Who are We?  ¿Quiénes Somos?

Jen Maria (Leal) Harris, a fourth-generation Mexican American with roots in Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí, is a co-founder of DULUTH Unidos and has been an active advocate for BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and historically undervalued communities in the Twin Ports since moving to Duluth in 2020.  Born on an Air Force Base, Jen is the daughter of a Mexican American U.S. Air Force veteran and a mother of Swedish and German heritage.  After a tumultuous upbringing, she would graduate at a community college in Omaha with a 3.94 GPA, recognized for her work on Latin American history and international diplomacy.  In Duluth, impactful connections have been made in volunteering with the League of Women Voters DEI Committee, the Duluth Community Garden Program, Interfaith Committee on Migrant Justice, and Twin Ports Rapid Response.  She has served as Vice Chair of the City of Duluth Community Development Committee (2022–2024) and the Duluth Human Rights Commission (2024–2026) and is a recent recipient of the American Mexican Association leadership program scholarship.  Professionally, Jen works as a contracted accounting consultant and her free time is filled with writing, going to concerts, and discovering the beauty of Northern Minnesota with her partner of 26-years, Chris—often searching for agates along the shores of Lake Superior.  

Melisa Gomez-Romo is a community advocate and organizer based in Duluth, Minnesota and a co-founder of DULUTH Unidos. Melisa is the daughter of working-class parents who fled the civil war in El Salvador, she brings a deep understanding of resilience and community to her work. Melisa advocates for displaced and unhoused families while working within local systems to improve housing stability and access to services. She has also managed political campaigns ranging from City Council to State Representative, helping amplify the voices of working families in Northern Minnesota.

Susana Pelayo-Woodward (She/Her/Ella) is the Director of the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the Women’s Resource and Action Center and a co-founder of DULUTH Unidos . Susana oversees academic and cultural programming, facilitates leadership development, and has been a member of the Employees of Color and American Indian (ECAIC) since it was established at UMD.   She taught in the Department of Women’s Studies for 20 years.  Her areas of interest include Latinos’ participation in education, Feminist movements in Latin America, Chicana Feminist thought, race, class, and gender in the United States.  Susana has been an active member of the Duluth community. She has served on several advisory boards and is currently on the Damiano Center Board of Directors, the Duluth Branch of the NAACP Executive Board, Duluth Unidos and the Ordean Foundation.  She is involved in human rights and peace and justice movements, enjoys reading, and travels to Mexico to visit her family and friends.

Luis Islas is a nonprofit leader, community advocate, co-founder of DULUTH Unidos, and fundraiser dedicated to expanding opportunity for marginalized communities. Born in Morgan Hill, California, and raised in a proud Wixárika and Mexican-American family with roots in Nayarit and Michoacán, Mexico, Luis’ commitment to service is deeply personal, shaped by his experiences with homelessness and food insecurity growing up. As the first in his family to pursue higher education, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Pre-Law, and History and a Master’s degree in Business Leadership from William Penn University. His career has focused on mobilizing philanthropy and strengthening community institutions through leadership roles with organizations such as the American Red Cross of Idaho, Montana, and Eastern Oregon; Montana State University; One Valley Community Foundation; and the ACLU of Montana, and he currently serves as Senior Development Officer for the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Luis has also served as the Latinx Community Liaison for the City of Bozeman, Montana, State Vice Chair of the Idaho Latino Caucus, and currently serves as Chair of the Duluth Human Rights Commission. A recognized community leader, he has been named one of Idaho’s Rising Leaders, an Idaho Accomplished 40 Under 40 recipient, one of Southwest Montana’s 20 Under 40, and was recently selected for the Minnesota Young American Leaders Program. Luis was an inaugural TEDxMSU speaker and keynote speaker for Montana State University’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, “Salsa, Soul, and Leadership.” He is also the founder of Raíces Rising Consulting, a mission-driven fundraising consultancy that helps nonprofits strengthen their impact.

Pablo is a community advocate, co-founder of DULUTH Unidos, and housing leader in Duluth, Minnesota, working to improve access to housing and essential resources for underserved communities. Pablo's work is shaped by his lived experience with poverty and homelessness, which drives his commitment to building more equitable systems. He serves as the project manager for street Wise, an initiative that brings the voices of people experiencing homelessness, incarceration, and addiction into policy conversations to improve services and accountability. He also collaborates with the Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness (MICH) as an implementation consultant, helping bridge the gap between state policy and the real experiences of people navigating housing instability. In Duluth, he works with One Roof Community Housing and Common Ground Construction supporting affordable housing initiatives. Pablo also serves on the St. Louis County Heading Home Advisory Council and participates in the Lived Experience Council, which works closely with the Stepping On Up initiative to ensure that people with lived experience help shape solutions to homelessness. As a bilingual Latino leader, he is committed to connecting migrant and underserved families with resources and strengthening our community.