Founder & President

Zenaida Mendez

Zenaida earned a BA in Government and Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Masters's degree in Public Administration from the City University of New York, Graduate School of Public Affairs. Her selfless activism and leadership have earned her recognition from local, national and international organizations. 

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In 1991, Zenaida founded the Dominican Women’s Caucus (DWC)  in NYC  to ensure the equitable participation of Dominican Women and Latinas in general in NYC Civil society.  In March 2000 she expanded the DWC to a National Platform National Dominican Women’s Caucus (NDWC): The National Dominican Women's Caucus is a non-partisan feminist organization that unites activists, scholars, and advocates in the pursuit of a vision of an inclusive and effective democracy. As a result, the NDWC promotes reforms that are inclusive to all New Yorkers and motivates the participation of all in civil society.

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Zenaida has over 30 years of experience working on issues affecting women, and African descendant people. She has also spoken about the role of the media in perpetuating violence against women and fueling negative stereotypes, electoral politics, and parenting and immigration issues. In 2001, Mendez was one of the Women of Color Resource Center’s Delegates to the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances in Durban, South Africa. 

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Ms. Mendez, a social justice activist, served for several years as Director of Racial Diversity Programs at the National Organization for Women (NOW) National Office in Washington DC. Mendez was one the organizers of the 2004 National March for Women’s Lives that took place in Washington, DC. An avid voice for tolerance, during her tenure as Director of Racial Diversity Programs at the National Organization for Women (NOW), she successfully spearheaded a diversity and inclusion training program, a woman of color and allies summit, and the campaign to end the femicide of the women of Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico among other initiatives. 

Ms. Mendez holds the esteemed position of Director of Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center.

Vice President

Auretnisse Santos

Auretnisse Santos is currently a social worker at Montefiore Medical Center. Auretnisse is the proud daughter of Dominican immigrants. First generation Dominican-American born in Washington heights, raised in the Bronx. Community activism runs through her veins as she is the daughter of a community activist and philanthropist who fought for women’s rights, Latinos in the USA, and children.

Ms. Santos from a young age saw community activism in action as she would spend summers helping her mother and organizations help victims of domestic violence in prison in Salcedo, Dominican Republic get vocational training to become economic self-sufficient. Other times she would help textile workers of Santiago’s (Dominican Republic) la Zona Franca, open up a daycare center to help their children have a safe space top stay while they work, and created jobs for the local community.

Ms. Santos when she was just 15 years old became at the time the youngest member of Young Feminist Task Force, of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She has always believed in women’s rights and believes that “until all women around the world are free, no woman is free.” Ms. Santos in the past 10 years has worked in different non-profit organizations helping children with disabilities and mental health needs obtain the services they need. Ms. Santos advocates for her client’s everyday and works towards building stronger communities, and systems that uplift its citizens.

Executive Member

Carla Franchesca

Carla arrived in the United States in 2010 and immediately became involved in several local community organizations while continuing her studies in Video Art and Technology. Her interest in the street vendor community and her involvement in a local theater group in Northern Manhattan inspired her to produce her first documentary work, about the working conditions and abuses street vendors experience every day, "Buhoneros (Street Vendors)".

In 2016, she founded Rayoelú Films with the purpose of creating audiovisual content that highlights the Latino community in the United States, as well as providing a source of original content that allows audiences to become familiar with the immigrant experience.

In 2017, Carla moved into a full-time staff role as a Production Facilitator with MNN El Barrio Firehouse. She graduated from the City College of New York Summa Cum Laude in 2019, and has worked on several award-winning social issue-based documentaries and short fiction films shown on the festival circuit both in the US and abroad.

Carla is a member of New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT), and has been involved in the feminist organization Butterfly Effect which advocates for sexual reproductive rights and domestic violence. 

Executive Member

Damarys Vazquez

Damarys Vazquez is a seasoned legal professional, entrepreneur, and proud native New Yorker of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. With over a decade of experience in litigation support and administrative law, Damarys has built a reputation for her tenacity, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to client advocacy.

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She is the founder and owner of NY Legal Sec Inc., a legal support services company providing comprehensive assistance to attorneys, law firms, and individuals across New York. In her role as a Trial Paralegal at DeSimone & Associates, LLC, Damarys has managed complex litigation from initial filings through judgment collection, while also assisting in deposition prep, trial strategy, and legal research.

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Expanding her impact beyond the legal field, Damarys also serves as an Associate Consultant with Bridge Philanthropic Consulting, the nation’s largest African American-owned fundraising and philanthropic strategy firm. In this role, she supports mission-driven organizations in achieving equity-focused outcomes through strategic consulting and relationship building.

Her expertise extends to representing clients in administrative hearings before the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission and navigating licensing and compliance matters. Damarys holds certifications as a New York State Notary Public and Real Estate Salesperson.

A proud John Jay College of Criminal Justice alumna, Damarys brings a unique blend of legal insight, entrepreneurial drive, and cultural pride to her work — championing justice, equity, and empowerment in every space she enters.

Executive Member

Virginia Lazala

Virginia Lazala is a retired life sciences company executive. In her last role, she served as Vice
President and Legal Head for the LACan (Latin America and Canada) Region and for Human
Resources for the global oncology business unit within Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
(NPC). Ms. Lazala was with the Novartis group of companies since February 2000 having joined the company from Hudson United Bank where she was Senior Vice President and Bank Counsel. At Novartis, she held various positions of increasing responsibility. From 2002-2005,
Ms. Lazala served as General Counsel for Novartis Animal Health, Inc. in Greensboro, NC. She returned to her home base in New Jersey in 2005 and progressed through NPC until retiring
from the Company in January 2022.

Ms. Lazala earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Wellesley
College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Lazala returned to her childhood residence of the Bronx, NY to give back to her
community as a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Lazala immigrated to the Bronx from her native Dominican Republic at a young age to join
her single mom to fulfill their American dream. Ms. Lazala earned a scholarship for A Better
Chance, Inc. to attend a prestigious private school in New York City for high school. Ms. Lazala believes in paying it forward. She has served on various non-profit boards and mentored many mentor students and professionals. Ms. Lazala has been featured magazines including the Hispanic Executive November/December 2016 issue for her role as a mentor.

Since retiring, Ms. Lazala has continued to mentor students and professionals helping guide
them in their educational and career choices. For example, Ms. Lazala served as a Leadership
Coach in the Braven Accelerator program at Lehman College. Braven empowers promising,
underrepresented young people - first generation college students, students from varied economic backgrounds and students of color - by enhancing the skills, confidence, experience, and networks needed to transition from college to strong first jobs.

Ms. Lazala currently lives in Smyrna, Georgia with her husband, David Southers, with her two
grown children residing nearby.