Our Story

Yulisa is a proud second-generation Mexican-American who grew up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood before moving to Naperville. A dedicated dancer, she has trained in ballet for five years and Mexican folkloric dance for eight. She is a graduate of HACE’s El Futuro High School Leadership Program, which helps students explore career pathways and prepare for postsecondary success. Now a college sophomore at Lewis University, Yulisa is double majoring in psychology and social work. She remains actively involved on campus through the Latin American Student Organization and the university dance team. Yulisa is passionate about mental health, cultural identity, and community empowerment.

Evangeline is a dedicated Latina high school student from suburban Chicago, passionate about making a positive impact in her community and beyond. As a Captain on her school’s speech team, she coaches her peers in Public Address Speaking and Informational Techniques, while also training for her personal speech events. Evangeline has previously served as Student Council President, worked as a designer for her high school’s visual arts and creative writing magazine, and acted as Student Director for a Group Interpretation production. Through her various roles, she strives to amplify the voices of her fellow students in school policies and initiatives. Evangeline aspires to become a writer, with plans to incorporate her proud Mexican heritage and creativity into her future works.

Marissa is a trailblazing corporate manager at KeHE Distributors making a difference in food rescue across the country and inspiring others with her TEDx Talk and powerful speeches at local universities. Marissa is a daughter of immigrants and a first-gen college graduate who has been distinguished as an agent of change with a mission to motivate and inspire the next generation of leaders! She demonstrates her commitment to creating a positive impact by her volunteer work with ALMAS and Mujeres Latinas en Acción, the longest standing Latina led organization in the nation.

Yenny originally hails from Colombia and moved to the US at the age of 7. She is a passionate advocate for students, parents, and teachers, with a focus on serving minoritized communities in various settings, including public, private, and homeschooling. Yenny is a dedicated Dual Language Educator, Bilingual Food Pantry Coordinator, curriculum writer, trainer, and facilitator. She actively collaborates with school districts and parents to promote trauma-informed and restorative practices. Yenny holds degrees in Elementary Education and endorsements in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language. She resides in Plainfield with her cherished family.

Brenda is a Mexican professional with a strong background in psychology and education. She has been living in Naperville, Illinois, for the past seven years, after previously residing in Mexico, her home country. She holds a degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Education and Teaching. Throughout her career, she has gained experience in Human Resources, teaching, and child therapy. In addition to her professional life, she is a wife and the mother of her nine-year-old daughter, Ana Sofía.

Christina is a lifelong DuPage resident with a tenacity for finding win-win solutions. Drawing on extensive international educational and professional experiences, Christina thrives on leading projects and initiatives that span diverse demographics, economies, and political structures. She has worked intensively with partnerships from Middle Eastern, North African, German, French, Brazilian, Chinese, and Japanese backgrounds, and is applying the lessons learned from those experiences to address the unsettling changes in the United States’ social landscape. Guided by the sentiments that “hate to one, is hate to all,” “silence is compliance,” and “community is resistance,” Christina is a fervent spearhead in implementing ALMAScouts; a Spanish-based family program that connects neighbors, celebrates culture, promotes language learning, and fosters leadership skills. Her belief that cultural authenticity and celebration can be used to strategically strengthen members in the Latino community will not only make a positive difference for the immediate families involved, but also for the world as a whole. Christina can be found out and about Naperville, Warrenville, Bolingbrook, Aurora, Woodridge, Lisle, Romeoville, and Plainfield throughout the week doing activities with her toddlers and welcomes the opportunity to connect with others- please feel free to say hello! As she spends late nights working on her doctorate in Strategy & Innovation (and squeezing in reading for fun), chatting over coffee is always a good idea.