Beatriz Soto - Bridging Cultural Divides & Building Equitable Communities
Beatriz Soto is the Director of Protégete, a statewide program from Conservation Colorado, whose mission is to elevate Latino-driven solutions to protect our lands, water, air, and fight for environmental and climate justice. Prior to joining Conservation Colorado, she held a number of leadership and founding positions with conservation-focused organizations here in Colorado. At her core, Beatriz is a gifted and highly effective leader, one who combines her professional expertise with her unique personal story to act as a cultural bridge and give voices to both underrepresented communities and the threatened lands and waters of the West.
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Beatriz is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, and she spent her childhood and youth in a bicultural setting between Mexico and the United States. She graduated from Colorado’s Basalt High School, and then went on to study architecture back in Chihuahua City, Mexico. For nearly 20 years, she applied her talents in architecture and design to a wide range of projects, from Net-Zero affordable housing projects to high-performance strawbale homes and everything in between, in locations ranging from the Pacific Coast of Mexico to Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. But as you’ll hear in the conversation, she eventually realized that she wanted to work more directly on issues including conservation and community vitality, so she pivoted and began her new career as a conservation leader in Colorado.
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Beatriz and I connected virtually and had an inspirational and instructive conversation about her amazing life story and her present-day conservation work. We talked about her bicultural upbringing between Mexico and the US, and the realities of growing up as an undocumented child. We discussed her family’s emphasis on service and community, and how those values have expressed themselves throughout her career. We talk about the uncertainty that accompanied her transition from a career in architecture to a career in conservation and advocacy, and why she decided to apply her talents to the mission of Conservation Colorado. We discuss the mind-boggling process of becoming an American citizen, how she builds trust with community stakeholders, her favorite books, and much more. Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we covered.
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A huge thank you to Beatriz for taking the time to share her wisdom, and thank you for listening.
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This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation.
To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today.
Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society.
To learn more about Mighty Arrow’s forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org.
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
3:30 - Beatriz’s childhood
5:30- What brought Beatriz and her family from Mexico to the US
8:30 - Reflecting on adaptation within Beatriz’s very mobile childhood
11:30 - Whether or not looking back on the US from Mexico changed Beatriz’s outlook on the US
14:00 - Beatriz’s experience growing up undocumented, and how that affected her upbringing
17:45 - Where Beatriz’s commitment to service comes from
22:45 - The importance of community
24:15 - Beatriz’s goals in college
26:30 - Beatriz’s work in design and architecture
33:00 - Beatriz’s shift away from design and architecture, and the fear that comes with transitions like that
36:30 - How long it took Beatriz to feel like it was the right move to shift from professional architecture to conservation work
39:30 - When Conservation Colorado came into Beatriz’s world
43:15 - Beatriz’s day-to-day work with Conservation Colorado
48:30 - Whether or not leaders and stakeholders are happy to hear from Beatriz and her team
51:15 - How Beatriz handles rejections from potential partners
53:30 - Discussing the Colorado Latino Justice Handbook
1:00:00 - What is next for Beatriz
1:02:45 - How Beatriz became a documented American
1:04:30 - Discussing how to simplify an overcomplicated immigration process
1:08:45 - Beatriz’s book recommendations
1:11:15 - Beatriz’s parting words of wisdom
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