Meet the team

An award-winning local journalist, Nancy Flores leads Austin Vida as its editor and publisher. She’s the founder of Cultura Media, Austin Vida’s umbrella organization, and was recently named one of “Austin’s Top Latina Entrepreneurs to Watch,” by the digital news outlet Austonia (now called ATXtoday).

Nancy grew up in the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She has specialized in writing about underrepresented Central Texas communities, most recently reporting for the Austin American-Statesman and Austin360. Her contributions to Austin’s Latino community recently earned her the Award of Excellence in Media Arts from the city’s Mexican American Cultural Center. In 2019, Remezcla named her among the nation’s “Latino Columnists You Should Be Reading.”

Nancy revived and reimagined Austin Vida during the pandemic to amplify, inform and celebrate the Latinidad of our local community with culturally-competent news and culture that centers the voices of nuestra gente.

A graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, Nancy received a College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) scholarship, and earned a BA in Communication with a Minor in English Writing.

She’s also an alumna of the Hispanic Austin Leadership Program, the Google News Startup Bootcamp program, the Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media program presented by Poynter and The Washington Post, and was part of the inaugural cohort of the Tiny News Collective, which continues to serve as Austin Vida’s nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

Nancy served on the board of directors for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and helped relaunch its local Central Texas chapter. She is the founding president of the St. Edward’s University College Assistance Migrant Program Alumni Association.

Isadora Day, associate editor at Austin Vida, is originally from Brownsville. She proudly embraces her biracial heritage as the daughter of a Costa Rican immigrant and a Michigander. Her work has appeared in publications such as the bilingual newspaper Conexión, the San Antonio Express-News, and the Austin American-Statesman. In addition to journalism, she also brings nonprofit leadership, teaching and education administration experience. Isadora also serves as the Interim Executive Director at a local nonprofit.

Ben Perez (he/him) serves as Austin Vida’s Gente Engagement Specialist. He moved to Austin in 2022 after graduating college. Since then he’s been figuring it out and meeting amazing people along the way! A creative writer with a bilingual short story published in Prose Online, Ben is also Events Coordinator for UrbGarden Collective, a space for fostering community and liberation. He loves connecting with nuestra comunidad through festivals, arts y cultura, live music, and community organizing.

Magaly Arredondo Lopez (she/ella) was born and raised in the beautiful and ever-changing Austin, Texas. Her raíces trace back to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, where both of her parents are from. Magaly is a queer, brown mujer who loves to write, be outside with naturaleza, read, and day dream about a world with zero racism, free food, free housing, mental health care for all, badass music and art, and tons of pan dulce.

Brianna Chavez (she/her) is a born and raised Austinite and serves as Austin Vida’s Spring 2026 Editorial Intern. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Journalism from Texas State University in 2024. She worked for four years as a Life and Arts reporter with The University Star, Texas State’s student-run newspaper. Her work has been recognized by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Society of Professional Journalism. She has contributed to various publications in Austin, including the Austin American-Statesman and Austin Woman.

Mari G. Hernandez is a photographer and videographer residing in Austin. Originally from San Antonio, she graduated from St. Edward’s University with a degree in PhotoCommunications. Focusing on celebrating diverse cultures in Central Texas, she documents festivals, music and performances. She is currently a multimedia specialist at the Emma S Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center in Austin.

Nicole Williams-Quezada (she/her) is a Lima-born writer and student journalist who moved to Austin in 2021 to pursue her BA in Writing and Rhetoric at St. Edward’s University. As a student at this Hispanic-serving institution, she has deepened her connection to both her Peruvian roots and Austin’s vibrant Latino community while expanding her studies to include journalism, digital media, and political science. Nicole served as Austin Vida’s Spring 2025 intern, and is now an Austin Vida contributing writer.