Meet Oye Vecino LIVE panelist Irma Paz-Bernstein
We are honored to have Irma Paz-Bernstein join us as a panelist on Thursday, September 22 for Oye Vecino LIVE: Her Story. Tickets are still available for the panel, musical performance, and Patron Party - buy your tickets today to support the mission of Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors!
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Irma Paz-Bernstein graduated with a communications science degree from Universidad del Valle de Atemajac. After graduate school at UCLA, she worked on game shows, talk shows and live broadcasts as a producer for Telemundo.
In 2001, Paz-Bernstein and her sister Norma founded the wildly popular Nashville restaurant Las Paletas. Originally selling gourmet Mexican ice cream pops from their storefront in 12South, the sisters shifted their business to a pop-up model after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
Paz-Bernstein serves on the board for You Have the Power and the committee for the Children’s Memory Garden of Nashville. She and her husband Bob are parents to sons Max and Alex.
GET TO KNOW IRMA PAZ -BERNSTEIN
What are you working on right now?
What I am working on right now is the continued evolution of motherhood. Being a mom to my two boys is no doubt the most impactful “position” I will ever hold. It challenges me in ways that go to the core and make me question everything I am about.
Beside parenting, I serve on the board of You Have The Power, an amazing organization that advocates for victims of violence through education and awareness. We are working at this moment on a project that hits me deep not just as a mother, but as a member of our community. You see, there’s a sweet garden here in Nashville. It is meant to memorialize children that have died in acts of violence. The founder Andrea Conte has been wanting to create a garden that reflects the importance of this issue, so with the collaboration of many organizations, governmental entities and the community we are under construction and hoping to unveil a garden that will truly bring a space for solace to families impacted by this. And, quite frankly, we all are.
On a more hopeful note, I am excited to collaborate with a non profit that works on bringing mindfulness practices to schools. Riki Rattner developed a program she called BE WELL with science-backed strategies to help children self regulate. I am really excited to contribute to this transformative program. With the pandemic I think it’s become quite clear how self care in every way can help us better move through life. I am very passionate about self care, community care and recognizing how interconnected we are in every way and every level.
Why do you believe in TNJFON’s mission?
I confess that the work that TNJFON is doing has been under my radar, but once I heard about the support that this organization offers to those in need, it just warmed my heart. Navigating a new environment for any of us can be a challenge. Then add the fact that those that arrive carry who-knows-what emotional weight, the language, the complexities of a country that requires so much… It is jarring.
What are you most looking forward to about Oye Vecino LIVE: Her Story?
When I was asked to be part of this event, my main motivation was to see if what I can bring can make a difference, a connection, or offer something to someone. And if so, it’s worth it for me. So, I am looking forward to sharing my story, my experience and my outlook on life. I’m curious and I love to be curious. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the event brings!