Arturo “Velaz” Muñoz is an aspiring poet, activist, and public speaker. Just like a candle, Velaz hopes to bring light and warmth onto the world through community organizing, presenting his work at community events and universities throughout the region, and with his podcast, Varrio Voices. His poetry has been published before in The Lutrinae and the Mission Village Voice.

Through his studies and as a graduate, Arturo has focused his work on restorative justice and disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline by working with youth as an organizer.

Arturo believes in the power of palabra, and through his work as a podcaster he strives to provide a platform for our gente to share the knowledge they carry in their own words, highlighting personal narratives on present issues within our communities. Currently, Arturo is working on three different podcast platforms, Our Voices in conjunction with Youth Alliance, The MILPA Show in partnership with MILPA, and Varrio Voices as an independent podcaster.

My name is Yahaira Mayen, aka Yaya (she, her, hers). I am a young Chicana representing Boyle Heights and Arlington Heights. As a full-time student at California State University of Los Angeles, studying Chicanx/Latinx studies, I aim to become a teacher within my community.

What I want to bring to Varrio Voices is to share experiences, writings, and art of people from the varrio, sharing the spotlight they deserve. I’ll also be sharing my passion in writing and conversations on today's issues. I hope to one day leave a mark on this world, and let it be known, anyone from the varrio can make it happen.