Rise and Thrive Latinas launched in the Fall of 2021, but our roots were planted more than a decade ago with a student organization known as Latinas in Power. Founded by Steph Gómez, Latinas in Power began as a bridge builder for Latinas learning to navigate higher education and evolved into a space of cultural affirmation and identity development. Fast forward to 2020, many of us that belonged to LIP started our professional journeys, earned graduate degrees, started businesses, and formed families.

Desiring the space we once had, Steph reached out to a few of the women and said we have to do it again! This gave birth to the RTL Conveners Council, a group of baddies volunteering their time and expertise to help grow the vision of RTL. Acting as a brain trust, members are tapped to join the council based on engagement & commitment to RTL. Founding members of the Conveners Council include: Vanesa Corado, Jazmine Del Angel, Ziomara Gil, and Veronica Ortiz.

We weren’t sure what the space would look like, but we knew we couldn’t be the only ones yearning for this. After a few focus groups with compañeras, the answer was overwhelming the same: WE WANT SPACE TO CONNECT & BUILD COMUNIDAD. So here we are, growing & evolving guided by our commitment to convene and curate spaces for Latinas to connect, build community, and support one another on our healing journeys.