Latina to Latina

The 24th U.S. Poet Laureate shares her journey from theater to marketing to poetry, the loss that inspired her to reimagine her life, and her refusal to allow others’ expectations to shape how she shows up in the world. Follow Ada on Instagram @adalimonwriter . If you loved this episode, listen to How Kali Fajardo-Anstine Fought to Tell Her Ancestors’ Stories and Why Angie Cruz Believes That Now i...

Comedy and entertainment is the family business (her dad is comedian George Lopez), but it was a TikTok video that caught the eye of a Hollywood writer and inspired Mayan’s new NBC sitcom: Lopez vs. Lopez. Mayan gets candid about her complicated relationship with her father, and the combination of craft-honing and deep therapy that has prepared her for this moment. Follow Mayan on Instagram @mayan...

The Founder and Chief Innovation Officer for Siete Foods went from making almond flour tortillas in her kitchen to helping lead the fastest growing Latin-focused brand in food and beverage at scale. Veronica shares her initial inspiration (spoiler alert: it didn't start with a business plan!), the exercise that reshaped their brand, and the company's recent decision to take a $90 million investmen...

The best-selling author of “Woman of Light” and “Sabrina & Corina: Stories” shares how she subverts expectations (in real life and on the page!), the necessity of complicating racial hierarchy, and her commitment to writing Latinas back into the stories of the American West. Follow Kali on Instagram @kalimaja . If you loved this episode, listen to How Claudia Forestieri Made the Pivot from Journal...

She began her music career as a talent manager, before making the big pivot to working as an artist herself. Now her journey through the industry as a first generation daughter of immigrants from a mixed-status family is the focus of a Disney+ documentary, Mija. Doris shares the deep emotional process of following her calling, and how she chose to say no to security in order to bet big on herself....

Forced to flee her native Colombia as a child, Estefanía Rebellón knows the pain of being displaced. Now, she's helping migrant children at the US-Mexico border by providing a mobile school program that offers full-time bilingual education. Estefanía dives into the complexity of her personal experience and how the challenges of building a non-profit shaped her "Yes We Can" ethos. Follow Estefanía...

In 2007, Ashley and Lety flew from Mexico to Boston to embark on a trip that would define their relationship…in more ways than one. Join the hosts of Se Regalan Dudas as they share their coming of age story: a (sometimes speedy) journey across the East Coast and their first of many road trips together. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collecti...

The acclaimed author of "Dominicana" is back with a new novel, "How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water," and reveals how she almost quit writing before either book was published. In this engaging conversation, Angie reflects on the importance of writers confronting their own bias, the necessity of complex and complete characters of color, and how to ward against the "disease of presumed incompetence...

It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful, impactful, and timeless speeches in history. Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author-historian Jon Meacham, this documentary podcast series takes you through another season of ten generation-defining speeches. Meacham, along with top hi...

The VP for Dos Caminos and Del Friscos pulls back the curtain on what it takes to launch a restaurant, talks about the difference between competing on Hell's Kitchen as a newbie versus an established chef, and shares the personal change that inspired her new cookbook: Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine .  Follow Ariel on Instagram @chefarielfox . If you liked this episode, listen t...

Welcome to ¿Quién Are We?, a show about Latino identity and the beautiful things that make us who we are. If you like what you hear, check out more episodes at quienarewe.org.  Denise Soler Cox was lonely growing up outside New York City. Her parents were Puerto Rican, and the dominant culture in her town was white. It wasn't until she grew up and moved away that she realized there was a whole com...

In this intimate conversation, the iconic writer shares how she chose to treat her art as her life partner, the "wobbling and wavering" around her decision to not have children, and how she limits distractions in the service of deep work. Find Woman Without Shame here. Follow Sandra on Instagram @officialsandracisneros .  If you liked this episode, listen to How Mysticism Fuels Natalia Lafourcade'...

She spent her early career advocating on behalf of farmworker women. Then in 2017, as Hollywood reeled from revelations of sexual abuse and harassment, she wrote a statement of support that reshaped the #MeToo movement, and set the groundwork for the Times Up Initiative. Monica talks us through that choice, how she persevered through intense resistance, and gets candid about the personal cost of b...

She studied fashion and worked for big clothing brands like Vince Camuto and DKNY, but when it was time to step out on her own, she went back to her passion from childhood -- jewelry. Now, the founder of Jam + Rico reveals how to start even when you don’t think you’re ready, and how to turn a loss of job security into an opportunity. Follow  Lisette on Instagram @iamlisettescott . If you loved thi...

She was 18 years-old when she began dancing, but her talent and commitment was so undeniable that she quickly made her way from the Alvin Ailey Dance Program to the Knicks City Dancers to sharing the stage with Beyonce, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Now the professional dancer and choreographer shares how to turbo-charge your start when others tell you you’re late to the game. Follow Jessica on Inst...

It’s an experience many of us share: working in industries and spaces where we are the first or the only. How do you harness the strength and power of your difference in the face of pressure to conform? That question is the focus of Daniela’s new book, The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color. Follow Daniela Pierre-Bravo on Instagram @dpierrebravo . If you loved this episode, l...

The creator and executive producer of Gordita Chronicles started her career as a producer and on-air reporter at Telemundo before making a big pivot into scripted television. In this conversation, she details the steps that move required, and the power of celebrating each small win.   Follow Claudia on Instagram @claudiforest . If you loved this episode, listen to Julissa Calderon Is Helping Holly...

Noticias Telemundo’s Washington D.C. bureau chief shares her unlikely path from correspondent to newsroom leader, and one of the most influential journalists in Spanish-language television. If you loved this episode, listen to Why Investigative Journalist Jean Guerrero is Leaning into the Power of Her Personal Experience and   Univision’s Ilia Calderón Is Grounded by the People She Covers . Show y...

The non-profit leader shares how her corporate experience prepared her to found and run her own organization, her insights on the occasional necessity of mission creep, and how advocating for her own son reshaped her understanding of what the future of education will require. Follow Amanda on Twitter @AmanFernan24 . If you loved this episode, listen to Elisa Villanueva Beard’s Aha Moment as Teach...

The R&B singer’s new EP, The Lives They Left , is an homage to her indigenous roots, her childhood on the U.S.-Mexico border and the strength of women. Flores talks about the message behind the music, the importance of people with these lived experiences telling these stories, and the relationship of indigeneity to Latinidad. Follow  Flores on Instagram @floresitadeluna . If you loved this episode...

Questions about the identity of her biological father led the author on a deeper quest for answers about who she is and what motivated her mothers’ omissions. Carmen details the journey in her new memoir, Why Didn’t You Tell Me?  Follow Carmen on Instagram @carmenritawong . If you loved this episode, listen to Why Novelist Xochitl Gonzalez Isn't Done Being Ambitious and How Author Alexis Daria is...

The New York Times best-selling author’s new memoir, Crying in the Bathroom, dives deep into mental illness, desire, “life and death” decisions and the power of creating the life you are worthy of.  Follow Erika on Instagram @erikalsanchez . If you loved this episode, listen to Julissa Natzely Arce Raya Wants You to Reclaim Your Identity and Why Novelist Xochitl Gonzalez Isn't Done Being Ambitious...

Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, the daughter of migrant farmworkers, she knew she wanted to acquire skills to protect her family. That motivated her to fast track her way through college and law school, make partner at a big law firm, and now handle complex litigation as the Associate General Counsel at Booz Allen Hamilton. Follow Melissa on Instagram @melissagomeznelson. If you loved this ep...

She grew up in a family of activists and led her first walk out as a high school student. Then she worked in city government and saw up close the need for community-based solutions. Now, motivated by Chicago's 20 year life expectancy gap, the non-profit founder and CEO is working to ensure that her community has what it needs to thrive. Follow Tanya on Instagram @_tanyalozano . If you loved this e...

As a kid growing up in Coney Island, luck played a big role in setting her life path. Now, as the president and incoming CEO of a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund, Frances is working to make sure that educational opportunity comes down to more than just luck. Follow Frances on Twitter @FrancesMessano . If you loved this episode, listen to Social Impact Strategist Elsa Collins Wants You to Under...