Meet The Team
Carlene Lugtu
​
Co-Founder
Carlene has been a Registered Nurse for 20 years and has worked with the adult population for her entire career. Currently she is in a leadership role at Stanford Healthcare leading large teams within the Cardiovascular Service Line and is enrolled at Stanford University for her Master’s in Clinical Informatics and Digital Health. She has had an abundance of firsthand clinical experience in her line of work where she witnessed an undeniable mind body connection with the pathophysiology of her patients. Her holistic approach to healthcare is the foundation of how she cares for her patients.
​
Carlene took her first ever horseback riding lessons in her 30s and instantly fell in love with the smells of the barn and the trust and awareness that is required to ride a horse. Being a daughter of immigrants to the United States, exposure to the equestrian world was not in her line of site growing up. With her small but impressionable exposure of the holistic benefits and life skills that can be learned with learning to ride a horse, she developed a longing to want her daughter to experience and have access to the same but at an early part of her life. This idea further expanded to want to include all young Womxn of color and she is excited to embark on this journey with Mandy to pay it forward for future generations.
Mandy Rivas
​
Co-Founder
With 10 years of experience in retail merchandise with her most recent role as the Co-Founder of Status Gaea, a shoppable platform for sustainable & ethical fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. The ethos of Status Gaea puts people over profit while preserving Mother Earth. In addition, Status Gaea has joined the 15% pledge where 15% of their brands featured are from Black-Owned businesses in order to truly provide a sustainable solution for years to come.
​
Mandy has always been an advocate for underserved community members. During the height of the pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd, Virago Sisters was a natural idea given her daughter's interest in horseback riding.
There needs to be a safe space for girls of color to be represented in the sport and learn the amazing life skills of horseback riding.
Sandie N
Sandie is an attorney with extensive experience advising private and public entities in both litigation and administrative matters, including in areas of board governance and program management. After practicing law for 12 years, she left to found Each Green Corner, a non-profit combating food insecurity through sustainable urban agriculture. Sandie earned her BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, and her J.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is a lifelong equestrian, from 4-H gymkhana shows as a child to the college equestrian team. Sandie strongly believes in sport as a means to build confidence, empathy and leadership, and is passionate about making the sport available to children of all backgrounds.
.jpg)
Dr. Mayra Lara
Dr. Mayra A. Lara is a daughter, sister, friend, educator, and researcher. She is an immigrant from Mexico and formerly undocumented person whose love for learning launched her into a career in education. She began as an English teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District where she worked to create meaningful and lasting relationships with students and families. She carries her love for teaching and the young people with whom she worked to The Education Trust-West. As the Associate Director of Educator Engagement, Mayra works closely with County Offices of Education and school districts to help them shape meaningful policies and practices which will have lasting, positive impacts on students.
Mayra holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Social and Cultural Analysis of Education from California State University Long Beach. Mayra also holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University where her research focused on young women of color’s experiences as they navigated the sexual politics of education
Mayra is excited to see Virago Sisters as a space for young womxn of color to build community with one another and explore the beauty of equestrian sports..
​
Dr. Veronica Orozco
Dr. Veronica Orozco (she/her/hers) earned her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and completed nationally accredited fellowships at California State University Long Beach and University of Michigan. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. Currently, she is a licensed psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of California, Berkeley. Her areas of expertise include culturally informed counseling with marginalized and BIPOC students. She works from a strengths-based and relational approach to facilitate holistic healing and a kinder, more compassionate relationship with ourselves. She is bi-cultural and bilingual in Spanish. Dr. Orozco recognizes the power of sport to learn about the mind-body connection, build community and a sense of belonging, and build confidence.