Making It Here

• Kasumi Quinlan of Lemontree on Building a Better System for Food Access

  When Kasumi Quinlan joined Lemontree, she wasn’t starting something new, she was stepping into a vision first created by Alex Godin, who set out to make finding free food as simple and human as possible. Kasumi found a model grounded in empathy and human connection, and the opportunity to grow it into something larger. Under her leadership, Lemontree has become a nationwide service helping people navigate food insecurity with dignity. Through simple text and chat, trained advocates connect neighbors to nearby pantries and meal programs in minutes. No judgment, no hoops to jump through. Today, I sit down with Kasumi to talk about her path into this work, what she’s learned from listening to thousands of neighbors, and how thoughtful design can turn a moment of need into one of care. https://www.foodhelpline.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Glenelys Jimenez is rewriting the rules of learning with Levanto Collective

  When Glenelys Jimenez became a new mom in early 2020, she started thinking about all the things she wished she’d learned sooner. As the oldest daughter of Dominican immigrants, she’d spent years teaching herself how to navigate student loans, taxes, workplace culture, and mortgages… not just for herself, but for her family and friends, too. When the world shut down, Glenelys decided to build what she wished had existed all along: a space for people to learn and rise together. That idea became Levanto Collective, a community filling in the life skills and support systems traditional education leaves out. Through workshops on financial wellness, mental health, reproductive health, and career growth, Levanto helps members “unlearn what doesn’t serve them and learn what will.” Today, I sit down with Glenelys to talk about building Levanto with her own savings, staying rooted in purpose, and how she’s evolved her original idea… from an app into a community built to help others rise. https://vialevanto.com/ https://www.instagram.com/levantocollective/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• How The Friends Behind City Señoras Are Redefining Self-Care

  City Señoras started as two friends looking for connection… a walk in the park, a cup of coffee, a space to slow down. But what began as a small gathering in Brooklyn has since grown into a self-care social club spanning New York and Los Angeles. Co-founders Alexis Mendias and Jaqueline Padilla have built something special: a place where women, especially Latinas and women of color, can show up fully as themselves. Their meetups (often featuring movement, journaling, or just meaningful conversation) have drawn crowds of over eighty people, all searching for the same thing: belonging. In this episode we sit down with Alexis and Jacqueline to hear about what it takes to build a community from scratch, and the lessons they’ve learned from balancing growth with intention. https://www.citysenoras.com/about-us https://www.instagram.com/citysenoras/ https://www.tiktok.com/@citysenorasSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• How Karen Vidangos is building access for the underrepresented in the art world

  The art world can feel intimidating, even elitist. But for Karen Vidangos, it’s also been a space to challenge those barriers and open doors for others. She built the Latinx Art Collective, a free, searchable database that helps curators, collectors, and fans discover artists across the U.S. She also created Latina in Museums, an online platform that documents her candid journey navigating a field where Latinx voices are often underrepresented. Today, Karen shares how financial setbacks nearly took her off the path entirely, why community support is essential for anyone building a platform, and how she’s learned to give imposter syndrome just five minutes before moving forward. https://www.instagram.com/latinxartcollective/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/latinainmuseums/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Epicenter Helps Bring the Sari to Center Stage and Launches an AI Cohort

  Today, we’re turning the mic inward, and sharing a couple of highlights from a recent conversation I had with Epicenter Co-founder and publisher Mitra Kalita on Los Herederos Radio. First, we discuss a sari exhibit that Epicenter has helped bring to life… reframing the sari as a cultural and artistic object, one that carries stories of migration, memory, identity, and resistance. We also cover the launch of Epicenter Foundation’s latest AI cohort. The program brings together small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and other community voices to learn how artificial intelligence can be used in practical, accessible ways. It’s part of Epicenter’s ongoing effort to ensure that the communities we serve aren’t left behind as new technologies develop. And before we wrap up, we’ll share a quick preview of what else is coming later this October.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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