ELLAS

10/19/2026

ELLAS asks participants to make real space for the experience.

That means showing up ready to reflect, participate, and contribute to the community growing alongside you.

Angela Mictlanxochitl Anderson, PhD, MPP, President and CEO of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, is a powerful advocate for transformative leadership and social equity. She has invested her time, support, and commitment in the growth and development of ELLAS and believes deeply in our work and its impact on Latina leaders.

The cohort is more than a series of professional development sessions. Your presence matters.

Check out our framework at this link:
stara.org/ellas

Stara Collaborative

10/17/2026

🎉💜 We love celebrating our ELLAS Alumni!

We are so proud to celebrate our very own ELLAS alumna, Isabela Miranda Robinson, for being recognized as a 2026 African Masquerade Honoree! 🌟

Isabela continues to make a meaningful impact in our community through her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to creating opportunities for children and families.

This is what ELLAS is all about: empowering Latina leaders who continue to inspire, lead, and create positive change in our communities! 💜

¡Felicidades, Isabela! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you continue to accomplish! 👏🏽✨

Meet 2026 African Masquerade Honoree, Isabela Robinson!

Isabela is an Afro-Latinx leader dedicated to expanding opportunities for children and families through equity, inclusion, and access.

After recognizing a need among international families in Kalamazoo, she founded Kid’s International Home, providing high-quality, no-cost preschool education to children and families in underserved communities.

On November 7, we’re proud to celebrate Isabela for her commitment to educational equity and building a more inclusive future for children and families.

Join us at the 2026 African Masquerade as we honor Isabela and other incredible community leaders.

🌿Tickets are on sale now through the link in our bio https://rootead.org/african-masquerade/

10/13/2026

10/05/2026

Knowing your worth can change how you move through professional spaces and how you advocate for yourself.

ELLAS creates space for Latine women to strengthen confidence, practice self-advocacy, and grow alongside others doing the same.

One alumna described ELLAS as helping her recognize the power of her own voice and the importance of using it to open doors for others.

Check out our framework at this link:
stara.org/ellas

Stara Collaborative

10/02/2026

✨ Celebrating one of our ELLAS! ✨

Last night, our ELLAS alumna, Lisa Garcia, was recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential Latinos in West Michigan by Vive Michigan Magazine! ❤️

Lisa is a beautiful example of what it means to lead with purpose, show up for your community, and create an impact that reaches far beyond yourself. Her leadership, dedication, and presence continue to inspire those around her and make a meaningful difference in our West Michigan community.

We are so proud to see an ELLAS alumna being recognized alongside so many incredible Latino leaders who are shaping our communities and creating space for others to thrive.

Congratulations, Lisa! This recognition is so well deserved, and we are honored to celebrate you and the impact you continue to make. ❤️✨Lisa Renee Garcia

09/28/2026

✨ This Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrating Hispanic Women ✨

The Latinas who lead. Who inspire. Who uplift. Who create change at work, at home, in their communities, and in the spaces they walk into every day.

💜 Do you know a Latina who has made an impact in your life or community?

Tag her below. Let her know you see her, you appreciate her, and her impact matters. 🫶🏽

Let’s celebrate the women who are making a difference—one person, one family, and one community at a time. 🌎✨

09/20/2026

A little late posting this, but we couldn’t let this moment go without celebrating!

A couple of weeks ago, we launched our very first ELLAS Alumni Cohort! ✨

This is such an exciting opportunity for women who have completed our initial six-month leadership program to come back together, continue learning and growing, create space for healing, and strengthen the connections and community we’ve built together—this time at a different level. ✨

We’re so excited to see where this new chapter takes us and, most importantly, to continue growing alongside these incredible women.

The ELLAS journey doesn’t end after six months, it continues. 🌱❤️

09/20/2026

Yesterday, we had the beautiful opportunity to come together and celebrate the incredible work and impact of El Concilio Kzoo at the Nuestras Raíces Gala ❤️

It was a meaningful evening dedicated to celebrating our community, honoring those who continue to uplift others, and recognizing the people and organizations investing in a stronger, more connected future for our Latine community.

We are especially grateful to have celebrated together as ELLAS. Seeing so many of our ELLAS women in the room was a beautiful reminder of the strength that comes from community & collective leadership. ❤️✨

Congratulations to El Concilio on a wonderful evening and on the incredible work and achievements being celebrated.

¡Que viva nuestra comunidad! ❤️

09/19/2026

September 15–October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States!

It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. 🇲🇽🇬🇹🇵🇷🇨🇴🇸🇻🇭🇳🇨🇱

But what does it really mean to celebrate?

It means remembering that Latino history is American history. It is found in our communities, our businesses, our classrooms, our art, our music, our food, our neighborhoods, and in the countless ways generations of Latinos have helped shape this country.

And at ELLAS, we believe there is something especially powerful about recognizing the women within that story. ❤️

Latinas have been educators, entrepreneurs, organizers, artists, scientists, advocates, caregivers, community builders, and leaders. Some have changed history from a national platform. Others have changed the trajectory of a family, a workplace, a neighborhood, or a single young woman who needed someone to believe in her.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to ask:

🌱 Whose shoulders are we standing on?
🌱 Whose stories deserve to be remembered?
🌱 What traditions and values are we carrying forward?
🌱 And what legacy are we creating for the women who will come after us?

For us, celebrating heritage isn’t only about looking back.

It is about honoring our roots, recognizing our strength, celebrating the women who came before us, and making space for the women who are leading today.

Because our heritage is not just something we inherit.

It is something we carry, something we shape, and something we pass on. ❤️🌺