Civic Engagement Panel in Partnership with Levantatech

Join For Her in collaboration with Levántatech for a panel discussion about using your voice to grow community-led advocacy and voting power. Our panel will include female founders and leaders working to build equity in healthcare, workforce and economic development, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.  Onsite voter registration will also be available during this event.

Meet the speakers:

Dr. Caitlin C. Walker.

Born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Caitlin C. Walker (Dr. C) has supported under-resourced communities in Texas for over a decade.

She founded a social impact coaching and consulting company and has held senior leadership roles in civic engagement, healthcare, tech, and economic development. Dr. C also founded and presides over a Latina-serving tech-literacy nonprofit. She holds a clinical doctorate in physical therapy, an MBA, a graduate certificate in learning design and technology, and multiple HR management certifications. Currently, she is researching sustainability education beliefs and practices while pursuing a JD.

Adriana Ruiz

Born in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Adriana is the owner of Southbound Coffee, which she found in 2019. Passionate about empowering women and helping the community, Adriana is also a co-founder of PeriodPalooza, an organization fighting period poverty in San Antonio. She also serves as the organization’s Social Media & Communications Director.

Adriana holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas State University and enjoys using media as a way to captivate and inspire others.

Christina Olivarez

Christina Jovanna Olivarez is a four-time award-winning Social Media & Business Coach, Conference Organizer,Trainer, and TEDx Speaker. With a passion for online marketing, entrepreneurship, and women empowerment, Christina has impacted thousands of minority-owned business, women CEOs, executive directors, corporate and non-profit organizations, political candidates, and elected officials over the last decade.

Named as one of the Top 5 Executive Coaches to work with by the San Antonio Business Journal and a Role Model by the San Antonio Woman Magazine, Christina helps her clients to revolutionize their visibility through 1-1 private coaching, group coaching, the hustle +Socialize conference and community, and speaking.

She has been featured on the stages of brands like TEDz, Mujeron Movement, We All Grow Latina and has been featured in over 50+ Podcast guest spots & TV expert appearances & digital and physical articles, including USA Today, CNN, and the San Antonio Express-News.

Mari Zavala-Lopez

Mariangela is an accomplished leader with a proven track record of driving success across various roles. Since March 2023, she has served as the Director of Partnerships at Geekdom in San Antonio, TX, where she has successfully developed and implemented strategies that have enhanced Geekdom’s collaborative efforts. Her responsibilities include managing key stakeholder relationships, identifying funding opportunities, and aligning partnership goals with organizational objectives.

Previously, Mariangela was the Executive Director of Maestro Entrepreneur Center, where she led significant growth and established valuable partnerships to support small businesses. Before that, she served as Assistant Director of the Harvey Najim Center at St. Mary’s University, connecting students with local business owners for experiential learning. She has also worked as a marketing analyst at Rackspace and as a portfolio manager at a local wealth management firm.

Mariangela holds two bachelor’s degrees in Corporate Finance and Finance and Risk Management, along with an MBA from St. Mary’s University. Known for her positive attitude, compassion, and strategic approach, she continues to be a valuable asset to any organization.

Jocelyn Castillo

Jocelyn Castillo is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) with a degree in Political Science and is currently a Deputy Field Organizer at Jolt Initiative. Through her work as a volunteer deputy registar, she has successfully registered hundreds of Latinos in San Antonio, empowering them to use their voice and make a change.

Jocelyn works closely with community resources to streamline services and boost civic engagement. Inspired by a family of strong and civically engaged women, Jocelyn is committed to making a positive impact both professionally and personally.

Moderated by Amanda Godlewski, Esq.

Amanda Godlewski is the Founder and Managing Partner of Godlewski Law PLLC, and Founder of Mija Learns . She is a proud latina first-generation attorney and a trusted business partner in the consumer packaged foods (CPG) space.

As a practicing attorney for over 12 years, she worked in-house at domestic public (Stonyfield/Danone – organic yogurt) and global private (Nutrabolt – beverage/sports nutrition) CPG companies. As Senior Corporate Counsel at Nutrabolt, she led domestic and global strategic initiatives – with a focus on driving operational excellence.

Now she’s on a mission to teach founders how to sustainably build and grow their mission-driven CPG brand to achieve economic equity. A believer in “lift as you rise” she shares her knowledge through course, speaking engagements, and volunteer work. She is also a founding member of San Antonio CPG – a trade organization supporting the development, growth and sustainability of San Antonio’s Consumer Packaged Goods industry.