Our Story
Ready to Grow was born in 2020 right after COVID-19 arrived. Our founder, Angelica Zapata, realized the urgent need in the Latin community to access culturally relevant training and coaching programs that help them navigate and overcome not only the challenges of the pandemic but the continuing social inequities and personal stressors people were going through.
In 2021, Ready To Grow began to partner with community based organizations and wellness providers that wanted to support the mental, physical and emotional health of the community using mindfulness practices that are trauma- sensitive and meaningful to their specific needs.
In 2022, we decided to open our mindfulness offerings to the public through the creation of Grow Academy in order to expand our reach to the Spanish speaking community in the US and LatinAmerica.
Our Mission
Our mission is to facilitate the awakening of the collective consciousness by creating and sharing mindfulness-based education programs that support people’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Our Founder
Angelica Zapata
Founder and CEO
Angelica is Ready To Grow’s founding director. She is a first-generation immigrant and a former military spouse who has gone through many relocations, career transitions, and heartbreaks that have equipped her with the resilience needed to embrace change. She believes that transcending the pain of life changing events with mindful self-compassion is the portal to insight, a true opportunity for growth and transformation.
Angelica was born and trained as an educator in Bogota, Colombia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Marketing from Walden University. She has been a high school teacher and a college instructor in the US for many years. In 2014 she learned about contemplative practices and decided to deepen her knowledge. In 2020 Angelica got formally trained in Mindfulness at the University of Washington where she also worked leading the adaptation and implementation of mindfulness programs for Early Learning Providers.
The practice of mindful self-compassion has transformed Angelica’s life. Therefore, she is committed to share this powerful tool with the world. She strives to show up with love for herself and for others while trying to sustainably blend her career, her family and her hobbies. Some of them are: reading, journaling, cooking, and traveling.
Attain peace of mind and move toward a greater level of health and well-being