Latinas From The Block To The Boardroom

Sylvia Salazar, founder of Tono Latino, joins host Theresa E. Gonzales on Latinas from the Block to the Boardroom to share how she turned her passion for technology and democracy into an accessible, bilingual media platform. In this episode, we explore the intersection of tech, politics, and community building—from WhatsApp misinformation campaigns to voter rights education—and why authentic conte...

When platforms profit over people, communities pay the price. In the latest episode of Latinas from the Block to the Boardroom , Theresa E. Gonzales speaks with Nora Benavidez, a Civil Rights and Free Speech Latina attorney fighting for free expression and tech accountability. While Big Tech spends $61.5M on lobbying to avoid this accountability, Nora is using civil rights law to fight back and wo...

Rosalia Rivera, a fervent Founder and Co-Founder for Consent Parenting and Brave Movement.org joins us to dissect the multifaceted challenges of raising children in a tech-saturated era. Together, we discuss the urgent issue of online harm regarding the lack of tech transparency of CSAM, (Child Sexual Abuse Material) sexploitation of teens and youth being targets through online apps, social media...

In this urgent and deeply concerning conversation, host Theresa E. Gonzales sits down with former NY Times journalist, author, and activist Julie Scelfo . She is now the founder and  executive director of Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA). Together, Julie and Theresa's combined knowledge of these social media platforms begin to pull back the curtain on the hidden harms of modern technology—pa...

The wisdom and the work continues in this powerful episode of Latinas from the Block to the Boardroom , host Theresa E. Gonzales speaks with Dr. Angela Gallegos Castillo and Program Director Carlos Izaguirre from Instituto Familiar de la Raza (IFRSF) . Together, they discuss the deep roots of community-based healing, cultural preservation, and collective empowerment through indigenous traditions a...

In a world where diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of transformative business practices, our latest episode offers an inspiring narrative of empowerment, leadership, and the indispensable role of Latinas in reshaping the corporate landscape. In this episode,  Natalie Molina Niño , President and Co-Founder of Known , a distinguished investor and advocate for women and communities of colo...

Our 6th season opens up a deeper conversation, regarding higher education, community and resources for the next generation of workforce for our Latine Youth. Our guest is Dr. Antonia O. Franco, COO and President of DigitalNest.org . D r. Antonia O. Franco’s career spans nearly thirty years of executive and management experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic and government sectors advancing acces...

Our special guest, Mony Ruiz Velasco - Deputy Director of Equality Illionios, and proud queer Latina, wife and mother who shares her extensive experience as a human rights advocate and attorney, emphasizing the importance of continued advocacy and visibility for LGBTQ+ communities. In this episode we reflect on her personal journey growing up in Mexico and South Texas, and her commitment to making...

  Fatima Espinoza Vasquez. Ph. D.  Associate Professor University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information School of Information Science will share with us her dedication to leveraging Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for positive social change, which originated from a panel conversation from the Latina Futures Symposium created by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Cen...

We are incredibly honored to host Marlene Sanchez, the Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. As the Executive Director of theElla Baker Center for Human Rights, Marlene is a proud San Francisco native, and Chicana, where she has spent more than 20 years building power with youth and formerly incarcerated people. Through her work, Marlene has created pathways to invest in th...

Join us as we welcome the remarkable Valerie De La Garza, a trailblazing Latina and the pioneering CEO of Fenton , a social justice and impact PR agency. Valerie shares her compelling journey from the working-class neighborhoods of Southeast Los Angeles to becoming a beacon of leadership in the communications field. Her narrative, deeply rooted in her 11th generation Chicana heritage, sheds light...

Today, we're joined by the creative and innovative founder of Nopalera ,  Sandra Lilia Velazquez. Sandra takes us on a journey through a powerful narrative of embracing Chicana identity , to  her band Pistolera , to crafting beauty products with the Mexican cactus, the Nopal,  that encapsulates Mexican heritage.  The Nopal cactus isn't just a plant; it's a testament to the untapped potential withi...

We continue to celebrate Black History month with multi-award winner and Ambie award-winning host Anna DeShawn , as she pioneers the media landscape with a blend of rhythm and revolution from E3 Radio , to The Queer News Podcast and now, The Qube app that curates the best music and podcasts by BIPOC and QTPOC creators.  Recently inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame 2023, Anna's mission is c...

Talib Jasir is a lifelong creator and storyteller and his journey has been one of evolution and resilience. He takes us on a journey of how he was captivated by audio storytelling in the back of his mother’s car and from listening to audiobooks through the library dial up telephone. YES, it was a thing back in the day!   His narration of storytelling is profound through 5 generations of his family...

Tatiana Quaife is a purpose-driven leader using her authentic voice and experiences to inspire and empower other Corporate America professionals to turn inwards and unleash their authentic magic within. With fifteen years of leadership experience as a Latina executive at Airbnb,  The Walt Disney Company and Procter & Gamble, Tatiana experienced first-hand the pressure and challenges many profe...

 Nancy Flores, former journalist of the American Austin Statesman, founder of Cultura Media and Editor and Publisher of Austin Vida ,  and I discuss how do Latinos find trusted news sources within our communites especially after Covid-19 and the election of 2020. Before the pandemic hit and the elections of 2016, local news resources began to disappear, leaving many community members vulnerable to...

How do you build a technology platform from the ground up with music as your first passion? Once that is done, how do you distribute that content with all the digital platforms that are available and how do you get paid or set your price? Getting to point A to point B is what Patrick Hill is doing with his new engagement platform, Disctopia, for content creatives and content owners to drive engage...

Veronica Colon Rosairio. Executive director of Fundacion de mujeres en Puerto Rico was founded by women in the Diaspora and within Puerto Rico, which promotes social justice and supports the economic security, safety, health, reproductive autonomy and general empowerment of women, girls and gender-fluid individuals in Puerto Rico. Why is this so important? The women and outer communities of PR hav...

Welcome Karina Martinez , Co-Founder of the first platform for Latina & women's sports, called  DRAFTED , where she is harnessing the power of the Latina Sports FANDOM, where more people feel seen and heard in the world of sports, by the heartbeat that pounds throughout stadiums, arenas, muddy fields, and playground courts with no nets. She is helping fuel the heroes of yesterday, and finding...

Kayla Castenada, of Agua Bonita who has broken into the Beverage industry with her Agua Bonita drinks, a non-alcoholic beverage,  saw an opportunity in the Non-Alcoholic Drinks market with Agua Frescas being something viable within a large industry, but wasn't recognized as an option by global brands. The market opportunity for 2023  amounts to US$496.50bn! That’s a lot of BEBIAS! The market's lar...

 In this podcast episode,  We discuss the 369 Billion Dollar Inflation Reduction Act, from the Biden Administration… for  climate change investments, solutions to reduce the high costs of living, which can help with lowering costs for households that may not otherwise know they have access to such opportunities. Who is this green economy really for? We break it down with Michelle Romero , Chief St...

Welcome to Season 5 with  Beatrice (Bia) Vieira, CEO of The Women’s Foundation California , a  publicly supported foundation dedicated to achieving racial, economic, and gender justice by centering the experience and expertise of communities most impacted by systemic injustice. Their vision is to build a feminist future for California by invest ing in, training , and connecting community leaders t...

Closing out our season 4 with Elsie Escobar from She Podcast and Libsyn's "The Feed" podcast! Elsie is a podcasting pioneer with 17 plus years as a podcaster, El Salvadoran immigrant, Co-Founder of She Podcasts with 20K members and the Director of Community and Content at Libsyn- a hosting, distribution, and monetization podcasting platform. However, she did not start out in podcasting, it came to...

Streaming platforms have created a whole new avenue, and revenue, for new content to be distributed, promoted and accessed. Covid shut down gave us a whole new avenue to search for our narratives, and our cultural dialogue.  Meet John Murillo, Founder of Chicano Hollywood, a media and film streaming platform based out of Los Angeles California, that brings their own narratives of the barrio and Ch...

Did you know California is the largest producer of almonds and dairy here in California and largest exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables in the nation? The United States is  fortunate to have fresh foods grown here in California. 90% of workers that support the industry are Latino farm workers, with the highest poverty and live disproportionately in housing that is in the poorest conditions. Th...