Reflections on the HIP Líderes Fellowship: A Journey of Growth, Power, and Purpose

By Juan D. Martinez Pineda, May 2025

When I first applied to the HIP Líderes Fellowship, I hesitated. I’ve often found myself questioning whether spaces like these were meant for someone like me—a straight, Latine, Indigenous, migrant, Dreamer. But deep down, I knew I was called to this work, to the promise of a Latine Indigenous future where philanthropy is reimagined as a tool for justice, not just charity. Now, having completed this journey, I can say without hesitation: this fellowship has been transformational.

From the beginning, I sought to leverage my relationship with philanthropy to redistribute wealth to frontline communities. The fellowship deepened my understanding of what that really means—not just moving money, but shifting power. I’ve learned that philanthropy too often operates in a transactional way, where those with resources dictate terms to those without. But I’ve also learned that change is possible when relationships are prioritized, when trust is the currency, and when those closest to the challenges are the ones leading the solutions.

The Lideres Fellowship reaffirmed what my mother, a Zapoteca entrepreneur and community philanthropist, taught me as a child. Selling tamales and champurrado in Los Angeles’ garment district wasn’t just about survival—it was about relationships. It was about knowing our customers, understanding their struggles, and finding ways to support one another beyond financial transactions. Her quiet but powerful model of community philanthropy shaped my leadership in ways I only fully grasped during this fellowship.

One of the most powerful lessons I take away from this experience is the importance of showing up fully—as a leader, as a community member, and as someone deeply rooted in my cultural identity. In philanthropy, we are often expected to compartmentalize, to remove the personal from the professional. The Lideres fellowship reminded me that my Latine Indigenous identity is not a limitation; it is my greatest strength. It informs how I lead, how I build trust, and how I advocate for change.

Through the Lideres fellowship, I connected with incredible leaders who, like me, are working to redefine what leadership looks like in our communities. I was challenged to interrogate my own assumptions about power, to embrace vulnerability, and to see leadership not as an individual pursuit but as a collective responsibility.

The challenges remain, but I now have a deeper well of knowledge, strategies, and relationships to tackle them. The balance between the relational and the transactional in philanthropy is still a delicate one, but I am more equipped than ever to navigate it. More than anything, the Lideres fellowship reaffirmed that progress moves at the speed of trust. It reminded me that our greatest power is in our people, in our stories, and in our ability to reimagine philanthropy from a place of abundance rather than scarcity.

I step forward from this experience with a renewed commitment: to continue creating spaces that center community voices, to push for structural changes that shift power to those most impacted, and to hold philanthropy accountable to the communities it seeks to serve. The work is far from over, but with the lessons and relationships from the HIP Lideres Fellowship, I know we are moving in the right direction.

To those who are considering stepping into similar spaces but questioning whether they belong: you do. Your lived experience is your expertise. Your identity is your strength. And your leadership is needed—now more than ever.