Destinie A. Otero
Founder & CEO/Director
I am a passionate, purpose-driven, innovative, dedicated, visionary entrepreneur, who is grateful to have started Spaces Connected (SC). Beyond it being an emerging grassroots initiative, it is a dream come true, a promise fulfilled, and a mission in progress.
I was born and raised in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and am still deeply rooted and connected to my native homeland. I am a proud and humble Hispanic woman. I am a first-generation college graduate, as well as a first-generation to explore and pursue unconventional paths, especially that of community-focused entrepreneurship. In the first 12 years of my journey, it consisted of and exposed me to many risk factors and life challenges with some being my biological parents struggling with addiction, crime, and navigating lifestyles with unhealthy and harmful behaviors, leading to my estranged biological father’s overdose when I was eight years old, and my biological teen mother’s long-term engagement and defeated battles with the cycle of addiction and the criminal justice system. But, at 12 years old, my life received a saving grace, that was being adopted by my Nana (grandma) and Nina (godmother), which I believe to have served as an opportunity in my life for a second chance to be able to rise up, thrive, and become the best version of a woman that I could be, and was meant to be in my lifetime. I later came to recognize and understand that my core belief of having received a second chance through my official adoption, was because it provided me with an opportunity to have a permanent stable home space where I felt a sense of belonging and connection, as it was nurturing, consistent, and predictable, allowing me to be able to focus on and work towards my highest potential and development of self I could only imagine to become. And so at 12 years old, I made a promise and commitment to take full advantage of my second chance, and that was to avoid entrapment in similar unhealthy cycles and patterns I was vulnerably exposed to at a young age, and go in a direction to setting and achieving goals for a big dream placed in my heart. This dream was to be in a position one day when I would be “grown up”, that could give back a chance and opportunity to those that are from where I have come from, effectively addressing deep-rooted complex social issues and adversities, and providing innovative resources and solutions for women in my community and collective world to be supported and empowered to truly live and thrive at their best. And so, SC was created to be an unwaveringly committed initiative, to empower women, especially those from marginalized and disadvantaged backgrounds, by providing opportunities, resources, and holistic support to achieve and sustain their best lives, while also focusing on community growth by strengthening aligning organizations or initiatives, and developing new resources.
In addition to leading SC, I am serving my second term with AmeriCorps as a VISTA Leader, building capacity and strengthening sustainable foundations for a local non-profit aiming to prevent and reduce incarceration and the consequential effects of the criminal justice system for African-American and Black communities. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a concentration in Addiction Counseling and a minor in Family & Child Studies obtained from The University of New Mexico. I am also a Licensed Substance Abuse Associate (LSAA). I am an honored and proud Justice Advisory and Accountability Board member. I have established several years of experience in community engagement, behavioral health, social services, and public service, equipping me with a diverse set of competencies and skills in leadership, program/project development and management, counseling, case-management, trauma-informed care, community outreach, resource development, coordination, systems development, problem-solving, and organizational operations.
I am a trailblazer, with a track record for receiving honorable and prestigious awards, with ones I am most proud of being The New Mexico Leadership Institute (MNLI) scholarship program, and selections for The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), UNM’s Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, and the Justice Advisory and Accountability Board.
Aside from my work, roles, and achievements, I am a human who loves deeply, is generous, and finds beauty in the small things. My heart is full when I spend quality time with my loved ones. Going to community events and discovering new resources is like my candy shop. My favorite kind of views involve Albuquerque’s mountains, sunrises, and sunsets. Nature keeps me grounded—whether through sunbathing, a walk, hike, closeness to a tree, listening to the birds sing and seeing them fly, or eye-catching butterflies or hummingbirds. I am a foodie and adventurer that enjoys new things and places. I love decorating and hosting gatherings to bring people together. I am an old soul, that often is captivated and uplifted with oldies music and getting groovy with some of my funky dance moves. Above all, I make sure to stay aligned and balanced through prayer and mediation.