Our Team
Iliana Hernandez
Storytelling & Network Weaving Director (she/her/ella)
Iliana (hear pronunciation) is a Chicana storyteller and strategist rooted in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Through her consultancy, Atrévete, she partners with grassroots leaders and changemakers to craft narrative-driven strategies that grow bold, community-led movements grounded in justice and joy.
She believes communication and imagination are essential tools for collective liberation, whether through a well-timed campaign, a grantmaking process that honors lived experience, or a screen performance that opens hearts.
Iliana’s work draws on ancestral wisdom, creative practice, and a deep commitment to equity and intergenerational thriving. She recently facilitated a $125K grant initiative to diversify Western NC’s outdoor economy and continues to shape narratives that reflect the truth, brilliance, and complexity of our shared experience.
When she’s not shaking systems, you’ll find her on screen or stage, climbing rocks, or dancing with her four-legged sidekicks, Sandy and Jonesy.
She joins Cooperate WNC with over a decade of grassroots, nonprofit, and organizing experience, as Director of Storytelling & Network Weaving.
Connect with Iliana to help share our region’s stories:
iliana@cooperatewnc.org