Today we talk with Leonardo Bonett, a seasoned journalist who spent an extraordinary 40 years working for Voice of America (VOA), and had just retired this last march 2025. Voice of America is a government-funded international broadcaster that, for over eight decades, served as one of the most trusted and influential voices in global journalism. Our conversation traces the arc of VOA’s unique role in the world: a broadcaster committed to telling the truth, regardless of political pressure, and a key player in U.S. “soft diplomacy.” With a presence in over 40 languages and listeners spanning the globe, VOA earned its reputation not by pushing propaganda, but by offering fact-based reporting to regions often starved for independent news. We explore how VOA was born out of the Second World War as a response to Nazi propaganda, pledging from the start to tell the truth — good or bad. That commitment to journalistic integrity became its enduring legacy. Over the decades, VOA’s mission aligned with American ideals of transparency, press freedom, and democratic values, acting as a bridge between cultures and as a platform for voices too often silenced in their own countries. Our guest brings us his perspectives about VOA, and [...]

Join us for a special conversation with Van Le — a remarkable community volunteer, school board member, small business owner, refugee, and proud leader within the local Vietnamese community. Van Le shares her powerful story of escaping Saigon during the historic events of April 30, 1975, known as the Fall of Saigon. This moving interview is part of our commemoration of the 50th anniversary of “Black April”, a solemn day of remembrance for millions of Vietnamese around the world. Black April marks the painful fall of South Vietnam and honors the resilience, sacrifices, and new beginnings of Vietnamese refugees. The Fall of Saigon marked the official end of the Vietnam War, as North Vietnamese forces captured the capital of South Vietnam. After years of brutal conflict, the South Vietnamese government collapsed, leading to widespread fear and chaos. In the final days, desperate evacuations took place, with thousands fleeing by air and sea. This historic event triggered one of the largest refugee movements in modern history, as hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people sought safety and a new life abroad, many eventually settling in the United States. Van Le is not only a pillar in our community — she is also the founder of San Jose’s Lantern Festival and the organizer for this [...]

A few months ago, I had the immense honor of meeting and interviewing Rigoberta Menchú Tum, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and K’iche’ Mayan activist, during an event hosted by Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Américas (CANA) in San Francisco. This encounter was originally aired live on my radio show, bringing her words and wisdom to the airwaves. Now, I’m excited to share the podcast version of this experience, in both Spanish and English, thanks to a live translation. It was a bilingual event, and now with the podcast here it is, another layer of accessibility for those who might have missed the live radio broadcast. Rigoberta Menchú Tum’s life story is one of profound resilience and unwavering dedication to social justice. Born in 1959 in the Guatemalan highlands, Rigoberta’s advocacy work was shaped by her personal experiences during the Guatemalan Civil War, which resulted in the genocide of nearly 150,000 Mayans. Tragically, her family was among the victims, with her brother, mother, and father being tortured and murdered by government forces. she later transformed her pain into action, becoming an international advocate for Indigenous rights, human rights, and peace. Her commitment to these causes earned her the Nobel [...]

Today we are talking with Anais Amaya, from the Latino Community Foundation to talk about the Latino Giving Circles. As the Director of LGCN, Anais plays a crucial role in advancing the strategic expansion of Latino Giving Circles in Southern California for LCF. Having recently relocated her family to Los Angeles, she also embarked on the entrepreneurial journey of launching her business, Raices, dedicated to supporting indigenous artisans in Mexico. Before her tenure at LCF, Anais earned the prestigious Heroes and Hearts Award from the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. This accolade recognized her outstanding contributions as the program manager of the ZSFG Health Advocates. In this role, she led a multi-lingual program that actively screened patients to identify and address their social determinants of health by connecting them with the appropriate community resources. The Latino Giving Circle Network encompasses a diverse array of individuals from various walks of life, spanning generations such as Baby Boomers to Millennials, and encompassing professionals ranging from CEOs to emerging talents. Inclusivity extends beyond nationality, encompassing both immigrants and US-born individuals, as well as Latinos and non-Latinos alike. Within this network, each participant has the opportunity to harness our collective influence, contributing to the [...]

Today we are talking with author Carmen Boullosa, in and on-air live interview on radio from New York, New York all the way to Stanford, California. Born in Mexico City, and currently residenced in New york, Boullosa is a multifaceted writer, known for her prowess as a poet, novelist, and playwright. Her literary work revolve around the intricate themes of feminism, the interaction between religion, superstition and skepticism, and the reevaluation of gender roles within the rich tapestry of Latin American culture and hispanic traditions. With an impressive oeuvre of nineteen published novels, Boullosa’s work also dwells in different periods, locations and characters, but with her unique and unmistakable stylistic imprint. In “The Book of Eve”, Carmen Boullosa reinterprets of the Book of Genesis, but from Eve’s point of view, effectively deconstructing the patriarchal norms that have long underpinned our understanding of the world. From the origins of gastronomy to the domestication of animals, and even the cultivation of land and pleasure, Boullosa weaves a narrative that shifts the focus to the feminine perspective, while explaining the stories of the creation. “The Book of Eve” traverses the narratives that have shaped perceptions of womanhood for centuries with in most cases [...]

Today we are posting our latest conversation with the CEO of the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) Jaqueline Martinez Garcel. Jacqueline has led LCF through a critical stage of growth and expansion. The foundation leads one of the largest networks of Latino philanthropists in the country and it is the only statewide foundation solely focused on investing in Latino leaders. Jacqueline has published extensively on issues related to health equity, vulnerable populations, and community health workers. During her tenure, she developed, evaluated, and expanded programs to improve the health and quality of care for vulnerable populations. Jaquelin has been part of the foundation since 2015 and she is talking to us today about the last period and experiences of LCF, the state of the foundation during the pandemic, the events during the last year, and the activities of their giving circles. LCF was a pioneer in implementing giving circles, inspiring Latinos towards philanthropy, while helping causes of their choice. The “Giving Circles” create a safe space where people can show up as their full selves. This provides an opportunity for authentic conversations and presentations from the members which creates a special, unique sazon (flavor) in each Giving Circle.  LCF gathering in Berkeley California, [...]

This week we had a conversation with Marisol Bohorquez Godoy. She is the founder of “Vuela Palabra.com, a literary magazine that specializes in poetry in Spanish, English, and Italian.  Marisol Bohorquez Godoy was born in Santa Maria, Huila, Colombia. She is a Poet, a writer, a painter, and an industrial Engineer.  She is a published author, with collections of her work in 7 languages. Her books have been also published in Italian. Her books are “La soledad de los Espejos (2016)”,-”Efecto mariposa (2017)”, Antiparticulos-Antiparticelle (2019) and in co-authorship with Gianni Darconza, “The form of the void.(2019).” Marisol was the winner of the “Fiori di luce” contest (2020) in the category of foreign poetry and a Finalist awarded with equal merits (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places) of the “Europa In Versi” International Literature Prize (2020), with her work “The form of the void.” VuelaPalabra.com is an online literary magazine specializing in poetry and has works from all over the world in 3 languages. to celebrate their first anniversary they have launched an international call for poetry writers. The main objective of this event is for the magazine to donate, for the first time, their work as translators in favor of three [...]

Nancy Marmolejo Today we will be talking with Nancy Marmolejo. She is an Executive Coach who teaches entrepreneurs and leaders how to access their Deep Genius, that one-of-a-kind combination of innate strengths, life experiences and expertise that only you bring to the table.  She’s received several awards for her role as a Latina entrepreneur and has appeared on Univision, Latina Magazine, Hispanic Business, Smart Money and starting today Atenea Americana.  Originally had no plans to write a book on grief, yet after experiencing the deaths of three loved ones in a four-year period, Nancy saw how so many people struggled with offering condolences, especially on social media. A former teacher, she decided to create a guide to help people compose heartfelt messages that convey empathy. Her book, Don’t Say That, Say This: Navigating Grief and Loss in the World of Social Media, has been used in college courses, nursing programs, churches, reading groups as well as by everyday people looking for the right words to say. It’s currently available on Amazon as a Kindle or paperback.  Why grief on social media? Do you ever wonder what’s the best way to respond to someone who posts about an illness, death, or [...]

Natassia Rodriguez, Research Analyst The growth in the number of Latino-owned firms in the United States is outpacing growth in number among other firms in the nation. In fact, the five-year average growth rate in the number of Latino firms has remained at double or triple that of the national average for the past fifteen years. All this growth presents a great opportunity to expand the U.S. economy, and data shows the importance of Latino new businesses in the whole economy. Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative has been doing research about the state of Latino entrepreneurship and small businesses for the last two years. Their latest research surveyed a national sample of over 4,900 Latino-owned businesses. To talk about SLEI’s research and about its presentation this year at the Oberndorf Event Center at Stanford, we invited Tiq Chapa, Program Manager, and Natassia Rodriguez Ott,  Research Analyst from Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI). Tiq Chapa, Program Manager Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative is part of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Graduate School of Bussines at Stanford University. Listen to our show to learn more about their plans, their programs, their achievements and their history. Remember to leave a comment and to follow us on social media.  We hope [...]

Founder and Executive Director Maria Celier Today show is a conversation with María Célérier, founder and Executive Director of the foundation “Kids Vission”. They main mission is to engage girls into STEM education. They started with the vision that that girls in Silicon Valley need to know how STEAM is applied in real life, and suggested offering girls in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades an after school program that would show them how some of the most innovative companies in the Valley apply STEAM. This program could is primarily funded by several high-tech companies and hosts inside their headquarters, where employees from different companies volunteer as mentors and role models for leadership skills and STEAM-related careers. Celier earned a Master of Business Administration at HEC-Paris and a Bachelor of International Relations at the Universidad de las Americas-Puebla. Her job experience in the Bay Area has been focused on helping children, youth and adults to improve their lives through education–at Renaissance helping adults to start their own businesses, at JobTrain helping youth to graduate from high school and to find jobs, and at Kids’ Vision empowering girls to learn STEM. The girl in the left of the image represents a girl who has been in the program. [...]