About Us
Our social responsibility mandate is to support and collaborate to better educational and employment opportunities for the Spanish-speaking community. The resources obtained from donations to Canada Habla Español will be used to finance our scholarship program aimed to pay for the application fees for low-income students to access post-secondary education.
Canada Habla Español is the result of the union of a group of professionals living in Canada, whose activity in recent years has revolved around the creation and development activities to promote the Spanish language and also the Latin American community
Ericka Aguilera (Founder)
Ericka Aguilera is an active member of the Latin American community and founder of the initiative @TOhablaespanol (Toronto Habla Español).
A strong supporter and advocate of education and social justice. As a Community Relations Officer for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, works directly with the diverse school communities to advance community and school initiatives and supports for students and families through the lenses of equity, diversity and inclusion. Her role helps building and strengthening relationships with community partners and other stakeholders to advance the TCDSB’s equity work and larger strategic plan. Serves as liaison for the Spanish Speaking Communities & Ukrainian TCDSB advisory committees.
Ericka has served as well on community organizations' Board of directors. Former VP for the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples, currently Vice-president of the Board of directors of Las Flores non profit Housing Corporation.
Ericka has a Law degree from La Salle University, Mexico City, with experience in Intellectual Property, Trust and Public Notary services. Had financial experience in the Banking and Insurance sectors including Account management for HSBC Mexico and RBC Canada; as well as Insurance agent with Sun Life and Desjardin. Interest varies from music, dancing, sports, outdoor activities, leadership and self-improvement.
Luz Madroñero (Co-founder)
Luz is a Colombian journalist and senior communications and public relations professional.
Luz studied communications and journalism in La Sabana university in Colombia and made a master’s in journalism at the Complutense university in Madrid (Spain). She got a diploma in online community management.
For more than 15 years, Luz was responsible for news in economic topics for some of Colombia’s biggest media outlets. She was awarded twice with the economic journalism award in Colombia. She was the press secretary for National Planning Department (DNP), for the Institute of Urban Development of Bogota (IDU) and the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC).
Luz was the community outreach coordinator at the consulate general of Colombia in Toronto for 10 years. She led the creation of the Latin American Bilateral Trade Initiative (LABTI) which is a coalition of the Economic Business Development of City of Toronto and 10 consulates from Latin America.
She is the cofounder of Canada Speaks and is member of board of directors of Hispanic Women Network and Panamerican Food Festival and was the founder of Economic Journalist Association of Colombia.
She is a certificated rescue diver and her passion is to dive and help to immigrants in their settlement process in Toronto.
Carolina Testa (Co-founder)
Carolina Testa is the founder of Inspirad@s, a cultural initiative that aims to disseminate Spanish-American art and literature in Canada and promote cultural exchange with Latin American countries through inclusive activities. This initiative has had the support of the Toronto Arts Council and different universities, consulates, embassies in Canada.
In her development, as a cultural manager, she has been involved in different community inclusion projects and initiatives to promote Latin American roots in Canada.
Due to her commitment to diversity and inclusion actions, she has been called upon by the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) to design the digital magazine: iAM Vol. 10 "Reflections on Intersections: Intersectionality, Development and Change". In addition, she collaborates in the "Young Parents Connect" project with adolescent mothers in vulnerable conditions.
As a graphic designer, with more than 20 years of experience, she has worked extensively on projects in Canada, the United States, Latin America, and Europe. She graduated as a Graphic Designer at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina, where she later developed as a university professor. She studied Editorial Design at Parsons School of Design in New York. She obtained the Instructor Training certificate for Inclusion and Diversity in Foreign Language Arts-BRI Bayres Ritz Institute-Canada and has a Postgraduate Degree in Cultural Management and Communication from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences-FLACSO.
In 2022 she was recognized with the distinction Brand Country of Argentines in the world.