The Inspiration Hour with Luz

Scarlen Martinez is the Deputy Director of Fellow Learning and Development at the GreatOAks Foundation. In her role, she supports the learning and development of fellows across the GreatOaks network through targeted professional development. She is an author of diverse children's books, mother, and career educator committed to uplifting the voices and needs of underserved communities. She believes in having diverse representation in literature to promote reading in marginalized communities. Scarlen is also an education advocate and supports marginalized groups of people navigating the American education system by educating them on their rights and supporting them with obtaining free resources.

Creating the imaginary has always given him a thrill and allowed him to " vacation" into each of his client's fields of focus and learn new things as he polishes their brand. He does many creative projects from logo identity, billboard advertising, and animation. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from New Jersey City University. Besides freelancing, he is currently working as a graphic designer at Essex County College that challenges his creativity while allowing him to give back to his community.If you would like to connect with Victor, you can follow him on IG at https://www.instagram.com/designbyvictor/

Anacleto is a New York City native born and raised in Brooklyn. He majored in Biomedicine/Biology at The City College of New York and is a Transcriptionist at Northwell Health System at Plainview Hospital. He is currently working in the Emergency Department and a Representative of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.He loves traveling, foodie, and is single, looking for the future Mrs. Bristol.In this episode, he shared information on the Pre-College Enrichment Program at Columbia and for those interested you can find it here: https://www.vagelos.columbia.edu/education/academic-programs/additional-educational-opportunities/summer-youth-programs/middle-high-school-students/state-pre-college-enrichment-program-s-prep?fbclid=IwAR0n67u-dv6eOMgaywLpn1dyavWyHOGsfr9FqV_uYE2fMjms6GlbMfrQGZwIf you would like to connect with Anacleto, you can follow him on IG at https://www.instagram.com/anacletobristol/.

Evita is a writer, blogger, and first-time author. She began writing short stories and poems when she was in junior high school.She is the founder of Curlyvita: Crowns Come in All Colors, a lifestyle blog in which you will find a celebration of life, motherhood, curly hair, diversity, beauty, and more! Check out her blog website: www.curlyvita.com to find out more about Evita and her writing projects!In 2018 she published her first children’s book, The Girl With The Magical Curls, which was inspired by the Dove Love Your Curls campaign commercial and her own curly-haired daughter, Tatiana. The premise of her book is to encourage self-acceptance and self-love amongst little girls and women with curls.Before she started writing professionally she has over 10 years of professional experience working in the higher education sector. She received her Master’s degree from Fordham University in Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care. Her favorite colors are pink, black, turquoise and lavender. She enjoys traveling, visiting museums, listening to music, taking nature walks, Zumba, spending time with friends/family, and spirituality.The Girl With The Magical Curls is also published in Spanish titled, La Niña con los Rizos Mágicos.Social Media Handles:Instagram: @iamevitagironFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorevitaWebsite: www.curlyvita.comBook:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Magical-Curls-Evita-Giron/dp/1729662625Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ni%C3%B1a-los-rizos-m%C3%A1gicos-Spanish/dp/B08LNBH4YY/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girl-with-the-magical-curls-evita-giron/1129885354

Melissa worked in youth development for about ten years before switching gears to marketing and promotions when turning thirty. Once she became a solo mom she wanted to find a way to bring her career knowledge home. Blogging was a perfect fit that allowed her to merge careers and motherhood. JustaBXmom was born from that merge in the fall of 2015. JustaBXmom has become a resource for all parents. Currently she is supporting families as a parenting and homeschool coach. Melissa is a Bronx-born resident that is excited to see and be part of The Bronx Is Blooming era in history.

She is a mother and a genealogist that is empowering others to connect with families and their ancestors. Join Irisneri and me as we learn how she started doing her own family research that led to her fall in love with the richness of her family and gives tips on how you can start on your search.

Faith-based empowerment speaker, best-selling author, certified life coach, podcaster and entrepreneur Jamie Watkins is known for her infectious smile, positive energy, down-to-earth approach and keen ability to connect with a powerful message rooted in self-acceptance, empowerment and living with purpose. Jamie wants women everywhere to embrace their stories, stand confidently in their truths and create the lives they want! Often called the “Happiness Coach,” she is the founder of My Peace of Happy, a coaching, consulting and community brand dedicated to uplifting women. Jamie shares her story with women all over the world, to let them know they are not alone. As a recovering perfectionist and planning control freak, she understands what it's like to be “stuck” trying to control the uncontrollable and fix the unfixable. Jamie’s mission is to inspire women to love themselves enough to know with certainty, they are enough, equipped, and empowered for purpose.

Bio:After going from a stay-at-home-mom to award-winning activist filmmaker, Top 100 podcaster, and to sought-after Fortune 500 speaker, Denise Soler Cox uses her experience to transform lives through storytelling.In 2014 she Co-Founded Project Eñye a multimedia production company whose purpose is to transform how we think about culture, identity, and what it means to belong.In September 2020 Denise was recognized as a “Featured Host” by Apple Podcast North America for her podcast “The Self-ish Latina” with listeners in 32 countries. Denise has been invited to speak on over 150 stages including two TEDx talks and has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands like Microsoft, Facebook, LinkedIn, JP Morgan Chase, Salesforce, Procter & Gamble, Dow Jones, Eli Lilly, Starbucks, and VaynerMedia to name a few.Renowned Harvard Professor Marshall Ganz uses Denise’s film “being eñye” as part of his Public Narrative course as an example of “The story of us.”Her work has been published as a contributor in Huffington Post. She has been featured in Forbes as a “Trailblazing Latina” and also on CNN, CNN Money, Chicago Tribune, Fox News Latino, HOLA, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Denise has a combined audience of 97k followers across all platforms.She is currently in production with her second feature-length documentary about secret-keeping in the Latinx community (2022) and also working on a forthcoming book about Belonging (Winter 2021).

BioAngela "Angy" Abreu is a Dominican-American mom, writer and community organizer. Angy firmly believes that “if it does not exist then you must create it.” In 2015, feeling dismissed as a Dominican American writer in many literary spaces, she decided to create the Dominican Writers Association a 501 c3 non-profit organization solely dedicated to highlighting content that not only promotes the works of Dominican Writers but also provides them with the tools and resources necessary for their development. Angy is the Creative Director of Dominican Writers and along with the Board manages and creates content that serves the Dominican Writers population.

BIOGerold "Shellbair" is a photographer in the New York area.Photography sparked Gerold's interest by watching his father capture pictures & record events for friends and family as a child. He enjoys to capture candid images that provoke dialogue & drive emotion. Gerold specializes in events, lifestyle and editorial photography. Gerold has photographed a wide range of events, companies and people including & not limited to President Barack Obama at the 44th Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. , the 16th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival in South Africa, Curlfest NY, Curlfest Atlanta, professional sporting events, magazine publications, weddings, corporate events, product, maternity & family portraits. Most of all Gerold enjoys capturing pictures that make you relive or feel you are in the moment.His strong passion for the community started at a young age with his mother who was active in the church, fundraising & family activities which instilled the core values Gerold has today. He is active in the community personally and as a founding director for a nonprofit. Some of their activities include art exhibits & showcase, community building events promoting self love affirmation and preservation.

Bio: Cinthia Onines is a Mexican-American, cat mom and wife. Cinthia earned her B.S. in Accounting and Human Resources from National Louis University. After 11 years of working as an Accounting Manager for different industries, she embarked on entrepreneurship in 2017 as a wedding planner. She ran a successful wedding agency for four years but soon found her true calling in 2021 when she found her passion in assisting small businesses with their bookkeeping. Her mission is to empower women-owned businesses to keep clean bookkeeping records and provide financial education to gain clarity in their finances and reach their goals. Freebie: Budget Planning Roadmap: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/61520d1ebc3eea86ee42f308Website: https://modernpennyllc.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernpennyllc/

Jasmine is a Mental Health Counselor located in Bronx, NY. Experience working with sexually exploited girls, young adults, children, and at-risk families using an eclectic approach tailored to the unique needs of each new client. She holds a Masters in Mental Health and is the proud daughter of a retired NY Department of Education Principal. Her love for education and advocacy started at a young age.

Jessica Gonzalez is a native-born New Yorker of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent who loves to travel, learn languages, cook, write, dance, and fence. She attended Queens College where she studied Psychology and found her spark for the concept of Luna, Yes! Luna, ¡Si! She has been actively involved with the autism community since she was 8 years old when her then 1 year old sister was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She has raised money for local schools and after-school programs, taught dance classes for those who are neurodiverse, and led a high school workshop on the disabled community. She hopes to further spread autism awareness through this book as well as pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology to help those with disabilities along with her future projects in various creative outlets.

BIO: Mom, wife, Empowerment / Business Coach, and Author. She teaches women how to Brand & Market themselves with confidence.

BIO - Luz Sanchez Luz Sanchez is from Mexico City now living in Los Angeles California. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Cinema and TV Arts. A DTM- Distinguish Toastmaster And a Yoga Instructor. 200 YTT (Yoga Teacher Training).Collaborated in two books: Women Who Rock 2 Life BoostsAuthor of “Stolen Identity, what to do when it happens to you.” a book on identity Theft Published in March 2020. You can find it on Amazon.She competed at the Woman of Achievement pageant in the International category for Ms. Elite Mexico- America 2020. Hobbies: Cinema, hiking, singing, dancing, reading, writing.

Author Bio:Padgy Soltis is a mother, writer, and bachata dance enthusiast living in North Carolina with her husband, two sons and their one eyed Chihuahua, Jack. Padgy serves in the military and was deployed, spending nine months away from her oldest son. Inspired by the difficulty of separation and the altered view of the world given to her through motherhood, Padgy turned to writing. Her children's book I Will Come Back is a short, sweet, heart-wrenching assurance dedicated to not just her own sons, but children everywhere who may be experiencing the pain of being away from someone they love. When she is not writing, Padgy is an avid reader and enjoys photography, spending time with her family, and eating her mother's cooking!Additional Information: Born and raised in New Jersey by parents that immigrated from the Dominican Republic. I have been in the military (Marine Corps) since May 2011 and will be leaving the service in the summer of 2022. I have a bachelor’s degree from Campbell University.

BIO: Maira Hernández is an award-winning author for her book titled “Aventura, Amor y Tacos.” Straddling the best of both worlds from bailes in the rancho, to meetings in the board room she helps people reconnect with their raíces in order to use the lessons from their cultural heritage to empower themselves to be badass individuals in every part of their lives.

Ashley Ann is a one-of-a-kind, internationally-certified master groomer, celebrity pet-stylist, grooming educational instructor, mentor, and electrifying speaker. Founder of Diamonds in the Ruff, a luxury pet groom salon located in Lincoln Park, NJ.For the last decade, she has been grooming dogs and cats and has developed a unique client listing that includes residents, business executives, and celebrities who all favor the finer details of grooming which she incorporates in her practice while individualizing each unique pets look to define a dog’s personality further.Website: https://www.groomingextraordinaire.comAshley AnnCEO of Diamonds in the RuffCelebrity/Master Pet Stylist

Diana Lee Santamaria is an Award-Winning children’s author of the bilingual book series DLee’s World. She has been an early childhood educator for over 11 years with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies. Diana Lee’s preschool learning books entitled, DLee’s Color Hunt, DLee’s Outdoor Countdown, DLee's First Day of School, DLee's Nighttime Scare, DLee's Bad Day (Un mal día de DLee), DLee’s Snow Day and DLee’s Shapely Imagination are the first seven educational books in her series. The goal of her books is to promote early literacy, diversity and learning through fun! https://www.dleesworld.com/author-diana-lee-santamaria

Nicole is the Founder/Creative Director of Sumatoo and Ann Marie Accesories. She has a degree in Fashion Merchandising Management from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology(FIT) in New York City. She has over 18 years of experience in the fashion industry including, interning at Kenneth Cole, Product Development at Tommy Hilfiger, and Merchandising at the Asia Society Museum. She also owned an online children's boutique, Tyler & Madison. Nicole focuses on making sure the best quality fabrics are sourced and that all styles are the most comfortable for our customers. She wants all girls to look and feel great while dressing age-appropriate. Nicole wants the Sūmatoo logo and brand to represent fun, trendy, and unique looks; amazing quality with great comfort; and most importantly, empowering and encouraging young girls to know their worth!!. Ann Marie Accessories is a handmade accessories line that focuses on lightweight genuine leather, wood, and polymer clay pieces. Visit the websites for full details at https://sumatoo.com/ and https://www.annmarieaccessories.com/