Our team

Meet Vivian Huelgo, Chief Programs Officer Where are you from?  Born in Brooklyn NY and raised in Queens, NY to Hugo y Bertha, my beloved parents who immigrated from Colombia. Where do you feel most at home? In New York City with my oldest friends and family around me. What inspires […]

Meet Ana Ortega, Health and Violence Prevention Coordinator Where are you from?   I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles (Sur Centro de Los Angeles). My parent’s are from Puebla, Mexico. So I like to say that LA and Puebla are my homes.  Where do you feel most at […]

Meet Laura Villarreal, Health & Violence Prevention Specialist Where are you from?   I was born in Des Moines, IA and grew up in a rural area nearby.  Where do you feel most at home?  I feel most at home wherever I am surrounded by people I love.  What inspires you, professionally […]

Meet Aida Negrón, Bilingual Communications Coordinator Where are you from?     I was born and raised in a small town, Utuado, in Puerto Rico. Where do you feel most at home?  Any place where there are loved ones and where we could share good (and not so good) times. What inspires […]

By Zeenyace Flores Dia de los Muertos has a special meaning this year in Minnesota: with COVID-19 disproportionately affecting the Latin@ community, the killing of George Floyd still fresh in people’s memories, the murder of a young Latina women, Yadhira Romero Martines, bringing light to el feminicidio, and growing violence in […]

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month we are highlighting the voices of Latino men in the movement to end gender-based violence, sharing how they came to the movement, what it means to be a Latino male-identifying person to end gender-based violence, and their approach to engage other Latino male-identifying folks […]

As a policy advocate and academic in social justice and victimology, I read things about domestic violence and sexual assault often. Ruth Glenn’s book Everything I Never Dreamed was incredibly thought-provoking and it also brought out so many emotions for me. More importantly, for the first time, I saw myself in […]

Meet Patricia Emmanuelli, Health and violence prevention specialist Where are you from?  I am from Humacao, Puerto Rico. Where do you feel most at home? After moving to Florida 5 years ago, I thought that being in Puerto Rico would make me feel most at home. But after visiting a few […]

Esperanza United is proud to announce that Vivian Huelgo will be joining the organization as Chief Programs Officer tomorrow. Founded more than forty years ago, Esperanza United is the largest and most well-respected organization working across the United States to mobilize Latin@s to end gender-based violence. Vivian Huelgo brings more than […]

Meet Beverly Martinez, Youth Advocate Where are you from?  I was born in Puebla, Mx and have been in Minnesota since the age of 3. Where do you feel most at home?  I feel most at home anywhere when I’m surrounded by my family. What inspires you, professionally and personally? I’m […]