Latino Leaders Magazine | Feb/March 2014

Rooting for local foods Nikhil Arora & Alejandro Velez

“StarCrossed” Starling Brina Palencia

Exclusive interview

Corporate giant shares big heart

J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez

February / March 2014 Vol. 15 No. 1

www.latinoleaders.com

DIEGO LUNA

On the making of “Cesar Chavez”

Translating hard work into smart choices “We had very strong family values,” Nick A. Llerena said about his family, which included a Colombian mother and a Peruvian father. “Latinos develop good relationships with people. We have similar experiences. We speak the same language.”

By Amanda

Casanova Photos provided by Northwestern Mutual

H

is mom was always into education and a strong work ethic.

“She was always working, and I grew up seeing that,” he said.

To help develop those values, Llerena’s mother would send him to visit family in Colombia during the summers.

“I was very lucky she sent me back to Colombia,” he said.

“Most kids went to camp. I would go for two months and spend time with my family. I got to experience the culture and really appreciate what I learned, and how I can bring that into my life back home in America.

“There are lots of hard-working people in Colombia. The opportunities are just not there. Every day, I realize that; every day, I live that.”

Llerena, now a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual, has 12 years of experience in financial planning. He specializes in planning for retirement, business, education and general finances.

“My favorite part of the job is when a client comes in and genuinely wants to accept advice,” Llerena said. “We can walk them through that entire process. We help them build a vision and execute it. That’s the most rewarding, the most exciting part for us.

“We work hard for our clients,” he added.

After the summers in Colombia, Llerena went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in financial economics and a Bachelor of Science in computer science from the State University of New York in Binghamton. In 2002, after college, he landed a job with Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative.

“His mom was always a hard-working person,” said Nicolas Schapira, Llerena’s childhood friend and Northwestern Mutual associate financial advisor. “It’s one of the reasons he went into this business. He had people working hard and pushing him to succeed even harder.”

And that’s exactly what Llerena wanted to come across in his firm’s purpose statement. It says the company’s purpose is “to perpetuate the success of our clients and their future generations. Through prudent execution, we diligently create and maintain a financial pathway that is born from our clients’ vision.”

“We can take people’s hard work and have that translate into something smart,” Llerena said. “We can help them choose how to make that money work for them.

You have two extremes. The first are those that are spenders and the second are those are savers, so we teach clients to become investors in their business and their futures, in everything.”

His dedication to his clients has earned him recognition. Llerena has won the Life Insurance and Annuities award from the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for eight years.

“A lot of people have preconceived ideas as to what smart financing is,” Schapira said. “A lot of it is savings, but our job is to help people provide wealth to their families and businesses while educating them to be financially smarter. It’s not just having more money, but an opportunity to leave a legacy for your family members.

“That’s why we’re here, and that’s what we want to do,” he added.

In his personal life, Llerena said he will respect and continue to uphold the Latino values of culture and family. For example, he said his wife, Andrea, who he married in September 2013, has taken Spanish classes, regularly practicing at home. If they have children, he also said he would like them to learn the language as well.

And he said he will never forget the value of hard work.

“Hard work is instilled in me, and I can’t sit still,” he said. “I always have to do something. I work with a lot of tenacity even to the point of getting the grocery list done, and that’s just who I am.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, Wis., and its subsidiaries. Nick A. Llerena is an Insurance Agent of NM. Registered Representative and Investment Advisor Representative of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, member FINRA and SIPC. About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern mutual has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.4 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time.

Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, investment products and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services LLC, brokerdealer, registered investment advisor, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company and Russell Investments.

“There are lots of hardworking people in Colombia. The opportunities are just not there. Every day, I realize that; every day, I live that.”

CONTENTS february/march 2014

28

COVER STORY: Cesar Chavez: Diego Luna has finally found his calling in directing the highly acclaimed film, “Cesar Chavez,” premiering this year at the Berlin International Film Festival.

From a teen actor to producer and director, Luna has discovered a lot about himself along the way during his career. Now, in 2014, he is bring the life of activist Cesar Chavez to the silver screen to speak to the masses.

2 • February / March 2014

26

CONTENTS February/March 2014

16 Haden Land:

Haden Land, chief technology officer and vice president of engineering at Lockheed Martin Corporation is an “hombre orquestra,” a one-man orchestra. One minute, he’s spearheading the tech efforts in his office, and the next, he’s speaking to an audience at conventions and expos. His diverse back ground with parents who encouraged his creative interests help Land to man the many projects of increasing the STEM fields in the nation.

36

18 Brina Palencia:

As a voice and screen actor, Brina Palencia gets to play many different characters, some whose life experiences and personalities don’t hit too far away from home.

As a child, she grew up splitting time between her Honduran and American roots and often feeling like an outcast.

Nowadays, she has a brand new show on the CW Network’s “Star-Crossed,” playing a character who parallels her life seamlessly.

22 Back to the Roots: When Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez were students at the University of California, Berkeley, it was only fate that brought them together. The two started Back to the Roots, a startup company that allows consumers to produce their own food to help prevent the amount of food that is wasted every year in the United States. Now, with more than 20 employees and vast business ventures on the table, the journey for these two millennials has just begun.

36 J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez: J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, the senior vice president, Global CSR, Sustainability and Philanthropy for McDonald’s is one of those people who can say he works every day at his dream job. It was only 30 years ago that he was the corporation’s first Mexican employee, working out of his bedroom. Nowadays, while he makes his living doing his corporate role, he thrives on the charity work that he so passionately loves.

4 • February / March 2014

Events Coverage 42 48 52 56 60

Club Leaders of the Future: New York Club Leaders of the Future: Chicago Club Leaders of the Future: Phoenix Financial Excellence Awards Dinner: Miami Maestro: Chicago

In Every Issue 06 08 10 12 64

Publisher’s Letter In conversation with the publisher Lexus Luminaries Southwest Landing What is Jorge Ferraez Drinking?

When you’re ready to take your business to the next level.

You are ready for American Public University.

American Public University is ready to help your team succeed. Your employees can manage their personal and professional lives while pursuing a respected degree online — at a cost that’s 20% less than the average published in-state rates at public universities.* Visit StudyatAPU.com/leaders

BEST ONLINE PROGRAMS BACHELOR’S

2014

*College Board: Trends in College Pricing, 2013 We want you to make an informed decision about the university that’s right for you. For more about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed each program, and other important information, visit www.apus.edu/disclosure.

Publisher’s Letter

Connecting Leaders, Inspiring the Future

Publisher Jorge Ferraez

President and CEO Raul Ferraez

Editor-in-Chief: Sara Pintilie sara.pintilie@latinoleaders.com

T

Managing Editor Esther Perez eperez@latinoleaders.com

The political scene is as crazy as we can expect in a divided and polarized political environment. Shame on those politicians who are putting their political interests over the interest of the citizens and their voters.

On the corporate side, we are frustrated that no major advancements on diversity at the board or executive level have been made. It seems that not even the great Hispanic organizations out there are “moving the needle.”

Immigration and other key issues are stuck where they have been for years, and if you turn to states like Arizona, it looks as though time is going backwards.

At Latino Leaders Magazine, we wonder why that is. Is it that Latino leadership is proven to be weaker than we expected? Is it that we’re unable to identify big common causes to work together? Is it that we need a renewed leadership in some organizations?

Whatever it is, we decided that we wanted to take a look back to some of our proudest moments as a culture: the Cesar Chavez story, and we decided to talk with the producers and directors of a movie that will soon be released about Chavez’s life and story, probably the only big hero of the Latino community.

This movie can inspire and start other leadership to produce more individuals like Cesar Chavez in the future.

We hope you enjoy the stories in this edition and help us in our continuous search for ways of advancing the Latino community.

Director of Journalism: Mariana Gutierrez mariana@latinoleaders.com National Director of Events: Yol-Itzma Aguirre yaguirre@latinoleaders.com National Sales Director: Joshua Baca jbaca@latinoleaders.com Administrative Director: Cathy Marie Lopez clopez@latinoleaders.com Editorial and Events Support Coordinator: Emilia Gaston egaston@latinoleaders.com Art Director: Fernando Izquierdo ferdiseno@latinoleaders.com Editorial Art & Design: Rodrigo Valderrama Carlos Cuevas Luis Enrique González Human Resources Manager: Susana Sanchez Administration and Bookkeeping: Claudia García Bejarano Executive Assistant to the Publishers: Liliana Morales Circulation System Manager: Andrea Luna For advertising inquiries, please call 214-206-4966

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino (ISSN 15293998) is published seven times annually by Ferraez Publications of America Corp., 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA, February / March 2014.

Subscription rates: In U.S. and possessions, one year $15.00. Checks payable to Ferraez Publications of America, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Latino Leaders, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA.© 2001 by Ferraez Publications of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino. The periodical’s name and logo, and the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of Ferraez Publications of America Corp.

Member of The National Association of Hispanic Publications

Audited by Member of

Publisher Jorge Ferraez jferraez@latinoleaders.com 6 • February / March 2014

President & CEO Raul Ferraez rferraez@latinoleaders.com

Reg. # 283/01

MEMBER OF SRDS Latino Leaders The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA Phone: (214) 206-4966 / Fax: (214) 206-4970

a conversation with the publisher

Moctesuma Esparza, founder and CEO of Maya Cinemas

i

I have had the privilege of knowing Moctesuma Esparza for many years. I have personally witnessed some of his great accomplishments and projects like some of his great movies.

I will never forget the interview he granted Latino Leaders about his movie production company in his offices in Los Angeles more than 10 years ago.

I also witnessed when the project of Maya Cinemas started taking off, and I want to say that I’m proud that it was per our invitation that he applied for the “EY Entrepreneur of the Year™,” and he made it to the finals last year.

In a recent conversation with him, he told me that they’re planning to invest $30 million in a new Maya Cinemas complex in Fresno, Calif., and have a further vision of investing a potential total of $64 million in cinema complexes in Bakersfield, Salinas and other locations in California.

“My goal is to duplicate our size in two years and then duplicate again then maybe start buying other theater companies.”

I know that part of Moctesuma’s personality is his will and persistence on what he has in mind, I have no doubt on it. But what have been your biggest obstacles?

“Getting loans for construction is harder, but nevertheless, I already went that way four times. I want equity but not to the point of loosing the control of the company,” he said when I asked about his plans. “On the side of the movies, we’re going to bring new ones.

We have limited distributors to work with now, but we’re sure we’re going to expand that. We believe the market can take more than four new movies per month.”

His vision, which is very clever, is to promote the production of more movies, indies as well as the big players involved, and with that help to recreate a healthy and popular cinema industry: “like it was some time ago.”

“I decided we were going to submit our nomination for the 2013 EY Entrepreneur of the Year™, and I have had a great experience.

It benefited us especially with our relationships with our investors and has been very impressive to our banks as well, but what I really enjoyed was that it helped us to know other entrepreneurs and realize that we’re like a community and we can help each other. I must recognize the value of the support from Ernst & Young to these companies, without the goal of making us their clients.”

At the end of our brief chat, Moctesuma impressed me again with some of his new projects with his movie production company: “We’re working on a movie for the summer, ‘Taco Shop,’ a comedy about two taco shop owners, and of course, our other great project is ‘Aztec,’ based on the famous novel by Gary Jennings. I’m currently looking for the director and I think that’s going to be a multimillion-dollar production.”

Moctesuma will be devoting his entire passion, “ganas,” dedication, and hard work to all his projects and I think he will have more surprises for us in the near future.

“You know, Jorge, the good thing is that we entrepreneurs know what we want, and if we fall, we will always get back up and keep going,” he said at the finale of the conversation, giving me a great lesson of leadership and entrepreneurship.

8 • February / March 2014

LANDING

Catarina Velasquez community relations liaison at BiblioTech

STORY BY: Emilia Gaston Photo provided by: Catarina Velasquez

W

hether she was attending voting rallies, assisting with voter registration or handling community affairs with her family, Catarina Velasquez knew the meaning of being a servant at an early age.

“I was completely shocked as a child when I heard my friends say that they had never volunteered at anything and that they had never worked at something without getting paid for it,” Velasquez said.

Growing up as the daughter of voting rights activist William C. Velasquez, volunteering on the weekends was standard at her household.

“Whenever there was a need, we were there to help, no matter what it was.”

As the community relations liaison for the new BiblioTech in San Antonio, Texas, Velasquez is now in charge of an operation that is not only innovative, but selfless. With BiblioTech being the nation’s first all-digital library, the essence of the times is evident, but with Velasquez’s direction, the concept is still organic and relevant.

After more than 10 years in community service positions, Velasquez has gathered skills that allow her to project her servant attitude onto her team at BiblioTech. Since the library opened in September 2013, it has been called “the future” of the nation’s library system and many of Velasquez’s duties have been dealing with logistics and organization. Her position required her to set up the $2.3 million digital system and manage how all aspects of the library would work together. She also led the efforts of getting the word out about BiblioTech to community organizations and schools in the area.

The newfound responsibilities were endless, but her team was there to back her up.

After sorting through more than 600 applications, Velasquez narrowed down her team to 30 employees, all of whom had servicebased backgrounds. “I’m really proud of our staff right now. Every single one of them is service oriented. There is never a time where we’re going to say, ‘No we cannot do that.’ We’ll say, ‘We might not be able to do that right now, but we’ll figure out a way to do it.’”

Although the overall concept is brand new, Velasquez’s team is able to work easily toward one common goal.

“It’s really about providing access to a community that didn’t previously have it,” Velasquez said. With a plethora of computers and tablets onsite, library card holders can not only use the facility for research but they also can check out devices to take home. The BiblioTech has all the pros of a traditional library with the accessibility of the fast-paced environment in which the world operates in 2014: free Internet access, thousands of public records and research articles, and classic titles, all available with the click of a mouse or touch of the finger.

But the service doesn’t stop there. Being a leader takes passion and commitment.

“I think I have a lot of passion for what I do. And I think it certainly comes out when you have passion and commitment to the mission of whatever you’re doing. It’s easy to get other people excited about it.”

Velasquez wants her team to be the best they can be to provide the best possible service to the community. Fortunately, Velasquez has spent her whole life living and working in this particular community. “I’ve always had a special place in my heart for San Antonio. Now that I have kids and a family, my desire to make it a great city is even more so.”

For the upcoming year, Velasquez’s countless community service projects and nonprofit commitments are taking on new exciting initiatives. With SAReads, she directs efforts to keep the children of

The Importance of Being Included BY: Ellen Torbert

Vice President Diversity and Inclusion

I

deas. Experiences. Backgrounds. Uniqueness. If I were going to write a recipe for diversity and inclusion, these are some ingredients that come to mind.

When you bake them all together, you create a culinary masterpiece in which feel empowered and confident to be who they are wherever they go.

Speaking of recipes, there was a time in my life when it didn’t matter what kind of ingredients I used— no one was partaking. Early in my career, I worked

in an office where, each time it was a coworker’s birthday, someone on the team would bake a cake to celebrate. Everyone would gather in the breakroom to visit and enjoy the sweet treat. When it was my leader’s birthday, I was excited to have my turn to bake a cake and share it with everyone at work. But, this time, it was different. No one was in the break room enjoying my cake. My cake was untouched. I began to think that maybe my co-workers just weren’t hungry, or maybe they were watching their waistlines and didn’t want to eat cake that day. As the day came to

GETTING TO KNOW Catarin a Velas quez Favorite n ovelist or writer?

Gabriel Gar cia Marquez If you cou ld have an y other jo would be: b it Stay-at-hom e mom You never leave hom e without: Hand sanit izer I like to sp end my fr ee afterno Walking on ons: the San An ton my boys an d my husban io River with d My worst habit: Mu ltitasking The last m ovie I saw : "Whistle Blower" on Netflix My favori te thing to eat: Today Indian food , it is One thing on my buck et list: Ru marathon na My favori te thing to wear is: Gray Chuck Taylors

San Antonio reading and learning throughout the summer months and holidays, when many children have a higher risk of falling behind. Furthermore, Velasquez says the success of BiblioTech has allowed it to be a resource for many of the area’s organizations, including the University of San Antonio’s Academy for Teacher Excellence to increase literacy in the city.

As for 2014, Velasquez stresses the importance of collaboration. With a personal goal of working collectively with multiple organizations to get the word out about the library, she notes that “it’s important to bring people up with us. If we all succeed together, we succeed individually.”

a close, there sat my cake—in the same condition as when I pulled it out of the oven that morning. As I wrapped up the cake I had so lovingly made to celebrate my leader’s birthday with my co-workers, I realized what happened, and it changed me. The possibility that not one of my co-workers had a piece of my cake that day because I looked different set me on a path that has led me to where I am today, where I have the privilege of leading diversity and inclusion for Southwest Airlines.

That day, I became inspired to be part of the solution where people from all different walks of life can work in an environment where they feel like they can bring their whole selves to the table. Having a strong spirit of

diversity and inclusion can impact the performance of a company, foster innovation, and bring a community together. At Southwest Airlines, diversity is the fabric within our Culture—it’s the secret ingredient that helps us celebrate and relate to one another and our Customers in a culturally relevant way. At Southwest Airlines, we champion the diversity of thought that leads to innovation and competitive advantage. We encourage dialogue and foster programs that lead to collaboration and opportunities that help us tap into unique strengths and talents of all of our people. To successfully do this, we developed resources to continually learn and grow our knowledge.

Internally, our Diversity Advisory Council is a

strategic asset dedicated to advising our leaders and helping create an environment that champions inclusion and respect. Externally, Southwest convenes the award-winning Diversity Summit annually with Fortune 500 companies to join the conversation about diversity and inclusion initiatives, foster new opportunities, and explore best practices.

Being inclusive and respectful is part of who we are at Southwest Airlines, but the recipe for success is never completed – it is continually being improved upon and nurtured.

I encourage you to continue to find ways to foster the importance of being included and celebrate the differences that make us strong and bring out the best in us all.

Here Felipe Tewes, Head of Latin America VOD for Under the Milky Way and 2013 Club Leaders of the Future member, shares his next steps:

The Next Step: A Journey forward

By featuring the inspiring stories of progress and achievement of our Club Leaders of the Future members we hope to set a new benchmark for personal progress. The breadth and depth of their accomplishments across all industries serves not only as a beacon for those who aspire for greatness, but also remind us of the limitless possibilities of this new generation of trailblazers. Each step has brought them to where they are today; with each accomplishment they define themselves and materialize their potential.

We are proud to walk along side these leaders.

How do you continue to move forward in such a competitive industry?

I have found it helpful to narrow my focus on what I am specifically passionate about – in my case, developing the distribution of Latin American film through new routes. What is it you want to do, as opposed to the job that everyone else wants? If those don’t completely overlap, you’re in luck.

What advice would you give other Latinos to help them take the next step?

Try not to focus on the immediate next step upon entering a new role. Every experience is of great value and has much to teach – give it the time to do so.

What are your goals for the year?

To get as many films as possible up for digital consumption, and to better understand the tastes and habits of the growing audience in Latin America for buying films online.

Who or what inspires you to Keep Walking?

My family who prioritized our education and career in moving to the United States. I feel a responsibility to take advantage of the opportunities that presented me with, and to hopefully somehow give back to Latin America.

How will you achieve them?

First and foremost by helping producers in Latin America better understand how the digital distribution model can work. This requires work on the ground at festivals and markets, spreading the digital gospel.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

To treat everyone, no matter their role, with respect.

It is a small industry, and everyone’s careers fluctuate. The unsolicited caller as an assistant could be an Oscar-winning screenwriter two years later – I know, because it happened to me!

What’s your next step?

I will follow my own advice – see above!

Whenever you feel “stuck,” how do you get out of that rut and take the next step?

Keep up projects outside of the day job, especially if your current role allows the time to do so. Until another door opens, there is much that you can do along the way to prepare.

How do you enjoy Johnnie Walker?

Neat and in good company.

What excites you most about the future?

The way massive disruption will present new opportunities for smaller players.

Bio: As head of Latin America VOD for Under the Milky Way, an international aggregator of film content for global VOD platforms, Felipe forms partnerships with Latin American rightsholders to enable them to release and exploit their films on the growing VOD platforms in Latin America and beyond, including iTunes, Google Play and Vudu. Felipe serves as the rights-holder’s ally in ensuring successful distribution on the platforms on an editorial, marketing and operational level. Previously, he served as Manager of Film Programming & Acquisitions at HBO, scouting for Latin American films and American content for the network’ various channels. Felipe collaborated with the CEO of Focus Features during the release of wide-ranging films such as Milk and Coraline, and as assistant to the producer and screenwriter of Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock.

He has also produced a documentary film, La aguja (The Needle), which premiered at the DOC NYC film festival. Felipe began his career in the William Morris Agency agenttraining program and he holds a BA from Harvard University.

Haden Land:

Tech’s proverbial everyman The man who does it all reveals tech’s new right-brained, inclusive direction Here’s a phrase for your next job interview: “hombre orquestra.”

Translated literally to “one-man orchestra,” the word is a title given to the one who can do everything, the omnivorous learner, the task annihilator. This is who you would call the “hombre orquestra.”

Story by Jesus

Lopez-Gomez

Photos by Kris

Connor

Though the staff at Lockheed Martin Corporation just call this person Haden Land, chief technology officer and vice president of engineering.

If you ever get a chance to ask him what goes into that title, be ready to be writing for a while.

A half page of single-spaced, 12-point font notes touches briefly on just a few Land’s major projects: drive Lockheed Martin Corporation’s tech-centered initiatives like cloud computing and big-data research and use the work to build better solutions to fortify the company’s expanding commercial presence.

While he’s looking over sophisticated information technology products, he might be figuring out when he will coordinate meetings between cybersecurity teams in the United Kingdom and Australia as well as domestically, groups working to enhance the company’s status as a lead U.S. security contractor.

Those are all happening when Land isn’t delivering a keynote address at tech education conferences or attending meetings with the three post-secondary schools he helps lead as a board member.

Yet, qualifications not withstanding, it may have been a bit of a non sequitur to see him installed as a leader at Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC). While the “hombre orquestra” is a natural fit to help lead HITEC’s mission of enhancing the talent pool of tech industry candidates, the name Haden Land seems like less of an obvious pick given the strong Hispanic presence on the board.

However, Land stands at the intersection of two family bloodlines, the Land lineage, which hails from the Virginia mountains, and the Villa tree, originally of Catalina, Spain, with ancestry serving under King Ferdinand in the early 1800s.

Land’s predecessors continued to find themselves at pivotal points in history.

His father worked calculating trajectories for the Apollo missions.

“Growing up, it was hard not to get excited for my dad, who was this mad rocket scientist,” Land said, explaining his early interest in science.

16 • February / March 2014

Yet, Land asserts he was a “cool nerd … a weight lifter who liked sports, math and numbers.”

Land says his mother also played a key role in his becoming a versatile leader by encouraging him to remain true to his creative interests.

That M.O. has come to define much of his mission as a leader in the technology industry and a key voice in tech education. As a keynote speaker for “Project Lead the Way,” Land issued two demands: that educators deliver 40 million more science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, graduates and also that the initiative expanded to include art.

“That’s the value of our nation,” Land said. “In China, you have 70 percent of the workforce that’s STEM, and they’re very analytical but very uncreative.

“If you can combine that ability to think convergently and divergently, you have the way of the future.”

The last part of Land’s vision of the future is maximum Hispanic inclusion in both the classroom and the workplace, a position that’s based less on romantic ideas of diversity than it is on raw facts.

“We need to make sure there are icons and individuals Hispanics can relate to,” Hand said, adding he’s actively coaching senior leadership within Lockheed Martin Corporation to appreciate the nuances particular to the culture.

And with Hispanic college enrollment outpacing the number of white high school graduates in 2012 according to the Pew Research Center, Land said the subsequent steps are obvious. More educated people are needed to build the tech industries of the future, and Hispanics are becoming an increasing share of the educated class.

“Many companies know if we’re going to move this STEM needle, we need to do it with large proportions of the population,” he said.

“If these numbers are going to move, we need to engage the Hispanic population.”

What is HITEC?

HITEC is a premier global executive leadership organization of senior business and IT executives who have built outstanding careers in information technology.

HITEC’s premiere network spans throughout the Americas and is focused on building stronger technology and executive leaders, leadership teams, corporations and role models in a rapidly changing, flatter and information technology-centric world.

These global leaders include executives leading Global 1000 corporations like CIO’s from AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Facebook, DHL Express, Johnson & Johnson, Cisco Systems Inc., Lockheed Martin and Comcast, while others lead some of the largest Hispanic-owned IT firms across the Americas.

What does HITEC do?

HITEC focus on its “Push up, Pull Up” strategy of raising the profile nationally and internationally of its top members by highlighting them in social media, magazines and newspapers while having them speak on platforms such as Gartner’s Symposium/ITxpo, numerous member conferences from Cisco Live, HP Discover, Oracle OpenWorld and numerous other events. In a parallel path, HITEC raises the experience level of its entry members at the director level to engage with its senior leaders in a networking format in the quarterly summits or in its mentorship program, the Emerging Executive Program, or EEP. HITEC also has a program that allows our members to to be sought by its elite member companies at the gold level and above for recruitment purpose.

HITEC also has two galas annually with the HITEC 100, hosted in Silicon Valley, which recognizes the 100 most influential Hispanic IT leaders in the United States, and the HITEC 50 hosted in Miami, which recognizes the 50 most influential IT leaders in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.

For more information on sponsorship or questions on how to get involved, please email Paula Gean, national director of development, at paula@hitecglobal.org.

A cross-cultural star

P

In the CW Television Network show, “StarCrossed,” Brina Palencia plays one of a handful of alien teenagers who crash landed on earth and are caught between alien and human culture.

Story by Amanda

Palencia, whose father is Honduran, has been caught in between cultures before — albeit earthly ones — making the role a perfect fit. As a child, the 30-year-old balanced her time between summers in Honduras with her father and life in the United States with her mother.

She attended school in Oklahoma but also spent the fifth grade in a Honduran school.

In “Star-Crossed,” which premiered in February, Palencia plays Sophia, the alien sister to Roman, who has in “Romeo and Juliet”like form fallen in love with a human. “(My character) deals with being an outcast,” Palencia said.

“Her hope was to find more friends in the human world. The difference between her and the other aliens is that she is positive and loves human culture, whereas others like her don’t want to integrate.”

18 • February / March 2014

Casanova

Photos by Beth

Coller

The show tells the story of the Atrians, aliens who crash their ship in Louisiana and are sent to an internment camp. Ten years later, Atrian teenagers, who look just like humans, are forced to integrate into a local high school.

It was a role Palencia understood.

“When I was younger, I thought I was always different,” Palencia said. “Now that I’m older, I just see that it means I’m awesome and unique, and it’s good to be unique.

“It helps with my acting,” she added. “I have a lot more to draw from.”

Palencia’s most notable work stems from her voice-over skills in Japanese anime and video games. She’s voiced characters from children to boys and creatures and monsters for Funimation Entertainment/OkraTron 5000, a television and film production company based in Flower Mound, Texas.

“I’ve always liked anime,” she said. “My favorite American animated series is ‘Batman: The Animated Series’ because it’s really dark, and adult things happen in it. And in anime, that’s just the standard. They say things that are really profound and deal with dark things.

“I love animation because you get to experience really cool artwork, and you get a meaty story,” she added.

The University of North Texas music major has also had her hands in music directing by adapting anime songs from Japanese into English. She has also directed shows.

“I did theater in high school and college,” Palencia said. “I never really had plans in general as far as what I was going to do with my life. I knew I wanted to do something to do with music or acting because those were my two passions.

Palencia’s character from the series, “The Troubadoors,” Kayla Bates, has earned a fan following online. Bates is an anime lover and fan of Japanese culture, sporting pigtails, round glasses and a lisp.

In a spin off the Web series, Palencia has released videos featuring Bates’ hilarious and sometimes awkward songs and banter. Find her on YouTube and iTunes as Kagura4221973. Episodes of “The Troubadoors” can be found at www.thetroubadoors.com.

“I didn’t want to do just anime,” she said. “I love anime and voicing, but I wanted to expand my horizons, so I quit directing and went to full-time acting.”

The Oklahoma native snagged a few small roles in independent films and most recently earned screen time on AMC’s hit show “The Walking Dead.”

“That was a dream come true,” she said. “I love that show. It was amazing.”

She said her work on the small screen has allowed her to develop the characters she plays unlike movies, which are limited by time.

“You get to explore the character a lot longer,” she said. “On TV, there is a whole new experience for the character each episode, so you get to flesh out this whole other being in a different way than movies.”

Palencia said she keeps a busy schedule, but she doesn’t plan on slowing down.

“I’d like to do more TV and maybe bigger films and just do more stuff that challenges me as an actor,” she said. “It’s important to me that I never get stuck doing just one thing. That’s what I like about anime. I get to voice crazy little kids, adults and play boys at the same time. I don’t have a favorite type of character. I get really bored really fast, so my hope is to become as varied in on camera work as I am in voice work.”

“Star-Crossed” airs Mondays on the CW Television Network at 7 p.m. central.

20 • February / March 2014

“On TV, there is a whole new experience for the character each episode, so you get to flesh out this whole other being in a different way than movies.�

22 • February / March 2014

Getting Back to the Root of Things

Laura Rivas Photos provided by Back to the Roots Story by

Although Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, students at the University of California, Berkeley, took many of the same courses and had similar career goals in finance, the two somehow had never met. After a fateful class lecture, they connected over the idea of making a career from their mutual passion for education and the environment by growing mushrooms. Five years later, Back to the Roots, the company Arora and Velez cofounded, has grown from a two-person startup to a team of almost 20 and has generated heavy buzz for its ingeniously simple and sustainable products and numerous accolades.

ikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez had already exhibited their respective commitment for education and the community off campus. Arora spent six months of his junior year in Africa, creating a profitable recycling program for the University of Ghana.

Velez founded the Sage Mentorship Project, the largest student-run organization at University of California, Berkeley, connecting its members with underserved elementary school students. As graduation approached, both had offers in the corporate world, but the pair decided to reset their future to focus on mushroom production.

“What got us so excited about it was for the first time we had this realization that we could combine this passion for business and trying to make an impact and doing good in the world,” Arora says. It was he who came up with Back to the Roots’ name, inspired by his time in Ghana. He currently oversees the company’s marketing, product development and operations.

Velez, who is responsible for the company’s sales and financial side, echoes this sentiment. “I feel like there’s this new revolution in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship. It’s how millennials are thinking and starting businesses today, doing good — not just good but good for the environment, good for the team, good for the community.”

Initially, the new partners began the two-man operation out of Velez’s fraternity house kitchen, with one picking the oyster mushroom crop while the other boxed and delivered mushrooms and gave demonstrations. They learned much of their process by watching YouTube videos and subsisted on early support from a local restaurant combined with a $5,000 chancellor’s grant from UC Berkeley. Arora and Velez readily admit that they had practically no idea how to get their mushrooms into stores to start turning a profit.

They recall, with amusement, walking into their local Whole Foods Market and chatting up an employee in produce which eventually led to a meeting with a regional buyer. “He saw the energy and passion, how naive and foolish but also hungry and energetic we were and he gave us a shot,” Velez says.

From there, they worked one store at a time, trading on that energy and credibility to gain a foothold.

It became clear when they spoke to others about the process that consumers were as fascinated by 24 • February / March 2014

L at ino Le a de r s

26 • February / March 2014

“I feel like there’s this new revolution in entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship.

It’s how millennials are thinking and starting businesses today, doing good — not just good but good for the environment, good for the team, good for the community.” the ease and speed of homegrown mushrooms as had been Velez and Arora.

This and their realization that 40 percent of U.S.-produced food goes to waste led to the concept of the Mushroom Kit, which allowed people to grow their own food.

Velez describes how, in less than a week, baby oyster mushrooms begin to grow and double in size every day. A customer created a time-lapsed video of this evolution that boasts more than 2.5 million views on YouTube. The kit’s educational value is a great source of pride for Arora and Velez.

The two are both amazed and saddened by the lack of knowledge schoolchildren have about the sources of food they eat.

Martha Stewart, one of the kits’ most notable fans, named Back to the Roots a 2013 American Made honoree for reconnecting families with their food.

The latest product from Back to the Roots is the AquaFarm which uses aquaponics (combining aquaculture and hydroponics) to create a self-cleaning fish tank that grows food. Again, Arora and Velez thought outside the box by using Kickstarter to raise close to $250,000 to get the project started.

They also partnered with Petco by including a coupon in each AquaFarm for a free fish from the retailer. For their ingenuity, Forbes recently named Back to the Roots among the 25 Most Creative Consumer and Retail Brands.

Having made a splash, the partners are keen to research and develop new concepts. However, their priority is to sustain their current products and maintain their network of partnerships, including Whole Foods Market, Home Depot, Nordstrom and Petco. More importantly, they intend to continue educating children and consumers on food sources. They are off to a good start. According to Arora, Mushroom Kit sales are close to 500,000, and the company expects AquaFarm sales to exceed 130,000 this year.

“Our goal is that every kitchen counter and classroom has a Mushroom Kit and AquaFarm, and, hopefully, they inspire families to connect with all their food again,” Arora said in a recent interview with Stewart.

“Our goal is to build a brand that lasts for generations. We want to change the way people think about food through fun, beautifully designed and educational products.”

Products of Back to the Roots Mushroom Kit An easy, DIY kit for all ages, Back to the Roots’ Mushroom Kit requires little maintenance. The kit is for those who have an interest in growing their own organic food but lack a garden or yard for planting. In less than a week, small gourmet oyster mushrooms that are perfect for cooking begin to grow. Stewart, Food & Wine magazine, and the “Today” show all have touted the product. Staying true to their belief that education is of vital importance, Back the Roots will donate a Mushroom Kit to the purchaser’s elementary school of choice with a Facebook photo post.

AquaFarm Powered by the science of aquaponics, AquaFarm is a personal ecosystem that demonstrates the symbiosis between fish and plants. Plants clean the water in which the fish live, while the fish waste fertilizes the plants, resulting in delicious organic wheatgrass and basil. The kit comes with everything needed, including fish food, planting seeds and a coupon for a free fish from Petco, and requires less than an hour of preparation time.

Products are available at backtotheroots. com and at many Whole Foods Market, Home Depot, Nordstrom and Petco stores.

28 • February / March 2014

The Long Road:

By

Judi Jordan

Exclusive cover image by

Eddie Sakaki/Pantelion Films Photos provided by

Pantelion Films

How director Diego Luna got Cesar Chavez his day in film

ich visuals in Diego Luna’s “Cesar Chavez” carry you back in time; you can smell the earth, feel the sweet breeze, the hot sun and taste the pesticide.

Hope hangs in the air as voiceless people dare to dream because Cesar told them to. That trust, now suspended in a void until a great Latino leader emerges, was one of the reasons Luna had for making “Cesar Chavez.” It was his driving force to honor a man whose achievements have grown muddled in the minds of those should be inspired the most. Luna took on a giant responsibility in the making of the film, and along the way, he found out a lot about himself as well “I didn’t know what to expect,” said Jacob Vargas, who portrays Chavez’s brother, Richard. “He (Luna) is a good actor, but he’s a great director. He found his calling; he’s very visual.”

This is a new Diego Luna. For anyone who only remembers him as the horny teen from “Y Tu Mama Tambien” — things have changed.

At 34, Luna’s grown a beard. He’s also a producer, a grounded father of two and a man with a mission.

“I chose this project (“Cesar Chavez”) for many reasons. California was a very important place for me. I have been going back and forth between Mexico and the States for almost 15 years now, and this was such an important part of California’s history,” Luna’s gentle voice harshens with indignation.

“And I was shocked no one has done a film about this man,” Luna said. “It is a David and Goliath story.”

Luna was born and raised in Mexico City and saw the importance of Cesar’s accomplishments. He made 30 • February / March 2014

it his cause to bring the most significant moments in the life of this American hero to the screen. Known mostly for his work in front of the camera, Luna’s determination and influence convinced funders to back his film, and despite his own international fame and popularity — the result of his acting in 45 films in Mexico and internationally — it took a solid four years to find the $10 million needed to make “Cesar Chavez.”

It haunted him, and fortunately, Luna refused to give up.

“I was offended that this community was neglected and disregarded in a country that celebrates every kind of success.”

Luna’s frustration with the lack of visibility of the farm worker movement on the big screen was shared by Vargas.

“Cesar was one of my heroes,” Vargas said. “But in school, we didn’t learn about the movement. We didn’t learn about civil rights at all!”

Luna’s production company, Canana, founded in 2006 with his long-time best friend, Gael Garcia Bernal, has produced

33 projects. Founded to create films trumpeting social justice, Canana was the logical home for Cesar Chavez, the most recent of Luna’s four directing projects.

“Cesar Chavez” is the most recent of Canana’s projects to date.

“The fact that this wasn’t celebrated on the big screen tells you why the immigration reform hasn’t happened,” Luna said as he shook his head. “It explains why there is such inequality.

We have many more tools of communication, but we are not using them.

We (American Latinos) tend to stay on the surface. With all of these possibilities, we are not using them. That’s why immigration reform in the States is not moving forward; it makes no sense that such a huge community is not recognized. It makes no sense!”

It seems that the only simple thing about the project was the idea to make it.

The rest was a four-year struggle that paid off as the satisfaction of a job well done and a collaboration of artists, producers, the Mexican government and, now, the audience who will be encouraged to see the film.

“From the first time we sat down with the Chavez family, it has been four years — a long road.”

But Luna had help from experienced producers such as John Malkovich and Russell Smith.

“John Malkovich is a great collaborator,” he said. “As producer, it’s a team effort. I did a theater play for him in Mexico. He worked with me as a producer on ‘Abel’ [Luna’s 2010 film]. John brought producers he’s been working with really closely; they are perfect partners; they come from Chicago,” Luna said.

“Russ Smith got us in touch with the family at Participant Films, and every time you see a film by Participant, I feel that it matters. It’s the kind of film I like to watch, and you see, today — and with Pantaleon you have the feeling that it matters to everyone — they are not doing it because it’s a job. They under-

“The main idea was try not to idealize the character but tell the story of a simple man that happened to do something amazing... you don’t need special powers and a cape to be a superhero.” stand the urgency of the story; it’s been a nice journey for us at Canana.

“This films matters a lot — it is our biggest film, and we hope that we can establish a connection between the Mexican population and the American Latino, audiences and we hope that it is a natural market for all of us; we should not allow that wall that is getting bigger and bigger to divide us.

We should think together and make sure that our films travel up and down the border. I’m a young director.

I’m willing to explore to get to know better my craft, but today, I have to say I have the feeling that we haven’t gotten to the end of this project. I am focused on the coming out of the film and making sure we don’t miss any opportunity to take this as far as it can go. That is my main focus.”

Luna had a specific vision: Keep it simple, authentic and inspiring.

“The story of Cesar is very close to me. As a director, the main idea was try not to idealize the character but tell the story of a simple man that happened

to do something amazing … that happened to do something that had never been done to inspire and propel change. You don’t need special powers and a cape to be a superhero. It’s about living with responsibility and helping this weak community living in this very unbalanced situation.”

While Chavez’s story spans from the ’60s though the ’80s, Luna knew he had to hone in to tell his story to maximum effect.

“I wanted to focus on the boycott — they went to talk to the consumers; they went to talk to the rest of the country ... to say just before you buy a grape consider where it comes from and what are you supporting by buying something like this,” Luna said.

The effectiveness of Chavez’s clear, goal-focused leadership fascinates Luna.

“They managed to establish this connection that worked to collapse one of the most powerful industries of the States. It was as simple as that — reminding people of child labor, unfair wages and to just make sure you think before buying something. I think people should be reminded of their responsibility — what it is to be a citizen of this world. It’s

a very universal thing.

“I also wanted to tell the story of nonviolence. That message needs to be out there internationally. It’s unfair to try to tell the story in two hours, but you can tell them to go and learn a little more about the community that is feeding America.”

America Ferrera, who plays Helen Chavez, knew Cesar Chavez’s son, Paul Chavez. In February, she and Luna went to Washington, D.C., to screen “Cesar Chavez” for U.S. Congress. Paul was present with his blessing.

“This was not easy by any means for Diego and Canana with no American finance until later on,” Ferrera said. “He has all of my thanks, gratitude and hope that the film is successful — and hope that it brings more to conversation about what it’s like to be in that situation.”

Vargas also understood what Luna was aiming for.

“He (Luna) said, ‘We’re not shooting a documentary,’ and if we did everything that happened in his life, we’d have a movie that never ended. It’s an interpretation of his life.”

Vargas emphasizes that the leader’s citizenship needs to be understood —Cesar

“ t d Im s o d

32 • February / March 2014

Chavez was an American.

“This story importantly points out that this is an American story about an American of Mexican descent. Chavez is not really represented in history. People see a foreigner. This should shed light on the Chicano experience,” Vargas said.

Vargas said it was an honor to play Richard. He is known for his fiery performances, but playing an actual person is another story.

“I tried researching about Richard; eventually, I found a really good interview,” he said. “He was a carpenter and a really good golfer, but he gave it all up for his brother. He actually took a loan out on his home to fund the credit union.”

Vargas found the admiration for Richard Chavez that made his performance come alive.

“Here’s the tough thing: People associate the Chavez movement only with Chicanos, but the real story is the minority groups coming together. I’m an actor, not a politician, but I hope we have some kind of positive effect or influence.”

That positive influence starts with the right casting, and Luna found his Cesar with Michael Pena.

“I’ve been living here in LA for close to twenty years, working, and it was interesting doing this movie,” Pena said.

In his acting, Pena had to hold back. Luna and every research he found on Cesar revealed that “he (Chavez) was very reserved, and for example, I heard that he was the not the most natural speaker.” Pena worked on the inner Cesar, explaining, “Diego, for the most part, wanted it very subtle.”

“To be honest, the entire movement was a surprise. People wanted a change, and they were willing to listen to him. As an actor, you want to take license; you want a really flashy role,” Pena said.

But Pena had to be true to his character.

“I found out that he wasn’t a natural speaker; he just did what needed to be done.

“It takes a big man, so small of stature, to lead. That was hard to research. Everything I read was that he was a very quiet man; he just tried to blend in. … I had an instinct to make

“We all knew the importance of the film besides whether you like the film or not. I think you have one shot to allow these kinds of films to exist, To have films that represent a community that you don’t see in cinema. I wanted to show the complexity of this community.” it funny, but I was warned not to. I rehearsed for three months, and two weeks before filming, Diego said, ‘Why don’t you learn his speech patterns.’

Basically, I really had to take care of his speech and use the appropriate amount of energy. You don’t want to oversell it. You gotta trust the director when it comes down to it,” Pena said.

Luna worked with all the actors to get the portrayals just right.

“Diego was very collaborative — dedicated to portraying all these characters as very complex,” Ferrera said. “Not heroes but humans. We went and met Helen together; there were things that we learned together. Helen was not happy about the fasting at all [Cesar fasted three times for in 1968, ’70 and ’72 for 25, 24 and 36 days, respectively], but Helen would cook for the people that gathered at the house to support Cesar.”

Ferrera was highly conscious of playing a still-living legend.

“I was lucky enough to meet Helen,” she said. “At the time, it was more about being in her presence. She is a deeply intelligent and deeply strong and loving. She feels a lot, a great character for a person to hold, to still be a person who could feel at a very strong level.

“She was prepared to sacrifice so much for her family. She was a constant. She completely put herself in the front; she had a lot on her plate, and yet she was an incredibly private person, so it was hard to find a clip of her speaking [when she was young], but I found one. She and Cesar were living a life that was very middle class, but then when they moved out west, she had to go back to the fields to make a living while Cesar did his work. She was worried about their kids being alone so much. This was a woman who was not afraid of arrest, but she was concerned about her family. I hope for it to work culturally — this is an American story about American heroes. Cesar deserves to be held at the same level. My hope is for the film to be supported and seen and accepted.”

To get the authentic look, Diego Luna had to shoot in Sonora, Mexico.

“The fields in California are much more modern. In Sonora, we found the old-fashioned vineyards,” Luna said. “We shot in super 16, which is an amazing film; not many shoot in film these days.

I wanted to have the feel that we are looking at a piece of history — something real. We went to Sonora state, where they produce 80 percent of the table grapes in Mexico.

“The whole idea was to put all the money we had in front of the screen. It wasn’t easy to raise the money. When we went around looking for funding, we saw why there was never a film made: No one wants to fund a story about farm workers, but we found the right backers. We found them in Mexico, and we found the right ones in the States as well.

“It was about trying to do it in the right way without making any compromises at all.”

Luna had more pull on his home turf.

By Judi Jordan “Shooting in Mexico, we had complete freedom, and obviously, we had the extras — people we actually found in Sonora in the fields. They had been exposed to the sun. We didn’t have extras in the fields pretending to be field-workers; we had field-workers pretending to be extras.” Luna said, laughing.

“With all the other [Latino] actors, they knew the importance of the film because as a community, they also struggle with an industry that doesn’t represent them the characters are very limited. We all knew the importance of the film besides whether you like the film or not. I think you have one shot to allow these kinds of films to exist, to have films that represent a community that you don’t see in cinema. I wanted to show the complexity of this community.”

“I want audiences to enjoy the film,” Pena said. “You want them to go on this guy’s journey — just for them to know and appreciate that there was someone out there that did that.

Vargas said the one thing he took away from the experience is the audacity to say we’re going to take on the oppressors.

“That is amazing to me — how a small group of uneducated Chicanos can stop an entire industry,” said Vargas.

Vargas had direct access to Dolores Huerta, Richard Chavez’s wife and fellow civil rights leader. Alive and kicking at 84, Huerta is still active. She also didn’t pull any punches with Vargas.

Vargas saw the elderly woman’s fearlessness from across the lunch table as Dolores shared precious memories.

“She, Dolores, asked me if this was going to be accurate or some bulls**t movie.” Vargas said, chuckling.

“I think that it is a hot time for immigration, and Cesar can help to inspire,” Ferrera said. “There is context; there is a history of Latinos standing strong, showing up for those who say it is impossible to do. It’s not impossible!

We’ve made great changes in the political climate. I think I’m well-connected to many issues, and I can say that power is invisible — opportunity isn’t.

I see the need for opportunity where it doesn’t flourish. Being devoted to this cause is so important.”

34 • February / March 2014

Cesario Estrada Chavez was born March 31, 1927, and in his 66 years, he moved mountains.

Director Diego Luna had to move a few of his own mountains to tell the story of the leader.

And even for a movie star, it was not easy.

Films about real people, especially a humble soul like Chavez, are not generally expected to explode at the box office, but the shared belief that this was the right time to tell this story kept Luna and his cast on the long path to completion.

Shot in 16mm, saturated in sunlight, “Cesar Chavez” should be seen by Latino and non-Latinos to understand the scope of Chavez’s courage and achievement in the tough aftermath of the close assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

Luna’s film captures the optimism and despair of Cesar and the power of the humble when gathered together with a single voice.

Cesar’s family, migrant workers by trade, moved from Yuma, Ariz., to a place warning residents to “escape if you can,” Salsipuedes, Calif., after losing their farm in the Great Depression.

After experiencing the extreme hardship of the migrant life, Cesar joined the U.S. Navy after World War II. He called that time the “worst two years of my life.” In the service, he read books and adopted radical ideas on equality and having a voice in the outdoor workplace. He did not set out to change the course of history. A softspoken man with a gentle smile and undeniable charisma, Cesar sought justice, not power. With great certainty of mind and a singular devotion, Chavez took a stance that never wavered for the rest of his life: Cesar Chavez peacefully waged war on the powerful produce industry that kept his people in poverty and insecurity, and he won.

He formed the National Farmworkers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers union, UFW. Cesar sacrificed his health with lengthy hunger strikes; his final strike in lasted 36 days and compromised his health. After the success of the UFW, Cesar and his supporters protested the Vietnam War, and he was one of the earliest supporters of gay rights, protesting discrimination as far back as the ’70s.

He is responsible for many of the labor codes we take for granted today beginning with the basic right to organize and protest mistreatment.

He knew 45 years of great, unwavering love with his wife, Helen, with whom he had eight children.

Though posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton, Chavez is still unknown to many of the upcoming generation, but for those who do know of him, he was, and forever will be, the original Latino leader.

Who was Cesar Chavez?

TOMATO

Golden Salad Love Providing Fries

a home away GARDEN PRODUCE from home L

COFFEE

with J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, President & CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities

ve

sweet

deliciou

mmm...

Cheese

toma o

In 1984, J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez the best TWO made ALL mmm... decision of his career, turning down the position of plant manager for a fledgling candy company in Laredo, Texas, to work for McDonald’s as a purchasing manager. He helped launch the company in Mexico and has had a storied career with the corporate giant. His dedication to McDonald’s and its vision is evident in his willingness to learn all aspects of the business and to go anywhere in the world where the company has needed him.

Lettuce Story by Laura

Rivas

Photos by Kristyna

Archer

fter nearly 30 years of working his way through a number of leadership roles within the company, Gonzalez-Mendez assumed what he describes as his “dream job” of senior vice president, Global Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Philanthropy for McDonald’s Corporation, in September 2012.

“I make my living out of my corporate CSR role, but I make life out of what I do for the charity,” Gonzalez-Mendez says. “Who doesn’t like to do good?”

Born in Mexico City, the second of seven children, Gonzalez-Mendez credits his mother for his positive outlook and his father, a mechanical engineer, with instilling in him integrity, professionalism and respect. His parents were dedicated to their children’s education and made the financial sacrifice for Gonzalez-Mendez to attend the Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he majored in biochemical engineering and minored in marine sciences and food technology.

Realizing that seasickness would preclude his dream of being an oceanographer, he fell back on the food technology minor.

“When I graduated, I went to work for the Ronald McDonald House Charities fishing ministry in Mexico, the research •Ronald McDonald House Charities and development lab now has local chapters in 58 counfor food products from tries and regions around the world, the sea; that was my including 333 Ronald McDonald compromise,” GonzalezHouses, 194 Ronald McDonald Mendez says. A few Family Rooms and 50 Ronald years later, at age 24, he McDonald Care Mobiles. made the fateful decision to sign on with Mc•Globally, Ronald McDonald HousDonald’s. He had never es serve more than 8,000 families been to a McDonald’s each day, saving them more than and did not speak Eng$311 million a year in hotel costs. lish well. “I was the first McDonald’s employee ●•In 2012, RMHC generated more in Mexico, with my ofthan $36 million in contributions. fice in my bedroom, my ● wife as my assistant, and •To date, more than $200 million mom as my translator,” has been collected through RMHC Gonzalez-Mendez says, donation boxes. calling the job the most invigorating two years •Ronald McDonald House Chariof his career. ties’ programs can be found in When the opportu78% of the world’s best children’s nity to move to the U.S. hospitals. arose, he went on to assume the role of quality •Since 1985, more than $52 assurance manager for million in scholarships has been Latin America and then awarded to students in financial for Europe and Southneed. east Asia. GonzalezMendez moved to Los •Every year, RMHC helps more than Angeles as purchasing 7 million families stay together. manager for McDonald’s in Southern California •Nearly 144,000 staff and volunand, eventually, for Los teers around the world help RMHC Angeles, San Diego and fulfill its mission.

Hawaii from 1990 to * Source: www.rmhc.org 1993, buying $1 million of goods and services

38 • February / March 2014

each day. He felt like he had arrived, but he knew that to move ahead in the company, he needed to learn storebased operations. So he dropped down the corporate ladder by 12 positions to work in the restaurants as a manager trainee. His instincts paid off, and by the late 1990s, he had moved up to director of operations for the Los Angeles region. He shrewdly negotiated his history with the company to land its sponsorship of his studies in University of Southern California’s Master of Business Administration program. The higher-ups were paying attention; Gonzalez-Mendez became second-in-command of McDonald’s Mexico in 1998 and then its president three months later.

“I was the first Mexican McDonald’s employee and first Mexican president of McDonald’s Mexico,” GonzalezMendez says.

selected him to be the president and chief executive officer of RMHC Charities. This volunteer role greatly fulfills his desire to give back.

Ronald McDonald House Charities was created in 1974, is present in 58 countries and regions and serves families through its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, Ronald McDonald Family Room and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.

As described by Gonzalez-Mendez, “We have 333 Ronald McDonald Houses, a ‘home away from home,’ that allows families to stay together while the child is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, rather than endure the expense of hotels. We have 194 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, spaces within the hospital that allow families to heal, psychosocial activities and classrooms where children

“My business acumen helps make RMHC much more viable and sustainable. We raised $450 million.

I think we can get to $1 billion,” says Gonzalez-Mendez.

A triumphant return to the U.S. in 2002 as regional vice president in Chicago led to a corporate position as chief purchasing officer for the U.S. and Canada, managing about $11 billion worth of purchases a year. Always willing to serve where the company needed him, GonzalezMendez made a return to Latin America as president of McDonald’s Latin America in 2008.

Finally, about a year ago, McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson asked him, “How does Ronald McDonald House Charities on steroids sound to you?”

Thompson’s idea was to combine all the resources behind corporate social responsibility, diversity, inclusion, multicultural management, global community engagement and philanthropic efforts under one global chief/ corporate social responsibility officer reporting directly to him. Gonzalez-Mendez has held this job since September 2012. In March 2013, the global office of Ronald McDonald House Charities’ (RMHC) board of trustees

can continue schooling. We have 50 Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles around the globe that provide dental, health or preventative care.”

Gonzalez-Mendez pointed to impact studies confirming the difference made by RMHC: patients feel better and so do families caring for their ill children because they are staying in a Ronald McDonald House where other families are going through the same issues.

Ronald McDonald House Charities and its network of local chapters will raise $450 million around the globe this year. Eighty-nine cents of every dollar spent by the global office of RMHC goes to supporting familycentered programs run by the local RMHC chapters, with revenue generated from the McDonald’s system, events and individual and corporate donors. Supporting education as the greatest equalizer, more than $52 million in scholarships has been awarded to students, through the U.S. RMHC Scholarship Program.

Gonzalez-Mendez called his career with McDonald’s preparation for his current position of connecting sustainability with his supply chain experience, diversity. And also inclusion with his leadership of the Hispanic network in Los Angeles and the global Hispanic steering committee, and community engagement with his extensive board participation. He stressed that while RMHC is a nonprofit, it should be viewed as a business that must be successful in order to have the capacity to support even more families.

“We have 333 Ronald McDonald Houses, a ‘home away from home,’ that allows families to stay together while the child is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, rather than endure the expense of hotels.”

“My business acumen helps make RMHC much more viable and sustainable. We raised $450 million. I think we can get to $1 billion,” says Gonzalez-Mendez.

If the determination he has displayed over the last 30 years is any indication, there is little doubt that GonzalezMendez will make good on that goal, especially since he says he would be happy to spend the rest of his career in this role.

“I’ve been with the company for 29 years, and I don’t remember being as content as I am today,” says Gonzalez-Mendez. “This company has allowed me to visit 70 different countries, to become more than just bilingual, to meet people from different walks of life, and now it’s given me the opportunity to make a real impact in society. We can truly change the world.”

40 • February / March 2014

L at ino Le a de r s

Club LEADERS of the Future

Sept. 25, 2013 Victor’s Cafe

PHOTOS FOR LATINO LEADERS

BY Kevin Kane

25 of New York City’s most dynamic young leaders met at Victor’s Café on Oct. 25 to share their remarkable moments of inspiration, latest successes and exiting projects, defining once more what leadership entails: commitment to a dream, the passion to reach for it and a steady next step.

As each leader shared his or her story others found a common ground for new friendships, which made the post dinner networking reception a buzzing ground for fresh ideas and interactions. Everyone wanted to meet everyone else, and the shared excitement was palpable as our guests expressed admiration for each other’s accomplishments.

Presented with the support from:

Attendees: Pablo Maes G Event Director Great Performances

David GómezVillamediana Fashion Editor/Stylist

Alexis Zambrano and Jesus Torres Designers/Founders M. De Phocas

Yai Vargas National Marketing Manager New York Life Latino

JW Cortes Actor/Filmmaker

Hans Neumann Photographer

Felipe Tewes Head of Latin America VOD Under the Milky Way

Jose Duverge National Sales Executive at IMG College

Claudia Talamas Freelance Fashion Stylist

Jorge I. Montalvo Special Assistant to the New York Secretary of State, and Director of New York State Office for New Americans (ONA) Vanessa Verduga Actor, Screenwriter, Producer, Lawyer at Justice Woman Productions LLC

Vanessa Champion Chief of Staff and Special Counsel New York City Comptroller’s Office

42 • February / March 2014

Ursulina Ramirez Deputy Public Advocate and Senior Policy Advisor to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio Adrian Carrasquillo Breaking News Reporter Buzzfeed Liliana Dominguez Fashion Model Fabricio Cardenas Fashion Buyer Barney’s New York

Andy Checo President, Hispanic Public Relations Association NY Chapter Marketing Director, MundoFox Erika Harrsch Visual and Contemporary Artist Carlos Campos Menswear Designer carloscampos.com Edmundo Castillo Fashion Designer www.edmundocastillo. com Romie Barriere Office of Student Enrollment New York City Department of Education Carlos Macias Digital Strategist XL Alliance Luis Ciriaco Financial Representative Northwestern Mutual My Mission

Pablo Maes G Event Director / Great Performances

Pablo was born on September 17th, 1974, in the city of Caracas, Venezuela.

At the early age of 18 he moved to Miami, Florida to pursue a dream and to follow his dad’s footsteps. Pablo graduated with honors from Florida International University, Majoring in Hospitality Management and minoring in Culinary Arts. He began his Hotel career at the iconic InterContinental Hotel in Miami where he contributed with the growth and success of all its Food & Beverage aspects for about 10 years and later shaped events like the renowned MakeA-Wish Ball and the American Cancer Society Gala while being their Director of Social Events and Catering. In 2001, he became a full-time New Yorker when he joined the Great Performances team to venture into off premises catering.

Pablo has a passion for community outreach and devotes time to charities such as: Aid for Aids International, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital and the Hispanic Federation.

Alexis Zambrano and Jesus Torres Designers/Founders / M. De Phocas

Alexis and Jesus grew up down the street from each other in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. There, the two young friends would observe how their grandfathers dressed. Whether for a social function or to retrieve the mail, they always wore properly fitted suits, perfect hats and menswear accessories, such as antique cufflinks, collar bars and tie pins, accents that have been forgotten in today’s rush for expediency. They soon realized that their search for fine but classic menswear accessories always ended with little more than antique finds, so they decided to design their own. They apprenticed with a fine jeweler in NYC’s diamond district before

launching M. de PHOCAS in the summer of 2010. Named after the story Monsieur de Phocas penned by notorious dandy Jean Lorrain, they hope to recapture the style and glamour they admired in their grandfathers. With pearls and pink sapphires adorning silver or gold cuff links and other bespoke items, the line is inspired by Lorrain and the dandies of old but with a cheeky nod to the modern, style-minded man. Each piece is handmade by artisans in New York City.

JW Cortes Actor/Filmmaker

J W Cortes is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, activist and a former U.S. Marine (OIF veteran) and New York police officer.

As an actor, he trained in New York City at the world-renowned William Esper Studio under master teacher Terry Knickerbocker. He is best known for his work as an Operative on NBC’s fierce reality television show “STARS EARN STRIPES.” During Season 1, he had the pleasure of training, mentoring and executing training missions with celebrities Terry Crews, Laila Ali, Dean Cain and Todd Palin. An avid activist, he helps fund and raise awareness for various charities and organizations like Autism Speaks and The Wounded Warrior Project. He recently launched a new T-shirt line “Earn Your Stripes” to directly support and raise awareness for these efforts. You can also catch JW in “Blue Caprice,” “As Good As Dead,” and “Taxi Brooklyn” as well as his directorial debut “Conscientious Objector”. He is the proud father of two boys, a husband and loving owner of an American bulldog named Blue.

Felipe Tewes Head of Latin America VOD Under the Milky Way

Felipe Tewes is the head of Under the Milky Way, an international digital film distributor holding preferred aggregator

status for iTunes. A former film acquisitions executive at HBO, he previously worked under James Schamus at Focus Features and began his career in the mailroom as an Agent Trainee at the William Morris Agency. He holds a BA from Harvard University and is originally from Caracas, Venezuela.

Jorge I. Montalvo Special Assistant to the New York Secretary of State, and Director of New York State Office for New Americans (ONA)

Montalvo never imagined his early pursuit of science would lead him into public service where he has “used a system-based approach to affect change and open opportunities for people.” Over his career, he’s distinguished himself as one of the most entrepreneurial thinkers in public service.

Recently, he created ONA, launched by NY Governor Cuomo to help immigrants fully participate in civic and economic life.

The 27 ONA Opportunity Centers have been described as a model for immigrant integration policy. And, he still donates time to teach free science classes in the South Bronx.

Vanessa Verduga Actor, Screenwriter, Producer, Lawyer at Justice Woman Productions LLC

Vanessa Verduga is a multitalented and multi-lingual actress, writer and producer who is laser focused on creating bold and explosive career opportunities – but those inclined to start using the shopworn phrase “Renaissance Woman” to describe her will be quickly corrected for being too limiting.

These days, the Los Angeles born, Bronx raised performer — who legitimately includes “singer” and “lawyer” on her resume —is making her mark instead as “Justice Woman,” the lead character in the popular Web series she created and launched in

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future 2012 and for which she won an Outstanding Lead Actress award at the 2013 Los Angeles Web Festival and the H.O.L.A. Excellence in Multimedia Award. Written and produced by Vanessa, “Justice Woman” was inspired in part by her passion for superheroes growing up. The concept is also rooted in the disillusionment she experienced as an attorney. The series follows the story of Sofía Escala, a.k.a. Justice Woman, a spunky Assistant D.A. by day, defender of truth and justice by night. With the help of her office-mate and sidekick Robert (Roberta) Gallion, she fights to right the wrongs committed against the innocent and powerless by a corrupt legal system – and naturally winds up in some tight spots along the way.

Expanding her creative outreach further, Vanessa has written a comic book entitled “Justice Woman Begins” and has designs on eventually translating “Justice Woman” into a musical play.

Vanessa Champion Chief of Staff and Special Counsel

New York City Comptroller’s Office In her current role, Vanessa provides guidance to each of the office’s operational functions and identifies high-impact issues. Vanessa created a groundbreaking tracking system for New York City’s external procurement that will provide transparency to billions of dollars of transactions. The system is widely acknowledged as the first of its kind among states and municipalities nationwide. City and state, which covers New York government, selected her for its annual, “Rising Stars: 40 under 40” issue and the White House selected Vanessa as one of 30 national finalists for their fellowship program. Vanessa serves on the boards of several New York City business improvement districts and was recently appointed to the board of the American Museum of Natural History.

She has worked as a securities litigation and enforcement attorney at WilmerHale LLP, in public policy and external affairs at Verizon, and as an aide on the gubernatorial campaign of H. Carl.

44 44••February December / March 20122014 / January 2013

David GómezVillamediana Fashion Editor/ Stylist

David arrived in New York from his native Venezuela in 2009, after studying journalism and communications. His first stop on this journey was as an assistant to Vogue’s Contributing Editor Tabitha Simmons, followed by work with Edward Enninful for Italian Vogue and Vanity Fair’s Style Director Jessica Diehl. In 2011, David was appointed New York Fashion and Features editor at Spanish V Magazine.

Apart from his career at V Magazine, David also collaborates with magazines such as Grazia, Glamour Spain, Dansk, Tush, Metal, Vogue.es, Vanidad and View Of The Times and more recently for Harper’s Bazaar Latin America and the soon to be launch Harper’s Bazaar France where he serves a fashion contributor.

Yai Vargas National Marketing Manager New York Life Latino

In her current role, Yai develops strategic marketing initiatives to support New York Life’s efforts to increase sales, productivity and recruiting within the Latino Market. Yai currently travels to 32 cities around the U.S. where she drives local community initiatives promoting financial education and planning. Prior to joining New York Life, Yai was Diversity Manager at the United States Tennis Association, the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United States. She managed organizational relationships, outreach within minority communities including LGBT, Afircan-American, Asian, and the disabled while developing a robust Hispanic strategy in efforts to grow the game and promote inclusion.

Yai also spent time as senior account executive at Arcos Communications, an integrated multicultural public relations

agency; her career began working within corporate communications and public relations at Mercedes-Benz USA where she focused on philanthropy, media reporting, journalist relations, product launches and event planning. Remains involved with organizations such as The Latino Commission on AIDS where she is entering her 8th year on the benefit committee driving Cielo Latino, their annual fundraising gala.

Hans Neumann Photographer

Hans was born in 1981 in Lima, Peru. A difficult city where art isn’t easily pursued as a way of making a living, Hans decided to study law at the Universidad de Lima with hopes of one day becoming a writer.

Always inspired by imagery and influenced by narrative he started learning photography and lighting for cinema in tandem to his law studies. In 2004, Hans graduated from law school and started his career as a photographer. He moved to New York City shortly after and enrolled in the International Center for Photography. Through this process, he found himself assisting Cedric Buchet, David Eustace, Vincent Laforet and Max Farago and shooting for clients like Macy’s and Conde Nast. In 2008, he met fellow Peruvian photographer, Mario Testino, for whom he worked for two years. Hans now enjoys photography as a profession and shoots full time. Currently, he is the editorial coordinator of Velour magazine in NY.

Jose Duverge National Sales Executive at IMG College

Jose is currently a National Sales Executive for IMG College, the marketing, licensing, and local media rights holder to over 75 of the top college athletic programs in the country. Before his recent move to IMG, Jose was a Premium Sales and Service Consultant in Business De-

velopment with the New York Yankees.

In that role, Jose was responsible for securing both corporate and individual buyers in order to generate revenue through the sale of Premium seating season tickets, groups and luxury suites at Yankee Stadium.

Prior to his time with the Yankees, Jose worked for the Philadelphia Phillies in Player Development where he was responsible for constructing and implementing the ESL and Life Skills program for all Latin baseball players within the Phillies farm system, a program that is still in place today. Jose and his siblings raised by their parents, Roberto and Junia. Both of them migrated to the United States from Dominican Republic in the early ‘80s. With very little education and no English, Roberto and Junia managed to become hard working citizens that focused on raising their children by instilling unshakable values. These same values are the root to the progression and the success of their children today.

Driven by the dream of playing professional baseball, Jose earned a partial baseball scholarship, which resulted in him being the first in his family to attend and complete college; a trend that has become an expectation for the Duverge family. Understanding that he has been blessed with so many mentors that have played a role in his development, “paying it forward” is a motto that Jose lives by. Jose spends some of his free time speaking to inner city youth and mentoring other big dreamers that are seeking guidance. Jose also serves in different roles for a number of not for profit organizations such as a member for Ohio University’s Master of Sports Administration Diversity Committee, a Junior Board member for TopSpin Charity, a member of the Mentor Leadership Council for New York Needs You, and a member of the National Sports Forum’s Diversity Committee.

Claudia Talamas Freelance Fashion Stylist

Born and raised in Miami from Cuban and Spanish decent, Claudia graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s in Business Administration. Shortly after graduation, Claudia moved to New York to manage a multi-line showroom. It was there that she made several contacts and learned

she wanted to be on the creative side of fashion.

Eight years later, Claudia is now a freelance fashion stylist and consultant to clothing brands as well as a contributor for Vogue Mexico and Latin America.

While Claudia is not behind the scenes making beautiful photos, she likes to volunteer and spend time with friends. I am currently a member of New York Cares and a committee member for Museo del Barrio.

Ursulina Ramirez Deputy Public Advocate and Senior Policy Advisor to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio

Ursulina Ramirez was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Her experiences as a first-generation college student at the University of California, Santa Barbara catapulted her interest in education and social welfare policy. She is currently the Deputy Public Advocate and Senior Policy Advisor for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio. Since 2010, she has spearheaded Bill de Blasio’s education and social services policy initiatives, including calling for an expansion of early childhood education in New York City and implementing improved practices for medically fragile children in New York’s child welfare system. In 2012, she was selected as a “Rising Star: 40 under 40” in City and State magazine. Prior to working for the Public Advocate, Ursulina was the Senior Policy Analyst at the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families where she advocated for increasing access to early childhood education in Latino communities.

Ursulina is a social worker by training, receiving her M.S.W. from Columbia University’s School of Social Work. In

addition to her experience in public policy, she was a child care worker at a residential treatment facility for severally emotionally disturbed youth and also worked for several years as an advisor for first-generation college students.

Adrian Carrasquillo Breaking News Reporter Buzzfeed

Adrian Carrasquillo is a breaking news reporter at BuzzFeed, the top social news organization in the world. The site, known for its mastery of how content is shared online, beefed up its politics coverage in 2012 ahead of the election and is now growing its news team, headed by news director and New York Times hire, Lisa Tozzi. The team is figuring out how breaking news can and should work on the social web. Previously, Adrian was the social media manager and an editor/reporter for NBC Latino, an English-language news site from NBC News he helped launch. As the architect for its social media platforms, including strategy, daily execution and advising the editorial team, he made the NBC Latino Facebook page the most engaging in the U.S. Latino news space. Before coming to NBC, he helped launch Fox News Latino and crafted its social media strategy, forging relationships and leveraging a network of Latino influencers to gain the site an audience beyond that of the parent brand. Previously, he was a web producer at Fox 5 in New York.

Liliana Dominguez Fashion Model

Liliana Dominguez is a Mexican fashion model. While at a party in Mexico City, a British model agent discovered Dominguez and sent her to London, England. She has been represented by notable agencies around the world, and has also appeared in numerous fashion shows

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future and modeled for designers and brands like Paco Rabanne, Kenneth Cole, Dolce & Gabbana, and Roberto Cavalli.

Fabricio Cardenas Fashion Buyer Barney’s New York

Fabricio graduated Cum Laude from Media Culture and Communications from New York University. He was captivated by the fashion industry from an early age and always knew that he wanted to be a part of the industry. He pursued his dream by working in some of the leading fashion public relation agencies such as PR Consulting and Full Picture during his college years. He transition into the business side of fashion when he joined Barneys New York. He started buying Men’s Luxury Tailored Clothing. He currently buys Women’s Designer ready-to-wear for the world renowned luxury retailer.

Andy Checo President, Hispanic Public Relations Association NY Chapter Marketing Director, MundoFox

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Andy grew-up in New York. He received a bachelor’s degree in public relations and international studies from Mount Saint Mary College (NY) and attended a Master’s program at Middlebury College’s Language School in Middlebury, Vermont and Madrid, Spain. He is also a graduate of the American Association of Advertising Agencies’ Institute of Advance Advertising Studies.

With over 12 years of public relations and marketing communications experience, Andy specializes in the US Hispanic market and has worked on both the agency side (RL Public Relations, Edelman, The Vidal Partnership and Arcos Communications) and in-house through his work for publicly listed and privately held companies (Maximus

46 46••February December / March 20122014 / January 2013

Inc. and Healthfirst). Andy is currently marketing director, Northeast at Spanishlanguage television network MundoFOX and leads the Hispanic Public Relations Association’s New York Chapter where him and his board recently founded a scholarship programs for local Hispanic college students pursuing a career in communications.

Erika Harrsch Visual and Contemporary Artist

Mexican born, New York based artist Erika Harrsch, has lived and worked in Mexico, Italy, Germany, Brazil and United States. Her multidisciplinary art practice employs resources that include drawing, painting, photography, video, animation and installations. For more than eight years Harrsch has done research with an entomologist and has used butterflies in her work as a metaphor to address matters of identity, gender, nationality, migration and the relationship of human beings upon their own nature and fragility, blurring boundaries to achieve a poetic image. Harrsch has participated in several Art Biennials including: Fokus Lodz Biennale, Poland 2010; Beijing 798 Biennale, China 2009; and the 5th International Media Art Biennale-Media City Seoul; Korea 2008. She has participated in multimedia festivals and residencies worldwide, Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums in Mexico, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Korea, China, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Spain, UK, Poland, Turkey, Syria, Colombia and Netherlands. Shown in museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art at the Live Whitney series, NY; The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, CT; Bellevue Arts Museum, WA; Göteborg Konstmuseum in Sweden, Museé de la Photographie a Charleroi in Belgium, Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea and Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey, MARCO, México.

Carlos Campos Menswear Designer carloscampos.com

Carlos Campos was born in Honduras and grew up in a tailoring and design household inspired by his father. After a few tailoring jobs in Brooklyn and a short-lived scarf and tie business, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York at the age of 23. During and after graduation, he helped create costumes for many acclaimed Broadway plays including “The Invention of Love,” “The Graduate,” “The Light in the Piazza,” “Fiddler on the Roof”, and “Jersey Boys.” Campos presented his own designs at New York Fashion Week for the first time in 2001. In 2006, he branched out his self-titled menswear label. He later cofounded a second imprint, Guido New York and opened his made-to-measure studio in New York City. In September 2008, Carlos Campos presented his first womenswear collection at the Altman Building in New York. Carlos Campos designs have been worn by the likes of Justin Timberlake, Enrique Iglesias, Ethan Hawke, Scissors Sisters, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, and Ville Vallo. He has appeared on Style, VH1, ET, VOX, NEWS, CNN and A&E. Photo editorials and features include national and international magazines such as DNR, Esquire, Numero, Homme, Flaunt, Details, Arena, Gotham, People, Time-Out New York, Out Magazine, Zink and Entertainment Weekly. In 2009, he was awarded with Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for Best Menswear design.

Charity: The Carlos Campos Foundation in Honduras is responsible for assisting single mothers with resources from childcare to job training. The label also cooperates with “Aid for AIDS”, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life of people living with HIV/ AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Edmundo Castillo Fashion Designer www.edmundocastillo.com

Born in April 1967 in Puerto Rico, Edmundo Castillo started having a fascination with shoes at a very early age.

During his teenage years, Castillo began to actively pursue a career in design and entered the Altos de Chavon School of Design in the Dominican Republic.

One year later, Castillo moved to New York City and started working in established shoe stores where shoes became a passion. Shortly thereafter, he began his formal training in shoemaking working with Donna Karan on her footwear collection for men and women.

After eight years at Donna Karan, Castillo joined Polo Ralph Lauren as Senior Director for one year, and then returned to Donna Karan to design the Donna Karan and DKNY men’s shoes.

In 1999, Castillo took his first steps toward creating his own line of shoes for women. In June 2001, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Castillo with the Perry Ellis Award for best emerging Accessories Designer.

Romie Barriere Office of Student Enrollment

New York City Department of Education Romie Barriere is the Associate Director of Enrollment for Exceptional Students at the New York City Department of Education. In this role, Romie works to increase access and equity in admissions for special populations, including students with disabilities and English Language Learners. Prior to her current role, Romie was a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Graduate Law Fellow at the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the White House Initiative on Educational

Excellence for Hispanics. Romie received her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where she was a member of the Human Rights Law Review and a Kathryn A. McDonald Education Advocacy Project Intern at Legal Aid. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2011. Romie is Puerto Rican and Cuban from Brooklyn, New York by way of Hemet, California.

Her interest in advocacy began in high school where she worked to support family members in gaining educational supports and services.

Carlos Macias Digital Strategist XL Alliance

Carlos Macías is a bilingual journalist, digital strategist and social media forecaster with experience on business, urban, social and foreign affairs. Carlos is currently a team member at XL Alliance, a multicultural cross-channel marketing agency in NYC, as a digital strategist.

The firm specializes on turning cultural trends into profits while keeping a stern ethical commitment to bring value to the communities they participate in. Clients include top 50 Fortune companies in the media, consumer-packaged goods, luxury and pharmaceutical realms. He owns a robust editorial background covering the intersection between business, culture and policy in our digital and multicultural society. Carlos has covered topics on consumer advocacy and domestic and foreign policy. His articles have been published in The Huffington Post, ConsumerReports.org, Americas Society/ Council of the Americas Online, Americas Quarterly magazine, Latino Politics Blog, Being Latino Online Magazine and CityLimits.org. He received a BA in business journalism and history from Baruch College – CUNY. As part of his advocacy efforts in the Hispanic community, he is a co-founder of the Colombian Education Fund, the first effort of its kind in the United States. From 2011 to 2013, he also

volunteered as president of PorColombia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on leadership and networking. You can follow him on Twitter at @thecarlitosway or connect on LinkedIn.

Luis Ciriaco Financial Representative Northwestern Mutual My Mission

“I will value long-lasting relationships, help clients identify their needs and implement rewarding solutions to achieve financial security.”

Many people look back on their lives with regret; not for the things they have done, but for the things they have left undone. They find they are more successful than they thought they would be and saved less than they intended. They find themselves in situations that are more complex and less predictable than they anticipated.

That is where Luis Ciriaco come in. Luis takes the time to get to know you and your preferences. Luis can help you anticipate and prepare for the best and worst scenarios. The relationship Luis establishes with you enables him to focus on your needs: what you want for your family and what you are currently doing.

The Northwestern Mutual Difference Backed by the strength of Northwestern Mutual, my team and I provide you with a balanced approach to achieving your goal of financial security, assuring that your intentions have been understood and your needs are being addressed.

And when it comes to implementing solutions, the full capabilities of Northwestern Mutual are leveraged to provide you with exclusive access to a comprehensive variety of products and services.

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future

November 14, 2013 Patron’s Hacienda Restaurant

BY Christina Zambon PHOTOS FOR LATINO LEADERS

BY Adrian Orozco

On Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, a diverse group of young Latino professionals gathered at Patrón’s Hacienda Restaurant in downtown Chicago for a night of mingling with other leaders in the Latino community – from entrepreneurs to performance artists to journalists and corporate executives.

Johnnie Walker’s Master of Whiskey Kyle McHugh led a tasting of their new product, Johnnie Walker Platinum – a whiskey of which every drop is at least 18 years old.

Presented with the support from:

Attendees: Eira Corral, Village Clerk in Hanover Park, Illinois

Emmanuel Kinard, Vice President of Lending for TCF Bank

Edgar Delgado, Contracting Officer at General Services Administration

Alexandra Meda, Executive Director of Teatro Luna

Ernesto Espinoza, Assistant Chief Operating Office of Boy Scouts of America

Roberto Sepulveda, Manager, Diversity & Inclusion at United Stationers

Noe Fragoso, Broker Assistant at Northlake Realtors

Alfonso Barrera, Founder of Hispanic Pro

Victor Herrera, Executive Vice President of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs

To read more quotes about this event and learn more about other events, visit LatinoLeaders.com 48 • February / March 2014

Eira Corral Village Clerk in Hanover Park, Illinois

She earned her Bachelors of Arts from DePaul University with a double major in Political Science and Latino & Latin American Studies and a double minor in Community Service Studies and Commercial Spanish Elected at the age of 23 in 2009, she was the youngest elected official in the State of Illinois former professional experience was with the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), a national, non-profit and non-partisan organization, In her current role, she maintains a strong relationship with our diverse and developing business community.

She is involved in additional leadership roles that promote community integration and civic engagement at a local and regional level. She is the Board Liaison for the Hanover Park Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee. She has served as the Board Liaison to the Sister Cities Committee, which has a Sister City relationship with Cape Coast, Ghana, Africa and Valparaiso, Zacatecas, Mexico. She represents Hanover Park in the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus Diversity Task Force and is the Chair for the Immigrant Integration Committee for the Northwest Municipal Conference. She has worked with the community organization Centro de Información in supporting the Annual Mental Health Fair. She is also a mentor for the 10 Boys and Girls Program at my alma mater Parkwood Elementary School. As a young Latina, I seek to encourage other Latinas and Latinos to engage civically and be active participants in local government”

Publisher, Jorge Ferraez Ernesto Espinoza Assistant Chief Operating Office of Boy Scouts of America

In 1995, Ernesto Espinoza started working for the Boy Scouts in Houston.

When he moved his work to Chicago in 2011, there were 750 Latino youths in the program, and now, 2 ½ years later, that number is up to 3,000, thanks to his efforts in recruiting bilingual staff and talking to schools and parents.

Edgar Delgado Contracting Officer at General Services Administration

Edgar Delgado has racked up quite a lot of accolades since being selected as a Club Leader in 2013. He was elected by Miller Corps Líderes as one of the twelve leaders in 2013. In October, he was selected as the veteran of the month for the State of Illinois. And two weeks prior to this event, he was accepted into the MBA program at Northwestern University, where he’ll start in January. Though he’s not entirely sure what he wants to do, he does dream of starting his own business, and his commitment to community and leadership demonstrates that he is a rising star in the Latino community.

National Sales Director, Joshua Baca with guest

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future Noe Fragoso Broker Assistant at Northlake Realtors

Noe Fragoso is a wellrounded real estate broker who goes above and beyond to get deals done for his clients. Whether you are buying or selling, his knowledge and expertise of the current market conditions provide a smooth real estate experience. His passion for working with people and real estate is obvious in his work. Noe strives everyday to be the best and to help people achieve their real estate goals. Nobody works harder than Noe Fragoso.

Growing up in the Chicagoland area has given Noe Fragoso firsthand knowledge of everything there is to love about Chicago and the surrounding neighborhoods. This, along with his dedication to his clients allows for Noe to pair buyers with the home that meets their needs and desires. For his sellers, he provides unique insight and a creative approach to achieve their goal of selling the property for top dollar and gives then the ability move on to their next chapter.

Victor Herrera Executive Vice President of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs

A dynamic IT and business leader, Victor Herrera is not content with quick fixes that merely stop the bleeding.

Beyond his talent for quickly solving immediate problems and getting immediate returns, he devises organization reinventions across the entire spectrum of academia and business.

His solutions safeguard the institution, leaving the organization and its people firmly grounded for sustainable growth well into the future.

50 50••February December / March 20122014 / January 2013

Emmanuel Kinard Vice President of Lending for TCF Bank

While rising through the ranks at TCF Bank, Emmanuel has also been actively pursuing education. Since the last event, he started grad school at Roosevelt University, where he is working toward his MBA at the Marshall Bennet Institute of Real Estate. In doing so, he hopes to learn more about the real estate industry and continue to grow his property as a real estate investor. Along with that, he hopes to continue to ascend to the next level in the bank industry. The sky is the limit with Mr. Kinard – right now he runs a region, but someday, he aspires to be a CEO – either of a bank (ideally) or a real estate firm.

Kyle McHugh, Johnnie Walker Master of Whisky

Alexandra Meda Executive Director of Teatro Luna

Alexandra Meda is going places. She leads the all-Latina theatre company, Teatro Luna. Since 2012, Teatro Luna has expanded to Los Angeles, DC and New York, and had its first international tour. She also runs her own consulting organization, which supports startups and small to mediumsized nonprofits in their effort to diversify. A huge passion of hers it to invest in new talent, and to do so, she’s leading the effort to launch an apprenticeship program called F13 (Still looking for sponsors, if you’re interested!). F13 will sponsor eight women of color who went to school for theatre and recently graduated from college, to do a whole year of training in the professional world. “I’m basically trying to build what I needed ten years ago,” she says. In addition to her numerous accomplishments as director of Teatro Luna, Alexandra is applying to PhD programs at Northwestern, UCLA, Columbia, and Yale.

Roberto Sepulveda Manager, Diversity & Inclusion at United Stationers

Roberto Sepulveda graduate of Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business.

He has recently joined United Stationers to lead their Diversity and Inclusion efforts.

His professional experience has been in both the corporate and non-profit sector. He started his professional diversity experience at Sara Lee Corporation in the Human Resources Division. His focus was on three main areas: improving awareness and support for diversity and inclusion initiatives, assisting in sourcing diverse talent and managing programs that support recruitment, development and retention of diverse employees. Prior to Sara Lee, he worked for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) as an account

manager. As such, he grew the relationships of existing Corporate Members such as JPMorgan Chase, HSBC, Sara Lee and others to help create more career opportunities for Latino Professionals. He was awarded HACE’s President’s Outstanding Initiative Award for his work.

Roberto is also an active member of his community. He serves on the board of directors of the West Cook YMCA, the Triton College Community Advisory Committee, the Fenwick Diversity Committee and the Maywood Rotary Club. He was recently honored as a Young Mazzuchelli Model.

Alfonso Barrera Founder of Hispanic Pro

Alfonso Barrera is the founder of Hispanic Pro, the largest network of Latino professionals in the Midwest. Hispanic Pro has been around for the past twelve years, and focuses on professional development and networking events. Since his last Club Leaders event two years ago, he’s focused on expanding Hispanic Pro, and has increased job listings from 10-20 a month to 600.

He says he’s glad to be at the event and network with other Club Leaders, adding as a side tip what a crucial skill networking is.

“You have to network all the time; you’re one step ahead of you’re making connections; you’re in a better position than people who aren’t.” He went on to say, “Latinos aren’t natural self-promoters; in our culture, we feel we’re part of a whole, instead of Americans, who are independent after age eighteen” – he wants to teach Latinos that it’s okay to self-promote a bit.

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future

Jan. 30, 2014 Atlas Bistro

BY Suzanne Heyn PHOTOS FOR LATINO LEADERS BY Jeff Varsovia

Phoenix’s first Club Leaders of the Future met at Atlas Bistro in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Jan. 30, 2014, for a night of networking and sharing each other’s inspiring stories. The eclectic array of young leaders included a state representative, a journalist, community organizers and educators — all of whom are working to achieve their dreams and help improve the community.

The group of 14 emerging stars mixed and mingled while drinking wine from Latino vintners in Napa Valley and eating from a menu centered around locally grown food. After the introductions, club leaders discussed ways to unify the Latino community as a whole.

Many of the selected club members were the first in their families to graduate high school or college. They spoke candidly about wanting good role models to show them the pathways to success, and many were working actively to provide that experience to today’s youth.

The evening culminated in an exchange of business cards and flurry of promises to stay in touch.

Presented with the support from:

Attendees: Manuel Cairo Attorney, Snell & Wilmer Marisa Calderon Digital Media Account Manager, Republic Media Oscar De las salas Creative Producer, Style Architect, Owner Uzra Vo Event Coordinator, Evening Entertainment Group Marisol Diaz Academic Excellence and Inclusion, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University, Arizona State University

Lee Patterson District Director/Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual Martin Quezada Member, District 29, Arizona House of Representatives Mary Rabago Journalist, Entrepreneur Alex Rodriguez Director, Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council Raquel Téran Arizona State Director, Mi Familia Vota

Gerardo Higginson Community Relations & Public Affairs Director, Univision

Dapzury Valenzuela Owner, HAUTE D*SIGN & Associate Professor, The Art Institute of Phoenix

Joyce Medina Harper Director of Scholarships, & Associate Executive Director of the Arizona Venture Fund for Quality Education, Arizona Community Foundation

Irma Deihl Director of Marketing (Central & South America), Vitamist

52 • February / March 2014

Manuel Cairo Attorney, Snell & Wilmer

Manuel Cairo’s life started humbly. He grew up as the son of a union refuse collector and a stayat-home mother in Los Angeles.

After majoring in political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, he went on to earn a juris doctor at the University of Iowa College of Law. Today, Cairo works at one of the Southwest’s largest law firms, Snell and Wilmer, representing employers in labor and employment law. He also advises clients on immigration worksite enforcement. Although the progression from union member’s son to advisor on immigration matters for employers may not seem an obvious choice, Cairo says he believes the best way to participate in a capitalist democracy is to embrace all its nuances and make a difference where you can. He draws satisfaction from offering employers advice that helps them stay in compliance with the law and enjoys the legal challenge of searching for pragmatic answers to difficult and complex issues.

A benefit of working for a large law firm such as Snell and Wilmer is the ability to give back to the community, Cairo says. He hopes to continue giving back while always honoring his heritage. “I’ll never forget who I am, my roots,” Cairo says.

Marisa Calderon Digital Media Account Manager, Republic Media

Education has always mattered in Marisa Calderon’s family. Even though she is a fourth-generation Arizonan, her family made sure to teach her

Spanish to preserve their Latino heritage.

Calderon’s parents always strove to help community members who needed it.

“There was always someone getting help in our house,” Calderon recalls. Whether people in the community were asking questions regarding voter registration or immigration status, her parents were always ready to lend a helping hand. She grew up with that example of giving back and never forgot it. Today, she works for newspaper Arizona Republic’s parent company, Gannett, selling advertisements to organizations related to health care, education and politics. “I feel like I’m making some kind of difference, not just (selling) advertising,” Calderon says. She stays active in the community, working with groups such as the Junior League of Phoenix, which helps low-income youth.

Oscar De las salas Creative Producer, Style Architect, Owner

Fashion expert and community advocate Oscar De las salas was born in Colombia and migrated to America about 15 years ago. His father worked for Pfizer as a marketing executive in the regions of Mexico and Argentina, and his mother was a housewife “when housewives were a position, a manager”. De las salas traveled around the world, earning an architectural interiors degree in Spain, working for the U.S. Assembly and helping to erect buildings around the world. He came to America to study under famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and decided to stay. Since then, De las salas has become an advocate for both the Latino and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities. “Being Latino takes me down one step lower in society.

Being homosexual takes me one step lower than that,” De las salas says. He adds that he always asks politicians what they will do to help both his communities. “My mission statement is equality.” De las salas helps frequently with charity efforts, and has helped raise money for organizations dedicated to the arts, children and Latinos.

Uzra Vo Event Coordinator, Evening Entertainment Group

As her day job, Uzra Vo plans events at some of Scottsdale’s most high-profile venues. Despite her 11 plus years in the industry, she finds herself still a student, always improving her skills to coordinate seamless events enjoyed by all. “My greatest ambition is to establish my own event planning company, where I could exercise the freedom to explore the full spectrum of events and clientele,” Vo says. In her free time, she is an ardent community supporter, promoting causes related to women’s issues and access to continued education, especially for Latinas. For four years, Vo served on the Hispanic Women’s Corporation marketing committee, where she helped organize career workshops and raised scholarship funds for students to pursue their professional, civic and academic goals.

Marisol Diaz Academic Excellence and Inclusion, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University, Arizona State University

For Marisol Diaz, education is a way of life. “I’m an academic at heart,” Diaz says.

“I love education. It’s my passion.” She grew up in the barrios of Tucson, Ariz., and went on to earn a master’s degree at Northern Arizona University and a juris doctor at Arizona State University.

“Then I decided I can’t stop,” Diaz says, announcing her recent admission into a justice studies doctoral program. Today, she works on diversity-related issues in the office of the provost at Arizona State

latinoleaders.com

Club LEADERS of the Future University. “I try to do my best for diversity on the campus, and make sure the kids are getting an education,” Diaz says.

Gerardo Higginson Community Relations & Public Affairs Director, Univision

Gerardo Higginson arrived in the United States from Peru in 1985 and moved to Phoenix, Ariz., in 1997 in search of new opportunities and a better quality of life.

During his time in America, he has held such diverse jobs as senior assistant to the former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon (when controversial immigration Senate Bill [SB] 1070 passed), news anchor and reporter for Telemundo, and business banker at Wells Fargo. “Doing community service is part of my life, my everything,” Higginson says. “Making a difference and contributions to better our communities is what I love the best.” He says one of his proudest career moments came while working to defeat SB 1070 during Gordon’s term. Gordon was one of the few Arizona public officials to oppose SB 1070, an anti-immigration bill. During that time, he worked to rally like-minded organizations against the bill. “Working for the mayor was a very unique opportunity,” Higginson says. “I witnessed history in the making and with it, the Latino community waking up.” He continues to work with the community, putting initiatives related to education, health, finance and civic engagement in place, and hopes to continue the efforts.

Joyce Medina Harper Director of Scholarships, & Associate Executive Director of the Arizona Venture Fund for Quality Education, Arizona Community Foundation

All of Joyce Medina Harper’s life, her parents had told her that she would attend college.

54 54••February December / March 20122014 / January 2013

Don’t worry about how you’ll get there; you’re going, they said. Years later, when Harper had been named a National Urban Fellow by New York City’s Baruch College, she was refurbishing a desk in the street of a low-income area where she lived. A young girl approached her and asked what she was doing. “I’m painting this desk so I can study,” Harper told the girl, adding that she was in college. “What’s college?” the little girl asked. “I just stopped,” Harper says.

“I put the paint brush down and began to share with her that she too could go to college.” The moment would change Harper’s life, leading her to pursue a career in education. In her current position, she works with philanthropists who donate to scholarship funds. She then awards scholarships to all levels of students, from preschool to adults returning to college after raising a family. “My passion is serving families and children,” Harper says. She plans to stay in the nonprofit world, perhaps one day working as a chief executive officer. She says no feeling compares to that of informing a scholarship recipient of their award. “You really get to change the trajectory of a child’s life,” Harper says. “When you get to tell them they’re going to college and you’re going to help them pay for it, it’s an amazing thing.”

Lee Patterson District Director/ Financial Representative, Northwestern Mutual

Lee Patterson works as a financial planner at Northwestern Mutual, and his passion for educating people about finances includes all types of education. He tutors children in third through eighth grades in math, acting as a positive role model. Today’s classrooms sometimes have student to teacher ratios as high as 30 to one, Patterson says, creating a situation where learning is difficult. Sometimes those students have no role models to show them how to achieve big things and realize their dreams. “I try to help them realize the importance of education,” Patterson says. He attended the University of Arizona, where he played football, “despite my size,” he

says, laughing. He also has volunteered with organizations that support children who are ill, including Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Martin Quezada Member, District 29, Arizona House of Representatives

Martin Quezada never had high career aspirations. His parents grew up in a small town in northern Sonora, Ariz., and once he graduated high school, he was the most educated person in his family. “There was really no expectation,” Quezada says. He thought he’d become a mechanic or do something else with his hands. But he loved soccer and wanted to play, so he enrolled in college. “I ended up blowing out my knee, so that didn’t work,” Quezada says. But he stayed, and, in his last semester, interned with the Arizona Senate Democratic Caucus. While there, he witnessed an immigrant family address the legislature, pleading for money to pay for dialysis and save a family member’s life. The politicians quickly voted to dismiss the idea. But Quezada decided to do something. “When I saw the attitude they had toward the immigrant population, I was shocked.” He attended law school at Arizona State University, and lost a legislative race in 2010.

However, the person who won ended up in prison, and Quezada was appointed to replace him. He won a subsequent election, and now represents 285,000 people in one of the nation’s largest legislative districts. He also serves as the president of Phoenix’s Pendergast school board. “I could be working in a nice law firm, working in an office with a nice view and driving a nice car, but I gave that up to serve my community. More people should do that,” Quezada says, adding that the struggle for people without a voice is constant.

Mary Rabago Journalist, Entrepreneur

Born in Sonora, Mexico, Mary Rabago immigrated to the United States with big dreams. “One of my dreams was to become a singer,” Rabago says. “I realized I didn’t have the talent from my grandma,

so I had to settle with talking.” She began her journalism career, working for Univision for 18 years until leaving in June 2013 to spend more time with her family and start a production company.

“I decided to fly with my own wings,” she says, while trying to find that tricky balance between success as a professional and as a mother to her two children. “It was the hardest and the easiest decision of my life,” Rabago says.

Now, she hosts a television program and radio show to discuss issues of importance in the Latino community. “My doing this is journalist with a purpose. I want to make a difference. I don’t want to just inform.” Rabago hopes to generate conversations about such important topics as education, health and politics — “the hard topics,” she says. She hopes that through her shows, people will think about topics they may have otherwise ignored, such as financial literacy, and take action to improve their lives.

Alex Rodriguez Director, Southern Arizona Regional Office, Arizona Technology Council

Alex Rodriguez grew up in Tucson near the U.S./Mexico border. “It’s the third country between two other countries,” Rodriguez says. “There’s a lot happening there.” His father had a fifth-grade education, and his mother’s studies ended after middle school. They raised 10 kids, of which Alex was the youngest. He studied hard and was the first to graduate college, with a degree from the University of Arizona. He later attended graduate school at Harvard. In 2004, he won a seat on the Tucson school board, and in 2006, lost a bid for Congress during the era of heavy policing of borders and intimidating of Latino communities. Other jobs included working at the Pentagon during former President Bill Clinton’s term and serving in the U.S. Army. Now,

Rodriguez works with the technology council, using his extensive business background to spur job growth, boost the regional economy and support startups.

Raquel Téran Arizona State Director, Mi Familia Vota

Raquel Téran grew up in Douglas, Ariz., on the street that divides the United States and Mexico. Her parents were active in the community, helping people whenever they could. “Growing up in the border town, I would always see people coming back and forth,” Téran remembers. Her father always told her she would be grateful for growing up in the United States because of all the opportunities it offered. “As I grew up and I understood the issue of immigration, I got more involved,” she says. During the marches of 2006, which followed changes to U.S. immigration policy that criminalized undocumented immigrants, Téran began helping people to register to vote. “I loved it,” she says. She’s been involved in community organizing ever since. Today, Téran works for Mi Familia Vota, a national organization that makes sure Latinos are included in decision-making processes. She hopes to continue her work, protecting Latinos’ rights to work and fighting for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship.

Dapzury Valenzuela Owner, HAUTE D*SIGN & Associate Professor, The Art Institute of Phoenix

sor of fashion marketing and design.

She also runs haute-dsign.com which helps aspiring fashion and design entrepreneurs to establish a web presence independent of social media and to promote themselves. “I was very blessed to have mentors during my educational career and I always wanted to give back,” Dapzury says. A lover of learning, she says education naturally fit her desire to simultaneously learn and teach. She loves sharing the knowledge she’s gained during the course of her professional life and says her students always teach her new things. “It’s a very wonderful relationship,” Dapzury says.

Her ultimate goal is to help promote Phoenix’s reputation as a hotspot for creative people. The valley offers much potential, she says, citing the emergence of Phoenix fashion week as an example of local creativity.

Irma Deihl Director of Marketing (Central & South America), Vitamist

Irma Deihl works in marketing for Vitamist, a company that sells a vitamin spray, but says her true passion, besides shoes, is helping those in need. She grew up in a family of 15 in Madera, Chihuahua, Mexico, before immigrating to the United States for better opportunities. Together with Oscar De las salas, she runs a private nonprofit that has supported 67 other nonprofits.

“Every time we were helping an organization, everyone wanted credit and we got tired of that,” Deihl says. Instead, she and De las salas created an organization with a heart but no face. She returns to Madera annually to help its residents. One year, she and De las salas collected 6,000 blankets and distributed them to residents to protect them against the bitter cold.

Dapzury Valenzuela lives her passion for education by working as an associate profes-

latinoleaders.com

events

December 3, 2013 Four Seasons

Excellence in Financial Service Awards:

Miami

Excellence in Financial Service Awards Miami

Presented by:

with the support from:

Overall intro: During our Excellence in Financial Services Awards we had the opportunity to chat one to one with the evening’s celebrated leaders. Here they share their insights, priorities and motivation and why preparing for the future matters.

For more of the discussion, visit: 56 • February / March 2014

www.latinoleaders.com

Story by: Mariana

Gutierrez Briones | Photos by: Raul Ospina

Arturo Dopazo New York Life Insurance Co.

W

ith anything you undertake in life, if you do not have passion for it, it will not become anything. You’re only a follower. If you want to be a leader, you have to work with a lot of passion. And in this industry, that means that you have to spend a lot of time with your customers and know and understand their needs.

After talking to someone, I learn a little about their life, their economic profile; I try to understand or ask what concerns them most. And almost all of us are concerned about family: our wives, our children, perhaps grandchildren in the future. But we don’t ask ourselves what will happen when we are no longer here.

Unfortunately, as Latinos, we do not have that culture of preparing for the future

that Americans do. And that is one of the things that motivates me the most. How can I help my brother go forward and be a successor chain to parents and families?

How can I make sure that everything is done and delivered just like it should be?

We as Latinos do not take life insurance to heart. So I believe it is my duty to help these families and make the dreams they have for their children come true. I am constantly analyzing how I can help them plan ahead financially so that all of their goals are accomplished. And this can be difficult because we wait until the last minute to plan. We spend a whole year preparing a once-a week vacation, but we seldom think about the bigger picture.

We do not plan for retirement by saving money, and we don’t think about those we will leave behind. But those challenges are why my job is so fulfilling: because I want us Latinos to be a stronger power, a true economic power in this country, and to be recognized for the potential we have.

Passion, love of men and very hard work are the secrets to success in this industry.

You have to love what you do, regardless of whether it is lucrative or not. If you are doing something that fulfills you and at the same time you earn some money, you’re going to feel good. And that is what I try to do. I go to work every day, even if I do not have appointments. I see clients to share a glass of wine because I think the better relationship we have with our customers, with our brothers, the better our future.

One of the things that really struck me while I was in college was a statement that Einstein made, which is that “Time has no value.” But I think that if you do not take advantage of time, what you are missing is incalculable. You have to leverage your time well and start early. You cannot wait for the last minute for anything to be achieved. You begin today and continue for the next 20, 30, 40 years. And as Latinos, we have a very interesting opportunity. In 2050, half of the population of this country will be Latino. So we need to prepare now. And it is all very simple. If you really dedicate yourself to try to serve humanity, the steps are easy to follow.

Excellence in Financial Service Awards: Miami

Juan L. Cosío Cosio Financial Services

F

or me, the best country in the world is the United States because no one deserves anything, and everyone deserves everything. All the possibilities are there. I think he who wants to work here will find a job. The only thing you need is the desire to work.

When I started in this business I noticed that everyone wanted to target the Four Seasons owner for example, hoping he would make an investment, a large proper insurance. But I thought this was too complicated for me, so I decided to target the employees instead. I started with 250 policies a year. My career progressed, and eventually, I was able to launch my own firm, Cosio Financial Services. Today, I have 3,000 customers, and in my case, the secret to success was that rather than trying to take on the big, prestigious customers at the beginning of my career, which maybe I was not prepared to handle, I started to target everyone else.

I am also the first Hispanic district agent that New York Life has ever ap-

58 / March 58 • • February July / August 20132014

pointed, something that I am very proud of. This industry has favored us so much that it is a wonderful opportunity to give back and to teach agents to do what I did and extend what we have achieved in the community through them, while at the same time continuing to serve my clients who have become my friends.

I find my field very stimulating because everyone is interested in improving their livelihood, especially Hispanics. We, ideally, would like to create a foundation for our children, for our families.

But at the same time, this is something that is missing in our communities. Part of the problem is that we view our time in the United States as temporary, but we need to integrate into the American system, a system that was never explained to our parents or grandparents. This is why financial education became my mission because it is the most direct way to improve someone’s life. If I have learned anything it is that the more you educate the community, the greater the

possibility of connecting with clients and the more we will grow together.

I

have been in this industry 33 years, and I started at the bottom as an agent without connections, without contacts, trying to make a sale a day to survive. But I persisted because I grew up in the business and discovered that I had good salesman qualities.

I was also a good communicator of ideas, especially when it came to insurance. At that time, giving financial advice was not a

Ricardo Rosales Interbrokers, Inc.

part of the insurance business. It was just about selling policies. It was tough at the beginning and I got told “no” a lot – but I was learning to the extent that I was progressing, and I survived. 1996 I established my own company, Interbrokers, and in 2002 I started working with New York Life.

New York Life saw potential in my customers market, and I managed to start a business with them. After some time, I discovered the great value of having them as a business partner. It is a company with defined values of humanity, integrity and financial strength. And those words – integrity, humanity and financial strength – struck me because if you analyze them, they are extremely powerful. I started to think about how each of those words affected my life. And I thought I love humanity because it is part of what this insurance business is: serving mankind and helping people not to suffer financially because of the loss of a loved one, especially if that loved one is the household income generator. Today, it is necessary that people have integrity.

At New York Life, that word is valued and backed by a solid insurance company.

Financial strength completes the concept of integrity and humanity. At New York Life, I discovered valuable principles that helped me take my career to the next level. And that next level was materialized in winning customers, a concept I had not previously considered.

I did not think I could win them, but the reason I won them was that they discovered that New York Life was a highly respectable and solid company.

When it comes to my customers, caring for their families and themselves is the priority. And those priorities are accompanied by taking care of their capital because it is at risk. One thing we do at New York Life is offer guarantees of our products, and that is one of our strengths. During these last few years, New York Life has become one of the few financial institutions that have stayed on its feet, when most renowned institutions had fallen. It is undisputed that this is the company in which people want to put their capital to be protected.

The foundation for a financial structure that will grow is life insurance. So my recommendation is to start as early as possible while one is still young. This requires for our communities to be educated and understand how these products work. If people are not educated, they will not know that they have a resource of this magnitude to help them create a solid financial structure for the rest of their lives, not just for themselves but for their families as well.

We need to protect our heritage and our future, and this is the place to start.

events

Maestro

chicago

Nov. 13, 2013 InterContinental Hotel

By Christina Zambon Photos by Adrian Orozco

Community Service: Rey B. GonzĂĄlez Leadership: Juventino Cano Professional Achievement: Jose luis Prado Entrepreneurship: Gloria Castillo

Presented with the support from:

Maestro chicago 60 • February / March 2014

On the evening of Nov. 13, 2013, the Latino Leaders Maestro Awards Gala took place at the InterContinental Hotel on the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. A swarm of Latino leaders joined for an evening of networking and celebrating the achievements of leaders in the community. Friendly chatter filled the room as attendees sipped on wine before the awards ceremony.

The evening was focused on celebrating four stories of leadership: José Luis Prado

Professional Achievement Award presented by El Valor The Professional Achievement Award goes to an individual who has achieved outstanding success in his or her career, and José Luis Prado fully demonstrates that. Born and raised in Mexico City, Prado always knew he would do great things.

Though his parents had never gone to college, his family encouraged him to continue studying. Prado became the first to graduate college in his family, earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Universidad Politécnica in Mexico. He took it even ffurther and later went on to earn two master’s degrees. Based in Chicago, today he is the president of Quaker Foods North America, a division of PepsiCo. When asked how he managed to achieve such great success in corporate America, especially coming from a Mexican background, Prado offered this tip: “Learn to delegate; learn to give your team space. Your team can do things better than you; it’s not your job to do it all. It’s your job as a leader to be a coach and guide them along.”

Jorge Ferraez and Jose Luis Prado

Jorge Ferraez and Jose Luis Prado

Jorge Ferraez with Chicago Maestros Rey B. Gonzalez, Juventino Cano, Glloria Castillo, Jose Luis Prado

Jose Luis Prado and Jorge Ferraez Adolfo Hernandez, director of the Mayor’s Office of New Americans

Maestro

chicago Juventino Cano and Jorge Ferraez

Juventino Cano,

Maestro Award for Entrepreneurship presented by Northwestern Mutual The Maestro Award for Entrepreneurship goes to an individual with innovative vision and determination, as demonstrated wholeheartedly by Juventino Cano. He is a true example of someone achieving the American dream. At age 17, Cano emigrated from Mexico to the U.S., speaking no English. But he learned while attending high school. He started as a laborer, but with hard work, he moved up, and in 1986, he opened Cano Containers. Cano says that at the beginning it wasn’t easy. “I knew how to make boxes, but I had no experience with running a business. We struggled for many years.” But he persevered through the ups and downs that occur while getting any business off the ground. Today, Cano Containers has more than 40 full-time employees and earns more than $22 million in annual revenue. He points out the importance of giving back. “I believe that if you do well in any business, you have to help your community to do the same.”

Gloria Castillo

Juventino Cano

Chicago Maestros Rey B. Gonzalez, Juventino Cano, Glloria Castillo, Jose Luis Prado Rey B. Gonzalez and Jorge Ferraez

62 • June 2013 62 • February / March 2014

Rey B. González

Maestro Award for Community Service presented by Kraft Rey B. González has displayed a commitment to community service throughout his career. During his rise in the corporate world (with leadership positions at ComEd, McDonald’s, and Exelon Corporation), González says part of what made him stand out were his efforts for justice. His 30-plus-year career in community service began when he joined the board of directors at El Valor, a nonprofit, award-winning organization that serves thousands of learning-disabled children in Chicago each year. Through González’s tireless work with El Valor, they’ve expanded their service area and increased the number of children and families served as well as their staff and budget. They’ve also built three children and family learning centers, one of which is named after Rey B. Gonzalez. And he says it all began with the family. “I think it started with my parents, who gave me the will and the courage to deal with all kinds of situations. They instilled in us the importance of education, pride for our culture and to stand up for justice.” A true model of servant-minded leadership, Rey B. González is a very deserving recipient of the Maestro Award for Community Service.

Gloria Castillo

Rey B. Gonzalez

Gloria Castillo

Maestro Award for Excellence in Leadership presented by Southwest Airlines Gloria Castillo says that behind all her success is her mother, Mona Castillo. Castillo says, “The beginning really is the strength of the family.” The grounding and strength that she has garnered from her family have enabled her to accomplish a lot. She now serves as president and chief executive officer of Chicago United, a corporate membership organization that promotes multiracial leadership in business. She also serves as the advisory council chair for Mujeres Latinas en Acción, an organization with the mission to empower Latinas. All of this shows the dedication she brings to empowering the Latino community. Castillo says, “People say that they want diversity, but they really want a homogenous culture. The hard thing is to be authentic, and do that every day,” and adds, “Know who you are, the value you bring, and exhibit that every day.” As a final tip, she says, “I will say that in the Latino community; we are such hard workers. We need to learn to say, ‘I did this, I accomplished this. This is what I bring to the table.’” Because of her continual commitment to excellence, leadership and diversity, Castillo most certainly is a deserving recipient of the Maestro Award for Excellence in Leadership.

What Jorge Ferraez

is Drinking www.twitter.com/JFerraez_Latino

Making wine from 120 year old vines A conversation with Manuel Louzada from Numamthia in Toro, Spain

W

hen wine experts around the world, including His Majesty Robert Parker, started talking about this new Toro wine region from Spain, I had to try it.

The only one I could find was a Termes from the Bodega Numanthia, and it was a complete revelation for me. A robust and concentrated wine made of Tinta de Toro, a native varietal of the region. Not long ago, I called their wine director, Manuel Louzada, to ask him more about this enigmatic and iconic bodega from Toro: “The DOC is as old as the others in Spain; the thing is that we weren’t as known as Rioja or Ribera (del Duero).”

Tinta de Toro is an extraordinary varietal for red wines: powerful, concentrated and excellent for aging. Their top of the line wine, Termanthia, is one of my favorites.

Though is expensive (+$180-230 approx.), it is an icon: “We make the Termanthia with fruit from the Teso de los Carriles vineyard, which has 120-yearold vines. The wine is an outstanding expression of this terroir and varietal, exactly what has made the reputation of this wine: a pure and sophisticated expression of Toro.”

Termanthia is a very limited production with 22 months in barrel and 12 months in the bottle before hitting the market. On the other hand, the entry level Termes, from the same region and varietal is a “young and vivid wine, also a marked characteristic of Toro.” Manuel not only knows how well to make the Tinta de Toro express itself in a wine, but he also masters the art of consuming it. “I would drink a Termanthia with a toast with dark chocolate fudge, olive oil and sparkled with Cayenne pepper!

Not very traditional but surprising!”

Termanthia

Numanthia

64 • February / March 2014

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2006 (I found it in my cellar and decided to revisit it) Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc Price: $140 Aromas: Chocolate, red ripe fruit, red currant Flavors: Plum, vanilla, bell peppers Impression: Elegant and Feminine Structure: Silky, delicate Drink with: Haute Cuisine, Steak, Game and sophisticated dishes Why I loved this wine? It still is my favorite Bordeaux My Rating: 95 pts.

Graham’s Vintage Porto 1994 (Found in a local store) Region: Oporto, Portugal Varietal: Many, undisclosed Price: $84 Aromas: Cherry, chocolate, dates Flavors: Fig, dark chocolate, candied berries Impression: Explosion of Fruit Structure: Delicate Drink with: Stilton cheese, chocolate Why I loved this wine? Fresh and deep in fruit, not that sweet. My Rating: 94 pts.

Agricola Querciabella Batår 2007 (Found discounted 50% off!)

Region: Tuscany, Italy Varietal: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc Price: $100 Aromas: Flowery, toasted oak, melon Flavors: Honey, pineapple. Impression: Heavy, oily, dense. Structure: Strong, balanced and expressive Drink with: Shellfish, grilled Salmon Why I loved this wine?

Elegant and subtle My Rating: 95 pts.