Latina South

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 cute sayings like ‘Sana, sana, colita de rana,” and “Necesito mi cafecito,” they incorporate their bicultural and family experiences into their scents and creations. Let’s listen as they share with us what it takes to start a business and keep it going, all while having each other’s back and putting family first.

Denise Soler Cox is an award-winning Latina filmmaker and cultural storyteller dedicated to helping people transform how we experience culture, identity, and what it means to belong. Denise talks about how a night out in Miami inspired her multi-year journey to create the film, Project Eñye, an exploration of first generation Latinx identity. Denise also shares about how she ‘pokes the beehive’ on hot topics via her podcast: The Self-ish Latina. She also reveals her next film project, an idea inspired by the hidden and often painful stories of Latinas shared with her throughout her travels.

In this second of two episodes, we welcome again Brenda Lopez Romero. In this part of the conversation, Brenda talks about the changing demographics in Georgia, her Latina identity including lingering issues within our own Latino community. She also reveals some critical lessons learned about what it takes to run for US Congress in Georgia - a recent process she says she could only learn from by trying it for herself.

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 very first Latina elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Born in Mexico, she came to the US at age 5 and became a US citizen in 2008. Let’s listen as Brenda talks about how it feels to be among the first and the few. She shares her personal story, like that of her father’s, as one of responsibility and hard work from a very young age. She also talks about what we can do to offer young people exposure to the places where decisions are made - helping to build experience in the future leaders of our community.

Aisah 'Ish' Gayle serves as Senior Director of Operations at the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She’s also Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at the Center of Pan Asian Community Services or CPACS. Ish shares with us how her unique Afro-Latina and Malay backgrounds influence her passion for serving both the Hispanic and Asian communities. She also reserves a special place in her heart for EME, a program which Educates, Motivates and Empowers Latina entrepreneurs at the Chamber.

Elaine Utin is Co-Founder of the nonprofit LatinxEd where she focuses on Latinx youth identity development and leadership in North Carolina. Elaine holds a Master’s in Education degree from Harvard, and in 2018, she was recognized on Forbes’s 30 Under 30: Education list. Let’s listen as Elaine talks about growing up in the South, her Peruvian and faith-based roots, and being a first-generation college student. She also gets real about how coaching helped her through some transitions including growing an organization while being a Mom.

Stephanie Diaz is a Partner at Atlanta-based Zane Venture Fund where she raises capital for early-stage tech startups. She’s also host of the podcast, She Conquers Capital, where she amplifies the voices of female CEO’s, venture partners, and angel investors. Let’s listen as Stefanie shares with us her journey to claiming the many facets of her voice as a Latina, a Mom, a financial whiz, and a dancer. She also talks about creating WOE, The Women Only Experience, a dynamic and diverse organization for female founders.

Marcie Chapa is a world percussionist and educator in the arts. She’s also a part of the OG’s as an original member of Beyonce’s 2007 first, all-female touring band. Let’s listen as Marcie shares how she felt the first time she found herself surrounded by so many talented female musicians. Marcie also reveals to us how she shares her percussion gift with her students and her journey to finding both love and happiness later in life.

Attorney Adriana Varela is the leader of Global Client Services for Fragomen, the largest global immigration services firm in Atlanta. Let’s listen as Adriana talks about what it takes to serve on the Board of Directors for impactful nonprofits like Galeo and New American Pathways. She also drops some words of wisdom about how both mentorship and sponsorship are important to help you reach your goals.

The Honorable Deborah Gonzalez recently made history as the first Latina district attorney in the state of Georgia. Her journey to this position did not come without its challenges which included a lawsuit against the Georgia Governor and a unanimous ruling from the state’s Supreme Court in her favor. Let’s listen as Deborah shares with us what it takes to advocate, campaign and serve the public - which for her means listening with both empathy and transparency.