www.negociosnow.com
February 2018 41
"A
llow yourself to become a
better you each day. Live
boldly, learn from others, lead with
passion and value the journey that
led you to who you are today."
Raquel Toledo
Age: 39
Title: Founder
Name of Organization:
A Gift Of Value
Bio: Adversity has challenged
Raquel Toledo to live a bold and
purposeful life. Her passion to live
life without regrets drove her to
become a counselor, teacher, mo-
tivational speaker and the even-
tual founder of A Gift Of Value.
Launched in 2013, A Gift Of
Value is a nonprofit that teaches,
mentors and empowers girls,
teens and women to value them-
selves, to embrace good morals,
to overcome obstacles, and to
influence their communities in
meaningful ways. The goal of A
Gift Of Value is that every young
lady understands the importan-
ce of nurturing her inner beauty
while building character. The
nonprofit has formed key part-
nerships with churches, schools
and colleges to distribute edu-
cational resources and organize
events, retreats and seminars.
A proud first-generation co-
llege graduate, Toledo received
her undergraduate degree in
education from Northeastern
Illinois University. She also holds
a master's degree in human
services and counseling from
DePaul University and a second
master's degree in intercultural
and urban studies from Moody
Theological Seminary in Chica-
go.
Toledo completed an intern-
ship at the YWCA counseling se-
xual assault survivors and wrote
a thesis that included qualitative
research on the issue of domes-
tic violence and the church. This
work led to the development of
Life Savers Academy, a campaign
that raises awareness about do-
mestic violence through work-
shops and seminars.
Toledo's passion for teaching
has taken her across the United
States and the world as a guest
speaker for teachings, work-
shops and conferences.
Raquel Toledo
A mentor who
empowers
young women
Raquel Toledo
A mentor who
empowers
young women
