Hola, my name is Lydia and I carry the name of my Honduran-Garifuna immigrant grandparents. I am a proud Afro-Latina San Francisco native living my dreams of being a bicoastal media professional.
My journey as a writer began as a poet in the third grade. And, as a journalist who has been on the frontlines of protests and in the newsroom, I’ve learned to SEE people the same ways I longed to be seen as a Black child who grew up in the least touristy areas of San Francisco and Oakland in between hard times, poverty, and violence when journalists with camera crews arrived in my neighborhood.
At my core as a journalist is amplifying the voices of black and marginalized people, justice, and equity. By day, I enjoy focusing on women in entrepreneurship, business, lifestyle, and technology. Throughout my career, I have reported on education, financial literacy, health, and more at NBC News, Black Enterprise, and a variety of other publications. In addition to writing feature stories, I am an on-air talent, speaker, moderator, facilitator, and host. My speaking engagements range from Google to Social Media Week in Lagos, Nigeria.
I am known for being an accurate reporter, and advocate for media literacy, representation, and belonging. And, honestly, my corny jokes and pick-up lines.
As an intrapreneur, I value understanding the business of journalism and digital content strategy. In this digital and social age; managing large audiences, building community, and telling stories in different ways across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are second nature to me. I enjoy reporting in the form of live social media correspondence, breaking news, and producing social-only content. I value the challenge of finding creative ways to solve problems, collaborating, and working with innovative people.
I am the host of the ‘how-through’ lifestyle podcast, The Get My Life Tour, which is designed to help others show up for themselves. To date, the show has garnered an international audience, and the podcast is distributed on over a dozen listening platforms.
Additionally, I am the creator of Sincere Visions, a digital platform with a focus on media literacy, storytelling, and public interest technology. Independently, I have covered social justice movements, Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the Bay area, health and wellness, politics, education, and technology.
In March 2016, I was invited by the Digital Diversity Network, a non-profit trade association aimed at advancing diversity in leadership and ownership within the digital media and hi-tech sectors, to join the Board of Influencers. I am also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and Emma Bowen Foundation Launch mentor.
Just in case you really want to get to know me, here are some random and interesting fun facts:
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- I wear stylish computer glasses to protect my eyes from the harsh computer light. Go get you some!
- I tell people that I’m a rapper and that my mixtape is dropping on June 33rd every year.
- I have a poo-chon named Oatmeal. Yes, he’s as adorable as he sounds!
- My dream interviewees are Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Rhianna, Diddy, and Michelle Obama.
- I got to chat with Kerry Washington as a part of BET’s 106 & Park for the 106NationFan segment and watched Teyanna Taylor during her dress rehearsal. (RIP to my childhood dream job!)
- Steph Curry accepted my request to claim him as a cousin at an NBA Cares Thanksgiving dinner event. I have the picture to prove it. Haters will say it’s photoshopped!
- I’ve been doing my own hair since I was 6 years old, so you’ll often see me with different hairstyles. And, no, you can’t touch it!
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