Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo

What Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo does

Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo (CIELO) is an Indigenous women-led non-profit organization founded in 2016 by Zapotec women Odilia Romero and Janet Martinez in Los Angeles. The organization serves Indigenous migrant communities from Mexico and Central America, particularly Zapotec, Mixteco, Maya, and K'iche speakers, providing a comprehensive suite of programs including Indigenous language interpretation and translation services, cultural awareness training for institutions, language revitalization classes, financial solidarity funds, food security programs, community-based research, and cultural events. Its core product is the Center for Indigenous Language and Power (CILP), which connects trained Indigenous interpreters with legal, medical, and government institutions, positioning interpreters as cultural mediators rather than mere linguistic translators.

CIELO operates through a community-led go-to-market model with no pricing on direct services, instead funding operations through philanthropic donations, foundation grants, and corporate philanthropy (with fiscal sponsorship by LAANE). The organization has cultivated a network of over 100 trained Indigenous interpreters through its annual National Indigenous Interpreters Conference, established institutional partnerships with LAPD, LA County Public Health Department, USC Equity Research Institute, and UCLA Bunche Center, and distributed approximately $5.9 million in COVID-era relief and financial assistance to undocumented Indigenous families between 2020 and 2022. With a core team of 4 staff and a 6-women board of directors, CIELO has scaled from cultural programming into an integrated platform spanning direct community services, institutional training, research, and media production through CIELO Media documentaries and the Tu'un Dali podcast.

Name

Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo

Legal name

Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo (CIELO)

Website

https://mycielo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIELO is an Indigenous women-led non-profit in Los Angeles providing language interpretation, cultural training, language revitalization, financial solidarity, and research services to Indigenous migrant communities from Mexico and Central America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Community Advocacy and Social Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Adjustment & Integration Services (intercultural programs, community connection) (EDALANAD), Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Indigenous language interpretation
• Community advocacy services
• Language revitalization programs
• Cultural awareness training
• Direct community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations and Grants: CIELO receives funding through foundations, individual donors, and allies in philanthropy. Fiscally sponsored by LAANE.
2. COVID-19 Relief Fund Distribution: Distribution of pandemic relief funds to undocumented Indigenous communities. Distributed 2.4 million dollars in COVID relief funds from pandemic onset through February 2022.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CIELO is an Indigenous women-led non-profit that provides Indigenous language interpretation and cultural mediation, language revitalization classes, cultural programming, emergency relief funds, food security programs, advocacy, and community-based research for Indigenous migrant communities (Zapotec, Mixteco, Maya, Ayuujk, and others) in Los Angeles. Services to community members are free, while the organization partners with institutions such as LAPD and LA County Public Health to deliver cultural awareness training and interpretation placements.

Product overview

CIELO (Comunidades Indigenas en Liderazgo) is an Indigenous women-led non-profit organization that operates as an integrated suite of programs rather than a single product. The organization centers around CILP (Center for Indigenous Language and Power) for interpretation services, combined with Language Revitalization programming including free classes in multiple Indigenous languages, CIELO Loteria games, and the Indigenous Literature Conference. Cultural Programming encompasses Weaving Words and Rhymes concerts and CIELO Media documentary storytelling. The organization provides essential community services including the Undocu-Indigenous Fund for financial aid, World Harvest food partnership, and COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach. Research initiatives include the We Are Here Map and partnership with USC for community data collection. All programs work together to fight for social justice through cultural preservation, language access rights, and reproductive justice for Indigenous migrant communities in Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Indigenous Interpreters Conference: Annual 2-day conference that centers Indigenous Language interpreters, providing workshops tailored to real-life interpreting encounters and networking opportunities
• Indigenous Literature Conference
• Weaving Words and Rhymes
• CILP (Center for Indigenous Language and Power)

Products and services

• CILP (Center for Indigenous Language and Power) Interpreter Project
• Language Revitalization Program
• CIELO Loteria
• Weaving Words and Rhymes Concert
• Indigenous Literature Conference
• National Indigenous Interpreters Conference
• CIELO Media Documentary Program
• Undocu-Indigenous Fund
• Cultural Awareness Training
• World Harvest Partnership Food Voucher Program
• COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach
• CIELO Research Program
• We Are Here Interactive Map

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed $2.4 million in COVID relief funds to undocumented Indigenous communities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USC Equity Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to study Indigenous migrant communities in Los Angeles County. Joint report published November 2024 to provide data and insights on Indigenous migrant communities. CIELO contributed survey data collected between 2021-2023.
• Al Otro LadocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for COVID-19 terminology workshop for Indigenous interpreters. Collaboration to equip interpreters with accurate pandemic-related terminology.
• LA County Public Health DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for COVID-19 terminology workshop and pandemic response. Dr. Laurene Mascola provided medical expertise for interpreter training.
• World Harvest Food PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood security partnership providing vouchers free of charge to Indigenous people in Los Angeles. Served 4 vouchers to 180 households totaling 789 individuals.
• Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration to create dialogue and awareness of Indigenous communities through Cultural Awareness training with police officers.
• USC Keck Graduate InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for Zoom presentations on Indigenous peoples, forced displacement, and healthcare access barriers.
• UCLA Bunche CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint mapping project for Indigenous communities in Los Angeles.
• Lets Feed LAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to distribute $1.8 million in gift cards for food assistance to Indigenous communities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles): Los Angeles-based immigrant rights nonprofit providing legal services, advocacy, and community organizing for immigrant communities. CIELO and CHIRLA co-sponsor the National Indigenous Interpreters Conference, and both serve immigrant populations in LA, making CHIRLA a direct operational peer with overlapping constituency.
• CARECEN (Central American Resource Center): LA-based nonprofit serving Central American immigrants with legal, educational, and community services. Many Indigenous migrants CIELO serves come from Central America, making CARECEN a direct regional peer addressing overlapping populations with complementary services.
• Al Otro Lado: Legal services and advocacy organization serving Indigenous migrants, refugees, and deportees at the US-Mexico border. CIELO lists Al Otro Lado as a strategic partner, and both organizations specialize in Indigenous migrant communities with legal/medical interpretation needs.
• NDN Collective: Indigenous-led national organization focused on building Indigenous power through organizing, advocacy, philanthropy, and narrative change. Operates similar programmatic pillars to CIELO (community organizing, grantmaking, narrative work) at a national scale, making it a direct functional peer.
• Cultural Survival: Indigenous-led nonprofit advocating for Indigenous peoples' rights globally, with programs in media, advocacy, and community support. Comparable to CIELO's Indigenous-rights and cultural-preservation work, but operating at a global rather than municipal scale.
• Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous-led foundation providing grants and capacity-building to Indigenous communities. Provided seed funding for CIELO's Undocu-Indigenous Fund, making it both a partner and a comparable Indigenous-led grantmaking/advocacy organization.
• Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP): Indigenous-led nonprofit serving Mixtec and other Indigenous migrant communities in California's Central Coast and Ventura County. Directly comparable to CIELO in serving Indigenous Mexican migrants with interpretation, advocacy, and cultural programming, but operating in a different California region.
• UNIDIGS / Frente Indígena de Organizaciones Binacionales: Binational Indigenous migrant organization coordinating Indigenous communities across Mexico and the US. Directly comparable to CIELO's mission of organizing Indigenous migrants, language preservation, and advocacy, operating as a binational counterpart to CIELO's LA-based work.

Emerging players

• Indigenous Women Rising: Indigenous women-led nonprofit providing reproductive health and justice resources to Native/Indigenous communities. Shares CIELO's Indigenous women-led model and intersectional advocacy focus (CIELO also works on reproductive justice), but serves different geographies and service areas.
• Centro de los Derechos del Migrante: Nonprofit advancing migrant workers' rights through legal aid, organizing, and policy advocacy. Comparable to CIELO's migrant services and advocacy mission, but focused on workplace rights and operating nationally rather than Indigenous-specific issues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MyCielola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Comunidades Indigenas En Liderazgo