Daisy Plaza is the inspiring author, speaker, and advocate whose powerful memoir I Did It for Her: From Trauma and Fear to Pure Love and Strength chronicles her journey through trauma, resilience, and healing. A mother of four and a Hartford, and a Connecticut-based writer, Daisy draws from her personal experiences to offer a message of hope and empowerment to others who may feel voiceless or alone. Her writing journey began from a lifelong love of storytelling and a deep conviction to share the lessons forged through her life’s most challenging moments. Encouraged by a young woman she considered like family — whose final words urged Daisy to complete her book — she committed to telling her story as both a tribute and an inspiration. I Did It for Her honors the people who shaped her life and stands as a testament to the power of courage, love, and belief in one’s own narrative.

Emilio J. Vargas is a Puerto Rican author, broadcaster, voiceover artist, and advocate for foster care and adoption. Born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, and raised in Cayey, his career has spanned radio broadcasting, community advocacy, and writing, all united by a passion for storytelling that inspires hope, compassion, and belonging. His memoir, Growing Up Together: The Chronicles of an Unexpected Family, chronicles his journey through foster care and adoption, offering an honest reflection on family, love, and personal growth. I Belong. This Is Me. is his latest children's book that encourages young readers to embrace their inherent worth with confidence, kindness, and self acceptance. Through his writing and advocacy, Emilio seeks to remind readers of every age that every story matters and that belonging begins with recognizing the value within ourselves and one another.

Jacquelyn Santiago is a nationally recognized leader in violence prevention, youth advocacy, and community transformation. As CEO of COMPASS Youth Collaborative, she has dedicated over 25 years to empowering marginalized youth, disrupting cycles of violence, and securing over $12 million in funding to expand life-changing interventions.

Jacquelyn Santiago is a respected author, community leader, and advocate whose work spans youth empowerment, organizational leadership, and personal development. She is a contributing author in the anthology Becoming Her: A Woman’s Path to Purpose, Self-Love, and Fulfillment. In addition, she was a contributing author in the Live Your Optimal Life (Ladies’ Power Lunch Transformation Anthologies). In both publications, she shares her insights on purpose, resilience, and intentional living alongside fellow heart-centered leaders.

Kristina Cruz Diaz, affectionately known as "Chef Red," is the founder of HappyBelly, LLC, a Puerto Rican cultural cook, food consultant, caterer, entrepreneur, and community educator.

Kristina's work centers on how communities can extend themselves grace in how they approach food. Through her business, Happy Belly, she honors heritage through healthier, locally inspired dishes. She encourages people to extend themselves compassion and care as they make nourishing choices.

Subscribe to her Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@Redkruz

Lisa Valle is a Nuyorican artist, artisan, and cultural anthropologist born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. Her multidisciplinary work draws from Borikén, ancestry, and lived experience, using fiber and mixed media to explore identity, memory, and healing. Through installation pieces such as La Planta de Mi Abuela, Childhood’s End, and In My Skin, Lisa engages themes of cultural memory, body image, and gender-based violence, creating space for reflection and witnessing.

Currently, Lisa is expanding her practice into writing. Through her time at Casa de María Publisher's writing retreat, she is beginning to translate her visual and embodied work into narrative.  She is exploring what it means to trust her voice on the page, and share her creative process through language within our Casa de Maria Publisher Anthology.

Peggy Robles-Alvarado is an award-winning educator, poet, performer, playwright, and producer. She is a Jerome Hill Foundation Fellow in Literature, a three-time International Latino Book Award winner, and a BRIO Award recipient. Her latest poetry collection, BURN ME BACK (Four Way Books), was named a 2025 Booklist Editors’ Choice for Adult Poetry. Her work appears in The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext, ¡Manteca!, Great Weather for MEDIA, and What Saves Us, as well as in Poets.org, The Common, and NACLA. She has been featured at Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institution, PEN America, Harvard University, and the Dodge Poetry Festival. As a season educator, Peggy holds two master’s degrees in education and an MFA in performance studies. She is the founder of Robleswrites Productions, creating literary spaces that center intergenerational storytelling, creativity, and equity.