Latina South

"The most important thing that someone can have, if they don't understand something, is curiosity. [If] people just ask why, I think we have already common ground. - Gigi Pedraza, Latino Community Fund of Georgia

Gigi Pedraza is the founding Executive Director of the nonprofit, Latino Community Fund of Georgia and one of the most influential Latinas in the state. In the first of two parts of our conversation, Gigi shares with us th...

"It's important that you network with other leaders, directors - not necessarily just executives - so that they are advocating for you as well. It's not just a one of one, it's one of many conversations that you have to have to build that network and for others to also be able to envision how you can be part of that leadership team." - Ana Baskharone

Ana Baskharone is a Director in a large utilities company headquartered in Houston,...

"Anger is the spark.  You know, anger is good sometimes. It's good if it moves you to action." - Dr. Betina Kaplan, Co-founder, ULead Athens

Dr. Betina Kaplan teaches Latin American cultures and literatures at the University of Georgia. In 2010 she became angered by the policies banning undocumented students from the top 5 public universities in Georgia. Betina shares how anger inspired her to take action - she became part of the f...

“I said: send me, let me go, I want to do this." - Ashley Garcia, COVID ICU Nurse

Tejana and healthcare hero, Ashley Garcia, is a nurse who, early in career and at the height of the pandemic, volunteered to work in COVID Intensive Care Units of hospitals throughout the country. In addition to sharing stories from the ICU, Ashley talks about how being a part of a team and having a self-care routine got her through difficult times whi...

"The only thing we have guaranteed in this world is that we are going to face change. That, to me, has always been an empowering thought...all my life, I have faced change with optimism." - Mariela Romero

Mariela Romero is an award-winning journalist and Univision’s Regional Community Empowerment Director and host of the television magazine, Conexion Fin de Semana. With 27 Emmys and a Latin Grammy nomination among her accomplishmen...

Hopefully, like many of you, we are taking a break! We'll enjoy some summer vibes while working to bring you Series II of some of the most inspiring stories of amazing Latinas making things happen throughout the South. In the meantime, I invite you to listen to a REPLAY of Latina South Episode 14, featuring Latina Marcie Chapa where she talks about her journey as a world class percussionist. 

Also make sure you visit the shownotes ...

Hopefully like all of you, we're taking a break! We'll enjoy some summer vibes while working to bring you Series II of some of the most inspiring stories of amazing Latinas making things happen throughout the South. In the meantime, I invite you to listen mi amiga, my friend, Audra Agen of Women in the Arena podcast where she celebrates everyday women living extraordinary lives in plain sight. Let's listen as Audra speaks to Latina...

"We get one ride..." - Women in the Arena Podcast Guest Delilah Buitrón Arrebola

Hopefully, like all of you, we're taking a break! We'll enjoy some summer vibes while working to bring you Series II of some of the most inspiring stories of amazing Latinas making things happen throughout the South. In the meantime, I invite you to listen mi amiga, my friend, Audra Agen of Women in the Arena podcast where she celebrates everyday women...

"What is being Simply Latina? It really doesn’t have to fit a narrative. It’s just YOU being whatever you feel like as being Latina....We each have our own perspective of what that looks like.”" - Nataly Suarez, Simply Latina

Nataly, Blanca, & Samy Suarez are three sisters and founders of Simply Latina, a growing brand based out of Atlanta, Georgia that began with scented candles and apparel inspired by their Mexican culture. With ...

"Your favorite version of you is who you can be every single day. And that is what my biggest lesson is from making the film, working on the next film and doing all the things I've done. My absolute favorite version of Denise is the one that I get to be and the one that I choose to be every single day. And it's actually where all of the success lives as well. It's possible for you because it's possible for me. " - Denise Soler Cox

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"One of the things that I would say was very important for me to run [for US Congress] was because...the reality is that no one else is going to come tell me what that experience is like. It's one of those things that you really have to do, to really understand what it takes [and] what's necessary. One of the things that I learned is what I still need to do to potentially be successful the next time that I may run, or may quite fra...

"As young people, your job right now is to put in a lot of work. And for me, I see that as the investment. You have to invest in yourself first, by putting in the work and by doing the best job that you can. And when you're young...you don't have to sleep." - Brenda Lopez Romero

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In the first of two parts of this Episode, we talk with powerhouse Latina, Brenda Lopez Romero. Brenda made history in 2016 when she became the...

"Just because I am an immigrant, just because I am a woman, just because I am half Afro-Latina or half-Malay, I can still do it. You have the same power that I do." - Ish Gayle

Ish Gayle shares with us how she grew up in Panama City, Panama with a Malaysian father and an Afro-Latina mother and her experience moving to the US as a young adult. Ish also talks about her time working for the Atlanta Regional Commission and her path to ...

"Being from the South and being Latina, at least my experience and in my journey...I felt like they were working against each other. And back to that feeling of 'Ni de Aquí o Ni de Alla,' as I look back I see so much complexity in that story." - Elaine Utin 

Elaine talks about growing up in the South between a pecan and peach orchard. Born in Peru, she describes spending her formative years in faith-based communities influenced by ...

“My words are specifically to the Latinas of the South: Your voice is so important, needed, of value, beautiful. You have a style and an energy that this world needs more of.” – Stefanie Diaz

Stefanie talks about her personal and family journey to claiming her Latina identity, growing up in Georgia and feeling between two worlds. She describes going back to Puerto Rico and feeling as if she’s leaving a part of her heart behind when...

“There’s nothing more [important] to life than just being happy and being your true self and who you are supposed to be and who you are supposed to be with. If other people are not allowing you to have that, shame on them. Only you are responsible for your happiness.” – Marcie Chapa

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, world percussionist Marcie Chapa now finds herself in California as an arts educator, sharing her gift of percussion...

“Not only seek mentors, but also seek sponsors. A sponsor is somebody that is a decision maker that will raise a hand...while you are not at the table, who will fight for a raise for you, who will fight for a change in job title for you.” – Adriana Varela, Global Immigration Attorney

In this episode, global immigration attorney Adriana Varela describes her Latina identity and relocating from Mexico to the US as an adult. She descri...

“Don’t assume people are always against something...but also don’t assume that people are going to be supportive. You have to have logical arguments, you have to do your homework, you have to have the statistics and the research as to why you want to implement a change. I think it’s really important that you are prepared.” - Hon. Deborah Gonzalez, District Attorney of the Western Judicial Circuit in Georgia.

Deborah talks about her...

“I still hold myself accountable for sitting at the table and having a voice at the table when others don’t. For me that’s a huge responsibility but it’s also a huge honor to be able to be a voice for people who perhaps feel unheard or unseen.” – Nury Castillo Crawford 

In 2016, Nury Castillo Crawford was driven to write her own book based upon her own personal journey from Peru to the US in order to counter the negative immigrant ...