Thursday February 26
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Lubar Entrepreneurship Center* atrium
2100 E. Kenwood Blvd., Milwaukee WI (entrance off Maryland Ave.)
*Not Lubar Hall. See below for map with suggested parking

Free and open to the public
RSVP below by February 19 so we can gauge interest (no one turned away)

Cocina Libre: Building Community through Immigrant Stories & Food Cultures

Join us for an evening of food, film, and connection as we host professor and licensed therapist Julia Roncoroni (University of Denver; Cocina Libre founder) and Chef Gregory León (Amilinda restaurant, Milwaukee). Both speakers grew up in Latin America and prioritize the sharing of food cultures as a way to build belonging and connection in their local communities. Attendees will watch a short documentary (40 min.) about Cocina Libre’s impact on chef participants; hear directly from Dr. Julia and Chef Greg about their work; and get to sample light appetizers from Chef Greg’s Amilinda offerings!

Dr. Julia Roncoroni (she/her) is an immigrant from Argentina, a licensed psychologist, and a tenured associate professor at the University of Denver. In Denver she founded the organization Cocina Libre to create space for stories that nourish, challenge, and connect us—stories of migration, struggle, joy, and collective strength. Her work is grounded in liberation psychology and driven by a commitment to justice, healing, and cultural pride.

At the University of Denver she leads the Health Disparities Research Lab, which builds community partnerships focused on culturally sensitive health promotion. Learn more about Professor Roncoroni’s clinical work and psychological research at the UWM Psychology Research Colloquium on Friday, February 27.

Chef Gregory León is owner and operator of Amilinda restaurant in Milwaukee, where he cooks almost every night. León is a four-time James Beard Award nominee, was honored as a finalist for Best Chef Midwest in 2022 and 2023, and was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2024 and 2025. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chef León moved to his father’s native Venezuela at age 5, returning at 19 and beginning his culinary career shortly after. He builds community in Milwaukee and beyond through charity events, meal donations, and offering professional support for underrepresented chefs.

Dr. Gabriela Nagy is Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The overarching focus of her research is on reducing mental health care inequities experienced by minoritized communities, particularly immigrants and refugees from Latin America. Dr. Nagy’s lab is focused on understanding social and structural factors contributing to health inequities; developing and testing psychosocial interventions to support the health of minoritized communities; and dissemination and implementation of strategies that hold promise for reducing health inequities. She utilizes community-engaged research methods, mixed-methods, and human-centered design approaches.

This event is presented by the UW-Milwaukee Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Division of Community Empowerment and Institutional Inclusivity.

Map and directions

This event will take place in the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center (LEC), which shares a building with the UW-Milwaukee Welcome Center. The building entrance is off of Maryland Ave. Be careful not to accidentally go to Lubar Hall.

Paid hourly parking is available through UWM garages at either Lubar Garage (circled below) or the UWM Student Union Garage (entrance off of westbound Kenwood Blvd.; building access to walk through Student Union toward LEC).

RSVP Form (requested by February 19)