Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Hernandez.
Hi Sofia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a first-gen daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was born and raised alongside my older brother in the small city of Lake Jackson, Texas, just an hour down 288 South from Houston. I consider my life’s journey to have really began at The University of Texas at Austin, where I studied Bilingual Education and took courses in Mexican-American and Afro-Latino studies. Those classes, mostly led by passionate BIPOC professors, opened my eyes to the intersections between culture, identity, and social justice within communities of color as well as helped me to understand just how truly white-washed U.S. history has become and how it’s erased the stories of our indigenous peoples in this world. From then on, my mission has been to continue educating myself on the history and contributions of BIPOC communities so that I can help to increase awareness and representation through my every day life and work.
After graduating with a B.S. in Bilingual Elementary Education, I spent four years teaching and advocating for first- and second-grade dual language students, most of whom were first-generation Latino Americans or newly arrived immigrants. Those years taught me how deeply a child’s educational experience is shaped by their community, access to resources, and the politics that surround them.
In 2020, I moved to Houston and shifted my educational role from a public school teacher to an Educational Specialist for the Houston Area Urban League nonprofit where I created, managed and instructed educational programs for students k-12 in schools within Houston’s 3rd ward. Outside of my career, I was immediately inspired by the city’s creative energy and the way BIPOC entrepreneurs were building community through their work. I began volunteering, attending pop-ups, and sharing the stories of local vendors on social media to help others discover and support them. What started as me taking photos and uplifting local business owners on my personal Instagram evolved into La Chingona Collab — a platform I founded in 2022 to celebrate and connect with BIPOC entrepreneurs of color to do “cosas chingonas”!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The creative journey is ALWAYS full of ups and downs, just like life. I went from having a super busy, fixed daily routine as an educator to now being an entrepreneur who needs to hold herself accountable and make her own schedule. This might sound like rainbows and butterflies but as they say, “with freedom comes great responsibility”! It’s been a challenge to rewire my brain to get used to living life in this whole new way I never knew existed. I’ve also come to realize just how much life changes like this impact your entire well-being. Your mental, emotional and physical health are all connected and aligned and makes it super important for me to make more of an effort to learn how to listen to my body and understand my emotions so that I can truly take care of myself as I go through these stages of growth. Having to create what feels like a whole new identity is already hard as is and then on top of that, being a first-gen business owner in your family can really make that impostor syndrome kick in. But through all of those times when I doubt myself, I always end up being reminded that I’m not and never have been alone in the struggle. I’ve been blessed to have had opportunities to learn alongside many other emerging entrepreneurs and creatives in workshops and courses, gotten advice from successful CEOs, and built a network of bad ass community members. I’ve also had vulnerable, heart-felt conversations with acquaintances that reminded me that I am never alone in my struggles and emotions that I experience when I get in those funks.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Although I am a micro business owner, I consider myself a creative more than anything. Through La Chingona Collab, I team up with local entrepreneurs, creatives and advocates to create intentional spaces where the BIPOC community can continue to connect, grow and thrive. I believe that collaboration with others who also value the arts, understand the importance of mental health and advocate for social justice, is the only way that we can preserve our talents, gifts and our histories for generations to come.
Driven by empathy, a passion for social justice and the love and deep appreciation for my cultural roots, La Chingona Collab events are always created with the intention to strengthen the community one connection at a time. My goal is for people to be inspired by one another’s kindness, passions and talents and know that they are just as “chingón” and “chingona” as those they look up to- you just have to move with intention and shoot your shot even when it’s scary!
I focus on curating creative events ranging from cultural celebrations, mental health workshops, nonprofit fundraisers, entrepreneurship meetups and even short-film showcases. I’m most proud of having co-organized FIEL Houston’s Inaugural Community Celebration back in 2023 and again for the second year on Dia de los Muertos, November 1st, 2025. Proceeds from these events were raised to support FIEL’s Access to Higher Education, Community Advocacy, and Legal Departments which provide vital services, resources, and support for immigrant and marginalized communities in Houston.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I wish I gave myself a lot more grace. Like many of us, I have always been my harshest critic. I tend to be a perfectionist and am a recovering over-thinker so I’ve come to learn the hard way that I need to give myself whole lot more credit for all of the obstacles I’ve overcome in life but especially for the goals and dreams I’ve manifested for myself with the help of my support system and my community. As someone who has worked in education, nonprofit, marketing, hospitality and now, entrepreneurship, I’ve had to navigate through plenty of life changing transitions. However, if I had never had to pivot the direction of my life so many times already, I would have never grown confident enough in myself to know that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and more.
But as someone who was diagnosed as an adult with ADHD, Anxiety and Depression, I’ve come to realize that although my brain and body want to be on go-mode 24/7 to be able to do all the things, I eventually wouldn’t be able to do anything if I didn’t slow down and learn how to listen to my mind and body when they’re trying to tell me that I need to rest and practice radical self-care. I’ve experienced burn out before which I refer to as my “quarter-life crisis” and through that darkest period of my life when I was questioning everything, including my own purpose, I learned my most important lesson- I cannot take care of others if I do not take care of myself first. I am forever grateful to have found support within family, friends, acquaintances and especially through therapy and counseling. I can truly say that by doing the shadow work to acknowledge past trauma and overcoming my insecurities to unlearn unhealthy habits and ways of thinking, I have saved myself from crumbling even more under the pressure that life brings along the way.
My best pieces of advice are to practice positive self-talk, learn to be more vulnerable, establish healthy boundaries, and always strive to have a growth-mindset. Oh, and do the hard things even when they’re scary- just look at all that you’ve overcome this far (:
Pricing:
- I offer small event curation services and custom party decorations (birthdays, bachelorettes, Galentines, Graduations, etc)- If interested you can reach out to me via email or Instagram DM
- I also offer graphic design services for micro/small business such as logos, stickers, and merch designs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lachingonacollab?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacZDmdvFRigAZve5Ba5Wo_cm7Sh7uLmqGH-Td-uw5vRa4swzNzWGyWLyUgAzQ_aem_VEKwuSZsFwJR3HMHimRTZw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lachingonacollab/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofie-hernandez-796013325/
- Other: lachingonacollab@gmail.com
Image Credits
1. In This Together- Community Photo Project Fiel Houston- Photo by Violeta Alvarez
2. La Chingona Collab- Mental Health Magic in collab w Sunbi Studio- Photo by Mario Morales
