The Community Foundation’s “Leaders of the Future” series highlights individuals and organizations who inspire us to look towards a brighter future for Greater Washington.

This month, we are pleased to feature Yurani Sandoval, Founder & CEO of Women Palante, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latina entrepreneurs with the skills and holistic supports they need to transform their businesses and their communities. The Community Foundation is proud to partner with Women Palante through Sharing DC and the Health Equity Fund.

“In this world, there is no force equal to a woman determined to rise.” – W.E.B. DuBois

When Yurani Sandoval was working toward her MBA at Johns Hopkins University, she threw herself into business incubators and entrepreneurship workshops. She was learning financial planning, developing business models, sharpening her pitch—all the skills that traditional programs emphasize. But something was missing.

“I had all the business skills in the incubator, but I didn't feel well,” Yurani recalls. “I was looking for a community, I was looking for childcare. I had to look outside for those things.”

As a single mother navigating a separation while pursuing her degree, Yurani experienced firsthand the gap that exists in most entrepreneurship programs: they focus on building businesses but not on supporting the whole person. She realized she could create a business plan, but she also needed plans for other aspects of her life.

Unlocking The Power of Latina Entrepreneurship

Over the past decade, Latina entrepreneurs have quickly emerged as one of the fastest growing economic engines in the United States. A recent Wells Fargo Report found that Latina entrepreneurs employed more than 870,000 people and generated $225 billion in 2024 – a 60% increase from just five years ago.

“Entrepreneurship for Latinas is a vehicle for growth – both personally and economically,” Yurani explains. “It gives us the freedom to be flexible with our time, to provide for our family – but it also helps us develop a sense of identity as we build something that conforms to our strengths.”

However, as Yurani discovered, Latina entrepreneurs are forced to overcome many challenges that are unique to their experience, including cultural and language barriers, limited access to capital, and limited access to important resources such as childcare, mentoring, and mental health support.

“I started going to workshops and business incubators and realized that there were other Latinas – women just like me – who had these same struggles. I realized there was an opportunity for me to fill a gap for my community.”

*MOMpreneurs participate in a yoga wellness session.*

A Philosophy of Wholeness

In 2019, Yurani began a project that would eventually become Women Palante (“Women Moving Forward”) working to support aspiring Latin Mothers or ‘MOMpreneurs’ who, like her, were trying to find balance between building a business and being a Mom. The program’s motto, “Emprender es deber” (entrepreneurship as duty), reminds both team members and participants that entrepreneurship is so much more than a career path.

“Being an entrepreneur is not limited to starting a business; it's a mindset, a philosophy, a way of life,” Yurani explains. “We want the women we serve to learn to feel empowered to take the initiative, take ownership, and feel fulfilled in every aspect of their lives.”

Every year, the MOMpreneurs program accepts a cohort of 15-20 aspiring entrepreneurs. As part of the initiative participants commit to meet twice per week and spend a total of seven hours per week (in and out of class) on their personal and business goals: three hours focused on business skills and three hours on wellness.

Together, participants learn about financial literacy, marketing, AI, and sales techniques. They compete in pitch competitions with cash prizes to help seed their businesses. But they also practice breathwork, participate in yoga, and build their self-esteem through dance. They learn about how the brain works, how to manage stress and anxiety, and how to navigate imposter syndrome.

“We don't believe you can be a successful business without nurturing your mind, your body, and your heart,” Yurani says.

The holistic approach extends to addressing practical barriers too. Women Palante provides professional childcare during the in-person workshops, recognizing that for many mothers accessing support isn't just about curriculum, it's about removing the obstacles that make participation impossible in the first place.

From Students to Family

What happens when you support the whole person isn't just individual transformation—it's community building.

“The students didn't expect to become family and friends,” she says. “They are sharing experiences in a safe space and building relationships with each other. They share what they are experiencing—stresses, anxiety—and create connections and community support.”

“This community taught me that with the right tools, the right support system, and a growth mindset, we can turn our dreams into reality,” one participant shared. “This program didn’t just provide me with the resources to launch my business, but gave me the space to grow, flourish, and believe in myself.”

Women Palante’s graduates have gone on to start businesses across a wide range of industries including childcare, construction, fashion, food & hospitality, and design – giving participants access to a vast network of potential business partners and opportunities to collaborate.

MOMpreneurs after the Women Palante Pitch Competition. The competition helps aspiring business owners refine their pitch skills and rewards three businesses with cash prizes to help seed their business ideas.

One MOMpreneur came to program with an idea for a bilingual Montessori-style childcare center. By the end of the program, she not only had a business plan – she also had toys, lesson plans, and other supplies courtesy of another MOMpreneur in the network who was retiring from the childcare space.

“When you support Latinas, you support the entire family,” Yurani emphasizes. “They are not just thinking about themselves, they are supporting others. When Latina entrepreneurs hire, they support other Latinas, support other small businesses. They want to be mentors. You're not just supporting one, you're supporting a ripple.”

Elevating the Work Through Philanthropic Partnerships

Women Palante's growth has been supported by the Greater Washington Community Foundation through grants from Sharing DC and the Health Equity Fund. But for Yurani, the impact has gone beyond funding.

“Sharing DC was one of the first big grant applications I submitted for Women Palante,” Yurani shared. “I wasn’t sure what kind of information to include or how to make the case for funders.”

Although her initial application was not accepted, The Community Foundation’s Sharing DC team reached out to Yurani, gave her valuable feedback to help her improve her application, and encouraged her to reapply. That coaching transformed not just one application but Yurani's entire approach.

“I was able to turn the Sharing DC team’s feedback into a blueprint for all of our funding applications,” Yurani explained. “It pushed me to be better and to be strategic. I learned how to make the case in five pages, to be consistent and powerful.”

Using this blueprint, Women Palante’s second application was accepted – allowing them to professionalize critical aspects of their program, like moving from volunteer childcare providers to certified ones. Later, Yurani leveraged the skills she developed to apply for funding from The Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund, where she joined the Health Equity Fund’s cohort of nonprofit leaders from across DC.

*MOMpreneurs at the cohort’s graduation ceremony*

“Being in community with other nonprofit leaders through the Health Equity Fund has been powerful,” Yurani says. “It provides us a safe learning space to exchange resources and build networks that can bless the lives of those we serve.”

“It reminds us that we are not alone – we are ‘unidas’ or united to help each other – just like the women we serve,” Yurani shares, recounting how many MOMpreneurs have stepped up to support their fellow participants during what has been a challenging year for Latina small businesses.

“Together, we are doing more than providing services and seeking better outcomes; we are building a stronger community – juntos palante – moving forward together!”

For more information about how you can support organizations like Women Palante through our Sharing Community Initiatives, contact your local giving officer or learn more at https://www.thecommunityfoundation.org/greater-washington-region

Leader of the Future Spotlight: Yurani Sandoval, Women Palante - Empowering a New Generation of Latina Entrepreneurs

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