About Us

El Poder de Ser Mujer

About us

El Poder de Ser Mujer is a non – profit organization that works for the personal and economic empowerment of our latina community 

We are a non-profit organization that seeks to build the capacity of Latina women in the DC metropolitan area, motivating them to develop all of their talent and potential. We do this through educational programs that we hold around the D.C area.

Sagrario Ortiz

Founder

Born in the Dominican Republic, daughter of educators, she was a precocious girl who at age 6 showed her love for teaching by writing her first poems. She is author of 8 books and mother of 4 children. Her first child, Dostyn Manuel, was a special child, who helped her understand the true meaning of unconditional love, which made her see the world in a totally different way.

Sagrario has a Bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration, and upon arriving in the United States she founded El Poder de Ser Mujer (The Power of Being a Woman), an organization dedicated to helping Latina immigrants in the DC area reach their full potential.

El Poder de Ser Mujer has helped thousands of Latino immigrants access community resources, learn practical skills in business development and finance, and build self-esteem and a sense of community. El Poder de Ser Mujer was named Organization of the Year 2015 by the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The impact of Sagrario’s work in the United States earned her important recognitions including the following:

  • Named one of the 100 most influential people in the Washington DC metropolitan area, by The Power Meter, Tiempo Latino
  • Selected as one of Telemundo Washington DC’s Achievers for going above and beyond to educate, empower and lead the Hispanic community in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC.
  • Woman of Courage Award 2016 granted by the honorable Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County.
  • Recognized by the 2015 Maryland Assembly for Work in Empowerment of Latina Women, granted by State Delegate Marice Morales.
  • Recognized for supporting business development in Montgomery County by the Honorable Councilor David Albornoz 2019.
  • Recognized by the Dominican Commissioner of Culture in the United States for supporting women so that they can recognize their power and the transcendent value of literature.
Myriam Figueroa

Vice-President

Myriam was born in Argentina. For more than 10 years, her professional career has focused on empowerment of women through different projects in her native country and in the United States.

Her work with women through El Poder de Ser Mujer has been informed by her experience in small business development, communications, psychology, and meditation, and through journeys and discoveries. But her love of family and friends and her commitment to the personal and professional development of women are her greatest passions — which animate her work with El Poder de Ser Mujer.

She is the developer of multiple communication platforms for El Poder de Ser Mujer and more than 150 small businesses in the Washington DC area.

Through her leadership of classes, workshops, and online seminars, over the past seven years Myriam has developed the capacity of small business leaders, utilizing social media and marketing tools to help business leaders increase their confidence and promote their businesses. Myriam also has a certificate in Psychological Counseling in Argentina.

The impact of Myriam’s work in the United States earned her important recognitions including the following:

  • Woman of Courage Award 2016 granted by the honorable Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County.
  • Recognized by the 2015 Maryland Assembly for Work in Empowerment of Latina Women, granted by State Delegate Marice Morales.
  • Recognized for supporting business development in Montgomery County by the Honorable Councilor David Albornoz 2019.

We organized support campaigns during the 2020 holiday season in which we delivered 700 food baskets to families in need in Prince George’s County, MD.

El Poder de Ser Mujer , Inc. is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit. We were founded in 2014 .