Wednesday, March 31, 2027
Networking: 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Program: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Brookhaven Country Club
3333 Golfing Green Dr
Farmers Branch, Texas
Directions to event location (PDF).
R.S.V.P. by March 19, 2027
Sponsorship opportunities available (PDF).
Interculturality Out Loud: Latina Stories Shaping Shared Purpose
In this keynote, Dr. Mary Margaret Carrillo (Doctora MMC), founder of Latina Voices Institute, weaves together the theme of “Interculturality” with powerful Latina educational stories from Texas and beyond. Drawing from her research on cultural narratives and her work building LVI’s storytelling and leadership forums, she will explore how our voices, languages, and cultures can move communities from simply coexisting to “shaping one another” through a shared purpose. Attendees will be invited to see their own stories as bridges across generations, geographies, and faith traditions, and to imagine new ways of coming together that honor both SSND’s global vision and LVI’s Latina-centered movement for strengthening community.
Featured Speaker:
Dr. Mary Margaret Carrillo (Doctora MMC)
Founder & CEO, Latina Voices Institute
Dr. Mary Margaret Carrillo (Doctora MMC) is a nationally recognized Latina scholar, educator, and community leader dedicated to elevating Latina leadership through education, culture, and storytelling. She is the founder and CEO of the Latina Voices Institute, a learning and leadership network created to build spaces where Latinas can grow academically, professionally, and personally. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement, she is known for advancing diversity, inclusion, and belonging and for designing programs that connect Latinas to opportunities and to each other.
At Latina Voices Institute, Dr. Carrillo leads signature initiatives including the Latina Voices Forum, Journaling Circles, DFW Latina-owned Business Circles, Health and Wellness programs, and the Amplify online series, which offer leadership development and networking for Latinas across Texas and beyond. Under her guidance, Latina Voices Institute has expanded into cities across Texas, including San Antonio, Lubbock, and Corpus Christi, bringing storytelling-centered forums that blend leadership conversations, community building, and self-care. She also represents Latina Voices Institute on global stages, presenting on cultural storytelling and Latina leadership at international academic forums.
Dr. Carrillo’s doctoral research, “Cultural Educational Narratives: An Exploration of Latina Stories,” completed as part of her Doctor of Liberal Studies at Southern Methodist University, examines how familia, funding, and faith shape Latina educational decision-making. She also holds a Master of Liberal Studies from SMU and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Her scholarship and practice focus on how cultural narratives shape identity, access to higher education, and community building among Latinas.
Deeply rooted in her San Antonio familia, Dr. Carrillo is a first-generation Latina scholar, mother, and grandmother (“Mimi”) whose journey as a non-traditional student and former military spouse informs the welcoming, comunidad-first spaces she creates through Latina Voices Institute. Beyond her work with Latina Voices Institute, she has been active with organizations such as the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas and continues to mentor emerging Latina leaders across sectors. She finds balance in yoga, reading, exploring Texas barbecue with her life partner, Aljon, and spending time with her daughters, Rebecca and Vanessa, and her five grandchildren. Dr. Carrillo is continually reminded that today’s educational and leadership initiatives shape tomorrow’s opportunities.
For more information, contact:
Debbie Rohrich-Tyler | 314-633-7032 | drohrichtyler@ssndcp.org