Latina to Latina

How O Magazine’s Arianna Davis Made It, on Her Own Terms

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The digital director of Oprah Magazine talks to Alicia about the maverick moves that landed her jobs in journalism. And she discusses her new book, Wh...

How Fashion Entrepreneur Camila Coelho Went from Working Retail to Building a Beauty Brand

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The blogger and founder of Elaluz and the Camila Coelho Collection shares how a promise to her mother pushed her to work hard in a very competitive in...

Why Reina Rebelde's Founder, Regina Merson, Chose Herself Over Everything Else

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The successful owner of makeup brand Reina Rebelde talks about how she chose to leave a high-profile law career to find her way back to herself. And h...

Powerhouse Marketer Ana Valdéz on Using Media to Create Change

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The marketing and business consultant on realizing and harnessing the power that marketing and media have to influence people’s behavior. And how sh...

What the Election Taught Us About the Latina Vote

23 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Journalists Jennifer Medina and Patricia Mazzei of the New York Times break down how we voted this election, and what the mainstream media so often g...

How Olympic Gymnast Laurie Hernandez Regained Her Strength After Emotional Abuse

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The gold medal athlete opens up about how she dealt with emotional and verbal abuse at the hands of coaches, the key role her mother played in advocat...

How Girls Night In Founder Alisha Ramos Started a Stay-at-Home Movement

09 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Her weekly newsletter champions self-care and mental health, while being the heart of a thriving tech company. Alisha talks about how investing $20,0...

Why Dr. Julie Ramos Insists You Take Care of Your Heart

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She tells Alicia her Latina identity plays into every aspect of her medical career, from the big hoop earrings in her professional headshot, to her pr...

Let's Talk Latina Power in This Election

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She Se Puede founders Jess Morales Rocketto and Stephanie Valencia get real about what’s at stake this election, including Covid recovery, the envir...

Code for America’s Amanda Renteria Lost Some Battles, but Is Winning the Political War

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The former political aide says growing up in agricultural California deeply shaped her identity, especially as a Latina in powerful roles, including c...

How Aimee Garcia Took Charge of Her Hollywood Career

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The actor best known for playing a nerdy Latina on TV is becoming a power player behind the scenes, thanks in large part to starting a production com...

How Doula Adriana Lozada Guides Parents to Their Own Ideal Birth

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After giving birth to her daughter changed her life, she left a thriving media career to support parents on their pre- and postnatal odysseys. Adri...

How Majo Molfino Helps You Break the Good-Girl Myth

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The writer and life designer warns about five self-sabotaging tendencies that prevent us from connecting to our purpose and true strength. In this int...

How Beauty Insider Tina Hedges Created LOLI, an Environmentally Sound Brand

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A crisis in health and consciousness pushed her to rethink her life choices and her work in the beauty industry. And she has an epiphany that would fu...

Why Pioneering Journalist Maria Hinojosa Put Herself in the Story

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She worked for decades to make sure her voice and ideas were valued as much as those of non-Latinos in the newsroom. Then she founded her own media co...

Why Gianna Nino-Tapias Embodies Labor Rights, and Why Her Tweet from a Blueberry Field Hit a Nerve

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Stanford medical student has worked in fields alongside her mother since she was 14. And has become increasingly worried about working conditions ...

TRAILER: Driving The Green Book!

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We produced something beautiful for Macmillan Podcasts!! Introducing Driving the Green Book, a ten-part documentary series premiering September 15. Fo...

How Philanthropic CEO Carmen Rojas Learned to Lead as Her Full Self

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Raised by Nicaraguan and Venezuelan parents who immigrated to the U.S. in the middle of the Civil Rights and labor movements, she grew up determined t...

How Therapist and Healer Christine Gutierrez Came Back Home to Herself, and Wrote I Am Diosa

24 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After a difficult breakup, Christine sought out deep healing from childhood abuse wounds and toxic people. Then, she became a therapist, trained in sp...

Why The Tax Collector’s Cinthya Carmona Defied Religion to Pursue Acting and Find Herself

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Her independent spirit, strong will, and artistic ambition made her a rebel in a deeply religious family. But a supportive madrina found ways for her ...

Why Corporate America Couldn’t Change Carla Vernón at Her Core

10 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Carla Vernón describes herself as “a very malleable piece of clay” with a sense of pride and self-awareness. She has used that singular strength ...

How Coco Illustrator Ana Ramírez González Extends Herself with Her Art

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s hard to believe she didn’t begin drawing until she was 17. You’ve seen her work on Pixar’s Coco, her gorgeous Google Doodles, and her chi...

How Buscabulla’s Raquel Berrios Wrote Her Way Back Home In Regresa

27 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Raquel Berrios left Puerto Rico for New York City to find herself as an artist. There, she met her musical and life partner Luis Alfredo Del Valle, an...

How Sasha Merci and Dee Nasty Found Their Comedic Calling

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

They're funny and they know it. But they're also observant and really quick witted, which makes their brand of comedy a little bit underhanded and con...

To Honor Vanessa Guillén, These Two Latina Veterans Are Telling Women Not To Enlist

13 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Latina Veterans Lucy del Gaudio and Pam Campos-Palma are spearheading a campaign demanding justice after the disappearance and killing of Army Spc. Va...

How Documentarian Cristina Costantini Fed Her Soul While Making Mucho Mucho Amor

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For years Cristina covered detention centers and drug cartels as an investigative journalist. Without any film school training, she decided to take on...

Why Actress Selenis Leyva and Her Sister, Trans Activist Marizol Leyva, Are Closer Than Ever

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Marizol's transition not only tested her determination to live life on her own terms, it also tested her lifelong bond to her sister Selenis.  A fail...

Happy 100th Episode Beloved Listeners!!

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We did it!!!!! Together, dear listeners, you and our team reached 100 episodes today. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude and love. Thank you fo...

Why TV Showrunner Ilana Peña Craves Complicated Girl Characters

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Growing up, television writer Ilana Peña was a student of books, where, she says, "girls could be complicated." Now, as creator of Diary of a Future ...

Two Latina Activists on Latinos' Place in Anti-Blackness

08 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we pause to reckon with the national call for justice that followed the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and countless Black Americans...

Why Actress Lisa Vidal Believes "I'm here because this was supposed to happen."

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We've all been there. "Oh my God, can I do this?" And in those moments of intense doubt and fear, Lisa Vidal, the star of ABC's The Baker and the Beau...

How Rolling Stone’s Suzy Exposito Made History with Her Bad Bunny Cover Story

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

First, she planted the seed of the idea in his publicist’s mind. Then she began a relentless insider campaign to convince magazine editors that the ...

How Writer Karla Cornejo Villavicencio Maintains Control of Her Narrative

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

As if setting out to write a book about the undocumented immigrant experience across the country wasn’t hard enough, Karla Cornejo Villavivencio set...

A Mother's Day Tribute to You, Your Mom, and All the Mamís

10 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alicia selects some of the beautiful moments when our brilliant guests recall a special moment with their moms, open up about the struggle to become a...

PROMO: Meet the Mask Makers

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why are so many people trying their hands at sewing homemade masks? Making a mask not only helps the wearers feel safe, it helps the maker feel useful...

How Joanna Vargas Built a Beauty Empire with Her Hands

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Echoing a sentiment shared by many successful children of immigrants, Joanna Vargas tells Alicia, “My parents did not send me to school so that I wo...

TRAILER: How to Talk to Mamí & Papí About Anything

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the executive producer of Latina to Latina, welcome to How to Talk to Mamí and Papí About Anything! Juleyka Lantigua-Williams made the show bec...

Elisa Villanueva Beard’s Aha Moment as Teach for America's CEO

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She started in a Teach for America classroom and today leads the organization as it sends a small army of new teachers into schools that need them mos...

How One Day at a Time's Isabella Gomez Found Her Strength

20 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"And if I'm going to play a Latinx woman, she better be strong as hell," Isabella tells Alicia in this powerful conversation about being fully present...

When Gentefied Co-Creator Linda Yvette Chávez Realized She Couldn’t Quit

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

"If you find yourself in an industry doing all the jobs around the job you really want to do, check in on that," Linda tells Alicia. "There's some sor...

Political Power Player Cecilia Muñoz Reminds Us That We Are ‘More Than Ready’

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She jokingly calls herself “a professional Latina,” but the reality is that Cecilia Muñoz has spent decades advocating on our behalf—from provi...

Why Author Valeria Luiselli’s Art Reflects Real Life

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“I think it's really important to be transparent about the place from which you write and the way that place determines your relationship to that wh...

How Ad Exec Nancy Reyes Became Undeniable

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After Alicia’s conversation with advertising superstar Nancy Reyes, she wanted to make t-shirts that read, "I am undeniable." That’s how inspiring...

REPLAY: Univision’s Ilia Calderón is Grounded by the People She Covers

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Last night, the final two viable Democratic presidential hopefuls faced off in the eleventh primary debate, and faced questions from one of America's ...

How Artist Scherezade Garcia Came to Work and Exist on Her Own Terms

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Listening to Scherezade Garcia talk about her art and her creative process is watching someone relive the many ways she has made herself free— from ...

Why iLe’s New Album, Almadura, Is Both Departure and Evolution from Calle 13

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

iLe’s natural and inherited musical talents were nurtured between  classic piano training and the hyper-political songs of Calle 13, Puerto Rico’...

Why DACA Trailblazer Cristina Jiménez Is Stepping Away

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Cristina Jiménez knows how to agitate for change. The co-founder and Executive Director of United We Dream convinced President Obama to act on DACA. ...

Storyteller Extraordinaire Martina Castro Has Her Own Exceptional Story

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Her professional journey would make an awesome movie. From humble beginnings as an NPR intern to co-founding and producing Radio Ambulante—a powerho...

How Canticos Creator Susie Jaramillo Built an Inclusive Kids' Brand

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Susie Jaramillo created several lines of award-winning children’s books, animated series, and merchandise. And she made the first board book prototy...

Julissa Prado, the Million-Dollar Curl Whisperer

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She had us at hello. Then we got to know her and walked away inspired. Founder Julissa Prado mixed her grandma’s herbal medicine legacy, a lot of sw...

How Nelini Stamp Sets Injustice Aflame

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She calls herself a “fire-starter,” and has a long list of rabble-rousing moments to prove it. Before turning 18, she registered people to vote by...

How Ana Flores Is Helping Latinas Grow

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One of the original innovators in the personal blogging space, Ana Flores is not only an early adaptor but also a born innovator. She saw an opportuni...

Why Dessa Is So Much More Than an Indie Rapper

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She says her music is driven by “connection, communion and lost.” But listening, really listening, to one of Dessa’s albums and then drilling do...

Our EP, Juleyka, Demystifies How to Start a Podcast

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Listeners often ask us about starting a podcast. In this episode, executive producer Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, gives a masterclass in the art and sci...

REPLAY: Michelle Poler Inspires Fearlessly

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're replaying this one to help you rev up for the new year!! Michelle Poler says being raised in Venezuela during turbulent times made her afraid of...

REPLAY: Gina Torres Brings All Her Fierceness to Pearson, and We Are Here for It

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gina Torres is everything we’ve ever wanted to be: brilliant, strong, stylish, and funny. In this episode, she opens up about the real and very pers...

What Singer Aymée Nuviola Left Behind for Her Art

15 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

She's a recording artist. She played Celia Cruz on television. She toured around the world. She has had a career many can only dream of. But Aymée al...

Author Carmen Maria Machado on the Myth of a Queer Love Utopia

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Her genre-bending new memoir, "In the Dream House," recounts an abusive lesbian relationship and implodes safe notions of intimacy. Carmen talks with ...

How Annie Elainey Is Making the Future Accessible

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This popular YouTuber is a bit of a provocateur. “How To Spot a Fake Disability” is among her most viewed and most subversive videos. Annie Elaine...

Living Icon Dolores Huerta Is Still Fighting the Good Fight

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The founding mother of the farmers' rights movement, Dolores Huerta is still traversing the country protesting, marching, and sometimes getting arrest...

REPLAY: Birchbox Co-Founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Knowing that “beauty is hard to sell on the internet,” this subscription box CEO still pursued a breakthrough company model that would eventually ...

Yvonne and Yvette Rodriguez Are Shaking Up the Cigar Industry

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When a santera declared that it was time for Yvonne and Yvette Rodriguez to work together, the twin sisters didn’t flinch. Today, they’re shaking ...

Alicia Tells Us about Her Book, The Likeability Trap

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At work, strong women are thought of as unlikeable. Warm women are rarely seen as leaders. Alicia takes a deep dive into these frustrating realities i...

What Happened After Zulema Arroyo Farley Stopped Denying Her Own Truth

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After decades of keeping her psychic abilities hidden from her family and friends, Zulema Arroyo Farley found herself unable to deny that she could co...

How Jennifer Mercedes Made Herself an MVP in Sports Journalism

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fresh out of college, Jennifer Mercedes was offered the opportunity to produce and host her own baseball video series. She snatched it, and La Chica D...

Feeling My Flo Podcast S2 Trailer

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On October 24, Feeling My Flo — the reported podcast where menstruation is an event that happens to all types of bodies — is back with a brand new...

Why Cristela Alonzo's Drive to Make It Is Deeply Personal, Part 2

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cristela Alonzo knows about starting at square one — and then doing it again and again. In the second part of our interview, she talks to Alicia abo...

Why Cristela Alonzo's Drive to Make It Is Deeply Personal, Part 1

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As a latchkey kid growing up in San Juan, Texas, comedian Cristela Alonzo dreamed of leaving her border town and seeing the world. In this emotional t...

Why Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Leads from the Heart

29 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fresh off a major legislative win with the passing of California’s AB-5, forcing gig-economy giants like Uber and Lyft to classify drivers as employ...

Nicole Mejia Wants You to Love Yourself—All of You

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

She launched herself as an Instagram model. And then Nicole Mejia built an entire fitness brand, Fit and Thick, to empower women to embrace their natu...

What Photographer Ramona Rosales Really Sees from Behind the Lens

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

She’s a go-to celebrity photographer, known for her innovative use of color and light. From Janelle Monáe to Cardi B, America Ferrera to Bad Bunny,...

Why DaniLeigh is Destined to Be a Music Mogul

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

People may call her “the next Rihanna,” but she’s only interested in being the first DaniLeigh. After starting out as background dancer for the ...

REPLAY: Diane Guerrero on the Power of Owning Your Story

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A rising star in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black as Maritza Ramos, Lina in Jane the Virgin, and Sofia in Superior Donuts, Diane Guerrero embodies ...

How Linda Briceño Won Her Artistic Freedom

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Linda Briceño’s career as a trumpeter, vocalist, and producer has allowed her to rub shoulders with the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Arturo Sandova...

REPLAY: How Jess Morales Rocketto Became a Political Ninja

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"What I'm trying to do is motivate people into their purpose." Easy, right? It is if you're Jess Morales Rocketto, a digital political organizer ninja...

How Gina Brillón Became a Comedy Junkie

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“I was a comedy junkie at 14,” she admits. And now Gina Brillón is a rising comedy star, headlining tours with the likes of Gabriel Iglesias, pre...

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Is Not Done Fighting

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz emerged as one of the most recognizable critics of the Trump administration’s...

REPLAY: How Orange Is The New Black’s Jackie Cruz Gets it Done

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jackie Cruz, a star on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, is so much more than people sometimes expect. “Instead of me just being in a box, like ‘...

Why Jessica González-Rojas Champions Reproductive Justice

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The executive director of the Latina Institute for Reproductive Health talks about how legislative restrictions on abortion impact our health and our ...

BONUS TRACK: New Show from LTL'S EP! "Feeling My Flo"

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The executive producer of Latina to Latina just launched Feeling My Flo, a reported podcast where menstruation is an event that happens to all types o...

REPLAY: Trust Us, Cristela Alonzo Gets the Last Laugh

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cristela was one of the very first guests on the show. And still one of our faves. With a new book, Music to My Years, due in October and already out ...

Gina Torres Brings All Her Fierceness to Pearson, and We Are Here for It

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gina Torres is everything we’ve ever wanted to be: brilliant, strong, stylish, and funny. And now, with Pearson, we get to watch her stride into her...

REPLAY: Why ODAAT's Gloria Calderón Kellett Deserves the Spotlight

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks in television limbo, One Day at a Time has been picked up by Pop, a CBS-owned cable network. And millions of us breathed a little easier. ...

Daniela Pierre Bravo Teaches Us How to 'Earn It'

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Daniela Pierre Bravo has never met an obstacle more formidable than her will. Disqualified from college scholarships due to her legal status, she buil...

REPLAY: Gina Rodriguez Is Making Boss Moves

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Gina Rodriguez will always be associated with her star-making and award-winning portrayal of the titular character on Jane the Virgin. And she's so gr...

MSNBC’s Mariana Atencio Reveals How to Be ‘Perfectly You’

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After experiencing violence and media censorship in her native Venezuela, Mariana Atencio embarked on her journalist career in the United States. An e...

What Vida’s Mishel Prada Has Learned about Identity

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On Starz’s megahit Vida she plays a determined, smart and sensual woman. And Mishel Prada readily admits her character reflects part of who she is. ...

UN General Assembly President María Espinosa Garcés Is Making Room for Women

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Fun fact: This was the first time we had to check protocol before interviewing someone. And Alicia had to call the current head of the United Nations’...

How Pinnacle Founder & CEO Nina Vaca Became a Corporate Titan

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This captain of industry comes from a family of self-starters that has always banded together--from her father’s travel agency to her billion-dollar...

Gia Morón Wants More of Us in the Weed Business

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Legal weed is among the fastest growing industries right now. And thanks to women like Gia Morón, from Women Grow, more people will have a chance to ...

For Chillhouse’s Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton Putting Yourself First Is Essential

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

By the time she was 26, Cyndi Ramirez-Fulton had worked her way from cocktail waitress to being a partner in a bar. She’s now applying her experienc...

How Alexandra Rojas Wants to Rewrite Politics

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There’s no denying Latinas are making serious moves across the political map. But the real power players are not always in the spotlight. Alexandra ...

Univision’s Ilia Calderón Is Grounded by the People She Covers

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

She came to Miami on vacation from her television job in Colombia and, while visiting Telemundo with a friend, walked herself into an opportunity of a...

Life in Pieces’ Angelique Cabral First Sees It, Then Goes After It

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some of us daydream about what we want in our lives. Some of us pray about it. Actress Angelique Cabral writes it down as literally as she can and put...

Dr. Laura Scott Is Building a Self-Care Brand One Post at a Time

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a doctor is a huge accomplishment unto itself, requiring years of study, sacrifice and discipline. But if you’re a smart, driven, black Lat...

How Birchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp Upended the Beauty Industry for Good

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Knowing that “beauty is hard to sell on the internet,” this subscription box CEO still pursued a breakthrough company model that would eventually ...

Fitness Entrepreneur Melissa Alcantara is Always in Beast Mode

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Before you follow her on social media or try out her tailored fitness routine, there’s one thing you need to know about fitness coach and entreprene...

Novelist Lilliam Rivera Builds Worlds for All of Us

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As a young reader, she didn’t realize people who looked and lived like her were missing from some of her favorite books. “It felt to me like I was...

How HeyFranHey’s Francheska Medina Healed Herself

11 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Her body was really sick and giving up on her--fast. Indifferent doctors recommended unthinkable treatments. But her natural instincts were pushing he...

How Jess Morales Rocketto Became a Political Ninja

04 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"What I'm trying to do is motivate people into their purpose." Easy, right? It is if you're Jess Morales Rocketto, a digital political organizer ninja...