As a business development consultant in Silicon Valley, Mr. Castaneda equips business owners with the network necessary to strengthen a business and provide a competitive advantage.

Mr. Castaneda is passionate about empowering the economic and social advancement of low- to moderate- income Latinos and other underserved communities.

As the Board Chair for Sabor del Valle for the past 10 years, Mr. Castaneda brings together culturally diverse vintners and restaurants to support nonprofit organizations making a difference in our community and beyond.

The Honorable Adoralida (Dora) Padilla has retired as a Workers’ Compensation Judge at the San Jose Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board effective December 2025 where she had presided since September 2001. Prior to being appointed she was the managing partner at The
Padilla Law Firm where she was an Applicant’s Attorney, and also handled matters in Family Court, Juvenile Dependency and Criminal Court.

​

She earned a degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University in 1986 and her Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Law School of San Jose in 1994. Judge Padilla has been on the faculty of
Lincoln Law School since 2002, teaching a comprehensive course in workers’ compensation. The Judge is a past officer, member and advisor of the Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section of the State Bar of California (now California Lawyers Association) and for many years the Chair of the Awards Sub-Committee. She served as President of the Conference of California Workers’ Compensation Judges for two years and was a Board member of the Conference of Judges from 2003 – 2013. She is a former member of the Board of Directors of Opera San Jose, and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Clara University Alumni Association.

At an early age Shirley began to help others in her high school and community; always emphasizing the need to help those less fortunate. She was a founding member of numerous organizations including CAUSA, Uoxina de Paz. Institute for Non-Violence, Latina Coalition and numerous others. At Santa Clara University she fought for the increase in Latino enrollment and more scholarships for Latino
students. After graduating from the University of Santa Clara she worked at Casa Legal and then joined Agricultural Labor Relations Board; she was appointed and served as Chief of Operations in Sacramento. In 2007 she was named one of the 100 most influential Latinas of Silicon Valley. She has significantly contributed to making positive change wherever she has lived or worked. Senator Anna Caballero honored her with the “Outstanding Woman of the 12th District” award and in 2022 La Raza Historical Society honored her with their annual leadership award. During her 45 years of working in the field of Labor Relations she has earned a reputation as a strong advocate for workers especially Farmworkers. She made considerable contributions while working for the Department of Industrial Relations and the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement. She promoted worker rights and worked to protect and enhance the welfare of California's workforce.​

Maria dedicated 20 years of her life as a bilingual teacher with the utmost love and passion for the profession. Her main goals as a teacher were to raise her students' academics as well as their self esteem. As an educator Maria met people that shared in her dreams of improving the educational opportunities of Latino Students. Along with other colleagues, Maria founded organizations that brought changes to the lives of many students. One of her most rewarding work was the founding of Community Alliance for Upgrading Student Achievement (CAUSA). Trough CAUSA college students were hired and trained as tutors to help underachieving kindergarten-12th grade students improve in their academics and gain a more positive outlook of themselves. Maria's involvement in sponsoring the first Chicano High School graduations at the Gilroy High School was a very successful endeavor that brought parents and the school community together. During the early 1980's Maria and a team of visionaries formed the Latina Coalition in Gilroy. One main goal was to raise money for Latino students scholarships.

Today, Maria is a team member of TOLA Properties Realty. As a realtor, her main desire is to help friends and family realize the American dream of owning a home.

Sergio has an entrepreneurial spirit with a supportive personality that loves assisting new and established businesses with their ideas all the way through to their success. He has a wide range of experience from a foreign owned small business to mobile strategy, social media strategy & management to business financing. Sergio sat was a board member of Sabor del Valle up until 2013 and now assists as an advisory board member.

Is a visionary entrepreneur, speaker, and transformational leader with a mission to build living legacies and empower communities especially the Latino community through purposeful leadership, education, and economic opportunity. A proud Honduran immigrant, she arrived in the United States at age 19 and has spent the last 17 years turning resilience into impact and purpose into action.

​

She is the Founder and CEO of Golden Professional Services Inc., a leading California based firm providing tax, accounting, business formation, and strategic consulting services to thousands of entrepreneurs. Her work has strengthened small businesses, elevated families, and expanded economic mobility for underserved communities across Silicon Valley and beyond.

​​

Motivated by a calling to transform lives, Mélida created the Be MEE Ecosystem (Motivating, Educating, Empowering)—a holistic platform for leadership and entrepreneurship rooted in purpose, healing, and identity. Through her signature program, MEE Viaje al Emprendimiento, she helps individuals—especially women—unlock their potential through self-discovery, mindset development, business education, and community connection.
She recently founded the Alpha & Omega Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to faith-based financial education, mentorship, and expanding access to opportunities for future leaders. Previously, she co-founded Prosperity Lab, a nonprofit initiative that empowered the Latino community through business development and financial literacy.

Ana Antonio was born in Mexico City, as a one-year-old her family immigrated to the East Side of San Jose. She went on to attend UC Santa Barbara and was the first in her family to seek higher education.

After UCSB where she majored in Global Studies and Chicano studies she came home to East Side San Jose. She held various roles in the last 18 years at the YMCA; in her latest role as Executive Director, she is excited to work with a diverse group of people that live, work, and socialize within her own community. Hoping to bring resources and collaborations with various organizations that share the same values and goals for the community. And ultimately pay it forward and continue to pave the way.

In her spare time, Ana loves to wine taste, a good cab being her favorite, taking road trips with her partner Michael Gonzales and their rescue Jack Russell terrier, Roary.

Yvonne Martínez Beltrán is a Morgan Hill Councilwoman committed to public service, building community and a dedicated advocate for her community. She earned her Masters in Urban Planning from the NYU School of Public Service specializing in Housing and Economic Development. She held a Broker’s License, has experience in property management and commercial real estate and co-founded Le.Catrina.com, a Latina Chic boutique.

Martínez Beltrán serves on the League of California Cities Board of Directors, Latino Caucus Executive Board, the Peninsula Division Executive Board, and has chaired the Cal Cities Housing, Community Development Policy Committee. She is a Board Member for Silicon Valley Clean Energy, and serves as the SCC Cities Association Executive Board member to the Asso of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) as well as Sabor De Valle. She serves on the City/Schools Liaison Committee and Co-Founded Nueva Esperanza Community Group that has hosted the Annual Morgan Hill Holiday Posada and Día De Los Muertos Celebration.

Martínez Beltrán’s policy leads with inclusion, equity and engaging community to better represent and collaborate in order to create more effective policy.

Chester Ruiz is an experienced real estate entrepreneur and industry leader. His ‘big why’ motivates him to help the next generation achieve the American Dream through homeownership.

Chester provides his marketing experience and develops strategic marketing plans to better serve existing clients and new customers. He taps into his past experience as a building contractor assisting clients with compliance with the California Contractors Licensing Board concurrently offering assistance with obtaining a license. Chester believes in giving back to the community by helping nonprofits increase their capacity to serve the greater good. His greatest accomplishment has been raising his five children who have grown to be productive citizens and caring adults. Lovingly Chester is the primary caregiver of his 99-year-old immigrant Father. “Our greatest privilege is to serve to leave a legacy of hope & prosperity for the next generation, Si Se Puede!®” Chester Ruiz

ADELANTE! SDV!