chachi" Del Valle, who was on the show back in 2018, returns to share the changes in her life since. Join us as she opens up about the profound changes in her life, from discovering her unique musical style to teasing what her devoted fans can expect in the near future. Grizel also shares her heartfelt endeavors in aiding those affected by Hurricane Maria, her journey in ma...

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, Alyi V welcomes Janet Peguero, the first Dominican American to become New York City's Deputy Borough President. Janet recalls the culture shock of her move from Dominican Republic to NYC at the age of 6 years old. She speaks on the lack of encouragement she had to discuss politics as a young woman and how as a community, we can break those barriers in o...

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, Alyi V welcomes Rea Ann Silva, the Founder and CEO of the one-of-a-kind edgeless makeup sponge that revolutionized the Beauty industry, Beauty Blender. Rea Ann discusses finding her identity as Mexican, Irish, and Portuguese, her start as a makeup artist in Hollywood in the film and television space, working on the hit TV Show, Girlfriends and how she i...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, Alyi V welcomes Dominican American Fashion Designer, Gabriela Lunna. Gabriela created her own custom atelier, where her goal was to make people feel confident in her clothing. She custom designs pieces for special occasions for the everyday woman like sweet sixteens, weddings, bridal shower dresses, as well as pieces for celebrities like Tokisha, Bernice Burgo...

This week Rolling Stone Magazine's Senior Music Editor, Julyssa Lopez joins Alyi V on Growing Up Latina. Julyssa's family hails from Nicaragua, growing up she reflects on wanting to pursue a career in journalism. She has written cover stories on legendary acts like Rosalia, Rauw Alejandro, Daddy Yankee and her latest feature story on Bad Bunny, which took the world by storm. She prides herself on...

We're baaaack!!! And of course we are starting off season 2 with a bang, for our first episode Alyi V welcomes Dr. Mariel Buqué. Dr. Buqué is an Afro-Dominican psychologist. She received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Columbia University, where she also trained as a fellow in holistic mental health. She is a world-renowned intergenerational trauma expert and the author of the book Bre...

For this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome some of our amazing ladies throughout season one over dinner. These Boss Babe Latinas will be sharing all about their growing up latina experience through their lens. They discuss family, obstacles, work life, empowerment & most importantly their pride in being a Latina.    On behalf of the Growing Up Latina Team, we want to thank our guests...

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome Lorraine Avila onto the show! Lorraine is an author who prides herself in writing and sharing stories that cater to Latin Literature. Through storytelling, this Bronx native allows her community to be seen & heard by educating others on voicing all matters, breaking generational curses, straying away from instilled limiting beliefs & pursuing...

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome Karina F. Daves onto the show! Karina is a life coach & speaker that helps women positively mend and enhance their relationships. This Peruana & Jersey native, shares how her spiritual path and upbringing allowed her to find purpose in placing healthy boundaries & live life on her own terms. Be sure to check out her podcast, One Day At a Time...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome Nikki Maar onto the show! She is the owner of Nikki Maar Salon located in West New York, New Jersey and speaks about being a part of the top 25 curly hair products featured on Elle Magazine. Nikki also sheds light on domestic violence, sexual assault and overcoming trauma by reversing her mindset to reclaim her power back. Throughout healing, she ha...

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina we welcomed Brittany Chavez! Brittany chats with our host Alyi V, about assimilating to white culture growing up in California, the burden one holds as the eldest child, working many jobs before creating her company "Shop Latinx", relationships and more. Her story is moving and relatable, be sure to tune in!

On this week's episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome Krystal Vega onto the show! Krystal is a multimedia journalist driven by her passion for entertainment, beauty, fashion, and sneaker culture. This native New Yorker and proud, Black and Puertorriqueña, has worked for major media companies like BET, Telemundo, and E-News. In this interview, Krystal tells our host, Alyi V, all about her incredi...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome the CEO of Nopalera, Sandra Velasquez. Sandra launched her luxury bath and body care line in 2020, during the pandemic, and it is now the first Mexican brand to be sold at Nordstrom! Tune in to hear how she grew her company with help from investors, what it was like pitching her brand on Shark Tank, her favorite money manifestation mantra to maintai...

On this weeks episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome social media personality, Maleni Cruz. We get to hear about her family and childhood, get insight on what it's like being in such a public relationship with Chicklet, hear about how she got started on social media, and hear about her goals for the future. Maleni's story is one you won't want to miss!

On this weeks episode of Growing Up Latina, long-time friend Melissa Castro, CEO of JusMia skincare, joins Alyi V on the podcast. Alyi and Melissa are best friends and have known each other since they were thirteen! The two of them bond over their memories as teens in NYC, discuss Melissa's skincare line, and talk about how her family attributes to her confidence even in adulthood. You wont want t...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, we welcome Qiana Aviles onto the show! Qiana Aviles is a multifaceted entrepreneur with three businesses and multiple investments. She shares difficult details about her life, touches on her upcoming Docuseries about her time on America's Most Wanted list, and how entrepreneurship gave her a fresh start after being released from prison. These are some powerful...

On this week's epsiosde of Growing Up Latina, we have the queen of self-care, singer/songwriter Savannah Cristina. She joins Alyi V for a conversation on how spoken word and poetry influenced her music, how the making of her viral song 'Self Care' allowed her to immerse into her self care journey, curley hair appreciation, breaking the cycle of some unhealthy Latin traditions, and more! 

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, Dominican born model, host, actress and CEO of Republica Skin, Julissa Bermudez joins Alyi V for a conversation on family, being the first Latina host at 106 & Park, becoming an entrepreneur and some of the challenges she faced while starting her company, representation in Hollywood as well as starring in upcoming film, 'Plus One'. Lots of great stories that y...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez of Zero Based Income joins Alyi V for a powerful episode on financial literacy. Cindy talks about her upbringing in The Bronx, growing up in a Hondurian-Ecuadorian household, wanting to become a medical doctor, then transfering to become a lawyer, interning for then Senator Hilary Clinton, working for Senator Chuck Schumer working as a cor...

On this episode of Growing Up Latina, Lyana Blount, CEO of Black Rican Vegan joins Alyi V and brings a Thanksgiving vegan feast. Lyana talks about her upbringing in a African American and Puerto Rican household, becoming a vegan, launching Black Rican Vegan during the pandemic while holding down 2 jobs, complications of building a startup business, cooking for Lizzo, releasing her first book + whe...