Creating Trauma-Informed Spaces with Frank Velásquez Jr.

Are you ready for a masterclass in trauma-informed space holding? 

In this episode of When Bearing Witness, we are joined by Frank Velásquez Jr., founder of 4 the Hood and creator of the Ascending Leaders in Color Fellowship program. 

Frank pulls back the curtain on how he creates protected spaces for leaders of color to connect, grow, and authentically express themselves without filters. We also discussed the crucial need for these spaces, given the historical lack of representation in leadership roles and the challenges people of color face in predominantly white workplaces.

About Frank Velásquez Jr.

Meet Frank Velásquez Jr.: Storyteller Extraordinaire, Social Justice Warrior, and Community Trailblazer. With a heart as big as his vision, Frank dances on the frontlines of change, armed with an unshakeable belief in racial and gender equity. As the founder of 4 Da Hood and the mastermind behind the Ascending Leaders in Color Fellowship program, Frank is forging paths for people of color to lead with authenticity, courage, and joy! For Frank, advancing equity isn't just a job—it's a movement toward building generational wealth for communities of color!

Connect with Frank Velásquez Jr.

4 Da Hood | Ascending Leaders in Color Fellowship program| LinkedIn | Instagram

About Host Maria Bryan

Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Maria has over fifteen years in marketing communications in the public sector. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, and is professionally certified in Trauma & Resilience, Trauma-Informed Space Holding, Trauma-Informed Coaching, and Somatic Embodiment & Regulation. Maria is a firm believer that storytellers make the world a healthier, safer, cleaner, and happier place. 

Connect with Maria

Speaking & Training | LinkedIn | Email 

Transcript

Maria:
Frank, welcome to When Bearing Witness. It is such a joy to have you on the show.

Frank:
Thanks for having me, Maria. I really appreciate this. This is exciting.

Maria:
I had just been hearing about you for the past few years and following your work. Diana Farias Heinrich introduced us, and it was like—finally! Now we’re in a text chat, planning the Ethical Nonprofit Summit together, and it just feels like, finally, Frank is at my table. And I’ve told you, what a joy it is to have you at my table.

We're talking today about something I find to be so important—the Ascending Leaders in Color program that you created. But before we get into that, I want to talk about For The Hood. What brought you to founding it? What’s your story?

Frank:
Before I get into that, I just want to thank you—and yes, Diana is amazing. I’m so glad we intersected that way. I’m also very excited about the Ethical Nonprofit Summit.

So, For The Hood was really a space to start legitimizing my work. We craft organizational stories and help leaders authentically tell their own. It started with the former because I love storytelling—grant writing, communications, all of it. You and I have had conversations around that.

I initially started with grant writing storytelling, but it has evolved into a whole new stratosphere: helping leaders tell their own stories authentically.

Maria:
I love this so much—being able to bravely and confidently tell your story. And of course, from a trauma-informed perspective, there is so much agency and power in being able to own your story and tell it in your own way.

Today I want to talk to you about spaces and holding authentic, brave spaces. You are creating this amazing container: Ascending Leaders in Color. It’s a peer mentorship program, a protected space for leaders of color to be authentically real, to reconnect with one another, and to reclaim every part of who they are.

It's so important for leaders of color to have their own space to connect and grow. Why is that?

Frank:
You know, the answer to me is relatively simple: we just have never had our own spaces.

You can look throughout the history of this country, from the genocide of Native Americans and the displacement into reservations, to segregation and redlining. And today, that same reality exists in leadership structures. We often find ourselves as the only ones in the room.

Even when we’re “included,” the space often isn't designed with us in mind. So having a space like Ascending Leaders in Color—a space where we don’t have to code-switch, where we can just breathe and be—is deeply restorative.

Maria:
Absolutely. And something you said that really stuck with me was that people think leadership is lonely—but it doesn’t have to be.

Frank:
That’s right. Leadership doesn't have to be lonely. That’s the lie we’ve been told. But when we have community, when we have connection, it becomes expansive. We get to see ourselves in one another. We get to say, “Me too,” and not in a performative way—but in a deeply embodied, healing way.

Maria:
So powerful. It really makes me think about how many spaces are not safe for leaders of color to show up as their full selves. Even in DEI work, there’s often a pressure to “fix” the system from within. But what you’re doing is saying, “Let’s build something different.”

Frank:
Yes, yes. So often, we’re asked to show up as a representative of our entire community. That’s exhausting. What we’re doing with Ascending Leaders in Color is creating space for people to take off the armor.

It’s not about leadership development in the traditional sense. It’s about leadership restoration. It’s about rest, reflection, and reclamation.

Maria:
You’ve built this with so much intention. I’ve heard you say that you protect the space—can you share what that looks like?

Frank:
Absolutely. Protecting the space means creating boundaries around who enters and how we engage. It’s not an open enrollment program. It’s by invitation and referral. That allows us to maintain trust.

We also center relational safety. We don’t just drop people into vulnerability. We build community slowly and intentionally. We open each session with grounding practices. We name that people can opt in or opt out at any time. There is no pressure to share. Silence is welcome.

Maria:
That is so deeply trauma-informed. I’m hearing autonomy, consent, safety, and connection—all the things we talk about in trauma-informed storytelling.

Frank:
Yes, because the stories we hold in that space are sacred. And the people are sacred. We need more spaces that reflect that.

Maria:
Thank you for creating this space and for sharing it with us today. How can people connect with you and learn more?

Frank:
You can find me on LinkedIn at Frank Velásquez Jr., or visit forthehood.org. And if you're interested in Ascending Leaders in Color, feel free to reach out. I’d love to connect.

Maria:
Thank you, Frank. This was such a gift.

Frank:
Thank you, Maria. It’s truly been an honor.