Meet Dali | Creator of the Diversity & Anti-Bullying Academy (#DABA)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dali and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dali, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Yes. Absolutely. I began speaking about the issue of bullying because it impacts us all. Bullying leads to many other social issues such as discrimination, inequality, domestic violence, sexual assault, and mental health challenges to just name a few. The work that I do helps parents educate themselves and empower their children so that they can speak up against bullying and other types of injustices. Youth and parents can also help others become upstanders. It all starts at home and in order to help reduce the injustices in the world we must start at the micro-level. There is no magical solution. It just starts with each individual.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

First, I would take my friend to the Getty Museum in L.A. and dine at The Restaurant at Getty Center (The food is mouthwatering!). By the way, both Getty Center museums are worth visiting. You can also have a romantic picnic on the museum’s lawn. Yes, they allow it as long as you don’t leave trash. It’s just a gorgeous place to be and the views are stunning. Then I would take my friend to The Farmer’s Market at The Grove. The vibe is really nice especially during winter holidays. All of the stores really go all out with their window set ups and the plaza’s streets are beautifully decorated. It turns up that winter/holiday feel. If you get hungry, the Market place has amazing options, but you can also eat at any of the restaurants at The Grove.

I’d also take my friend to any of the beaches in the L.A. area, but the ones I have many great memories of are Malibu and Huntington Beach. Lastly, I’d take my friend to try Nicaraguan food at La 27 Nicaraguan Restaurant. It’s not a fancy place, but it’s food is delicious, very authentic and it has good prices. It’s also family owned. I have to include this place because being Nicaraguan, this was the only place I could find that was worth the drive.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I have been so fortunate to have been provided the opportunity to educate parents regarding bullying awareness because my husband, Henry Rivera, gave me the push that I needed. I came home from work one evening to learn that he had scheduled a pitch meeting for me with an elementary school principal the following day.

I was shocked! But, he had been telling me for the past two years that I needed to start charging for sharing the information I had researched and collected. I always felt icky at the thought of charging, but he made me realize that not only had I invested my time in reading information and packaged it neatly to share with parents for free, but I had a university education that helped me conduct really good research and understand the need of sharing the information I was gathering.

My husband has also made me take leaps when I was scared or hesitant, especially when it had to do with purchasing a big-ticket item for my business. He also has always given me pep talks and when I’ve mentioned the thought of quitting, he lovingly asks me, “but would you truly be happy if you stopped?” and every time he asks me that, I get out of my funk and keep going.

Aside from that, I’ve been supported by the staff of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) at Syracuse University. This program is also offered at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. I was introduced to real entrepreneurship through that program in 2010 and it really changed my life. I’ve not been satisfied with the idea of working for someone else since then.

I’ve also had a lot of support from the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center (IEWBC), where I found my entrepreneurship buddy, Keisha Montfleury, owner of a great organization that helps young girls build up their confidence called HandiWork. We both graduated from the “It’s Your Time (IYT) program, which is how we met. Ever since, we’ve cheered for one another, shared resources and we’ve celebrated our milestones together. It feels really great going through this journey with someone who is sharing a similar experience.

Website: https://www.dalitalks.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dalitalks

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalitalks/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/dalitalks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dalitalks/

Youtube: https://buff.ly/3aEUNYj

Other: Clubhouse: https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@dalitalks

Image Credits
IMAGE CREDIT: Dali