Analiza: Welcome to the Women of Color Rise Podcast. I'm Analiza Quiroz Wolf, proud, Filipina American, mom of two, and former CEO of a nonprofit and Captain in the US Air Force. I'm on a mission to support having more diverse leaders at the table. We'll be talking with successful CEOs and C suite women leaders of color and learning about their leadership journeys. If you're a woman or woman of color, who wants a seat at the table, you're in the right place. Now let's get into today's show.

I'm so excited today to be talking with Renata Soto. She has this amazing background. She's the founder of Mosaic Changemakers. It's a social impact organization where the mission is to uplift the South, particularly with leaders of color who are fighting on the frontlines for social justice, racial justice. As founder of Mosaic Changemakers, she actually comes from a huge, impressive background. She's originally from Costa Rica, and she spent about three decades in the south so that's why she's really committed to supporting the South. She began her social impact career in Atlanta also spent time in Nashville. Before Mosaic, she led Conexión Américas which is a nonprofit she founded in 2002 to help with Tennessee's Latino community. For her work there, she created different projects like Casa Azafrán and Azafrán Park, which are these community development projects. And they've been recognized so much so that President Obama in 2014, visited one of the projects and he hosted a nationally televised town hall there. So with that, in addition, Renata is also a senior fellow at Harvard University's Advanced Leadership Initiative. And she serves on the board of directors. She's currently the Board Chair of UnidosUS Action Fund. She was the chair before that of UnidosUS, the sister organization, which is the largest Latino civil rights organization. And just recently, this is just adding to how amazing Renata is, she was appointed by President Biden to the White House Advisory Commission on educational equity and economic opportunity for the Hispanic community. So Renata, with all of that, I am so excited for you to be here. There's so much that we are going to be learning and inspiring others. So thank you. Thank you for being here.

Renata: I'm so excited to be with you and Analiza.

Analiza: All right, I want to start with your upbringing. And I love how proud you are of coming from Costa Rica. And I want to just understand how did this upbringing your family being from Costa Rica influence your journey?

Renata: Yes, so I come from a family of poets and educators and activists and entrepreneurs, I grew up being raised by my mother and her mother, and with my two sisters, so a household full of women, my maternal and paternal grandmother's, also, again, very much part of my life. And so I feel when I think about my upbringing, and like, what memories I have, and important moments of both growth and lessons and learning like I always see these women popping up in my head. My grandmother, my mom's mother, who lived with us all of her life and helped raise us well. My mother was in college and working, grew up with, you know, she had only a fourth grade education and she worked as a cook and domestic worker. By the time I came into the family life and my sisters, I'm the youngest of three. My grandmother was now with us taking care of us. And it was through her support of my mother that she was able to go and start college when I was five. So my mother and my father got married very young, right out of high school. My mom had the three of us by the time she was 23, a young mother, and she didn't pursue her dreams of going to college immediately because she became a young mom, but she always had this amazing thirst for knowledge for writing. And, you know, it took a few more years and maybe the path that you and I took through college, but it was such an important part of my sense of who we are Where and just the experiences that I was having. Because my mother was going to college when I was five. By the time I went to that same university, I already knew that coffee shops and even some of the bars, because my mom had took us, you know, to meetings that she had with her classmates. And it was such a seminal experience, because not only I understand really well, how in just one generation, that change that happened from my grandmother with a fourth grade education, to my mother being the first in her family to graduate high school and go to college and then become a college professor. I mean, I know that there's not a thread that is not community support family support people, teachers that push my mom a community, right, a community of family members.

And so it certainly I never forget that, you know, just two generations ago, my God, I remember when my daughter was in fourth grade, and she was writing and I remember reading her writing, and I was thinking, oh my gosh, this is as far as my grandma went, like, this is it like when my daughter at this age, this is no more schooling for her. And you know, but my grandmother loved writing. She loved writing songs, she was sent a mature poet, zone writer. And I also remember a lot of her notes and writing and you know, when you but my mom inherited her love for words. And my mom is a poet, a published poet that gave me the love for literature and poetry.

I have to say that yeah, really growing in Costa Rica, also at a time when I was born in 1972. So I'm a young girl in the 80s going to school at a time when in Central America there were civil wars in other countries like El Salvador and Guatemala and Nicaragua, and Costa Rica was the receiving country for many families looking for a place of safety and hope. My mother was very involved in the Solidarity movement of other Central American countries. And so my house, all of the side, and at some point, you know, we would have a family that would come and stay with us for like a week. And let me say, our house is very tiny. I share a room with my grandmother, my two sisters shared room. And then my mom had a room, we had one bathroom, it was a small, but comfortable little house. But even then my mom found space to host a family when they were coming from Nicaragua, or in Salvador. At this time, I was maybe eight or 10. And so I also have these vivid memories that I was thinking, Oh, my gosh, our house is already so small, and like this is so uncomfortable.

But of course, the older I got, the more I understood the impetus for my mom to be of support and help to people that needed it. And her own political involvement and activism in both in Costa Rica, but in solidarity with other Central Americans, of course shaped me, of course, shaped me about you know, what is it we're here to do in this world and aspirations for how I want it to be to others. So that's why I came to the US when I was 21, to finish college here. So certainly I am raised, born and shaped and go streak, I came already here as a young adult, and oh, my family's still in Costa Rica, and my roots are there and I'm totally connected to where I come from the people that I come from.

Analiza: That was such a beautiful story, and that I so appreciate hearing how much your grandmother and your mother shaped you not in, you should go to college, follow the path but actually modeling it, right, like bringing you to the meetings with her classmates, and having your grandmother be a writer and a poet. And seeing that through line with your mom with you, your daughter. I mean, it's fascinating how much our family and environment shapes us and to be with people who are in the struggle and actually have them live with you. I mean, those are so formative. And so I really appreciate just bringing it to life for us. And it makes so much sense, like seeing your career. And like, of course, she's gonna like to make this huge impact and go to Harvard and be, you know, called upon by two presidents. And like, of course, we're not just going to do that. But let's actually talk about it because there's power, right that you have had, like actual roles, institutional power in founding these organizations and being recognized. And so I want to talk about before you created mosaic, and how you were the lead the founder of Conexión Américas, just what were you thinking in your head that not?

I'm going to support someone else and not that you are not supporting others, but like, I'm actually going to lead and take it to the next level. I'm jumping to that because we're not too often as women of color, you know, we look for someone to help like we're gonna be the helpers and yet through your career, you're like, and I'm the leader. So can you just talk with us? Are you always like that? You move to the US and you're like, ah, Gonna leave, which is great. Or were you kind of guided that way? Like, how did that whole entry point happen?

Renata: Yeah, that's an interesting question. You know, like, it's, I think when I was in school, in middle school in high school, you know, some of my teachers, and my mom thought it was gonna become a lawyer and run for office, in part because I was always engaged in like, you know, organizing, I was the only organizer, but I was part of the organizing students, when we were wanting to complain about something, we wanted to do something better in our high school, because what the nuns were asking us to do to make any sense, or when we thought that there were other things that we should we be doing an offering in our school. And so certainly, you know, I guess I always had an inclination to join those courses and speak up and share, you know, what I thought was right and wrong. And so I think that certainly, you know, it's interesting to think how if that's your inclination, the inputs that you get, then help you see because I am thinking now that you're asking me.

Well, I did get encouragement from teachers who sort of lean on that, right? Like, I think of all the ways in which they encourage that actually sharing my voice and organizing these things was seen as a positive trait. So I think that that's maybe where it all begins, but certainly my mom is also right, like, supporting my running for school, government themes, school and all those. So I think it certainly matters that at an early age, I had really great teachers and at home that supported my impetus to like to be part of those conversations, right, and making things happen in whatever small or big way. So I think that by the time, you know, I am in the US, and I studied to be a journalist, I want to be a reporter. I also love writing. And I here in the US, I felt like I didn't have the licenses that I have in my native language. So I totally block out the notion that I would be a reporter because I'm like, No, I can't like English is not my thing. I'm still learning it right. And so I decided, well, there's other things that I can do. I love journalism because of its public interest profession, right. So I knew that I wanted to do something that was in a very cliche way, you know, doing something good for the world, I wanted to leave it better than I found it right.

And so I found myself actually, by chance going to work at this organization in Atlanta, right after college called the Latin American Association, where I work and I was their first communications person. So I channeled my communications degree into more like public relations and telling the story of this organization and the families in the immigrant families that it served. And that really was my entry into a nonprofit in the US. And at that point, I had chosen my husband and I knew life was gonna be here, at least for so many years. And I thought that this was a really great way to actually segue or channel my desire to do something good. And working with immigrant families coming from Latin America, in the US, I speak Spanish, I speak English, I have other opportunities that I can learn more. And this is what I can do. And so I decided that nonprofit work was where I could channel all of that. And I ended up first in Nashville, my husband's job this year.

And I worked at United Way for five and a half years. And that job really gave me this whole sort of master education or nonprofit, right, from volunteer management to grant making and writing proposals and just like how nonprofits are governed, and all the philanthropic sector of like how organizations are funded. And it was during that time, that I also because I was not working with the Latino community directly in any way, I connected with these other women that also had interest in doing something with the Latino community, which was just starting to flourish in Nashville.

And we ended up cohosting a radio show, once a week in one in the first language, Spanish language radio station here in Nashville. And it was a, you know, a weekly endeavor that we did for five years. It was called El Cafe Siete, coffee at seven, it was every Tuesday at 7pm. And I also I guess I channeled my journalistic desires or two, but it was through that show, we invited anyone from someone from the health department in the city from other nonprofits that were starting to try to reach out to the Latino community to lawyers, especially immigration lawyers, always super popular because it was a talk show. So we would interview the guests and then we would open the line for people to call up immigration lawyers were always the most popular.

And so through that job through that volunteer radio show, and my day job as a grant maker at United Way I saw, okay, the Latino community is growing. At the radio, I see all these organizations that are trying to do all these things for the Latino community, but it's really all disjointed. In a way it's okay, it's just growing. So it does not need to be more organized, but I also was getting a sense that there was not organization that really understood all the complexities. When a Latino family arrives in a place like Nashville, with little infrastructure to serve immigrants, learning a new language, new customs, the city itself is still just adapting to immigrants who speak Spanish. And I just saw story after story of how these really well intentioned organizations were doing this one program here and there. But also it was at a time when, because of the demographic change in places like Nashville, you started seeing anti immigrant bills popping up at the state legislature. And while in Nashville, you know, the progressive ethos is like, Oh, we are becoming more diverse and more comfortable. And that's welcome. Surely at the state level, that was not exactly also the change. So that really was the opening for me.

And at some point, I decided it's always about the right people at the right time. Analiza, right. Like, I think everything that I have done is because people encouraged me, or I found the people that were like eye to eye, like, Oh, yes, let's do this. This is like, we can feel our heart beat in an exciting way. And this is where we need to do. And that's what happened, I met these two amazing people who were also watching what was happening in Nashville with the Latino community and also sensing a void of an organization that was really at that intersection of both. Yes, families are here to pursue their version of the American dream. But there are challenges and opportunities and support that they will need in order to achieve that. And the city and nonprofits also need to adapt and change accordingly. So we decided, let's do this.

And that's the birth of Conexión Américas in 2002. I left you know, the way to start that in which I lived for 17 years. But it was always I think that if I think about that, and even the founding of Mosaic later, it's always like following this sense of like what I'm observing around that is needed. There's a void. But there's also a match between that and my excitement for seeing myself as being part of doing something about it. Right? There are a lot of things that are like, Oh, my gosh, there's so much to do. I don't feel like how I can contribute or what can I offer, but I think that both in Conexión Américas, and then in Mosaic, and other projects that are involved, that is like this match between seeing a need and a void and an opportunity with seeing my own heart beating like excitement, we're like, ah, that's the challenge I want to be part of, and I'm gonna do something about it.

Analiza: Okay, Renata. That is a great story. And I want to actually build on this point of the match. Because your career, because it's such an illustrious career, but there's pieces of it that are important, this love, innate love and interest and talent for speaking up on behalf of people when you things are not right, let's actually go and speak up. So you're naturally inclined to actually speak out, be in front, question authority, rally people. Second, there's this sense of how I use my talents for the greater good, and you had that influence from your family from the social justice movements that were happening in Central America, across Latin America. And then there's a piece of, yes, I'm being educated, I'm going to take the steps of the United Way. But I'm also going to do some side projects that just feel right. And through all those things, when we find the match between there is a need. And there's my talent. Let's actually go after it.

So I want to talk about two things. First, let's talk about your jump into it. Because often, right, we meet others who are inspired, they talk the talk, oh, let's talk some more and they don't actually take the jump. So can you talk through - are you just a jumper in general, or you follow a process? And it's okay, you’re jumper in general? That is totally fine. But just like what actually has you make the jump to say, Okay, if it's a community need, it fits my talents? Is there anything else like money? I mean, actually talk through that, because I want to talk about the leap like believing I have complete faith, like, what more is there?

Renata: That's a great question. I don't know that I have analyzed that part of my sort of decision making process or, but what I can tell you Analiza is that when I see something, an idea of pursuing something that exists, or even projects within programs that we started with my colleagues at clinics in America, or things that we're doing now, at Mosaic, I can tell you that there's always the sense of I think that what I do is that if I see an idea could be mine or somebody else, and I believe there's value and there's something there to like, unleash and explore.

I don't allow all the information that we don't have about it to be what stops me or stops me from encouraging others to pursue it. Like I am actually very comfortable in the uncertainty of all those questions of how we're going to get there. Because I see that there. It's actually very exciting and beautiful. And oh, yeah, might be complicated, and where are the resources gonna come from and who else, and we really need this group of people engaged. And if they're not here, then this is not going to work. But I don't let all of those. But if this doesn't happen, or if this people are not with us, or if these resources, not at the table, I don't let that move from even exploring and admiring the idea a little bit longer. And I think that in doing that, is, of course, this is to say that there have been things that they just don't go further, because at some point, you realize, yeah, there's more barriers for this to happen. But I think that is this sense of being comfortable with the inquiry of, oh, let's try to get there. Let's do this thing. And yes, we're going to have to recruit all of these other resources, all of these other people of these other talents, we're going to have to answer all these questions. But I feel that in when I encourage other people to pursue ideas that they have about things that they want to start or improve or grow, that is often that we think of all the things that we would have to have in order for something to work. And I think that I allowed myself to really explore that vision of the future. And like, be so excited about it, that it is sort of the energy and force, it takes me to say, I'm going to take the risk that we're gonna go for it, and along the way, we will figure it out, right? And it's going to take time, and it's going to take other people, and it's going to take other people believing in it, just like I do. But okay, I'm up for the challenge. Does that make sense?

Analiza: Totally. I mean, I want to actually codify it. We're not, it's this, first I see a need. And there's an idea to fill the need. It doesn't have to be my idea. It could be someone else's idea. But there is a need. There's an idea. So there's the first and I'm very excited. Second is like, I have a vision, right? I have a belief, I have a dream that we can do this. And there's this excitement dream, this motivation, propelling you third is yes, it's not actually going to be spelled out. In fact, it's by design, going to have lots of great things, and I'm going to embrace that and know that fourth, I'm going to persevere. Because I believe in myself, I believe I can rally the resources. Not actually we're not to a lot of your Pap shows this right. Like even as your mom was going to college or supporting other families, like it wasn't like it was all spelled out. And if I do this, it will definitely work out for me, we're always going to take the next step, do the best we can figure it out along the way. Because there's a bigger dream. So just it feels like both, like go for it. But also, it felt like you've been trained to do it in you know, taking that. So I'm curious, how does that feel to you?

Renata: Yeah, no, but one thing that I would add to that is that I also think, now that you're asking me to clarify this, okay, why what filters to eliminate? Okay, this tendency that I'm comfortable in the uncertainty of not knowing everything before we get there. But the other one is, and this is absolutely true for Mosaic. This is absolutely true for the radio show that I did for five years as a volunteer project with other women. And this is true, certainly for Conexion, it is also about who is in your team. Like I can tell you that all the things that you read up on my resume, there's nothing there that he was just my own doing, right? Everything is like I can name a team of people that deserve the credit for all of that too.

And so I think that to me, like I know myself well enough to know, okay, what's that? I do well, and I am as excited because I'm not a lone thinker, no lone maker, right. I love working with people. I love seeing an idea being unleashed by the different perspectives and what other people have to offer. So for example, Equinix Jonas had mentioned you know, was being at the right time at the right moment, right, like finding these two colleagues, Jose Gonzales and Maria Clara meet here. And we were so different. We all brought, I mean, one was a business person, finance person, the other one was an anthropologist and me.

I don't know what it was the nonprofit you know, sort of person that knows how nonprofits work. And we had such distinct ways of thinking and certainly experiences that we brought him. It was such a beautiful team, right? Like how each of us help grow clinics young into what it became. And then later the people that we brought in into the team, two of those who are now the CO executive directors title lens and Marta Silva, right when I think about all the ways in which they're now growing distended, we found it almost 20 years ago. And then with mosaic it is the same. It was probably a more a project that was more self sort of incubating for a while in my head and in writing and other people support it, but really, not until 2021. I was able to bring a partner Tasneem Grace, and I can tell you that like, part of my excitement and my excitement for what is possible and Mosaic is because what I see that she sees, right like it all the amazing growth, and not numeric growth, but like this idea and how we can support other leaders of color and the ways in which our curriculum and our design can even be more reflective of our own values in the world that we're trying to be like. So I think that to me, the other very important piece is like who is in your team, and like, that is a thread in my life to like, I always have seek to be with and partner with and collaborate with and create with and mess with, you know, and take risks and mistakes and fix backs and you know, forward with people whose values are aligned with mine, whose vision of the word aligns with mine, but whose gifts are so different, that they take my ideas or our ideas to places I would never imagine

Analiza: Renata, I love how you emphasize community, because again, that's a theme throughout your life, being with your family, speaking up for others working with even as you did the radio station, it was like with other people. And so thank you for emphasizing that. It's who you're with. And actually, it is going to be a diverse team. They're not all the same or not replicated, right? Burn diverse, which brings both a ton of upside, because you're different talents, but also challenges because you're very different. So I want to talk, to pivot a little bit, because in these leader roles you’re the face, right, in general, we're talking about advocating for your mission. You're talking to presidents here, you're representing the cause. And I'm curious because often as women of color, right, we're taught to just stay back, right? And you let the man, the white man, kind of be the face. And yet you have been quite the person who speaks up and has to share the accomplishments and share the needs. And so can you talk about that journey for you? Have you always been naturally just like, put me on camera? Not that that's your way, but like, or did you have to build it?

Renata: Ah, it was interesting. You know, like, I don't know that I'm certainly an extrovert, and I never felt uncomfortable sort of, you know, in a group, again, taking my space, I guess, you know, way. And maybe again, I came here when I was 21. And so even the notion of being ordered as a woman of color, right? Like it's a notion of universe, like the US construct is different than my upbringing in Costa Rica. And we can talk about that too, of course, the ways in which our societies are divided in castes, and social classes and races, and all that is not that doesn't exist there.

But certainly, I think I understood early on, I think maybe because in Nashville, by the time I joined United Way, as my second job out of college, but really like, sort of, you know, I was in my first one, only a year and a half. So this was really like, five years very, very foundational in my own growth as a professional. I was one of the few first people that many of my colleagues met who spoke English with an accent. And I sort of very clearly understood, like, okay, like the context in which I was in Nashville, right, like, what is the society? What is the demographic context? What is the city, and I think that I was supported. I mean, I, of course, also had my stories of feeling like, you know, that somebody would provide me because of my accent and my use and other stuff, right, but I also had to learn how to not let those instances bring me down.

But I think that at some point, I understood that I was one of the first Latinas or Latinos in general, in some tables, the first professional sort of interaction for some people in some of those conversations, either in nonprofits and breadmaking, or, and I understood the danger of everybody else seeing me as a representative of an entire community. Right. I was like, Oh, my gosh, this is like, so bad. But I also understood, okay, there's a danger in me believing that I am a representative of a whole community, but also that would be a missed opportunity for I don't understand that I am at the table and other people are not. So I'm gonna approach this owning that I am the only one here and that I have great responsibility. Like I feel the weight of the responsibility not only to make sure that it counts that I'm at the table that my one voice counts, right? And therefore that I am prepared that I am, you know, here, sharing honestly, and of course, being politically savvy so that I was building bridges and all those kinds of things. And so, but I think I always also understood that part of my role was precisely for people to understand that I didn't represent the whole community, right like that there was a whole that my experience and of course, that I could speak to the experience of some of the Latino members of our community because of my radio show later, of course, because of my work on Conexión, but that I was not that experience, right.

And then I think that this is to say, Analiza, that having both the recognition, I am going to be owning that I have this place, I wish more people like me had it, I'm gonna reject the assumption that I'm their representative. But I am going to own that I'm sitting at this table, and I'm gonna do it with great responsibility. And I want to make sure that I do that with the humility that it deserves, which is my voice, my opinion, my experience, could be a window, but it is not all and that I needed to bring more people along, right. And so I think I never shied away from Okay, I'm going to be the spokesperson for this. But I always made sure that I was keeping in line, the message also that I was not the representative. And I think that to me, what has been beautiful to see young and now in Mosaic is also that to your point, like, I think that part of the work of leadership is precisely to not only once you create those spaces, you own them with, you know, unapologetically your sense of Yeah, I can be here because I have something to say I have something to offer. But also how do we bring other people along the way.

So I loved when, for example, I can examine Americas there were so many instances in the last few years when like, I was not the one speaking about education and Latinos, because we had colleagues that were the experts and had much more to offer their own experience, both personal and their work, where we now had so many spokespersons for so many issues that we were experts collectively. And so I think that to me is also part of what encourages me with mosaic. Now, growing and supporting other leaders is precisely that we're also being more uplifting our expertise, hopefully be more visible to ourselves as a community of leaders of color, right, that's sort of resources that we have, but also to the community outside. And there's not one single story for any community. And there's not one single leader that represents an entire community. And that's certainly part of why I'm excited about Mosaic because I think that we do need to have in our leadership ranks on all levels, in organizations, in public institutions, in philanthropy in business, right, like many more of us occupying that space, in a way that we own it, and that we bring other people along with us.

Analiza: I admire so much this declarative, we need to take space for so many reasons. First is that, even with knowing that we're not going to be the representative, we don't know all the things, there is a recognition that we are at the table, we might be the only at the table. And if we don't take the opportunity, we don't open the door for others. So first, like recognizing that we're not the single story. And we're not the representative. But second, actually embracing that unless we take space, we will not open doors for more of us at all levels to be able to have this influence a second take space. The third, I would say that you mentioned is that there's a piece of ownership of self. And I just want to go off that because I think as people of color, and you'd mentioned there's context, right? When you had moved from Costa Rica to the United States, there was you, you had not really been othered, right? You're with your people for most of your life. And then you come to the United States where I'm like, I'm not the majority here and why I got to, you know, code shift and be something else.

You're like, this is different, people notice my accent, and yet I'm going to take space. Can you talk through that? Because I think it's really important, not just okay, here's why. But like, how do you get in your head, this self worth? Or did you have that struggle? Like, not only am I going to take space, but was there a self worth challenge there? Renata for you or you're not, you know, said? No, I didn't have that early in my life. I just needed to see a higher purpose.

Renata: Yeah, no, I mean, I mean, of course, I mean, I'm certainly like all of us, you know, have insecurities and like, oh, my gosh, this is over my head, or am I really? Do I really belong here? You know, like, I think that justice, I talked about being with the right people, like bringing the right people to the ideas that you want to pursue and the world that you want to create. I think that also goes the other way. How do we try to be recognized by the people that can mentor us and that sees all of our worth and our value, right?

And so I think that I'm thinking specifically that United Way again a young professional and I just had these two women at United Way that were really supportive you know, that saw me as the young you know newbie, just you know fresh out of college kind of thing. And I think that if I had other inputs within the organization and the stakeholders that we work outside of the organization that were the sources of my like, oh my gosh, hit me over my head here am I really am I supposed to be here? Do I really have something to offer? I also had this two women within the organization that were supportive encouraging, mentoring me teaching me right I mean, like, yeah, like there were so many things that I didn't know.

So I think that it is also Analiza, how do we see in the spaces, where we are who those people are, because we can let those other voices our own, be amplified like our own voices of insecurities and like ah shrinking because of the inputs that we are letting in right and so I think that to me, maybe a protective way of fight those thoughts and forces is letting in the energy and the mentorship and humanity of these two other women who were giving me all this and that's maybe where I channeled my focus right. So that didn't let me shrink when maybe I would have tended to.

Analiza: I love that you brought in the community again, can Renata seeing maybe if you couldn't see it yourself? You had people around you who could see that in you and uplift you. Which is so much why you started mosaic changemakers to uplift all and that together as a community, we can help remind ourselves of our worth and our value. We might not see it yet, but together we can be even stronger. So that's so beautiful and Renata with that. Let's go to lightning round questions. Are you ready?

Renata: Yes.

Analiza: Okay. Chocolate or vanilla?

Renata: Chocolate.

Analiza: Cooking or takeout?

Renata: Oh, cooking. I love cooking. Yes.

Analiza: Would you climb a mountain or rather jump from a plane?

Renata: Oh my gosh, a mountain. You will never see me coming from a plane that terrifies me I have vertigo? No.

Analiza: Have you ever worn socks with sandals?

Renata: No, I will not ever do that either.

Analiza: How would you rate your karaoke skills on a scale of one to 10,10 being Mariah Carey?

Renata: Oh my goodness. See, this is where like, do you want to talk about that? Not my talent. I am a minus two. I actually have a story at Conexión Américas one time here at my house. I hosted a little party for our team. And somebody brought a karaoke machine and it was so much fun. I had the lowest score. That's what I'm gonna say. And that was a good day. But yeah,

Analiza: Renata what's a recent book you read?

Renata: The most recent book? Oh, I know that you're gonna like Ah, you're doing that. But like I'm reading Native Americans Who Inspire Us by Analiza Quiroz Wolf and her son Bryson Quiroz Wolf. And I'm also reading right now this the Persuaders by Anand Giridharadas and it's one of the readings for December for Mosaic Fellowship Cohort. So I'm very excited. Yes.

Analiza: Thanks Renata. What's your favorite way to practice self care?

Renata: I love to dance and I wish I did it more often.

Analiza: What's a good professional development you've done?

Renata: Pahara moderator training at the Pahara Institute, to really hone our skills on how to moderate conversations of depth introspection and vision in a participatory way, where every voice is counted and valued and admired. I hope to do it with you again. So that was really such a gift.

Analiza: What's your definition of a Boss Mama?

Renata: Oh, this rendition of a boss Mama is, you know the boss mama who is as comfortable in her high heels as she is running the marathon in tennis shoes that are falling apart? Because it's been a long, long run of difficulty and perseverance.

Analiza: What advice would you give your younger self?

Renata: You know, I would tell my younger self to continue to embrace taking risks but also maybe sometimes bring even more people along the way for that to stay vital. There's more than that risk taking into like, Oh, whatever. Let's pick what's around the corner.

Analiza: Renata, where can we find you like LinkedIn or do you have any other social media?

Renata: Yeah, you know, LinkedIn and Instagram. I just got off Twitter. I decided I'm not going to be part of supporting plutocrats. And three days ago, I did activate my account which actually sounds kind of active in Twitter. So LinkedIn is probably the best. I'm rarely on Facebook, if any. So LinkedIn and Instagram Renata Soto TN.

Analiza: Great. And then last question, any parting thoughts to share?

Renata: Oh, well, first of all, thank you for your great questions. You invited me to think about sometimes things that I have not even paused to reflect on and it's great. I appreciate your beautiful questions and your reflection back to me. I can't wait to do this. I want to ask questions. I want to hear about your leadership journey. So thank you so much. It's been great being with you.

Analiza: Thank you, Renata, really appreciate you.

Thank you so much for carving out time today to hear today's podcast. Three things before you go. First, if you found it helpful, please leave a five star review. Second, please share with someone else you can share the link and posts on Facebook and say check it out. Lastly, I want to thank you for being a listener and you can go to get a free self care bonus called juice your joy at analizawolf.com/freebonus. Thank you so much.