Ana Castaño

Entrepreneur Success Coordinator

In the summer of 2014, Ana started her relationship with Prospera. She worked as a worker-owner in a cooperative business project for the production and sale of popsicles for two years. Later, due to her love and respect for the training and education of people from an early age, she began a new cooperative project called Luna y Sol, focused on child care. Motivated by the need and trust that families with children have in child care providers and her conviction that cooperativism is a vehicle for the economic and professional sustainability of humanity, Ana continued to participate with Prospera. She was a member of the Board of Directors, then became the President of the Board, always attentive and engaged in the programs and opportunities that Prospera offered.

Ana provided facilitation services in PR programs for Prospera as a contractor. In January 2023, she joined the staff as an Entrepreneur Success Coordinator.

During her education in Mexico, Ana provided social service for two years teaching elementary education in rural communities. She utilized popular education and fully integrated community members, which led to a return of solidarity within these communities. A few years later, Ana became an organizer and activist in defense of undocumented workers, leading committees in a march for dignity in response to a mass layoff. Through this experience, Ana was motivated to unlearn prejudices and fears that kept her community from accessing opportunities that they deserved.

With Prospera, Ana found a community, family, and space to join forces, raise her voice, and practice cooperative ancestral practices and historical resilience. These practices are what she had always known among immigrants, and now with Prospera, she can channel her power to make a positive impact.

Personal bio:

Ana is a woman from Michoacán, Mexico, where she lived until 1996. Her love for her now husband, David, and the economic, social, and political situation in her country led her to emigrate to the United States. They arrived in Los Angeles, California, where the Latino community was still vibrant, and where their first two daughters, Metzli and Alitzel, were born. Two years later, Ana and her family moved to the Bay Area, where their third daughter, Erendira, was born. This move marked a new chapter in their lives, and Ana was motivated to not only be a mother and wife but also to become a role model for her daughters.

Ana continued to work in various industries while also advocating for the common benefit of minorities, especially immigrant workers. She found a career providing child care, which became a passion for her. She not only took care of her own daughters but also of the children of other people who needed professional care. Ana maintained her activism and honesty in all situations and worked alongside other women who shared similar stories of celebration and challenge. Together, they motivated each other to unlearn prejudices and beliefs that limited their personal and professional growth. This led to personal and professional satisfaction not only for women but also for their families and communities.