La Familia!
VISION: La Verdad Ltd. is a community rooted in the six fundamentals: Art, Community, Culture, Inspiration, Scholarship, and Tradition.
MISSION: To inspire, educate, and preserve the culture and traditions of Latinos through original programming and outreach.
Christian
Born and raised in the city of Chicago, IL, Christian Alequin has always found a passion for the arts. This is a big part of the reason that led him to the creation of La Verdad Ltd. As a community whose vision is to promote the culture and traditions of Latinos, Christian credits his passion for culture to his late grandmother, Ramonita “Monin” Bartolomei, and her inspirational life motto, “¿Quién dijo miedo?” When he's not traveling for work or brainstorming new ideas for La Verdad, he's spending quality 'daddy-daughter' time with his 5 year-old little girl.
Carlos
Carlos' love for preserving history and culture is what led him to getting involved with La Verdad. He's a Dominican educator based out of Grand Rapids, MI who has a strong passion for Community Empowerment and Entrepreneurship. He gets to fulfill both of these passions in multiple ways through La Verdad Ltd. Outside of this, Carlos spends all spare time with his wife, Hilda, 5 year-old daughter, Ysa, and a newfound love for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu!
VFig
Vanessa was born in Chicago and raised in the west suburbs. She was given the name 'VFig' by her long-time best friend of over 20 years, Nati. After majoring in Latin American and Latino Studies at DePaul University, she grew a vast interest and passion for her Latino roots and culture and is now a proud, female voice for La Verdad. When she's not busy working nonstop, she's spending much needed relaxation time with her family and loving boyfriend.
Jesus
Jesus Rodriguez is a California native living in the city of Detroit. Surrounded by the raw street art and rich history of the Motor City, Jesus gained an appreciation and love for the arts as a teenager. When presented with the idea of joining the La Verdad, he jumped at the opportunity; finally finding an outlet for his creativity. Jesus is excited to be part of a team of unique individuals who share similar goals and ideals and is eager to inject some of that Motown swagger and Detroit resilience into the brand.
Marissa
Marissa was born and raised in the southwest Chicago suburbs. Despite this, she always found a way to venture out into the city to explore culture, history, and art. One of her biggest life adventures in Chicago was attending and graduating from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology. With her Anthropological background, Marissa is able to cultivate her passion for Latino culture, traditions and history with La Verdad. She cannot thank the team enough for allowing her to join and to be a part of a family who shares the same vision in giving back to the community. On her downtime, you can find Marissa blogging, editing photos for her Instagram (@cafecito_y_cultura), traveling, or enjoying un cafecito.
Yvan - "El TalYvan"
A Dominican upbringing and staying true to his culture leads Yvan to bring a vivid atmosphere to the LV Familia. Art, Culture and Music have always been a part of him making La Verdad a perfect outlet. Yvan has used a background in Marketing and Promotions gained at Western Michigan University to move forward the knowledge of Latino culture. Born in Dominican Republic and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, he is now based in Orlando. Yvan has had the chance to make big impressions on those who know him in all these places, usually leaving people saying they met “un tal Yvan.”
Keishla
Keishla (Beba) has always had eyes that worked as a camera. All her life, she has captured and filmed every moment that has impacted her life. Without her pictures and films, she wouldn't be the person she is today. She was born and raised in Chicago in the Humboldt Park area and happily represents her Puerto Rican roots. She is a strong believer and supporter of women's rights and a proud wildcat from Roberto Clemente Community Academy. Through La Verdad Ltd, she can continue capturing the precious moments of what defines her as an individual.