You Must Listen To These 9 Empowering TEDx Talks By Latinas Before The Year Ends

The end of the year always gets us extra-excited for planning out our goals, figuring out our next career moves, and setting a game plan for all our ambitions come January. We’re the crowd that loves buying a planner for the new year, setting our intentions, and maybe even embarking on a few moonlit astrology or tarot rituals to clean the old vibes out and start fresh.

For us, 2022 marks new beginnings, away from the dumpster fire that was 2020 and 2021 — and hopefully filled with tons of positivity, buenas vibras, fulfilling experiences, and tons of successes at every turn. Luckily, we’ve found one of the best ways to ring in a super-motivating new year: watching the most jaw-dropping Latina-led TEDx Talks ever released.

Whether or not you’re familiar with TEDx Talks, chances are, these are right up your alley. We’ve compiled talks by some of the most powerful, fierce Latinas in the world, discussing their passions with compelling, magnetic vivacity — so much so, we can’t help but somehow feel even more passionate about our own goals, too. These videos are the epitome of inspiring, whether calling for a change in the way pregnant women of color are treated in contrast to their white counterparts, or outlining the best tips to become a successful Latina business woman no matter your industry. Ahead, find the best 9 TEDx Talks by Latinas that will give you a boost of positivity and motivation for 2022.

1. “What Makes You Special?” by Mariana Atencio

We’ve watched this TEDx Talk over and over again, which calls on people of all walks of life to “cash in” on what makes them unique, and run with it. Venezuelan-born Atencio describes feeling like an outcast in Minnesota summer camps and her senior year in a U.S. high school, but explains how those difficult experiences made her realize that her differences simply made her special. A world-traveling NBC News journalist today, Atencio uses her experiences as an immigrant to inform her thoughts on people from every country she visits.

2. “Three Rules to Help You Build a Successful Business” by Julissa Prado

Another video we can’t get enough of is this business-oriented one by Rizos Curls megawatt founder Julissa Prado. The Mexican-American, über-empoderada Prado talks about being a “constant problem solver” as the leader of any company, and how her community inspired her to start a brand aimed at nourishing and styling curly hair. Using homemade remedies since childhood, Prado converted her family’s secrets like fresh-cut aloe vera for the scalp into her swoon-worthy product line. Watch this video of starting a business, or really thinking about doing so in 2022.

3. “My Identity Is A Superpower Not An Obstacle” by America Ferrera

We’ll always love actress America Ferrera, who has made us laugh and cry in movies like “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “Real Women Have Curves,” or in epic shows like “Superstore.” This time, the Honduran-American 37-year-old talks about her behind-the-scenes experience in Hollywood, whether in regard to her ethnicity or her appearance. Describing the importance of seeing all kinds of representation on screen, she explains, “who we see thriving in the world teaches us how to see ourselves.”

4. “How To Live Passionately No Matter Your Age” by Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende is a legendary Chilean author, writing epic works of magical realism like “The House of the Spirits,” “Paula,” and “Eva Luna.” Not just a wildly successful author in her own right, Allende hails from a fiercely political family: her uncle was Salvador Allende, the first socialist President of Chile who was famously ousted in 1973 and committed suicide. Allende has lived through political exile, worldwide notoriety, and the tragic death of her daughter Paula, but has somehow survived it all — and still thrived, too. At 79-years-old, the writer talks about living with passion and intensity, making for one of the most inspiring talks we’ve seen.

5. “The Story of Marvel’s First Queer Latina Superhero” by Gabby Rivera

Another TEDx Talk that inspires us to live our truth and follow our biggest passions, Marvel writer Gabby Rivera talks about her experience writing “AMERICA,” the imprint’s first queer Latina superhero in history. The author connects back to her childhood growing up Puerto Rican and queer in the Bronx, describing how she felt like the opposite of “powerful” superheroes. Still, she eventually found herself within the comic book tradition, making it her own and seeing the unique cosmic magic and superpowers that were always within her and her culture.

6. “The Tech Forward Rejuvenation of Underdog Cities” by Irma L. Olguin Jr.

Another great TEDx Talk to watch, tech CEO and social entrepreneur Irma L. Olguin Jr.’s video is perfect when in need of motivation and finding the strength to change the world one bit at a time. Olguin Jr. co-founded Bitwise Industries in Fresno, California, securing record-breaking funding for a female, Latinx company, and now works to build up careers in tech throughout “underdog” American towns. The Mexican-American business woman is the definition of una mujer empoderada, being the granddaughter and daughter of field laborers, and this video is every bit as inspiring as it sounds.

7. “What’s Missing From The American Immigrant Narrative” by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

We love this talk, led by Mexican-American Camarillo Gutierrez as she talks about her own experience growing up on the US-Mexico border and living the effects of immigration firsthand. While the speaker soon graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, lived as a Gilman Scholar in the U.K., and now works as an investment banking analyst, Camarillo Gutierrez looks back at her beginnings throughout the video. Calling for a change of perspective on the way the media often portrays immigrants, she analyzes the discrepancies between the harsh reality of immigration versus stereotypical narratives.

8. “Museums Should Honor The Everyday Not Just The Extraordinary” by Ariana Curtis

Afro-Latina museum curator Ariana Curtis makes a fascinating argument in this TEDx Talk, describing how museums so often highlight extraordinary people — who are, “by definition… non-representative” and “atypical.” Instead of the richest or most aspirational, she calls on curating exhibits that seek the magic in everyday humans, doing banal, relatable things — especially within women’s history. As per Curtis, this act will “reflect our daily realities,” and represent that “women are people”— diverse, real, and authentic.

9. “How Racism Harms Pregnant Women And What Can Help” by Miriam Zoila Perez

Yet another crucial video you should watch right now, writer Zoila Perez talks about the ways racism creates severe, health-affecting stress disorders in people of color, zeroing-in on how it particularly affects pregnant women. The former doula talks about how this chain-reaction can even lead to premature births or other potentially-dangerous situations for pregnant women of color, calling on widespread prenatal care programs to help counteract the effects.