At the recent “Latina Business Leaders: Diverse Pathways to Success” event, a panel of local Latina leaders gathered at the Los Altos History Museum to honor the legacy of Juana Briones. Juana was a dynamic 19th century businesswoman, traditional healer and advocate. She owned many parcels of land in what is now Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, San Jose, and San Francisco.
Prior to the event, the Museum held a reception and special viewing of its current exhibition, “Inspired by Juana: La Doña de la Frontera.” Guests were able to network while learning the legacy of Juana Briones.
The panelists framed her story of resilience, ingenuity and business savvy as hallmarks of Silicon Valley that are being carried on by the next generation.
The four panelists that shared their pathways to success stories included:
Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca is the Founder and CEO of DREAMers Roadmap, a mobile app platform that helps undocumented students navigate the necessary resources to access higher education. This is Sarahi’s latest project in a longer trajectory of activism within and for the undocumented community, which has placed her in the spotlight of continued conversations centered on national immigration policy. Sarahi was a Champion of Change at the White House in 2014, has received 2 House of Representatives Awards, and was recently named in Forbes 30 under 30. A former undocumented student who once had to drop out of school to support her family, Sarahi’s personal experience informs her unwavering vision: to help hundreds of thousands of Latino students eliminate the barriers to success and achieve their full potential.
Rosanna Alvarez is an artist and creative entrepreneur who lives poetically, while sharing her life lessons as an educator, poet, and facilitator throughout the Bay Area. She is a native of East San José, an outspoken and art-loving Chicana, the first-born of nine siblings, a mother of three fierce guerreras (little warriors), and a trucker’s wife. She is a wordsmith warrior, curiosity curator, and equity facilitator fiercely committed to thriving in authenticity. Her life’s work is grounded in her mission to embrace personal power through creative inspiration. She has published three coloring books as an offering toward collective healing and an invitation for self-care. Visit her website at https://www.citlalirose.com.
Anna Dapelo-Garcia is a healthcare administrator for Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto and Founder and President of Lean In Latinas. Anna acquired a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in healthcare services administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in management from Saint Mary’s College. Anna has received the following recognitions Future Financial Leaders’ Award from the National Healthcare Financial Management Association, named as a Silicon Valley Business Journal Woman of Influence, and Woman of the Year by the Women’s Health Care Executives to name a few. She’s currently vice chair and board member for the University of San Francisco Master of Public Administration program and 2nd vice chair and board member for the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley.
Guisselle Nuñez is an award winning marketing professional, instructor and author of the book “Take Charge of your Brand: Quick and simple techniques to help you own and manage your personal brand for professional and personal success
The “Inspired by Juana: La Doña de la Frontera” exhibition will immerse visitors in historic artifacts, colorful displays, and original artwork focusing on Juana as advocate, matriarch, entrepreneur and traditional healer. This special exhibit will run until through March 31, 2019. The museum is free and open to the public Thursdays-Sundays, 12-4pm. For more information visit https://www.losaltoshistory.org.