ELLAS

06/29/2026

This is Stephanie, who graduated from ELLAS, a program that grounds Latine leadership in cultural identity and has sent more than 75 leaders through four cohorts in Kalamazoo. This was at the fall retreat last October.

We created a role at Stara to hold relationships with the leaders of the projects we fiscally sponsor: a Project Portfolio Manager.

They help projects navigate Stara's supports, whether that is an accountability structure, a fundraising strategy, or time at a whiteboard. They pull in other staff as needed and stay as a consistent presence across the work.

Jennifer Douglas already holds this role.

We are hiring one more person to work alongside our 17 projects.

First review is July 13.
🟢 stara.org/careers/projectportfoliomanager

Alt text: Several women stand outdoors in a wooded area helping lift or support another woman during what appears to be a group ritual or ceremony. The scene is overcast and the group is focused and close together.

06/17/2026

Join us for a meaningful conversation over lunch 🥗 as we connect, reflect, and identify opportunities to strengthen our community.

ELLAS and ONEplace are partnering to facilitate a discussion about what the Latine community is doing well, the challenges we continue to face, and how we can work together to create positive change. Your voice, experiences, and ideas are an important part of this conversation.

We hope you’ll join us as we learn from one another and explore ways to build an even stronger, more connected community. 💛

Join us for this Latina Voices Roundtable, facilitated by ELLAS, for an open, informal lunchtime gathering where we come together to share, reflect and identify opportunities in our community. We…

06/03/2026

Thank you for the highlight, Stara Collaborative!

The 2026 ELLAS cohort spent six months practicing what leadership looks like when it starts from who you already are.

Ana Lilia Murillo is pictured here with her Legacy Madrina, Jazmin Ortiz, at the cohort 4 graduation this spring. Four cohorts in, over 75 Latine leaders have come through this program.

ELLAS runs six months of professional development and community grounding rooted in cultural identity, working through imposter syndrome and reconnecting with values like familismo and respeto.

Stara Collaborative is in the background. Legal structure, liability coverage, financial software, and the compliance work that keeps everything running so ELLAS can stay focused on the leaders it serves.

🟢 Learn more: https://stara.org/ellas

🟢 Upcoming event at ONEplace@kpl: https://www.kpl.gov/event/ellas-voices-collective-roundtable/

Alt text: Two women stand on a sidewalk in front of a brick building holding a framed ELLAS Certificate of Achievement. The woman on the left wears a black dress. The woman on the right wears a navy outfit.

05/27/2026

✨ Join Us for a Latina Voices Roundtable ✨

Come share your voice, connect with community, and be part of meaningful conversations that matter to our Hispanic Community. 💬💜

This open roundtable discussion is a space to reflect, network, and talk about the challenges, opportunities, and resources that help us grow personally and professionally.

🥗 Lunch will be provided
🤝 Open and welcoming discussion
📍Link to register below!

Bring your experiences, your ideas, and your voice — we can’t wait to gather together. ✨

https://www.kpl.gov/event/ellas-voices-collective-roundtable/

Join us for this Latina Voices Roundtable, facilitated by ELLAS, for an open, informal lunchtime gathering where we come together to share, reflect and identify opportunities in our community. We…

05/01/2026

04/22/2026

Today, we didn’t just make an appearance—we made a presence. ✨ ELLAS continues to grow, and our community of Latinas in professional development is only getting stronger. We stand out, and we stand together.

A special moment of pride: our very own Lisa Renee Garcia took the stage at Davenport University’s West Michigan Latina Conference as a keynote speaker. She reminded us of something we all need to hear, “Do not let fear stand in the way of your success, say yes -Even if you’re scared!

Latinas belong in every room.
Our voices matter.
Our work is worthy.
And “we do not need permission to lead”

Seguimos avanzando, juntas. 💫

04/21/2026

The ELLAS family keeps growing 🌱🌻 Congrats Cohort 4 - We are looking forward to building a beautiful leadership legacy together✨

03/14/2026

ELLAS would not be able to do the work we do without the support of Stara. Their partnership and fiscal sponsorship make it possible for our work to grow and serve our community in meaningful ways. We are grateful for the guidance, infrastructure, and trust they provide. 💚

We build capacity in ways that are easier to recognize. Shared workspace. Free printing. Budget support. Communications guidance.

Then there is fiscal sponsorship. On the surface, it is a way to operate with the power of a 501(c)(3).

That is part of it. But it is not the whole.

At Stara, fiscal sponsorship means shared legal and financial stewardship. It means oversight, compliance, insurance coverage, contractor processing, budgeting, and reporting. It means making sure leaders are protected and resourced so their work can grow sustainably.

All of it is infrastructure. All of it is designed to reduce administrative burden so leaders can focus on impact.

🟢 If you want to understand more about what fiscal sponsorship involves, we wrote about it here:
https://www.stara.org/blog/fiscalsponsor101

Please note: We are pausing fiscal sponsorship inquiry meetings until April 1, 2026. Please learn more on our website and reconnect then.

Alt text: Graphic showing an iceberg in water. The visible tip reads “Operate with the power of a 501(c)(3).” Below the waterline are listed components of fiscal sponsorship including financial oversight, compliance, insurance, contractor processing, budgeting, HR guidance, communications support, workspace access, and relationship-based accountability.

03/14/2026

Today marked a powerful milestone for our Cohort 4. ✨

In our final session of our Latina Leadership Program, these incredible women came together one more time to reflect, regroup, and celebrate how far they’ve come.

As part of our closing, each participant declared what she is letting go of and what she will carry forward—stepping into her leadership with intention, values, and purpose. 💫

This moment wasn’t just about the end of a program. It was about a renewed commitment to themselves, to each other, and to our community.

We are so proud of these women and their leadership. The impact of Cohort 4 is just beginning. ❤️

Much appreciation to Adriana Cardoso for leading this session with so much love 🌸

02/23/2026

ELLAS deeply appreciates all the support and guidance that Stara Collaborative provides.

Look at the life and power that leadership development rooted in cultural identity can hold.

ELLAS is a Model A fiscally sponsored project at Stara Collaborative. They came to Stara as a fully trusted program seeking stabilization to deepen their work.

Through fiscal sponsorship, Stara provides the legal, financial, and administrative infrastructure that allows ELLAS to operate and grow. This includes HR and payroll support, which made it possible to hire a new program coordinator, as well as grant and financial management and shared systems.

ELLAS leads the vision, relationships, and programming. Stara holds the structure behind the scenes so that leadership development like this can continue.

This photo was taken during a November session led by Dr. Angela Mictlanxochitl Anderson Guerrero, where members of the ELLAS Cohort gathered to reflect on identity, leadership, and their role in uplifting their communities. ELLAS creates spaces for Latine leaders to grow as leaders through cultural grounding, mentorship, and collective reflection.

🟢 Learn more about their work at: stara.org/ellas

Photo credit: Zac Clark