2026 Extraordinary Latinas Award Nominee — Amplifying Voices 🎉
Celebrating Recognition for Amplifying Voices in Courageous, Compassionate Leadership
I received a message that stopped me in my tracks: I had been nominated for the 2026 Extraordinary Latinas Award by United Latinas in the Amplifying Voices category.
I want to sit with that for a second because it caught me off guard in the best possible way.
I didn't set out to build Coach Dora LLC so I could be recognized. I built it because I spent more than 20 years inside organizations—as a VP of HR, a Chief DEI Officer, and someone who sat in the rooms where decisions about people's careers and well-being were made—and I kept seeing the same thing: leaders who were capable, well-intentioned, and completely alone.
Nobody tells you how isolating leadership can be. Nobody hands you a script for how to be courageous and compassionate and inclusive all at once, especially when the pressure is on.
That's the whole reason the Building Leadership Community Podcast exists. Our tagline says it plainly: "It can be lonely at the top, but it doesn't have to be." Every episode, every coaching session, and every HR strategy I develop with a client organization is my attempt to make that true for someone.
So, when I learned the nomination came from Sammie Walker Herrera—someone whose work amplifying voices I deeply respect—it carried even greater meaning. This wasn't a stranger checking a box. It was someone who has watched the work up close, choosing to say, "I see what you're doing, and I want more people to see it too."
That's what amplifying voices actually looks like in practice. It's not a hashtag. It's someone using their platform, credibility, and reach to ensure another person's work doesn't remain unseen. Sammie did that for me. I hope, in some way, my work does the same for the leaders and clients I have the privilege of serving every day.
She was a fantastic guest on the podcast, and if you haven't already, I'd love for you to spend some time with her episode:
Watch Sammie's episode on YouTube →
https://youtu.be/0xxAz7jg7J0?si=rNEZgDrd49GOl29z
What This Nomination Means to Me
I keep coming back to the mission that has guided Coach Dora LLC from day one: enriching people, culture, wellness, and joy. Not just performance. Not just metrics. The whole person—and the entire organization that surrounds them.
Courageous, compassionate, and inclusive leadership isn't a trend I'm chasing. It's the approach I believe truly works, long after the latest leadership trend has faded. It's harder to practice than it is to talk about. It asks leaders to be honest when it's uncomfortable, to hold people accountable while also supporting them with care, and to build cultures where differences aren't merely tolerated but genuinely valued.
If this nomination means anything beyond having my name on a list, I hope it signals that this approach is resonating. I hope it means more organizations recognize that people shouldn't have to choose between being led well and being led honestly.
Join Me on October 14
The winners will be announced during the United Latinas Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Event on October 14, and I'd love nothing more than to have this community there with me—whether I win or not.
This nomination already feels like a victory in the ways that matter most: being seen by someone whose work I admire and having the opportunity to say all of this out loud.
Register to join the event live online →
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/fhzuku6/lp/3d413e92-af4d-416e-92a9-391b04a30010
Thank you to United Latinas for this recognition.
Thank you, Sammie, for the nomination.
And thank you for being part of this community—for reading, listening, and building alongside me.
If you enjoyed this, I share weekly reflections on courageous, compassionate, and inclusive leadership on Substack. I'd love to have you join me there.
Coach Dora Mendez | Substack
https://substack.com/@coachdoram
It can be lonely at the top—but not today.
—Coach Dora
