Family and cultural connections play a critical role in shaping leadership and identity, particularly within the Latino community. Understanding and honoring these roots helps build resilience and fosters the development of future leaders who are deeply connected to their heritage.

In this podcast episode with Dr. Juana Bordas, author of The Power of Latino Leadership – Ahora!, we explored how Latino families can preserve their cultural identity while empowering the next generation of leaders. As a pioneer in leadership development and a champion of multicultural values, Dr. Bordas offers valuable insights into the significance of cultural pride, education, and intergenerational leadership.

Listen to the full episode here, and find resources referenced in the conversation below.

Key questions we address:

1. How do cultural roots and immigrant experiences shape leadership values and identity in the Latino community?
2. What role does education play in empowering Latino youth and fostering leadership within immigrant families?
3. How can intergenerational leadership and cultural pride create stronger, more inclusive communities?

Resources regarding Dr. Juana Bordas:

• Learn more about Dr. Bordas and her work on her website. 
• Watch her film The Voice and Vision of Latina Leadership ( Released by The Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame - April 2023)
• Purchase Dr. Bordas’ book: The Power of Latino Leadership – Ahora!

For additional episode and community resources:

• Download the full episode transcript here.
• For additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog 
• To expand your connection within the Ellevation community by join our ⁠Ellevation Educator Facebook Group.

Dr. Juana Bordas is the author of The Power of Latino Leadership – Ahora! and the best-selling book Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age. Both books won the International Latino Book Awards for best leadership books.

Juana served as advisor to Harvard’s Hispanic Journal on Public Policy, the Kellogg National Fellows Program, as a trustee of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, and the International Leadership Association (ILA). She was the first Latina to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from The International Leadership Association. And the first Latina faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership.

A Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, in 2023 the Hall released a documentary on her life – The Voice and Vision of Latina Leadership. Juana designed and led The Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers Program for over fifteen years. She is a founder of Colorado’s Mi Casa Resource Center and founding president of The National Hispana Leadership Institute. She has dedicated her life to advancing the Latino community and building the diverse and humanistic society.