Ara Grimaldo Saintus

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“I made it the mission of my life to ensure that all kids have access, all kids have a level playing field.”

“My parents — they emigrated here from Mexico and because of their sacrifice, their willpower to do that, my siblings and I have a different life. And so now I made it the mission of my life to ensure that all kids have access, all kids have a level playing field. There’s so many of us that want that.” 

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Ara Grimaldo Saintus

 

After 8

 

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After 8 Sound Studio
After 8-Kitchen
After 8 Mural

Part of a community of first-generation college graduates, Ara Grimaldo continues to say yes to Dallas. She grew up in Oak Cliff and attended Texas A&M in College Station. She came back to the Dallas Region after graduation and now serves as executive director of After8toEducate — a nonprofit aimed at homeless youth ages 14 to 21. Located in a former elementary school, the building is divided into two sections. Resources like food, computers, a kitchen, and washer/dryers are on one side, where youth in need can drop in. The other side of the building is set up for emergency and transitional housing. On the weekends Ana likes visiting the Perot Museum with her daughters, going to the Dallas Arboretum, or shopping around Half Priced Books. When it’s time for self-care, she heads to Hiatus Spa. The words she thinks of to describe Dallas are: grit, community, pioneer, and family.

 

Fast Facts

  • Favorite local restaurant: Flower Child in downtown or Cava in Lakewood, Jordan Cafe or Veracruz in Oak Cliff/Cedar Hill
  • Favorite festival: State Fair of Texas!
  • Favorite local hero: Tina Robertson — my mentor and the Director of Innovation and Impact at Momentous Institute. I met her while I was interning in college, and she was my entry into the nonprofit world. Tina continues to be a guiding light on my journey through this sector. And I’m not the only one — she has paved the way for many young women.

 

Get Involved

Want to know more about Ara’s work and how to get involved? Check out this CBS Dallas feature on After8toEducate and this video highlighting the organization as a 2022-23 Mavs Foundation Grant Application winner. Food, cleaning supplies, and clothing donations are always welcome and can be brought directly to After8toEducate’s facility. You can also donate through the After8toEducate homepage. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay connected with news and events. 



We Love Dallas

Whether you’re celebration Galentine’s or Valentine’s there are endless things to do. The pros have put together some lists of the best places to eat, drink, and fall in love around the Dallas Region.

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  • Dallas CultureMap

    Dallas CultureMap has put together a list of the best Dallas restaurants to celebrate this year. With the holiday of love being on a Tuesday, many of the restaurants on their list is extending their offers to the weekend before and after.

    More info>

  • Visit Fort Worth

    Our friends at Visit Fort Worth has put together a list of their “bests” to do in the city. They do encourage to make some reservations, since these places are popular during the holiday. They include places to eat and drink, activities, and must see concerts.

    More Info>

  • Dallas Paper City

    Paper City has put together a list of their favorite local spots to show your love. Whether you’re going out for a romantic dinner or ordering a heart-shaped pizza to go, make sure to call the location ahead of time to order from a special menu or make a reservation.

    More info>

  • Food Gressing

    Food Gressing has taken their list to the next level and included some menus for you to check out while you’re deciding on where to spend it with your loved ones. Seeing these menu items won’t make it easy to pick!

    More Info>

  • Fort Worth CultureMap

    Saddle up! Fort Worth CultureMap has also put a complete list of local restaurants to check out this Valentine’s Day. Make sure to check their list again. They will update as more restaurants solidify menus.

    More Info>

  • D Magazine

    If you’re looking for some sweet treats or best happy hours, D Magazine has got you covered. Their list includes some of the most popular happy hour bars like where to play the TikTok inspired “pick a card” mini golf package trend.

    More Info>

Back to Blog >



Dylan Green

Name: Dylan Santos Green

City/ Neighborhood: South Dallas

Company/Title: Creative Director (Dylan S. Green Design) / Marketing & Brand Director (Brist MFG) / Realtor (Rogers Healy and Associates)

When did you move here? Where from? I moved to Dallas August 27, 2021 from Portland, OR

What made you Say Yes to Dallas? Once I learned more about Dallas and visited a few times it was a very easy yes. If a city isn’t growing it’s dying, and Dallas is the polar opposite of that, which was a very welcome change from what I experienced on the West Coast.

How has your opinion of the Dallas Region changed since moving here? If anything, my positive opinions have been reinforced into positive beliefs since moving here. I’d say that the quality of people, economic viability, and abundance mentality are the top three things that excite me about Dallas. Oh wait – the restaurants and bars are #1.

Tell us about your city/neighborhood. What do you like best? What makes it different? South Dallas is a part of Dallas that folks prefer not to talk about, but for that reason it’s one of the last affordable places for folks to buy a home while being under 10 minutes from the city. To me, that represents a narrow window of incredible opportunity. There’s also a lot of history that comes with the territory, which is something that I feel should be discussed more as well.

Where do you go and what do you do on the weekends or days off? I have a 24-hour day of Dallas that I created for visitors. It’s highly aggressive and one of the best ways to experience the city. The abridged version, and maybe my favorite pieces: grab a bottle of wine and snacks at Central Market, picnic at White Rock Lake, and then head to a concert in the city.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to move here? Get to know your neighborhood but explore every corner of DFW. From Denton to Tyler to Oak Cliff to Flower Mound every community feels like its own world, offering a variety of unique experiences and lifestyle opportunities.

What would you miss most about the area if you had to leave? The diversity, variety, kindness, and sun.

Tell us about the work environment here. Prior to getting my real estate license I was working from home 14+ hours a day, which was severely unpleasant. Since I earned my real estate license, I now spend more time working with and amongst other Dallasites and it’s absolutely phenomenal.

What is your favorite restaurant in your neighborhood? Local by Tracy Miller in Deep Ellum, Ichigoh in Deep Ellum, Niwa in Deep Ellum, Ngon in Lower Greenville

Where do you go to experience culture? Why do you like it? Carrollton HMart is where I can confidently find every ingredient to any Filipino dish, I try to recreate from my memories of family dinners.

Who is your local hero? Why? Rogers Healy. Honored to work alongside someone with such vision, attitude, and tenacity. It resonates deeply with the simple approach of “if you want it make it happen”. I’ve never had a mentor and being around someone like Rogers shows me the impact a mentor can have.

Where do you feel you are nearest to your “tribe” in the Dallas Region? When I’m watching my friends win, whether it’s playing live music (shout out to Kevin Arellano), running their bars (shout out to Iluggy Recinos), or closing deals (the whole RHA team, y’all are killers).

How do you interact with your community? With gratitude. I’m so grateful to be here and don’t take for granted the incredible moments I get every time I step outside my door.

Anything else you want to add? Dallas is a hidden secret and part of me wants to keep it that way. But for anyone with a good heart, a sense of adventure, and a desire to be a part of something, it’s home.



2023 MLK Celebrations & Parade



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