Who we are

We are a sisterhood of dynamic leaders who strive to uplift our community while supporting each other’s professional growth and personal development.

  • Latina Coalition Silicon Valley (LCSV) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that has been providing Latinas with civic engagement and leadership development in Silicon Valley since 1999. Latina Coalition Silicon Valley is a recognized leader empowering Latinas in all sectors, as well as educating each other and the greater public about Latina contributions and excellence overall. The organization addresses leadership cultivation through a female and Latino/a cultural lens. Latina Coalition Silicon Valley identifies and heightens awareness about issues that disproportionately affect the Latino/a community through educational panels, interactive sessions, hands-on advocacy, workshops and events.

  • We believe in leading by example. We encourage member interaction, engagement and sharing resources and experiences.

  • The Latinx population grew from 50.5 million (50,477,594) in the 2010 Census to 62.1 million (62,080,044) in the 2020 Census. This represents an increase of more than 11.6 million in the span of ten years. While the nation’s population increased between 2010 and 2020, the Latino/a population increase accounted for more than half, 51.1% of our nation’s overall growth, affirming that Latinos/as are the fastest-growing demographic in America. It is very important to meet this growth “with more equitable opportunities to provide parity and close the $1.38 trillion opportunity gap that exists between Latino/a enterprises and what they would generate if they were invested in as compared with the average non-Latino procurement opportunities.”

    (Cavazos, 2020 Census Statistics Highlight Local Population Changes and Nation’s Racial and Ethnic Diversity)

    (ESLR), The wage gap among California Latinas worsens in Silicon Valley, where they make 33.5 cents on the dollar for every dollar a white man earns. The lifetime cost of the wage gap over a 40-year career for the average Latina in California is $1,787,640 compared to the average White man. (National Women’s Law Center. (2020).

    Latinas have also been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn and by the health effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: 28.9% of Latinas lost their jobs through May 2020, compared to 9.4% for White women. One in three (36.3%) undocumented Latinas in California lost their job (ESLR).

Our Vision

Sisterhood

Create opportunities for women to meet and build supportive relationships.

Civic Engagement

Educate and mobilize our community to advocate and actively engage on issues impacting civic life.

Leadership

Develop a pipeline and support our members to lead by fostering individual skill sets and potential.

  • "Latina Coalition epitomizes the hopes and aspirations of the more than 65 grantees who informed the Castellano Family Foundation Blueprint for Change report released in February 2020. This small, Latina-led, volunteer-based organization, with a passion for mentoring and civic engagement, have evolved into a network of powerful advocates for equitable public policy and social change. My mother, Carmen Castellano, was an early supporter of LCSV and gave them their first major foundation grant for the ELLA program, and the board continued to provide them with multiple unrestricted grants. This is just one example of how consistent philanthropic support can help smaller organizations like LCSV attract other funding to extend their reach and impact. This is the payoff that results from makin—

    — Carmela Castellano-Garcia, President, Castellano Family Foundation

  • “Those closest to the pain need to be at the center of finding solutions”, says Gabriela Chavez-Lopez. “Latina voices need to be leading critical conversations and influencing policy with their life’s expertise and vision for their future as well as their families’ future. LCSV is a collective conduit for self-determination and power building amongst Latinas -- and judging by the recent U.S. Census numbers it’s a rapidly growing, politically, and economically. This vital segment cannot be ignored -- by anyone.”

    — Gabriela Chavez-Lopez, Executive Director of LSCV

  • Through our mission of developing and strengthening the power of Latinas to advance our collective success, we are embodying and teaching future generations how to be women who are not afraid of expressing themselves, not afraid of taking chances and not afraid of our own power.

    — Dianna Zamora Marroquin, President of LCSV

  • “Hacer, no decir”, says Jennifer Delara. “This is my mindset when strategizing for the organization's next steps and what keeps me going. The experiences, in depth conversations and programs we are offering will change the future that is key to change!”

    — Jennifer DeLara, Former Vice President of LSCV

  • “If it doesn't cross your line in the sand there is no shame in walking away, but if it does, you pursue it until you have it right and then bring it all to the light”

    — Vanessa Grijalva

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