Veronica Arreola, Educator and Policy Activist: Working to diversify the STEM field and help Latinx students thrive

The Companies that Care podcast highlights companies and business leaders who are making a difference in the world, like Veronica Arreola, a professional feminist, mom, and writer who has been working to diversify the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) field for over 20 years. She has a particular passion for working with Latinx/Latina youth.

Veronica is director of Hispanic Serving Institution Initiatives for the University of Illinois-Chicago and most recently was program director for their Hispanic Serving Institution STEM grant, Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science. She ensures a supportive campus environment for Latinx students studying science. She also writes and speaks regularly about empowering women, including women of color.

We talked about how to encourage young women and girls to pursue STEM fields, especially Latinx/Latina/Hispanic students. She shared her thoughts on how companies can do a better job with diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how to create companies that care, especially for people of color.

And we also talked about music and entertainment…namely Dar Williams and other folk music and TV shows that have positive representation of Latinas.

Next week on the Finding Fertile Ground podcast, I interview Mike Ganino, a highly acclaimed public speaker and coach. Mike and his husband had a baby through a surrogate, and their baby Viviana was born prematurely in Mexico, during the pandemic. What a ride!

The Companies That Care podcast is brought to you by Fertile Ground Communications. I alternate the Companies That Care podcast with my original podcast, Finding Fertile Ground, which shares personal stories of grit and resilience. On both my podcasts I strive to highlight voices from historically excluded populations, people who don't always get a platform. 

Marie Gettel-Gilmartin, founder and principal of Fertile Ground Communications LLC, is a writer and marketing communications consultant who loves to take the pain and stress out of writing for her clients. She specializes in making the complex clear, using dynamic, accessible language to explain and communicate important issues. She positions her clients as experts in their fields and helps them communicate about pressing issues. Writing communications that boost employee engagement and thought leadership, she also coaches leaders and executives on how to strengthen communications and leadership. She loves to connect people and resources or solve seemingly impossible problems.

As a podcaster for justice, I stand with my sisters from the Women of Color Podcasters Community. We are podcasters united to condemn the tragic murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and many others at the hands of police. 

Fertile Ground Communications LLC is a certified women-owned business enterprise, disadvantaged business enterprise, and emerging small business.