Meet Natalie Vega | Program Director for Elevated760, a program under Vista Art Foundation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natalie Vega and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natalie, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
We are dedicated to keeping and preserving the integrity of the music, art & vendor community by empowering and inspiring others to realize their potential, along with living a full life as they, in turn, inspire others!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The past few years have been some of the most challenging of my life, and I know I’m not alone in that. My team and I have each faced our own personal struggles, and for me, much of that journey has involved overcoming domestic violence while I was in a relationship with a Corporal Sheriff Deputy who is still employed with the Sheriff’s Department. I am rebuilding my life while fighting for my children and our future. Today, I am grateful to have full custody of my children and the opportunity to refocus on the things that have always given my life meaning: community, creativity, and helping others recognize their own potential.

Professionally, my background is in business structuring and management. I have spent years helping startups and established businesses grow, create sustainable systems, and take their operations to the next level, while simultaneously overseeing HR, Payroll, and Accounting. One thing I’ve learned is that many talented people don’t even realize they are already running a business. I love helping artists, makers, and entrepreneurs understand their value and showing them that what they dream of accomplishing is both possible and attainable.

That same philosophy inspired our art programs and festivals. I believe people often underestimate themselves, and sometimes I have had to remind myself of that truth as well. Through my own healing journey, I realized that I had lost touch with one of the things I was most proud of—being a woman of Indigenous and Chicana heritage.

Prior to creating the Chicana Art Festival, we produced the Chicano Art Festival. While it was a beautiful celebration of culture and creativity, I found myself yearning for something different. I wanted to create a space where women would be at the forefront and where the stories, talents, and traditions carried by Chicana, Latina, and Indigenous women could be more prominently celebrated.

Women have long been the keepers of culture, the storytellers, the teachers, and the ones who carry lineages and traditions forward from one generation to the next. I wanted to honor that legacy by creating an event that reflects the strength, beauty, and creativity of the women who have shaped our communities for generations.

I believe that art—in all its forms, whether music, painting, dance, food, or craftsmanship—is a reflection of the human spirit. Every creation is a small piece of ourselves that we leave behind, something that can inspire others and perhaps outlive us. In many ways, it becomes our legacy.

My purpose is to create spaces where people from all backgrounds and experience levels feel safe, seen, and empowered to share that piece of themselves with the world. I want people to realize their worth, embrace their gifts, and understand that their dreams are achievable.

With everything happening in my personal life, I realized that I had lost a part of myself. Reconnecting with my identity as an Indigenous and Chicana woman reminded me that healing and purpose often go hand in hand. Through this work, I hope to inspire others to reconnect with themselves, their culture, and their own dreams.

More than anything, I want the world to know that our brand is rooted in community, culture, resilience, and the belief that everyone has something beautiful and meaningful to contribute. We are here to inspire, connect, and remind people that their voice, their story, and their art matter.

I truly believe that every song, every painting, every recipe, every dance, and every handmade creation is a small piece of someone’s soul being shared with the world. These creations become the stories and legacies that live on long after we are gone. The Chicana Art Festival became that vision. It is more than an event—it is a piece of my soul that I want to share and leave with the world.

If there is one thing I hope to leave behind, it is spaces where people feel empowered to discover their worth, realize their potential, and leave their own beautiful mark on the world. I believe my purpose is to help others see what is possible and to pass on the wisdom, encouragement, and opportunities that have helped me find my way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
It honestly depends on the friends…I have friends who are home bodies and like to read, so I would take them to Libelula Books in SD, then go chill on the beach or I have friends who want to come and enjoy nightlife in downtown, I have other people who are beer people and want to do all the different breweries SD has to offer… that’s why I love it here, there’s so much to do and offer anybody who is coming to stay:)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Definitely Aleta, Sarah & Jayden with Vista Art Foundation! Dinah with The Hillstreet Country Club, my kids and my chosen family🖤

Website: https://linktr.ee/elevated760

Instagram: @Elevated760 @_NVm3_

Facebook: Elevated760

Image Credits
all by @elevated760