Every speaker has a story. The best ones have a story that changes how they show up for others.

As part of the CoolSpeak family, our newest speakers bring powerful lived experiences, fresh perspectives, and meaningful ways to connect with students, educators, and communities. Through this Q&A series, we’re pulling back the curtain so you can get to know the people behind the passion, the purpose behind the work, and the heart behind the message.

Meet one of our newest CoolSpeakers: TaLisa Ramos.

1. Before you were a speaker, what were you doing? What did that season teach you?

Before I stepped into the speaker world, you could find me building community and advocating for historically marginalized populations across Pennsylvania. As a licensed social worker, I spent over 15 years strengthening my clinical skills while supporting people across different levels of care, including the emergency room, inpatient psychiatric care, crisis management, end-of-life doula support, outpatient therapy, and school social work.

I feel so blessed because I was able to marry my social work skills with my love for education. I’ve served in administrative and executive-cabinet level positions within higher education, leading strategic plans for equity, inclusion, and belonging. I later pivoted into policy work at the PA Governor’s Office, serving as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as Special Assistant to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education for Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

It has truly been an honor to serve in all these spaces, and those experiences deeply inform how I engage with youth, students, and professionals today. That season of my life taught me the importance of intentionality in every interaction, meeting people where they are, honoring their humanity, and creating spaces where they can show up authentically as themselves.

2. Why does this work matter to you personally, not just professionally?

My work has always been personal for me. This is not just what I do, it is what lives in me. It is my heart work, soul work. I lean deeply into the South African Philosophy of Ubuntu, meaning “I am, because we are” For me this means, that none of us heal alone, or learn alone. None of us rises alone. Our stories, our joy, and collective growth are all interconnected and woven together.

As an intergenerational trauma educator who moves through ancestral practices, I recognize the importance of remembering those who came before us while also planting seeds for those who will come after. I often think about my elders, their hopes, dreams, and sacrifices for me, and I think about the generations ahead who deserve cultivated spaces for safety, belonging, and the freedom to exist fully as themselves. This is what grounds me in this work. The belief that our progress is not only individual, but it is also collective. Every conversation, every classroom, every stage, every community space is an opportunity to restore humanity to one another.

3. What makes your approach different from other speakers?

I think it would have to be my intentionality and ability to meet people where they are at. In every space I enter, I seek to de-center myself so that the experience becomes something shared, something rooted in genuine connection and care. Whether I’m speaking with students, educators, leaders, or community members, I want people to feel seen, honored, and safe enough to show up exactly as they are in their journey.

I believe speaking is more than delivering information; it is an exchange of energy, emotions, and stories. And because of that, I move with deep intention in creating experiences that are not one-size-fits-all, but instead responsive to the unique needs of each community I’m invited into.

If you are looking for someone who is culturally responsive and can cultivate trauma-informed spaces, then that is me! Through the Indigenous art of storytelling, I help people navigate difficult moments like grief, conflict, and loss while also making space for joy, laughter, culture, and connection. At the center of my work is the belief that our stories carry medicine. And when we create spaces where people can reconnect with themselves, their culture, and one another, transformation naturally follows.

4. Why did you choose to partner with CoolSpeak?

My pathway to CoolSpeak has truly been a journey rooted in alignment, purpose, and impact. As a former Student Affairs Administrator, I remember bringing Coolspeak speakers to my campus and witnessing firsthand the way students and staff were transformed by those experiences. There was always something deeper happening in those rooms, students felt seen, energized, affirmed, and connected to themselves and one another.

As I continued growing in the fields of education and mental health, and deepened my own work around culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices, I kept finding myself aligned with the mission and spirit of CoolSpeak, but this time in a much more personal way. I saw the intentionality behind the work. The way spaces were cultivated with belonging, safety, authenticity, and care at the center.

Then in 2020, I was invited to collaborate with CoolSpeak through virtual programming, which eventually grew into in-person youth summer camps and leadership summits. And in those spaces, I witnessed what I can only describe as magic. But being part of the team now, I realize that magic was really love. Love for the students. Love for the community. Love for the educators and professionals pouring back into the next generation. And when you encounter work that is rooted in that kind of love and humanity, you know you want to be part of it. I knew this was a space where I could show up fully as myself while continuing to serve others with intention and heart.

5. Who had the biggest impact on you growing up?

I can proudly say that the village raised me, not just one person, but a village. My abuela had one of the deepest impacts on me. She taught me the art of storytelling and showed me that stories are medicine for our people. Through her, I learned that our voices carry memory, healing, resistance, and truth. My mother taught me the power of my voice, not to apologize for taking up space. She showed me what resilience looks like when wrapped in love and sacrifice.

And my Boricua community that embraced me and gave me a home away from home. Through music, laughter, storytelling, food, dance, and culture, they taught me that our cultura is not just tradition, it is survival. It is remembrance, and it is love passed down generation to generation.

I think about the mentors, teachers, and elders who were added to my village that saw something in me before I could fully see it in myself. People who told me to keep going. To dream bigger and pursue higher education even when the path feels scary. Teachers like Mrs. Kowal, who pushed me to read deeply and believe in my brilliance. Programs like TRIO reminded students like me that college was not just a dream for other people; it could be my reality!

6. What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?

I would tell younger TaLisa never to abandon who she is to belong. I would remind her that her cultura, her story, and her spirit are not things to shrink or silence in professional spaces, but things to carry proudly and unapologetically. As someone who was learning how to survive by code-switching, who minimized herself and attempted to be more digestible for spaces that were never built for me to succeed, I would tell my younger self there is power in returning to your full self. Because the moment I stopped trying to fit into spaces, and started showing up rooted in my ancestors, values, and truth, was the moment my work became more deeper, more impactful and more aligned with my purpose.

TaLisa Ramos does not simply step onto a stage to speak; she creates experiences rooted in culture, storytelling, reflection, and collective care. Whether working with youth, educators, professionals, or communities, her goal is to help people reconnect with themselves, with one another, and with the possibility of what healing-centered spaces can truly look and feel like.

If your school, conference, or organization is looking for a speaker who moves beyond surface-level conversations, someone who leads with heart, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed practices while creating authentic spaces for belonging and growth, TaLisa would be honored to amplify the meaningful work already happening in your community.

Interested in bringing TaLisa Ramos to your campus, program, or event? Connect with CoolSpeak to learn more about booking opportunities and how TaLisa can support your students, staff, and community.

You can also connect with TaLisa on LinkedIn or follow her on Instagram at @theboricuasocialworker.