Casandra Riojas

I attribute my success to my dad. Technically, he's my stepdad, but I consider him my dad. He came into my life when I was young and raised me ever since. He taught me everything from riding a bike, from being a mentor, from being a coach, to being the woman I am today, to setting boundaries, to asking what I want, to valuing myself. Everything I learned is from my dad. He is the one person that - I'm getting emotional - he's my rock, he's my coach, he's my best friend. He is the one person that, if I were to ever get an award, I would go on and just thank him for everything he's done for me. He's made a lot of sacrifices for me. He was the one person that has helped me become the woman I am today, the woman that has such a big heart. He is my reason. He is my why.

Don't wait until you feel ready - start now and grow into it. I've learned that confidence is built after you make that move, not before. A lot of us delay our growth because we don't feel qualified, validated, or certain. But I've learned that confidence is built after you make that move, not before. A big shift has been learning to stop seeking that validation from other people, and instead grounding myself in who I say I am, and who God says I am. Because when you're grounded in that, you literally move differently. You move with purpose, you move with intention, and you're not easily shaken anymore. You don't shrink when you go in rooms, you don't hide, you don't second-guess yourself.

First, I would say that a lot of women delay their growth because we don't feel qualified, validated, or certain. But I've learned that confidence is built after you make that move, not before. A big shift has been learning to stop seeking that validation from other people, and instead grounding myself in who I say I am, and who God says I am. Because when you're grounded in that, you literally move differently. You move with purpose, you move with intention, and you're not easily shaken anymore. You don't shrink when you go in rooms, you don't hide, you don't second-guess yourself. I would say be intentional about the environment that you place yourself in - the room, the people, the community, the conversations - because that shapes how you see yourself and the way you believe what is possible. I would say give yourself grace. Growth is not linear. There are going to be moments where you're going to question yourself, you're going to feel stretched. That is totally normal. Or even like you're behind on something, but that doesn't mean you are off your path. It just means you're growing, and you are becoming something. So, all in all to say, don't wait to feel ready. Move, and confidence will follow.

One of the biggest challenges in the nonprofit and affordable housing space is overcoming misconceptions about the sector while securing sustainable resources to meet growing community needs.

However, this challenge presents a powerful opportunity: building innovative, partnership-driven solutions that address not just housing, but the full spectrum of human needs—financial stability, mental health, and personal development. Casandra is at the forefront of this shift, helping redefine what community support truly looks like.

The values most important to me are authenticity, compassion, genuine connection, and patience. I need someone to have a really big heart in order for me to be able to form a relationship with them, because that relationship is going to turn into me bringing you into the community and introducing you to very vulnerable people in their life right now who are depending on you. I look for someone who is genuine and authentic - if they're not in it in the heart, I usually can tell, then they're not in it for the right reasons. This goes beyond transactional money. This is person to person. You're working with someone's lives, with an individual who is in need, who is probably at the lowest point of their life. Patience is such a big thing for me, because a lot of individuals want to help others with great intention, but when they start to get into the bread and butter of things, there's not a lot of patience. Unless you've been in that person's shoes, you do not know what they're going through. I have all the patience in the world. I'm able to sit there for hours and listen to someone talk about their journey, what they want in life. I've always been like that - I actually got the Peacemaker award in fifth grade. Those qualities are patience, compassion, genuine authenticity, and a big heart for other human beings.