Talented Tuesdays: Janel Martinez

It's Talented Tuesday! Each week, For Nerdy Girls features a digital innovator who inspires colorful women around the world. These are individuals who should be celebrated on a global level, so we'll start by talking about these changemakers right here.

Name: Janel Martinez

Twitter: @janelmwrites

Website: aintilatina.com

What she does: Janel is a freelance multimedia journalist, CCO of 20/20 Shift, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Ain't I Latina, "an online destination created by an Afro-Latina for Afro-Latinas."

Why she's inspiring: Janel represents for the Afro-Latina community, a group who lives at the intersection of "yes, I'm black," "yes, I speak Spanish,""no, we don't all necessarily speak Spanish," and "I don't care what you think Latinas are supposed to look like." She created Ain't I Latina in response to the egregious lack of women of both African and Latina descent featured and recognized as such in media. (For reference, see Univision and Telemundo's programming for the brown paper bag test in action.) Janel has constructed a space "where millennial Latinas can celebrate their diversity."



If you would like to nominate a digital innovator for Talented Tuesdays, please let us know in the comments, or email us at ForNerdyGirls [at] gmail [dot] com.