Meet the raíz team
Dr. Ricky Gutierrez-Maldonado
Nopal Co-Director and Raíz Co-Owner
Ricky Gutierrez-Maldonado is a higher education leader and Ethnic Studies instructor. He co-directs Nopal and Raíz Café y Cultura. He enjoys good movies and shows, music, working out, traveling, and food.
Dra. Nancy Huante-Tzintzun
Nopal Co-Director and Raíz Co-Owner
Born in Michoacán, Mexico and raised in Stockton. Her work is driven by her lived experiences and fueled by projects rooted in social justice. She is an Assistant professor at Sacramento State University and Nopal Co-Director. As a Chicana scholar-activist and community organizer her love and passion for educación is felt and passed down to her daughters and the larger community in hopes they continue to build and create opportunities to engage with justice work for future generations.
Daniela perez
Raíz Youth Power Intern
Daniela Perez is a Computer Science student at Sacramento State with a strong passion for cybersecurity and giving back to her community. She joined the Raíz team in 2024 and has since contributed to the development of their website and newsletter.
Meet the nopal team
Maurice Montoya
Nopal Co-Director
Maurice Montoya (he/him) is a Chicano multi-disciplinary artist, organizer, activist, and facilitator. As a first gen alumni of Hispanic Serving Institution, Sacramento State University, Maurice grew passionate about Ethnic Studies, Cultural Preservation, and Advocacy work throughout Northern California. Since graduating in 2021, Maurice has applied his efforts toward Indigenous, Chicanx, and Latinx serving organizations and non profits and has coordinated over 25 events throughout the region!
Yesenia Solis
Nopal Co-Director
Yesenia Solis is a first generation immigrant born in Michoacán Mexico. She was raised in a small rural town south of Fresno, where she grew up around the agriculture community. She has a bachelors degree from UC Berkeley in Legal Studies and a minor in Education. Additionally she is a Sac State Masters graduate from the Multicultural Education Program's. Yesenia, values and morals are rooted in love as a source of political empowerment for critical collective consciousness evolution. Her goals are to continue to grow through ancestral wisdom to deliver intentional community engagement for the better good of collective healing. Liberation and love for all.
Maria abugarde rayo
Nopal Board Member: Treasurer
Jasmin Aleman
Nopal Board Member
gloria alonso cruz
Nopal Board Member: Secretary
Karla Garcia
Nopal Board Member
Karla Garcia (She/Her) was born and raised in Stockton. Karla joined Nopal as a Youth Power Intern in 2022 and graduated from Sacramento State with a BA in Sociology shortly after. Karla has always dreamed of helping others and bettering her community. Aside from working with Nopal, Karla works with a local non-profit based in San Joaquin County that strives to provide change in the community through advocacy and education. When not working, you can find Karla listening to a podcast, solving the daily Wordle, or taking a nap with her three cats.
Bianette Perez
Nopal Board President
Bianette is a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Stockton, California. She’s a Youth Programs Director at the nonprofit Little Manila Rising and a Nopal Youth Power Intern. Through her work, she seeks to empower young people and continue advocating for her community.
Maria fernanda villanueva vargas
Nopal Volunteer
Fernanda (She/Her) was born in Bakersfield, CA, to Mexican immigrant parents and raised in Cotija, Michoacán. At the age of two, her family decided to return to Mexico so she and her siblings could grow up immersed in their culture and language. She later earned a degree in Architecture in Mexico, focusing on urban planning and the ways built environments shape communities. After graduating, Fernanda returned to California, where she is currently majoring in Ethnic Studies. Her experiences navigating life between two countries have influenced her passion for exploring the intersections of identity, migration, and spatial justice. She is particularly interested in how urban spaces reflect and reinforce social inequalities, as well as how communities reclaim and redefine them. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cities, designing, visiting art museums, listening to music, and rewatching her favorite films.
Mirella guzman
Nopal Volunteer
Mirella Guzmán is a second-generation immigrant born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. She is an undergraduate student at Sacramento State, majoring in Ethnic Studies with a focus on Chicanx/Latinx studies. As part of her research through the McNair Scholars Program, she explores how second-generation Chicanxs with limited Spanish proficiency maintain and navigate their cultural identities and social environments despite linguistic barriers. Mirella is passionate about continuing her academic journey and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Chicana/o/x Studies. Her ultimate goal is to teach at the college level and empower young Chicanx students to embrace and celebrate their unique Chicanidades.