Vivian M. Leal is a writer, editor, and healthcare activist dedicated to championing humanitarian principles, civil rights, and social justice in public policy and law. Raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as the daughter and wife of Cuban immigrants, Leal brings a distinct personal perspective to her investigative journalism, opinion columns, and literary advocacy. 

Having lived with Multiple Sclerosis for nearly three decades, Leal's firsthand experience with chronic illness fuels much of her advocacy work surrounding healthcare access, patient protection, and equity. The former Programming Director for the iconic independent bookseller Kepler’s Books in California, and the 2008 Pannell Award for excellence in booksellers who stimulate, promote and encourage children’s and young people’s interest in books. In 2014, after decades of vacationing and spending long sojourns there, she relocated with her family to the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe.  She continues to actively contribute to the civic dialogue and legislative progress in both Nevada and California from a humanist perspective.

As a prominent voice and contributor for publication platforms like The Nevada Independent, Reno Gazette Journal, Sierra Sun, Nevada Current, Tu Red Enlace. Demcast, her journalism spans critical social and political issues across the region.