Many immigrant women leaders have settled in the St. Louis area and our town is better for it. However, their journey back to a leadership role was not always easy. Whether language barrier, education barrier or no reciprocation of their certifications, these women worked hard to become leaders in our area. They have completely jumped into being St. Louisans and we are excited about hearing of their journey, how we can make it easier for the next group of women leaders and how they are impacting St. Louis.

Ximena Vasquez is a Real Estate Agent at Exp Realty and a member of the St. Louis Colombian Society, Hispanic Leader Group, Venezuelan Association, and St. Louis Realtor Association. She is originally from Bogota, Colombia and has lived in and served the community of St. Louis for the past eight years. A self-described people person, Ximena loves connecting with others and aims to share her knowledge while continuing to learn about leadership, coaching, and community service. Outside of her work, Ximena enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time outdoors with her large family.

Nalini S. Mahadevan is the Principal Attorney with MLO Law LLC and has been in practice since 2003, specializing in Immigration, Estate Planning, and Special Needs. Her clientele includes both corporate employers and individuals. Her law practice is City of St. Louis Local Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certified, WOSB (Women Owned Small Business), and was recently certified with Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

MLO LAW LLC is head-quartered in St. Louis with two additional offices in Chicago and Atlanta. Nalini’s career started off as a corporate lawyer in India before relocating to the United States. She holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting, a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Mumbai, India, an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, and a JD from Saint Louis University School of Law. She taught Law Practice Management and Immigration Law as an Adjunct Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law.

She is a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL), the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HCC), and South Asian Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (SABA). Nalini is on the President’s Advisory Council at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy, St. Louis; Board of Directors for Missouri Foundation for Health; Division Chair of the Specialty Bar for the Missouri Bar, and the Board of Directors of FOCUS St. Louis.

She is 2014 graduate of Leadership St. Louis and a 2021 graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders Program. She also serves as an outside General Counsel for Phinix Group of Companies. She was recognized and awarded the 2020 STL Business Journal Most Influential Business Women Award and the Champions for Diversity and Inclusion Awards 2022 by STL Business Journal. Nalini also served as a mentor in the STL Business Journal Mentoring Monday program for 2022 and 2023. Her law firm, MLO Law LLC was awarded the AGC 1st Honoree by AGCMO in 2020 and 2023 for participating and supporting the construction industry community.

Nalini is extensively engaged in community development and volunteers her time as an advisor to several local non-profits from the Indian community in St. Louis. She recently co-founded a group to empower immigrant women here in St. Louis, called Immigrant Professional Women’s Network in STL. One of Nalini’s earlier legacies is being one of the founding members of the South Asian Bar Association of Metropolitan St Louis (SABA). Nalini is also a mentor with SCORE (a non-profit organization dedicated to helping small business get off the ground). As a migrant, woman, and a businesswoman, she understands the challenges that entrepreneurs have when starting a business. She is honored and thrilled to be able to help others realize their passion and dreams!

She is a well-respected attorney with a great sense of humor making her a frequent speaker for the Missouri Bar, the Missouri Bar Association of St. Louis (BAMSL), World Trade Center, St. Louis, Chamber of Commerce organizations, non-profit groups, and women business owner groups. Nalini is no stranger to the world of social media - she blogs, tweets, and has informational videos on YouTube talking on useful topics related to the areas of her law practice.

Orly Peters is the founder of the platform “Habuyta” - A Bite of Home. Orly relocated in 2015 from Israel to STL with her  husband and 3 kids. She is a lawyer by training; however, she couldn’t practice law in the US, so when they moved, she focused her efforts on cooking Israeli style homemade food. She recognized that eating familiar comfort foods helped her family feel at home, safe as newcomers and adjust faster. However, they faced challenges due to limited access to the ingredients and food that Orly typically cook with. And the food in restaurants was "not the same '' as the authentic Mediterranean food they were used to eat in their homeland. So recently, Orly founded Habuyta, which is a  food social network that forms a community and connect individuals who are interested in sharing their culinary experiences and keep them updated about food. 


Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Moji Sidiqi left her home country at the age of four to Moscow, Russia. In 2000 at the age of 9, through UNHCR’s third-country refugee resettlement program, Sidiqi made their way to the U.S. By that age, she was literate in Arabic, and spoke Farsi, Pasto, Hindi, Russian and English.

Sidiqi received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology & Communications from the University of Missouri St. Louis. Since graduating, Moji has never stopped learning. From multiple certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, an extended tech career with companies like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Apple, and most recently receiving her Real Estate license in the State of Missouri, she applies herself to not only her job and her duties, but also looks for ways to create and bridge communities.

Her passion for people led her to serve as former Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR. In her newly appointed role at the International Institute of St. Louis, Sidiqi serves as the Afghan Community Development Program Manager, overseeing and managing developing opportunities for the Afghan community in the greater St. Louis area. Sidiqi is a loyal activist for local and national human rights groups, participating and leading countless marches and rallies. She’s passionate about women’s empowerment and advocates against the oppression of women around the world. 

In her spare time, Sidiqi can often be found in a gym offering personal training, behind the camera lenses as a photographer, or pursuing her passion for fashion. Having designed and curated her own clothing line called Dawah. Her passions intersect when she organizes fashion show fundraisers for other local nonprofits. With her immaculate sense of style, she embodies the mantra “you must dress the part to play the role.”