Latina Brilliance 2.0

Latina Brilliance's mission to unite, empower, and elevate Latinas through workshops, panels, and connections truly shone through at their second summit. As a second time attendee, I witnessed firsthand how Yovana and Karina created an even more powerful comunidad of jefas, nurturing the personal and professional relationships from the first summit. I felt supported. I was welcome backed with open arms. I found myself more comfortable sharing my own experiences and felt a genuine sense of community. Together, we explored strategies to transform obstacles into opportunities, embodying the essence of Latina Brilliance's vision to showcase our collective strength and potential.

The day began with a Cacao ceremony, an experience completely new to me. It connected me to my roots in unexpected ways. When they said cacao, I expected something like hot chocolate. It definitely was NOT hot chocolate. The taste was strong. I honestly didn't love it, but I wanted to be as connected as I could. I felt a physical sensation wash over me- a heaviness that seemed to ground me in the moment. Despite that, the ceremony's chant awakened something in me. I felt the power in community in that moment. As someone who has struggled to connect with my cultural heritage, this ceremony offered a glimpse into the traditions I've longed to reclaim. My grandparents don't share much about their experience growing up in Puerto Rico. The traditions they shared with their parents or their grandparents. I've never heard those stories. I constantly grieve the loss of my family's history. Surrounded by fellow Latinas, I felt the collective power of women channeling the generations before us.

Together we chanted:

"Tierra mi cuerpo

Aqua mi sangre

Aire me aliento

Fuego mi espiritu "

The second panel focused on our inner warrior. Key phrases like "our culture is our inheritance" and "own your own subject matter" challenged us to think about how we can incorporate our culture and heritage into our passions and careers. Yovana R. and Ruby G. shared personal stories of triumph in times of darkness. They refuse to let others define their paths. They are showing up for themselves. Constantly. Something I've been working so hard to do over the last couple of years. They drew strength from community and continue to leverage community to succeed personally and professionally. For me, the panel's core message was that our inner warrior is cultivated through embracing our culture, empowering ourselves, and owning our journeys.

The finance workshop was my favorite one. We were prompted to explore memories around money: how was it discussed? Were there conversations? If not, why not? Who was in charge of the finances? How did that affect our families? Millions of emotions were bubbling up and 30 minutes was not enough time to let them all out. Jasmine L. shared her own stories of success and loss. The emotions she felt. I related to a lot of them. My father always handled the finances. He was and still is the big money maker. My current reality is that I'm the bread winner in my relationship. My partner and I have been on and off in jobs since 2019 when we started dating. The job market continues to get worse and worse. As of writing this he actually landed a job after a year and a half of working. A huge weight is off my shoulders. Our relationship will still continue to change and be challenged by finances. His experience with money is that his family has a history of bankruptcy. They've lost houses. They (the parents) fought over money constantly. Both of our experiences bleed into our relationship today. We do our best to be as transparent as we can, but our childhood experiences often blur the lines in our current situation. My biggest takeaway was reflecting on the question of "Who is in my ecosystem?". I'm currently building that community and am happy to watch it grow every day.

The Latina Brilliance 2.0 was more than just a conference, it was coming home. The overwhelming sense of support and love I felt from "strangers" and acquaintances on LinkedIn. People I admire were celebrating me and my wins. The summit allowed space for self-expression. I was allowed to move my body freely and without shame through somatic movement with Dahlia Q. I am inspired to write more and share my story. My goal has always been to amplify the voices of others. Latina Brilliance gave me the power to share my story and share it proudly.

Thanks to everyone at the conference, I was reminded that our stories matter. Our voices deserve to be heard. Our brilliance deserves to shine.