Estefanía Rebellón, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Yes We Can World Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

Estefanía Rebellón is the co-founder and Executive Director of Yes We Can World Foundation, a female-led nonprofit organization that believes every child has the right to education and safe spaces regardless of their location, current legal status or economic background. Yes We Can World Foundation created and operates the Yes We Can Mobile Schools program. The program is recognized as the first full-time bilingual education program for migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border. This innovative program addresses the academic and emotional needs of refugees, migrants and children in transit. Since July 2019, the Yes We Can Mobile Schools program has provided over 2 million hours of bilingual education and has directly impacted the lives of over 1,000 children. The program serves as a keystone bridge program for refugee and migrant children entering and integrating into the United States.

Rebellón was a refugee from Cali, Colombia, whose life was changed forever at the age of 10 when she and her family were forced to flee their home due to death threats by the Colombian rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Rebellón and her family moved to Miami, FL, where they were granted asylum, later becoming permanent residents, then U.S. citizens after ten years. 

Becoming a U.S citizen marked a pivotal moment in Rebellón’s life, as it solidified a permanent future in the United States. A future embraced by American ideals, values and the rights and protections of our freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Rebellón quickly embraced the idea of the American Dream and the responsibility that comes with being a first-generation American.

With this in mind, Rebellón set out to pursue a career as an actress in Hollywood. Rebellón moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her already budding career as an actress. Her work includes a role on the television show “Jane the Virgin,” hosting red carpet coverage for multiple Spanish media outlets, and multiple features in national commercials and films. She starred in and codirected the film “On The Other Side,” which focuses on the story of Lupe and her migration journey to the United States. As an up-and-coming actress and humanitarian Rebellón is a champion and advocate for authentic Latin representation in the media and entertainment industry.

Before cofounding and creating Yes We Can World Foundation, Rebellón served as an advocate and activist for the #MeToo Movement and the Women’s March. In 2021, Rebellón was recognized as a “Hero of the Pandemic” by the Los Angeles Times for leading efforts at Yes We Can World Foundation to provide thousands of personal protective equipment kits for migrant children and their families. Rebellón has also been recognized as an Unstoppable Woman by Telemundo/NBC, a Local Hero by Zoomin, and has been nominated for the Alfonso Garcia Robles Humanitarian Award by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México for the defense, promotion, protection, and guarantee of human rights for immigrant people who are in a condition of vulnerability.

Rebellón’s work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, TIME for Kids, and Global Citizen as well as in numerous ethnic media outlets.