LIVING AND THRIVING DESPITE CANCER
Q&A with Dr. Charley Ferrer
Founder, Cancer Tamer Foundation

“Because you SHOULDN’T be at war with your body.”

Diagnosed in 2016 with breast cancer then thyroid cancer in 2017, Dr. Charley Ferrer refused to despair and instead set out to “tame” her cancer.  Frustrated with the lack of information and treatment options provided to cancer patients, this world-renowned Clinical Sexologist and Sex Therapist founded the Cancer Tamer Foundation which focuses on education and empowerment. Dr. Charley’s philosophy on breast cancer is realizing that cancer is not an “outside force” invading but an “inside force” residing.

“Cancer can be in our blood, our breasts, our DNA,” states Dr. Charley. “In our attempts to destroy it, we are inadvertently destroying ourselves. Let’s STOP being at war with our bodies and instead begin to educate ourselves and find healthier more productive ways to live with cancer and its possible recurrence.” Discover more about Dr. Charley and her Foundation at www.CancerTamer.org.

Latina Still Standing:  Faith, Passion & Resilience
Q&A with Diana Bejarano Figueroa
Social Media Influencer

Diana B. Figueroa knows what it feels like to fall – but she also knows how to get back up! That is why she created Latina Still Standing. Struggles are sometimes necessary to survive and grow in this life. She credits her Faith in God that she is Still Standing. She is determined to continue to Rise and bring others along with her because she believes all things are possible. Diana is going to share her personal story and talk about the good, the bad and the ugly in life, and how faith, passion and resilience will see you through!

BIO:  Diana is a Latina social media influencer who has overcome tremendous obstacles. After dropping out of high school at the age of 14, she received her GED on her 16^th birthday and went straight to college, graduating Summa Cum Laude from a community college and then transferred to Arizona State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.  Diana serves as Senior Vice President for an education nonprofit, helping students attain their degree and using her voice to change the narrative about education attainment.  In her spare time, she serves on boards, and participates in a leadership program and maintains Latina Still Standing social media pages and blog.

Hurdles in the Dark: Building the Next Generation
of Diverse and Creative Entrepreneurs

Q&A with Elvira K. Gonzalez

Author, Founder, Activist, Athlete and Former Professional Track & Field Coach.

Elvira Gonzalez grew up in Laredo Texas, a city that features prominently in her debut Young Adult Non-Fiction book, Hurdles in the Dark.  Elvira landed a six-figure, pre-empt deal with Roaring Brook Press of MacMillan Publishers for Spring 2023 publication.  She is the founder of Writers Inkubator, a literary online learning platform helping various writers find representation and landing book deals.  The company has partnered with InsideOUT Writers, a non-profit organization that conducts writing classes inside juvenile halls and prisons.

Elvira is a former Track & Field coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to coaching at UPenn, she trained a two-time Olympic hurdler for the 2017 IAFF World Championships in London, England and was the horizontal and vertical jumps private coach for The Armory, the premier indoor track & field in the United States. She is a member of the leadership committee When We Band Togethers’ newest facility The Dave Schultz Sports & Wellness Center for Humanity in Lesvos, Greece, named after the greatest Olympic U.S wrestler. Elvira resides in New York City and Los Angeles. Visit her at https://elvirakgonzalez.com/.

 

BREAKING BARRIERS AND MAKING A PLACE FOR OURSELVES
Q&A with Claudia Chapa
Opera Singer
Curator of Hispanic and Latinx Programming, Austin Opera

Mexican mezzo-soprano Claudia Chapa is a versatile performer in high demand across the nation. In 2019-2020, Ms. Chapa made her Houston Grand Opera debut originating the role of Josefina in the world premiere of El Milagro del Recuerdo, a role she will reprise in her debut with Arizona Opera in 2021. Additionally, Ms. Chapa has recently performed with the casts of The Dallas Symphony conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi and the National Philharmonic. In addition to her active performance schedule, Claudia is a concert curator.  She just curated Conciertos en el Consulado in the new partnership between Austin Opera and the Mexican Consulate, and was named the first Curator of Hispanic and Latinx Programming with the Austin Opera.  Learn more about Claudia at www.claudiachapa.com.

Inside the Asterisk:
*Building Community with News that Represents
Q&A with Amanda Zamora
Co-founder and Publisher of The 19^th

Amanda Zamora is co-founder and publisher of The 19th, an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. She has spent nearly two decades at the forefront of digital journalism, working as a reporter, digital producer and editor, product manager, audience strategist and fundraiser. As publisher of The 19th, Amanda leads editorial, product and business operations in pursuit of the nonprofit’s mission to empower women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community with the information, resources and community they need to be equal participants in our democracy.

Before helping launch The 19th in 2020, Zamora led double-digit audience gains and a 65% increase in membership revenue as chief audience officer at The Texas Tribune. Prior to the Tribune, Zamora was ProPublica’s senior engagement editor, where she helped produce Pulitzer Prize-winning projects and established the industry touchstone for crowdsourced journalism. Before that, she worked nearly eight years at The Washington Post, and managed one of the first social media teams at a major U.S  . newspaper.

A native of Houston, Texas, Zamora graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002 with a journalism degree.

 

HEROES AMONGST US
Q&A with Raquela Mejia

Creator of Dinorah Desde PBS TV show
Producer of Mantra for Good People (bilingual tribute)
Record and video producer, artist management of RM Productions and co-owner of Maxima Records.

Raquela Mejia’s PBS TV show, Dinorah Desde, is more than a travel-food show, it’s also a people show.  It’s about inspirational people, people who are making a difference in the world. Everyone has a story to tell, says Raquela.  Simple people. Beautiful stories. Cause there’s Heroes amongst us.  Join us as Raquela shares her inspiration for her PBS TV show, her journey into television and tips to making it in show biz.

BUILDING STRONG LATINO COMMUNITIES
Q&A with Sindy Benavides

Chief Executive Officer

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

Sindy Marisol Benavides is a Honduran-American immigrant who has experienced the American dream, and now devotes her career to public service, ensuring that countless young people, women, and immigrants have the same opportunity. She is currently Chief Executive Officer for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country. She previously served as the Chief Operating Officer and National Director for Civic Engagement and Community Mobilization for LULAC, Vice President of Field & Political Operations for Voto Latino and as Northern Virginia Political Director for the 2012 Kaine for Virginia senatorial campaign. She has also been National Director of Community Outreach for the Democratic National Committee, and Latino Liaison and Director of Gubernatorial Appointments for Governor Timothy M. Kaine.

She received her Bachelor of Arts from Virginia State University, where she graduated Valedictorian of her class and studied Political Science with a minor in Spanish. She has also attended American University for her Master’s degree in International Affairs and is working on submitting her substantial research paper.  Ms. Benavides is an alumna of the Sorenson Political Leadership Program through the University of Virginia and the Virginia Executive Institute and Minority Political Leadership Institute through Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an alumna of the 2009 class of the National Hispana Leadership Institute. Sindy obtained her Certificate on Executive Management and Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School in April 2009 and attended the Center for Creative Leadership in July 2009.  Lastly, in 2016, Sindy was selected for Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP) Next Generation Latino Philanthropy Fellowship program.

STRENGTHENING LATINO LEADERSHIP
Q&A with Abigail Golden-Vázquez

Senior Fellow, Strategy Prosperity Now

Expert in Equitable Economic Advancement, Latino Entrepreneurship and International Affairs and Communications

As founding Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program (AILAS) 2015-2020, Abigail launched a new policy program focused on the critical importance of the growing Latino population to the continued success of US democracy and economic well-being. AILAS under her leadership promoted policies and actions that advance Latinos in service to the collective good of the nation. AILAS also provides scholarships to strengthen Latino leadership and participation in a wide array of Aspen Institute programs. A major accomplishment of her tenure was the founding the Forum on Latino Business Growth, a cross-sector, multiethnic consortium of ecosystem leaders in the business development space dedicated to scaling Latino-owned businesses to close the $1.47 trillion dollar opportunity gap.

Abigail holds a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Amherst College and an M.A. in International Relations and Latin American Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She is a National Hispana Leadership Institute Executive Leadership Fellow and an International Career Advancement Program Fellow. She has attended leadership training at the Center for Creative Leadership and at Harvard Kennedy School.

 
BEING FIERCE — BEING FIRST
Q&A with Julie Baez Prebula

The first and only Latina owner of a golf course in the U.S

Julie Baez Prebula and her family are the owners of the Slippery Rock Golf Club and Events Center in Pennsylvania, with a proud 92-year history in Butler County.  The golf course was founded by her ancestor in 1928 and changed hands twice, before the family was able to reclaim the family ties.  Julie is also an agency director with Symmetry Financial Group, where they work to protect families through the value and power of life insurance. The Prebula Family Agency powered by Symmetry Financial Group specializes in Mortgage Protection / Life, Annuities, Retirement Planning & Debit Free Living for families and businesses nationwide. Visit Slippery Rock Golf Club:  https://www.slipperyrockgolfclub.com  and at  LinkedIN: @Juliebaez77

 

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS

Q&A with La Reina del Barrio, RHINA VALENTIN

Rhina is a mother, TV Talk show Host, comedienne, producer, director, writer, dancer, activist, motivational speaker, meditation instructor, marathoner and long-time Comadre. Join us as we chat with Rhina about motherhood, living with covid, running her first marathon, and how she stays grounded in the community.

Brief Bio: Known as La Reina del Barrio, talk show host Rhina Valentin is a leading figure in New York City’s entertainment industry. A native New Yorker of Black, European, and indigenous ancestry, she’s also a mother, writer, dancer, producer, director, and comedienne. An award-winning artist and performer, Rhina has captured audiences with her humor while discussing adversity with honesty, representing the values of working-class women-of-color. Since 2006, Rhina has been hostess of the popular OPEN Friday talk show on BronxNet TV. She was also a distinguished recipient of the 25 Bronx Influential Women of 2015 Award, presented by the Bronx Times Reporter.

As activist and motivational speaker, Rhina has focused on the perils of domestic violence and was honored with a Woman of Today 2015 Award at The Women of Tomorrow Conference. As a health and wellness advocate, she produced a reality TV web-series, Rhina Gets Lean, which followed her journey of healthy eating and fitness to promote better living for the urban community. She also trained for the New York City Marathon, which she completed.  This past September Rhina narrated and hosted “Sancocho” at Lincoln Center.