About Mariana

A woman with dark wavy hair, wearing a white sleeveless top, and brown patterned pants stands in front of a purple wall with black floral and insect mural art.

Mariana Araujo Herrera is an interdisciplinary strategist and creative with nearly a decade of experience implementing programs, driving communications strategies, and creating networks across social impact organizations focused on gender and racial equity. Through her experience, she found the intersection of art, joy and justice to be the most transformative. She founded Ayllu Collab to create community-led social change rooted in creativity, culture, and equity. 

Leading with kindness and empathy, Mariana has built a career listening and co-creating with those closest to the issue.  While at Spitfire Strategies, a social impact communications agency, she partnered with grassroots organizers and activists to lead multiple advocacy and storytelling initiatives on issues ranging from reproductive justice to indigenous sovereignty. Mariana served as the program lead for the University of Virginia Health System’s Division of Outreach, where she forged partnerships with community organizations to increase mental health access for Latinx women, refugee populations, and Appalachian communities for which she received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. UVA Health Award.

Mariana thrives in cross-cultural work having worked in the U.S. Institute of Peace in support of grassroots conflict resolution in Colombia and in UNESCO Peru where she supported sustainable agriculture for Andean farmers and Afro-Peruvian equity and inclusion. Mariana currently serves as board member at Creciendo Juntos, a Latinx-led organization focused on cultivating Latinx youth power in Virginia. 

As a trainer and facilitator, Mariana has conducted workshops focused on ethical storytelling and digital strategy for social impact leaders. As a poet, she has designed and led poetry writing workshops for Latinas through the Bienestar program at the Women’s Initiative. Mariana is a firm believer in the power of writing and storytelling as a tool for healing, discovery, and co-creation towards a better tomorrow. 

Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Mariana’s passion for community-led social change comes from her upbringing in a family of immigrants. From the Andes to the city, from the city to the world, she is proud of her roots and knows what is like to make the inbetween your own. She holds a BA in international relations from Roanoke College and a MA in sociocultural anthropology from George Washington University.

Work in Action

  • Three young women dressed in colorful, elaborate costumes singing or chanting during a parade, holding a rainbow umbrella, with a vibrant, festive atmosphere.

    Queer Arts and Justice Summit

    In support of project lead Gusto Partners for the Center for Cultural Power.

    This gathering is bringing queer artists, activists, strategists, and funders from around the world to Salvador, Brazil to ignite bold collaborations, strengthen global solidarity, and harness the power of narrative change towards a future were all queer people can thrive.

    I co-led a landscape analysis research of LGBTQ+ movement communications, campaigns, and opposition framing across U.S., global, and Indigenous contexts. This work will frame up narrative strategy discussions during the summit and offer insight into opportunities for global solidarity and transformative storytelling.

  • Group of diverse people talking and smiling inside a modern building with an open entrance and contemporary lighting.

    National Museum of the American Latino Community Collaborators

    In support of project lead Audience Focus for the National Museum of the American Latino (NMAL).

    NMAL honors the dreams, challenges, and triumphs of U.S. Latinos, elevating our stories within the national narrative. To do so, the museum seeks to better understand their community partnerships and collaborations in order to improve and grow sustainably.

    As a bilingual facilitator I’m supporting the stakeholder interviews with NMAL’s community partners and collaborators. The work aims to result in a rich research report to inform future community partnerships.

  • Two men hugging at a crowded indoor event with many people in the background.

    RWJF Culture of Health Prize

    The Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize aimed to honor the work of communities that are at the forefront of addressing structural racism, to advance health, opportunity, and equity for all.

    I was a lead organizer for the 2023 Prize relaunch which entailed supporting an equity-based application process, building relationships with community winners and foster collaboration, drive communications design and strategy to elevate community winner’s stories, including a national celebration event.

    Community winners include folks in Zuni Pueblo working at the intersection of food sovereignty, community education, and cultural preservation. Visit this video for the Prize Winners overview.

  • A stylized illustration of a human heart with floral branches sprouting from it, set inside a circular design with a yellow background and orange border, representing a theme of love, health, or growth.

    La Cultura Cura

    In partnership with Creciendo Juntos (CJ) and the Women’s Initiative I co-led the creation of La Cultura Cura, an intergenerational social support network for Latinas in Central Virginia.

    I supported project design and implementation based on community needs and capacity. This virtual network became an intentional space for cultivating healing and joy through the power of cultural celebration, sisterhood, social solidarity and self actualization.