Claudia Mendoza
A Dominican-American community organizer and cultural strategist, and the founder of Mami Chula Social Club- an intergenerational community she launched in New York City in 2018 to explore new models of belonging, leadership, and collective care among Latina and women-of-color communities.
Raised in Washington Heights, her work draws from the social infrastructure of immigrant neighborhoods and reimagines traditional social club culture through a feminist lens. What began as a small gathering has grown into a network of more than 1,500 members across New York City, offering cultural programming, civic engagement, wellness initiatives, and leadership development.
Mendoza’s work examines how joy, cultural affirmation, and intentional community-building can function as tools of resistance and collective empowerment. She is a proud CUNY alumna, holding a double major in political science and Latin American studies from John Jay College.
