I was grew up in Madison, Wis., by hippie parents. My mother was raised Jewish in Evanston, Ill., and my father was raised Catholic in rural Wisconsin. The mix of religions, wealth, education, and geography impacted my childhood. The whiteness united it all. I identify as a white woman, cisgender, able-bodied, Jewish by heritage, and spiritual af. I am married to a Mexican man and we are raising two bilingual/multicultural children. When Carlos and I first met we lived in Mexico for three years, which is where we had our first son.
We’ve lived in Madison since 2002, but consider Puerto Vallarta our home as well. As a family, we have radical views on how we want the world to change. The understanding of unearned privileges and the opportunities I’ve been offered because of them, along with my experiences of internal and external oppression, compels me to do better and be better.
When you work with me, you work with ALL of me.
FULL BIO
Sara Alvarado is an author, speaker, teacher, and co-conspirator who works in racial justice and real estate. She believes that the way to tackle difficult topics in both life and business is to show up real, raw, bold, vulnerable, and always ready for fun. Sara’s first memoir, Dreaming In Spanish: An Unexpected Love Story in Puerto Vallarta, was published in March of 2023.
Sara published the Racial Justice Toolkit for Real Estate Professionals (2020), a Guide for Change Agents (2016), an essay in I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos In Wisconsin (2014), and numerous articles. Sara is a fierce advocate for social justice and challenges the status quo and systems of oppression with her straight talk and loving ways.
Sara is the Co-Founder of Own It: Building Black Wealth with a group of dedicated, diverse, and passionate community leaders in the Madison, WI area. She also co-owns Alvarado Real Estate Group with her husband, Carlos, who now leads the company.
Sara currently serves on the board for Centro Hispano, All Things Alzheimer’s and helped create and co-found Step Up Equity Matters. She is listed as a founder of both Nuestro Mundo Community School and Badger Rock Middle School, where she also served as a board member. She served on the boards of Sustain Dane as well as the local Realtor Association. Sara has been recognized in InBusiness Magazine’s 40 under 40 list (2013) and Madison Magazine’s M List (2015).
“Education does not make us educable. It is our awareness of being unfinished that makes us educable.” Paulo Freíre
