When Valerie de la Garza was approached about becoming the CEO of Fenton Communications, the job wasn't even on her radar.

It should have been. Valerie's experience on campaigns around everything from the census to voting, combined with

her years working with major consumer brands, and her lived experience as a working-class

kid growing up in Southeast L.A., made her the ideal candidate to run the largest public

interest communications firm in the country.

Valerie, thank you so much for doing this.

Oh, you're so welcome.

Thank you.

I've heard you talk about how growing up in Southgate, a working class Latino community in L.A., just that early experience really shaped your commitment to social impact.

What was it about that experience growing up in Southgate

that had you thinking as a young person about social injustice? I don't think I really understood

truly what my situation was, my standing, my socioeconomic impact in my life until I went to college,

being the first one to go to college, which many of us are. And then you realize, oh, wow,

how behind I was from an educational standpoint. And how unfair that was, that the zip code was a huge determinant, a social determinant

on my life. And honestly, it made me sad. It made me angry. It made me appreciate that,

wow, I'm here now. For me, that was really the crystallization of wanting to really

figure out a way to be involved

in social good and social impact.

In the 90s, when you're doing Latino PR, it is still a pretty niche industry.

It's at least treated as a niche industry.

Do you have a story or a memory from that time that if it it happened today, would be absolutely ridiculous.

I do. I have a couple. I would be called Maria by clients, by other peers that were in what

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