Rooted in Culture, Inspired by the Coast: Meet the Heart Behind Cualli Co.

Ivette is a first-gen Xicana that has worked in the non-profit and maternal mental health world for the past 13 years as a clinical social worker but is now returning to her creative writing pursuits.

Born and raised in Arizona with deep roots to the desert, surfing found her in early motherhood after life moved her away from her community to the coastal city of San Diego. The move came a time where she was reconnecting and reclaiming her Mexican indigeneity through ceremony, spirituality, food, and friendships.

Fortunately, surfing brought a new community of amazing women, and the ocean helped her through her mental health struggles of anxiety and depression.

Seeing the lack of representation of her community and the women she surfed with, Cualli Co. was born. Aiming to bring visibility and celebration to the deep rooted Mexican cultural heritage and ocean culture that exists along the coast but is often underrepresented.