Rebellious Soul Sol Garcia

Ana Maria Alvarez is the Founder of CONTRA-TIEMPO, a well known L.A. activist theatre performance company and nonprofit. She's also a mother of two and a powerhouse woman who's had to restructure how she runs her often touring company in 2020 with Covid. Among a variety of new innovative projects this crazy year, she started live online talks named, "A place at the table" to continue conversations with mothers and other activists from home. I met her as a guest there and I left that hour wanting to know much more about her journey.

What you'll hear


How she founded CONTRA-TIEMPO, 
The overall challenges and successes 
How she's worked through the challenges of a global pandemic, 
Learning lessons as a leader and all of this while balancing motherhood.
 This is also a conversation between two women who are determined to close out 2020 on an uplifting and mutually supportive note. 

Mentioned

Contra Tiempo Active Dance Theater

IG @contra_tiempo

Enrique Lomnitz is the General Director and co-founder of Isla Urbana, (the non profit I work for) which has brought clean water to 121,140 individuals in Mexico through rainwater harvesting. He is an example of leadership and one of the most inspiring people I know. Enrique graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, is an Ashoka fellow, a UBS visionary, was named MIT Technology Review "35 Innovators Under 35" and most recently, awarded as a "2020 Emerging Explorer" by National Geographic.

Due to the pandemic, 2020 has brought many challenges and Isla Urbana was not immune to them by far. Learn about Isla Urbana's inspiring story, their work and how they persevered through one of the toughest years to date. It's all in here from learning lessons to the amazing projects that were birthed in the face of adversity. Join us!

What You Will Hear


History of Isla Urbana/Enrique's story

How Covid affected the team and productivity.

What were the toughest challenges?

When did you notice things start to turn around?

What challenges are you still facing now?

Learning lessons and silver linings

What would you say to other leaders facing similar challenges with their businesses and/or nonprofits?

What's next for IU?


Mentions

Isla Urbana

Water Week

Jaime Croteau is a Strategy and Development Director at San Jose Conservation Corps and Charter School. She studied Non-Profit Management, has travelled the world and lived in different countries. Like many, 2020 has been a very challenging year for her. She had major plans that included moving back to the U.S. and starting a new job and life. The pandemic changed all of that and at one point she found herself in a tiny apartment, unemployed and alone as her long distance boyfriend couldn't get a Visa due to Covid. Right when she thought all was lost, things turned around for her. Learn how she pulled through and what she learned. Good things do happen in 2020!

Dr. Lizette Solis is an inspiring woman who has worked with one of the largest human rights organizations in the U.S. She is now part of the executive team at the largest stand alone psychiatric hospital in Chicago while also being the only Latina. She's been the boots on the ground as a social worker, teacher, supervisor and now an International Psychologist. She currently heads a youth program while also working on various international projects.

Take a listen as she gives us her take on immigration in the U.S. and migrant youth as well as why she chose International Psychology and how this type of meaningful work has fulfilled her. This podcast also gives some insight as to the friendship between Sol and Lizette who have worked together and maintained a long distance friendship over time in support of their individual journeys towards humanitarian focused work. Lizette has been a solid point of reference for Sol as she's followed the often complicated struggle if immigrants. We hope it will inform and inspire you!

What you will hear in this episode

Dr. Solis’s work as an international psychologist and her work with immigrant families, women and children.  How her upbringing and own identity motivated her interest in creating a space of healing and support for immigrants, especially immigrant women and  children.

The experience and struggles of an immigrant working to find a better life.   The trauma they’ve dealt and the process of starting anew in a new place

The contributions of the immigrant communities and their incredible resilience while facing adversity.

Dr. Solis’s work with the Heartland Alliance being instrumental in guiding her to her current line of work.  Dr. Solis worked with unaccompanied children and worked closely with Red Cross, local human rights organizations, legal organizations and faith based organizations.

Human rights international laws and the practice of the policies in place for immigrants at the border between Mexico and US

Human trafficking networks and the risk that they present with migration

Immigrant’s impactful contributions to the US

The immigrant gang issue, the creation of these gangs and networks as a result of their migration experiences.

Putting in to practice the immigration laws that are put in place to help people seeking asylum

What you can do to help the organizations that are trying to care for the children and mothers who are seeking asylum

The importance of treating immigrants humanely

The trauma experienced by children and families

What happens when a child is separated from their family?

The traumatic experiences of the children who have been separated from their families

Dr. Solis’s works in progress raising awareness about mental health and well being locally and internationally.

Mentioned

https://www.heartlandalliance.org/

https://www.islaurbana.org

https://riveredgehospital.com/

https://drsolis.org

@solgarcia @solsunnysol

In the final part of this 3 part series, Sol tells us her birthing story and what it was like have a baby in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.  

2020 has been tumultuous to say the least.  This year we have seen a heightened awareness of systemic racism and the effects it has had on our societies.  In this episode Sol sits down with 2 of her friends to discuss boiling racial tensions, personal experiences regarding race and injustices and what we can do to contribute to the solution.