Our people

Vivian Huelgo, J.D. serves as President & Chief Executive Officer at Esperanza United. Vivian articulates and implements the organization’s strategic vision and supports a high-performing culture with staff located in the Twin Cities area, Washington, DC and across the country. Founded more than forty years ago, Esperanza United is the largest Latina-founded and Latina-led organization working across the mainland United States and territories to mobilize Latin@s and their communities to end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and staking.   

Vivian has worked at the intersection of law and domestic and sexual violence for over twenty-five years. In 2022, she joined Esperanza United as Chief Programs Officer. Over the prior decade, Vivian led the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence as Chief Counsel, working intensively on the organization’s human rights, domestic and sexual violence, and human trafficking initiatives. At the ABA, Vivian developed and established a broad, inclusive vision for the Commission’s work, sponsoring critical policy, increasing its online presence, and doubling funding for training and technical assistance to lawyers nationally. Vivian began her career as a prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney’s Office and subsequently served as Director of Legal Services at Safe Horizon, Inc., the nation’s largest crime victim’s agency. She has lectured for the US Department of State, Coalition against Trafficking, and the ABA globally on domestic and sexual violence, access to justice, human trafficking, and organizational development.  

In 2015, Vivian was chosen as a selected fellow of Move to End Violence, a program of the NoVo Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Flor de Maga Award for Women in the Legal Profession from the Puerto Rican Bar Association. Vivian is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law where she served as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Law and received both the Andrew A. Rivera Alumni Achievement Award and the Louis J. Lefkowitz Public Service Award. Vivian was born in Brooklyn, raised in New York City, and is now a twin mom living in the greater Washington, DC area.

Annika Gifford has worked at the intersection of social justice and human rights internationally and in the U.S. for 25 years. As Esperanza United’s Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, she animates and actualizes the organization’s mission with strategic vision, nurtures a values-driven culture of excellence, and uplifts strengths-based approaches to end gender-based violence. 

Prior to joining Esperanza United, Annika helped facilitate the launch of Resonance Network, a network of people who believe a world without violence is possible. She has also held senior policy, research, and program positions with Break the Cycle and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, as well as worked at the Centre for Women’s Studies in Zagreb, Croatia post-conflict. While living in Croatia, she co-founded a Croatian non-governmental organization promoting greater social inclusion of children and youth with disabilities.  

Annika has a Master of Arts in Gender and Peacebuilding from the United Nations-mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She was part of Cohort Two of Move to End Violence, a program of the NoVo Foundation. She is a founding board member of the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence and served on the board of the Battered Women’s Justice Project. Annika is also a donor family member of the Building More Philanthropy with Purpose, or Bad Mo Pho Phamily, comprised of pan-Asian families who believe a better future is possible for all when we come together to celebrate, learn about, and provide resources to fuel the change we want to see in the world. 

Jeanette (Soto) Bowden has over two decades of experience working in the gender-based violence field. She currently serves as Senior Manager of Systems Engagement and Advocacy at Esperanza United. In that role, she leads three projects funded by the Office of Violence Against Women, each focused on systemic interventions to reduce domestic violence homicides.    

Her multifaceted experience overseeing residential, community, and culturally specific programming in New York, Michigan, and Georgia, contributes to her success and leadership in project management, budget oversight, trauma-informed and culturally responsive supervision, and community relations. As a seasoned facilitator and trainer, she increased the capacity of organizations and individuals responding to racially and ethnically diverse survivors of gender-based violence.  

Additionally, Jeanette has experience in fatality reviews, coordinated community responses, and lethality assessment, providing training to law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations.  Throughout her career, she has consistently elevated the needs of Latin@ survivors and increased their access to services to prevent intimate partner homicides. 

A first-generation college graduate, Jeanette was born and raised in New York City to Puerto Rican parents born on the island.  

Alexander Delgado is a dedicated advocate for marginalized communities, focusing his career on advancing policies and systems at all levels of government to end human trafficking and gender-based violence. With a strategic, survivor-centered, and compassionate approach, Alexander has excelled in policy reform, legislative advocacy, and coalition-building, working across key areas such as anti-trafficking, online safety and privacy, and broader gender-based violence initiatives. Now, as the Director of Policy at Esperanza United, he continues to drive impactful change, championing critical issues that affect Latin@ communities and beyond. 

Prior to his current role, Alexander served as Director of Policy at Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT), where he led efforts to advance anti-trafficking legislation in Congress. His previous experience includes roles as a Program Officer at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, enhancing services for LGBTQ+ and foreign national survivors of exploitation, and as a Senior Case Manager at Sanctuary for Families, providing direct support to survivors navigating social welfare and immigration systems. 

Born in Lima, Peru and raised in New Jersey, Alexander holds a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology from Boston University and a Master’s in Policy Management from Georgetown University. 

Patricia Emmanuelli serves as Senior Manager, Community Health and Violence Prevention at Esperanza United. She provides project management, budget oversight, and trauma-informed and culturally responsive supervision while managing community and national partnerships. 

Patricia’s years of experience supporting survivors of sexual assault in Florida and Puerto Rico and her use of data and evaluation have contributed to her success in building and enhancing culturally responsive programming. 

Patricia contributes to multiple national initiatives like End Violence Against Women International’s Seek and Speak, a website supporting sexual assault survivors in gathering information and reporting to law enforcement; the Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam Virtual Practicum, an online learning platform training medical practitioners in collecting evidence for sexual assault forensic exams; and Future Without Violence’s Economic Opportunity Project, a consortium of national partners working to increase employment protections for survivors. 

Patricia continues to work with survivors of sexual assault by providing support and advocacy at her local rape crisis center and is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of Florida.  

Cristina Escobar currently serves as the Director of Communications and Marketing at Esperanza United. She has been running cause-focused, national communications shops for more than a decade. At Esperanza United, she oversees and enhances the organization’s profile and reputation through strategically expanding our network and sphere of influence while ensuring brand cohesion internally and externally.  

Whether working to engage young people, partnering with now First Lady of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom, or rebranding organizations like Latinas Represent, she consistently formulates and implements winning communications strategies.  

In addition to her work in the domestic violence field, Cristina is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Latina Media Co, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved indie publication platforming Latina and queer Latinx critics. A TEDx speaker, board member of the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association, and regular contributor to Roger Ebert, she writes at the intersection of race, gender, and pop culture. 

Dani Garcia, Human Resources Director at Esperanza United, has over 14 years of human resources experience, from talent acquisition to benefits to exit interviews to employee retention, training, coaching and development, as well as performance management, with a specialization in employee relations. She has worked in several industries across several teams, which has given her extensive and inclusive experience, knowledge, and insight to draw from regarding organizational culture, processes, policies, change management, and the entire employee life cycle.  

Dani has location and cultural ties to Esperanza United.  She was born and raised on the East Side of St. Paul and enjoyed growing up in this vibrant, diverse community, which she still calls home.  

Paula Gomez Stordy has over 30 years of experience working in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, of which 20 were in nonprofit management. As Senior Director of National Training and Technical Assistance at Esperanza United, she directs training and technical assistance, overseeing federal grants, programming budgets, and staff, who deliver state-of the art training and technical assistance across the country and Puerto Rico. 

As a subject matter expert, Paula has led hundreds of keynotes, presentations, and workshops nationally and throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.  She has consulted nonprofits in the areas of fundraising, board development, organizational development, leadership development, and strategic programming. 

Through her career, she has held key roles within various settings such as hospitals, courts, shelters, and community-based organizations.  Additionally, she served as an Adjunct Professor at Merrimack College. 

Lillie Macias, Ph.D., directs Esperanza United’s Research and Evaluation Center through a university-community partnership with the University of New Haven, where she is an Associate Professor of Psychology.  

She completed her doctoral studies in Clinical-Community Psychology at Georgia State University and completed a clinical-community fellowship and postdoc through Yale School of Medicine. Lillie specializes in community-based trauma response and prevention research, mentoring students and young professionals in high school through the graduate-level on participatory research methods, program evaluation, and program development.   

She is the proud granddaughter of California farmworkers and enjoys spending her free time with family in Connecticut.  

Sarahi Mateo currently serves as the Assistant Director of Family Advocacy Services at Esperanza United. In this role, she has established herself as a trusted leader within the organization and across Minnesota’s broader domestic violence advocacy network, thanks to her grounded leadership, deep understanding of the Latin@ community, and commitment to survivor-centered practices including our Esperanza United’s strength-based approach. 

Sarahi strategically oversees Esperanza United’s Family Advocacy programming, including our Refugio (shelter), community/mobile services, and Minnesota’s one and only 24/7 Spanish/English crisis hotline. She leads a multidisciplinary team, ensuring we consistently deliver culturally responsive, trauma informed, and holistic services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 

Throughout her tenure at Esperanza United, Sarahi has led initiatives that strengthen community partnerships, expand access to critical resources for survivors, and promote long-term safety and stability for program participants. With over ten years of experience in the field of domestic violence, her expertise spans crisis intervention, staff development, grant management, and systems advocacy, all rooted in a deep commitment to community healing and a passion for uplifting and empowering survivors and their families to live free from violence. 

Nallely Castro Montoya serves as the Assistant Director of Prevention & Social Change at Esperanza United. Nallely is passionate and dedicated to advancing culturally responsive, community-centered approaches to gender-based violence prevention and youth empowerment. In her role at Esperanza United, she oversees the organization’s prevention initiatives in the Twin Cities, manages grants and budgets, and ensures alignment with organizational goals and expectations. Nallely also leads program development, evaluation and capacity building.  

Prior to her work at Esperanza United, Nallely served as a Mental Health Practitioner at Family Innovations, providing individualized and family centered therapeutic support to elementary-aged children. Nallely also served as a School Social Work Intern at Adolescent Girls and Parenting Education (AGAPE) High School. There she co-facilitated support groups that focused on interpersonal relationships and personal empowerment, supporting students in developing coping strategies for challenging situations.  

She is currently a member of Saint Paul Public Schools Latino Consent Decree Parent Advisory Council, which supports Latin@ students in developing essential academic and personal skills to meet the districts performance standards. 

Nallely holds a Bachelor of Art in Chicano-Latino studies, Bachelor of Science in Family Social Science, and a MSW from the University of Minnesota-Twins Cities. 

Nancy Nava is the research and evaluation senior manager at Esperanza United. Nancy received her master’s in public health from Georgia State University and has focused her training and work on impacts of social determinants on Latin@ communities.  

At Esperanza United, she designs, implements, and evaluates programs. She also provides training and technical assistance on research and evaluation practices to Latin@ community-based organizations. Nancy’s research interest includes program evaluation, participatory action research, best practice of strategies for the inclusion of youth with disabilities in all settings, and dissemination of community centered evidence-based practices.