Hella Latin@

Dr. Mariel Buqué (pronounced like a bouquet of flowers) is a first-generation Black Dominican psychologist, a world-renowned intergenerational trauma expert, and the author of the bestselling book Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. Her mission is to help reduce the recurrence of Intergenerational ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) within communities of color.

Dr. Buqué earned her doctoral degree in counseling psychology at Columbia University, where she also trained as a 3-year fellow in holistic mental health within Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), an initiative that was backed by the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). There, she offered culturally responsive mental health services across multiple specialty clinics, including Columbia Medical’s OB/GYN and Primary Care clinics.

In this week’s episode, Mariel talks about the intergenerational trauma she has seen as an intergenerational trauma expert. With the help of her book Break the Cycle, she has been able to help people all over the world address the trauma that they have experienced and start healing. Tune in to hear more about her experience as a psychologist and how she has been healing the trauma within her own family as well as within others. 

Keep up with Mariel on her website and her LinkedIn.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Elisa Hernandez is a bilingual host, producer, editor, and 2x Emmy winner working in the greater Los Angeles area. She is currently the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium host and field producer for NBC/Telemundo Deportes covering Sunday Night Football. Elisa was previously the digital host, producer, and content strategist at NFL Network for the NFL's only U.S. Latino Instagram account El Snap NFL.

After graduating from USC with her degree in digital journalism and interning with the NFL Network, Elisa joined their digital media team. In 2016, she worked for Spectrum SportsNet as a digital host and editor-in-chief for Dodgers Nation and as the in-arena host for the Los Angeles Lakers. Recently, her focus has been on creating Spanish content for the NFL, hosting their sole Latino-focused Instagram community in the country, and launching her sports podcast “Sports-Ish.”

In this week’s episode, Elisa tells us about her journey towards sports journalism and how she stays true to her most authentic self while working in the sports industry. Growing up, she and her family were always outside playing sports. When she was old enough, her brother took her to a baseball game and she discovered that all wanted to do was talk to the players. From there, she knew she had to pursue sports journalism. In the field, Elisa prioritizes communication and supports the Latinx audience by providing Central American representation and translating the script that she reads on air. 

Tune in to hear more of her incredible journey on the Hella Latin@ podcast.

Keep up with Elisa on her website and her Instagram.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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Jasmine Ruiz is a NYC-based comedian, writer, and content creator. With an extensive background in the entertainment industry, she has honed a diverse skill set including comedy, writing, and content creation. Her passion for storytelling and creativity allows her to create original and engaging content across all platforms.

In her current projects, Jasmine has showcased a talent for captivating audiences - including over 100k followers across all her social media platforms. She recently got in touch with a producer who helped her produce a trailer for her dramedy and is manifesting its debut on HBO! 

In this week’s episode, Jasmine opens up about what it’s like to be a first-generation cycle breaker. She talks about how hard it’s been putting up with people's criticisms of her to the point where she decided she does not care about anyone else’s opinions anymore. She is putting herself first and thriving while doing it. Even if that means being disruptive. Inspired by Issa Rae and the show Insecure, she produced her own special and it *will* be picked up by HBO (manifesting)! Follow her on Instagram for more updates about her newest project and everything else she has coming up. 

Keep up with Jasmine on her website and her Instagram.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Dulce Orozco is a Latina Immigrant Therapist and speaker who works with people of color and from immigrant families. She has over 17 years of experience in the mental health field and has dedicated her career to understanding the challenges people of color and from immigrant families go through that limit them from reaching their full potential.

She assists women of color from immigrant families who are ready to work on their healing journey, see a new perspective, and change their relationship with themselves so they can create new realities that honor their uniqueness. 

Because of her personal and professional experience working in private practice, community mental health, psychiatric hospitals, and counseling centers, she is fascinated by culture's role in mental health and how we perceive ourselves. As a result, she creates safe spaces to talk about complicated but critical topics. Her first language is Spanish and she is fluent in English and Portuguese. She is also a parent ambassador at Self Help Inc.

Dulce was born and raised in Venezuela and has been living in Massachusetts since 2001. She has two young daughters who constantly remind her how to enjoy the present prioritizing play. She loves being a student, and she is usually learning something new.

She has presented at Merrimack College, The Thrive Scholars Career and Leadership Conference, The Latina Summit, Dream Builders, GitLab, UMass Amherst, and Prospanica, among other places. Her work has been featured in El Mundo Boston, El Planeta, Authority Magazine, mic.com, and more.

In this week’s episode, Dulce talks about the mental health industry in the United States and how Latinx people are affected by outdated policies. Her work focuses on making therapy accessible for everyone, despite the financial limitations of offering a luxury service. And while her name may be Dulce, she wants to be known as a rebel and a change-maker - which is exactly what she’s doing with her private practice. 

Keep up with Dulce on her website and her Instagram.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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FARî is a Honduran urban music artist, singer, writer, producer, and drummer still in his 20s. Being underrepresented in the Latino urban music scene, he hopes to bring his music and story to life by mixing his childhood favorites (rap, edm, rock, reggaeton) into unique tracks weaved in with his life experiences.

In this week’s episode, FARî tells us all about his life as a successful musician, and how his work focuses on keeping our roots alive. He also tells us all the chisme regarding his new album that was just released, SAKURA, which tells a story of being unique and chasing your dreams. This first full-length album that shows his plethora of studied genres including rap, reggaeton, and everything from the 80s to the 2010s. He also explains how being in Honduras, his Latinidad and how other Latino artists have inspired him through his artistic process. Go check out FARÎ and listen to his new album, SAKURA. Lo rompió!

Keep up with FARî on his Spotify and his Instagram.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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Andrea Navedo is a Bronx-born-and-raised Puerto Rican American actress best known for her role as Xiomara, a complex and genuine Latina on the CW’s Golden Globe-nominated television series 'Jane the Virgin.' Navedo received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Jane’s loving and outgoing mother. Navedo is the recipient of the Imagen Award for Best Supporting TV Actress, as well as the Elizabeth Peña Breakthrough Artist Award. She can currently be seen recurring in the ABC series 'A Million Little Things.' Navedo’s most recent film credits include Netflix’s 'Bright' opposite Will Smith and the indie films for Hulu 'Miguel Wants to Fight' & HBO Max’s 'B-Loved' coming Feb.14, 2023.

Andrea Navedo didn’t see many positive portrayals of Latinas in the media growing up. So when she had the chance to play a starring role in Jane the Virgin as a complex, flawed, and genuine Latina single mother, she jumped at it.

Now, she shares bits of her story of growing up in ‘da South Bronx—boogie down, burning”—to inspire young people who grew up like she did and who, after being counted out, still strive to succeed. Her book Our Otherness Is Our Strength: Wisdom from the Boogie Down Bronx is out now. 

In this week's episode, Andrea tells us all about how she defied stereotypes and helped bring a well-rounded Latin character to Hollywood. After surviving the burning Bronx and pushing through stereotypical Latin rules, Andrea landed the role of the beloved Xiomara and changed how Latinos are perceived on American TV forever. Listen to hear an incredible story of strength, resilience, and manifestation.

Keep up with Andrea on her website and her Instagram.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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Ruben Quesada 🇨🇷 is the editor of the award-winning anthology Latinx Poetics: Essays on the Art of Poetry (2022), a collection of original essays from poets of Latin American descent. His poetry collections are Jane/La Segua (2023, digital), Revelations (2018), and Next Extinct Mammal (2011).

Ruben's writing was featured in Best American Poetry, Harvard Review, New York Times Magazine, American Poetry Review, Southern Review, TriQuarterly, and Pleiades. He has a history of consulting for notable organizations like the NEA, Illinois Humanities Council, NBCC, and Publishing Triangle Awards. He is an editor, writer, and advocate for diversity and inclusivity in the literary arts.

In this episode, we delve into the vibrant world of Latinx poetry with Ruben Quesada, editor of the award-winning anthology "Latinx Poetics: Essays on the Art of Poetry" (2022). Ruben shares his unique journey, growing up in a household where Spanish was the primary language and where Chinese influences were seamlessly woven into their cultural fabric, thanks to their Chinese neighbors. We learn about Ruben's Costa Rican heritage, and how a trip to Costa Rica revealed how his Spanish had been shaped by the diverse linguistic tapestry around him.

Keep up with Ruben on his website and on his Instagram. 

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Mario began his artistic career as an illustrator and designer and had a decade-long run with Disney during what is considered its second golden age of animation. His credits include The Lion King, Pocahontas, Atlantis, the Warner Bros film, and Looney Tunes Back in Action. He was an art director for independent animated features and is now a faculty instructor. 

Rosemary was born and raised in the South Bronx and started her creative journey as a magazine writer and editor working at Telemundo and NBC, all while creating ideas on the side. This included developing content for animated movies and TV shows with Mario, and together they created this book called Myra and the Drawing Drama, one of their various collaborations which we'll talk a lot about in this episode today.

In this week’s episode, Rosemary and Mario share their experiences as first-generation Latinx growing up in the Bronx, pursuing creative careers, and eventually creating a book together. Theirs is an incredible story of resilience and following their dreams. Both Rosemary and Mario have had a tough upbringing, but they were able to endure it all, become some of the best people in their fields, and become incredibly successful storytellers. 

Keep up with Rosemary on her website and her LinkedIn.

Keep up with Mario on his website and his LinkedIn.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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Luis Báez is an entrepreneur, sales executive, and unwavering optimist who's a little obsessed about helping you build a career and business you’re proud of. His pronouns are he, him, and él. His ability to build genuine trust and help people around him shine is why he's been recruited to work at some of the most influential companies in history — including LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla.

Not bad for a First-Gen Nuyorican boy from the Bronx! No one taught him how to sell — putting himself out there is just what he's had to do to create the life he wanted. After closing over half a billion dollars in sales at Fortune 500 companies, she still had trouble putting himself out there confidently as an entrepreneur when he got started.

Launching his own business was a totally new ball game, but by combining all the strategic thinking he learned working in Silicon Valley with his NYC hustle, he was finally able to figure out his formula for stacking sales. This system has helped him make some serious impact on the lives of the people he serves — and his own.

In this week’s episode, Luis shares his experience as a gay Latino working in the hypercritical environment of corporate sales. Luis is very aware of the societal expectations placed on him - how machismo defines what kind of man he should be, and how he used to navigate code-switching to fit in. He worked tirelessly and in return, he only received a wobbly chair at the table. He soon realized he was not just keeping pace, but outperforming his peers. That’s when he decided to grow beyond his current employer, build his personal brand, and launch his own company. 

Keep up with Luis on his website and his LinkedIn.

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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How many of y'all are first gen corporate? This episode is for you!

Today I'm talking to Maria Medrano, co-founder and CEO of Inspirame, a mission-driven organization dedicated to ending generational poverty through educational attainment. As a first-generation Mexican American and the first in her family to earn a high school or college degree, Maria has held strategic leadership roles spanning two decades at Google, Visa, and Cisco, to name a few, and has used her first gen superpowers to make big career moves

Maria Medrano is a global bilingual Latina leader who has made a name for herself with an exceptional track record in managing multi-million to billion-dollar businesses with a focus on bottom-line growth, large-scale project plans, data-driven decision-making, and strategic partnerships. Her leadership style emphasizes supporting long-term growth, business continuity, process improvements, and transformations while ensuring business strategies are aligned with corporate objectives.

Throughout her career, Maria has prioritized building a sense of community within corporate settings and bridging the gap between business strategies and community values. She firmly believes that sustainable success comes from aligning business objectives with community needs and has a proven track record of achieving this balance.

Despite humble beginnings, Maria's accomplishments have been widely recognized. She has received numerous awards, including the YWCA Tribute to Women Emerging Leader Award, Top 100 Under 40 Diversity MBA, Silicon Valley 40 Under 40, and Top 50 Under 50.

In this week’s episode, Maria shares her experience as a Latina making a difference in Corporate America. Corporate America can still present challenges for Latinos, but Maria's journey shows us that it's possible to navigate this space without losing ourselves. She is creating a community that is a beacon of hope for all Latinx in corporate spaces and is a living reminder that we can create our own paths and create our own success stories.

Keep up with Maria on her LinkedIn and on Instagram @techoguide_. 

For all Hella Latin@ updates, follow @hellalatinopodcast on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. More at odalysjasmine.com.

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Podcast production for this episode was provided by CCST.

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