America Ferrera, Justina Machado, and the Poderistas squad host Latina leaders at The White House

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, Poderistas is hosted “Poderistas @ the White House” to bring together Latina leaders to meet with senior White House and Biden Administration officials.

Founded by Eva Longoria and America Ferrera during the 2020 election cycle, Poderistas is a digital community built to celebrate Latina culture and harness Latina power in all aspects of life, including at the ballot box.

The October 5 event was a monumental moment for the Latina community, with over 40 Latinas convening at the White House, including leaders from the entertainment industry, community activists, hometown heroes from across the country, philanthropists, and more.

Attendees included authors, activists, and actresses such as Poderistas Co-Founder America Ferrera, Chloe Bridges, Robin Arzón, Justina Machado, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, and many more.

Over the day, they discussed various critical topics, including the economy, community leadership, health care, education, climate change, sustainable communities, and Latina glass ceiling breakers.

Hometown Heroes:

• Alejandra Gomez (Phoenix, AZ): Alejandra is the Co-Executive Director of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), Arizona’s largest organization working to build power in the Latino community.
• Andrea Mercado (Miami, FL): The daughter of South American immigrants and a mother of two, Andrea currently serves as the Executive Director of Florida Rising, an organization working to build power for communities of color across Florida.
• Cristal Yuliana Figueroa (Hendersonville, NC): Cristal is an organizer, data scientist, and Political Director at PoderNC Action, one of North Carolina’s largest Latino organizing networks. She has personally benefited from the Biden Administration’s recent student loan forgiveness program and her family received a PPP loan for their cleaning business during COVID.
• Diana Trujillo (Pasadena, CA): Diana is a Latina glass ceiling breaker. An aerospace engineer born in Colombia, she is currently serving at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and leads the engineering team at JPL, which is responsible for the robotic arm of the Perseverance Mars Rover.
• Dr. Adrianna Nava (Washington, DC): Dr. Nava is an advocate for increasing access to care for underserved populations. She currently serves as the President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) and as a Poderista Expert on health and wellness issues.
• Dr. Bertha Hidalgo (Birmingham, AL): Dr. Berth Hidalgo is an Epidemiologist and Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at the Birmingham School of Public Health and serves as a Poderista Expert on health and wellness issues.

• Gabriela Febres (Washington, DC): Gabriela is the Co-founder and owner of the award winning food truck and restaurant Arepa Zone. She and her company received a critical PPP loan from the SBA to sustain their business during the COVID pandemic.
• Geida Cleveland (Minneapolis, MN): Geida is a member of the Poderistas Power Squad. She is a Mexican-American immigrant, who currently serves as Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Enrollment for the Undergraduate Program at the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
• Irene Godínez (Raleigh, NC): Irene is the Founder and Executive Director of Poder NC Action, an organization serving the rapidly growing Latino population in North Carolina. Poder NC is reimagining how to make policies relevant to the lives of everyday Latinas through innovative outreach and programs.

• Jessy Correa (Orlando, FL): A member of Florida Rising, Jessy currently helps to organize access to affordable and reliable housing for her hometown.
• Kassandra Sanchez (Los Angeles, CA): Kassandra is a member of the Poderistas Power Squad, as a standout organizer in her community. She serves as Chairwoman of the Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA. She is only the second woman to lead in the organization’s 140 year history.
• Linda Garza (Laredo, TX): Linda serves as the General Counsel for Siete Family Foods, a rapidly growing Mexican-American-owned healthy, Latin food company. This company is focused on making and sharing real food, gathering together an authentic community and advocating for healthier lifestyles among Latino families.
• María Fernandez Schael-Martinez (Miami, FL): María is a member of Florida Rising. She suffers from multiple sclerosis, a diagnosis that has changed her life and her family. She is an organizer and uses her platform and experience to help others get the opportunity to safeguard the lives of their loved ones.

• Ruth Virginia Moreno Quiterio (Miami, FL): Ruth is a proud Dominican immigrant, Afro-Latina, organizer and mom. She serves as the Deputy Director for the Florida For All Education Fund, organizing communities of color to realize their power across the state of Florida.
• Stephanie Almanza (Addison, TX): Stephanie is a member of the Poderistas Power Squad, organizing in her local community. She also serves as a Spanish language and culture teacher at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, who is a strong advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity through her work as an educator.
• Stephanie Maldonado (Phoenix, AZ): Stephanie Maldonado is a first generation Mexican-American and the Program Director for AZ Community Schools. Since 2018, she has led Voteria, a non-partisan voter registration effort that has registered over 40,000 voters. In addition, she has led a community services program which provided citizenship support to the local Latino immigrant community.
• Veronica Garza (Laredo, TX): Veronica is the Co-Founder and President of Siete Family Foods. Passionate about making and sharing real food after her family faced a series of major health challenges, Veronica co-created Siete Family Foods. This company is focused on making and sharing real food, gathering together an authentic community and advocating for healthier lifestyles among Latino families.