Awarded multimedia third place in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program 2025 National Championship in San Francisco, California.
29-year-old Paola Lagunas is finally on the brink of opening the brick-and-mortar location for Alma y Sazón, a vegan Mexican restaurant she runs with her husband, Xavi Herrera, and her sister, Fer Lagunas, in the Public Market Emeryville. Rooted in the sisters’ shared Mexican heritage, the business is both a tribute to their mother's recipes and a platform for creative expression.
After years of informal pop-ups and catering gigs, the trio is set to open their booth on June 4. Supported by La Cocina, a San Francisco nonprofit working to build equity in food business ownership for women, immigrants and people of color, Paola’s journey from an undocumented childhood in Idaho to becoming a chef and visual artist in the Bay Area is a story of resilience and identity as she continues to make her way in America.
