Founder of Sonoma County nonprofit VIDA wins North Bay Forty Under 40 award

VIDA is a new grassroots community-based nonprofit whose mission is to uplift the needs of our community and create a positive impact through the arts, culture, and community engagement, according to Sanchez.

The oldest of 7 children and the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Angie Sanchez says she grew up in the North Bay with a strong sense of the struggles and inequalities that many Latino families still experience today.

“I understood that to overcome discrimination and inequalities we needed to ensure that Latinos have a place and a voice,” she says.

To that end, she helped create “Censotería,” a game which consists of 20 boards and 54 playing cards. It is modeled after the traditional Mexican bingo game “Lotería.” Each lotería card is printed with an image on the front related to the census or voter engagement. The backside of the boards is printed with bilingual educational information for the player. More than 600 games were distributed.

Her dream now, she says, is to build or find a building with an outdoor space to open a Casa de Cultura (cultural center). “The role of the Casa de Cultura goes beyond just arts and crafts classes; it serves as a safe space to learn about culture, history, and community connection.”

In a business sense, what is the greatest thing about being under 40; and then what is the worst?

“Best: Having the opportunity to explore, be creative, learn and make mistakes all of which supported my professional growth.

“Worst: Being underestimated as a young woman of color.”