Mariela Quesada Centeno

Mariela Quesada Centeno is a member-owner of Roots4Change Cooperative (R4C) and an Honorary Fellow at UW–Madison’s School of Human Ecology. She holds a Master of Public Health, a Certificate in Global Health, and a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from UW–Madison. Her work focuses on the development of Latina/e community health workers and doulas in maternal and child health through education, leadership, and cooperative ownership models. She has led programs in health and finance career pathways, bilingual immigration services, and founded Madison’s first Latino-led farmer’s market. She also created the Wellness Program, which later evolved into R4C. Mariela bridges community and academia through projects grounded in women’s lived experiences to advance immigrant and Latina/e reproductive well-being. Her funded work spans maternal health equity, leadership, and food security. She is also the mother of two teenage daughters, who have shown her the power of building a community of women to walk together in joy, companionship, and resistance.