Rising Stars: Meet Natalie Leon of Miami

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Leon.

Hi Natalie , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Natalie Leon is a mother, award-winning, community-driven communications professional, and founder of Acts of Grace Project, Inc. Her life of purpose is fueled by a journey of endurance and rooted in the belief that compassion and connection can transform individuals and communities.

Natalie’s early life was marked by profound adversity. At the age of 14, she lost her mother at the hands of her father and grew up without a healthy family system. Those experiences shaped her early, instilling in her a deep commitment to healing, storytelling, and creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported. What could have broken her instead became the foundation for a life devoted to service and meaning.

She began her professional career at a local Miami PR agency and later served with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce before launching her own boutique public relations and events firm, NAT-PR, Inc., during the 2009 economic crisis. Through NAT-PR, Natalie focused on uplifting small businesses and entrepreneurs, and her signature event, Get Connected, brought together more than 500 South Florida professionals. In 2011, she was named Publicist/PR Executive of the Year by BizBash.

As her work evolved, Natalie created Wine With Nat and Women Who Wine, community-driven spaces that fostered connection through conversation and storytelling. These initiatives earned recognition from local media and honors including Miami Women Who Rock 2016 and Best Local Blogger 2016 by South Florida Bloggers.

In 2019, Natalie served as a program director supporting seniors during the pandemic—a season that further deepened her commitment to community care. In 2021, she became a mother amid that same global crisis, welcoming her daughter, Grace, without the support systems so many mothers and families lack. Motherhood became a profound moment of personal healing and awakening, opening her eyes to the realities of motherhood in America and the absence of systems rooted in care, connection, and compassion.

That season of endurance inspired the creation of Acts of Grace Project, Inc., a nonprofit currently in the startup phase, dedicated to cultivating compassion, connection, and meaningful impact. Founded from lived experience, the organization reflects Natalie’s belief in truth, compassion, and grace.

Today, Natalie leads communications and marketing for Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development, collaborating with the Office of the Mayor and community stakeholders to strengthen programs that directly impact residents’ lives. Through this role, she advocates for more meaningful support for mothers, both in the workplace and beyond. She holds an Associate’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Miami, with majors in Public Relations and Psychology and a minor in Marketing.

Every chapter of Natalie’s journey—personal and professional—has led her to where she is today: using storytelling, leadership, and service to help build more compassionate, connected communities rooted in grace.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not been a smooth road. My journey has been marked by deep pain, healing, and transformation. There have been significant growing pains—both in my personal relationships and throughout my professional life—that required me to confront hard truths and continually evolve.

In more recent years, I’ve experienced a profound awakening, paired with disappointment in the state of the world and humanity. I believe many people are carrying unhealed pain, and that pain often shows up in how we live, love, and lead. I’ve witnessed this in the workplace, within our communities, and beyond—where disconnection and a lack of compassion continue to shape systems and behaviors.

These experiences have reinforced a core truth for me: if we do not take responsibility for healing our pain and transforming it into purpose, we will continue to repeat the same unhealthy cycles in our lives, homes, workplaces, and throughout history. Choosing a different path requires intention. It requires truth, compassion, and grace—and above all, love. That choice has not always been easy, but it has been essential to my growth and the work I am committed to moving forward.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Natalie began her career at a local Miami PR agency and later served with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce before launching NAT-PR, INC. during the 2009 economic crisis. Her boutique public relations and events firm uplifted small businesses, and her signature event Get Connected brought together over 500 South Florida professionals. In 2011, she was named Publicist/PR Executive of the Year by BizBash.

She later created Wine With Nat and Women Who Wine, earning recognition from local media and honors including Miami Women Who Rock 2016 and Best Local Blogger 2016 by South Florida Bloggers. In 2019, Natalie served as a program director supporting seniors during the pandemic. This season, along with becoming a mother, deepened her commitment to serving her community and guided her into public service.

Today, she leads communications and marketing for Miami-Dade County Housing and Community Development, collaborating with the Office of the Mayor and community stakeholders to strengthen programs that impact residents. She holds an Associate’s degree from the University of Central Florida and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Miami, with majors in Public Relations and Psychology, and a minor in Marketing.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that truth, compassion, and grace are inseparable. We must be willing to ask—and face—the hard truths. When truth is ignored, it shows up in our systems, leadership, and culture. When truth is acknowledged, healed, and transformed, it becomes meaningful change. That understanding now guides how I serve, communicate, and build spaces rooted in truth, compassion, and grace.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.actsofgraceproject.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnatalieleon
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamnatalieleon
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamnatalieleon/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ActsofGraceProject