Olga González believes nonprofits often underestimate the communities they serve. They swoop in, she says, with outside resources and money but ignore the assets these communities already possess. That's why she endorses the promotora model, where a nonprofit trains people from the community they serve to provide outreach, advocacy, and services. Here, González shares several success stories of promotoras in action – from distributing masks & vaccines to farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitoring air pollution near a local oil refinery. Olga González has worked in the nonprofit sector for 28+ years. She is currently the Executive Director of Cultivando, a nonprofit that cultivates leadership in the Latinx community to advance health equity through advocacy, collaboration, and policy change. As CEO of O.G. Consulting Services, she facilitates trainings and workshops on equity, racial justice, and healing. Olga was born in Mexico and is the proud descendant of Indigenous Yaqui/Otomi people. She, along with her husband, is raising their children to be the next generation of fierce and compassionate social justice warriors. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx