Maria Cadenas
Maria Cadenas is getting back to her roots-in more ways than one. This visionary executive builds on her cultural heritage and passion for LGBT rights in her role as the philanthropy manager for Driscoll´s, the largest supplier of conventional and organic berries in the U.S. She oversees the company´s U.S., Mexico and Chile employee volunteerism and giving portfolio, and directs investment in rural communities. It´s a perfect fit for Cadenas, whose work has focused on philanthropic initiatives-recently as the executive director of the Cream City Foundation, a public LGBT funder in Wisconsin; and as the associate director of the ACLU of Wisconsin. She´s active on the boards of several local and national organizations, including the Funders for LGBTQ Issues, the Stewardship Council of Roots of Change, and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County´s Diversity Partnership Fund. Cadenas admirably blends her own diverse interests into a fulfilling career, ″whether [I do it] as a lesbian, a woman, an immigrant or any other label given to me.″ And her motivation comes from our shared humanity. ″It is about each of us and what we do to provide equity and justice. It is about our right to be treated with dignity and respect, and how we afford that same treatment to those around us.″ -KL
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