The New Majority podcast highlights the leaders of our country’s new majority—one that is increasingly multicultural, increasingly diverse, and increasingly Latino. With each episode, our host Pedro A. Guerrero speaks with Latino leaders about their career journeys and lessons learned.
When we set out to produce The New Majority podcast, we wanted to create a space that amplifies the voices of accomplished Latino leaders whose stories are not readily told by the mainstream media. Three remarkable seasons later and having spoken with some the most influential Latino executives in America—as well as important allies of our community—we've begun to see patterns emerge. There are underlying themes running through each episode of The New Majority and in the lives of the podcast's central heroes. The desire to prove people wrong, to buck conventional attitudes, the impulse to include and bring others along, and the tension of belonging, while not belonging all the same. These narrative tributaries flow through our headsets to distill an image of a multicultural and complex community that is as deep as the lives of the individuals interviewed on our show. There is nothing new about Latinos in America.We've been here for quite some time and whether you see us and ignore us or you simply refuse to see us, we know this to be 100% true: America wouldn't exist without us and that America wouldn't thrive without us. For us, Latinos are America. That although we will be the majority in numbers sometime in the distant future, we are the majority now in spirit. It's in that spirit that we have decided to rename our show. Welcome to The Latino Majority podcast.
There are few better seats at the table than the one next to the president of the United States. As vice president, Kamala Harris recognizes that privilege. And like the influential Latinos and Latinas featured on The New Majority, she recognizes it as a result of those underrepresented leaders who came before her. Those who walked into spaces of corporate and political power knowing they would be judged and undervalued—but did so with their chins up and shoulders back. Her story has long been one of resolve. Magnified not only by her ascent to become the first female vice president in US history, but also in how she's operated since taking office. She has remained steadfast in her dedication to the expansion of rights and the continued investment in multicultural and multigenerational businesses. That advocacy for our nation's diverse communities both honors her predecessors and guides her successors.
Arturo Nuñez is a wizard at translating marketing strategy across cultures and populations. Currently the chief marketing officer at NuBank—a rising fintech bank based in Brazil—the born storyteller has been in the business for over three decades, with stops at PepsiCo, Diageo, Nike, and Apple. Nuñez's ambition for learning about different cultures is authentic and inspiring, but even more important is his passion to embed himself in each of those cultures for the sake of telling an emotional and captivating story. That passion is unmatched. “In challenge there's always opportunity,” Nuñez believes. Over the course of such a long career, his most significant challenge has been to continue finding success—and to build upon each new success so that he stays curious about what might come next.
Tanya Reu-Narvaez lives her life by a simple but powerful mantra: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Growing up in an apartment building owned by her grandparents–where her sprawling family lived together under one roof–she learned about both the stability and the opportunity homeownership offers. And the layered effect it can have on generations of a single family. As Chief People Officer at real estate powerhouse Anywhere, Reu-Narvaez wants to create the same sense of community she felt when her aunts, uncles, and cousins would spill out into the hallways of the apartment building during Thanksgiving dinner. For her, Latinos should be at the center of real estate strategy. That idea is not only reflected in how she approaches diversity internally at Anywhere but in how she urges the real estate market to better acknowledge the buying power of Latinos and underrepresented minorities.
For José E. Feliciano, success starts with failure. Prior to co-founding prominent private equity firm Clearlake Capital in 2006, Feliciano persevered through failures that forced him to innovate rather than recede into the background. Today, as a powerful investor in Silicon Valley, he sees his story reflected in countless technology start-ups. Businesses where failure is celebrated—because out of challenge often comes invention. Feliciano has experienced enormous growth with Clearlake, and he's paid that success forward by founding the philanthropic Supercharged initiative and claiming a seat on the board of trustees for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino. He believes that his career story isn't unique—that regardless of his recent stake in the English Premier League soccer team Chelsea FC, he's not on a path that's invisible to others in the Latino business community. It's a bold statement, but for Feliciano, as Latinos continue to grow into the new majority, so too will their access to capital and notoriety.
Charo Henriquez is comfortable pursuing the job that doesn't exist. A leader in digital journalism and newsroom strategy at the New York Times, she recognizes her value lies in the keen ability to solve for opportunities in a digital-first environment. To keep ahead of the curve and build new roles. It was early in her career as a journalist in Puerto Rico that Henriquez became comfortable with the idea of disruption and innovation at a legacy publication. And in identifying the rise of digital journalism during the decline of print, she also identified incredible possibility. Now she focuses on developing a newsroom that not only represents the many cultures and perspectives within it, but one that is always thinking about the next step. Henriquez knows better than anyone that to best serve a multicultural audience—and how it consumes news—you must accept that it will look different in five years.
Raul Anaya first witnessed the drive and resilience of the Latino business owner when his father opened Anaya's Body and Paint Shop in Brownsville, Texas. As President of Business Banking at Bank of America—and now as a member of the board of trustees for the Smithsonian's Museum of the American Latino—Anaya continues to witness the power of Latinos when they want to build something. And exactly how hope and optimism guides us as a community of entrepreneurs. Anaya has seen it over the course of three decades. Bank of America has not only provided him with the opportunity to appreciate the kind of courage his father showed when he walked into a bank to ask for a loan—it's allowed him the opportunity to personally support diverse business owners and properly reflect the community. Because for Anaya, we're in this together.
As a Girl Scout selling cookies, Sylvia Acevedo was taught by her troop leader to be adaptable, persistent, and inventive—to never lose sight of a sale until she's heard “no” three times. That early lesson informed the NASA alum and former Girl Scouts CEO to bring two solutions into a room: the one that everyone expects, and the one that innovates. Growing up in New Mexico, Acevedo discovered her track to engineering early on thanks to an aptitude for science and math. It was during that nontraditional path—one in which she was forced to battle otherness as a young Latina engineer—where she discovered how to cleverly create possibility for herself while simultaneously finding common ground with peers. Today, she imparts her knowledge as an engineering trailblazer to the Latino and greater business communities, thanks in part to public speaking opportunities and claiming seats at the tables of corporate boards. For Acevedo, it's never been about whether or not Latinos are in the game. We are. It's always about how we can add value.
There's one key consistency Dr. Miguel Román has observed across the countless photos he's seen of our planet taken from space: our natural environment has no borders. As a leading mind in climate science, Dr. Román has made it his mission to illustrate the effects of climate change through meaningful stories rather than onslaughts of data. And he often uses his native Puerto Rico as his protagonist. The island's susceptibility to hurricanes and its reputation as a “front line community in the face of climate,” means that it's consistently been forced to help itself structurally while propping up its own community emotionally. Dr. Román believes that the disasters Puerto Rico has had to endure can inform and educate the greater Latino community about climate change moving forward. Not only in how we adapt to that change but in how we better understand the wellness of the planet as a whole—without borders.
Early in his life as an entrepreneur, Gary Acosta believed that building a professional network was a fundamental necessity to best serve his career—and his career most of all. That his network was ultimately in place to benefit his ventures, first and foremost. Today, as CEO and cofounder of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and cofounder of L'Attitude—an annual event that connects the world's most powerful Latino business leaders—Acosta believes in the importance of sharing power above all else. He recognizes that his own success as a “serial entrepreneur” is due to the relationships he's forged over decades and the momentum he's been able to ride as a result. For Acosta, the pie is not finite—and his career is proof. Members of the Latino business community can't believe the misconception that they have to manufacture business success on their own. Successes can be shared, and they can bring a power that serves several.
For Dr. Geraldo Cadava, the wide diversity of the Latino experience is something to be honored rather than categorically dissected. Only once we respect the countless origin stories of our community can we even begin to understand the sincere, deeply held beliefs of each unique individual. A scholar and author, Cadava's deep family history informs his own experiences. He has often looked to his grandfather—a man of Colombian and Filipino descent who was born in Panama—for a rich text of stories about the Latino experience in America. In unpacking the cultural and political complexities within his own family, he became an expert on the multitude of themes woven throughout Latino history. That curiosity has fueled his career as an educator and spawned two books, the most recent being 2020's The Hispanic Republican: The Shaping of An American Political Identity, from Nixon to Trump.
Miguel Cardona felt the pride of service long before being appointed the United States Secretary of Education. As the highest-ranking educator in the country, Cardona knows that his Latinoness has helped him thrive. Over the course of his term, he aims to trumpet that same message to an underrepresented population of Latino teachers and students. That their bilingualism and biculturalism are, in fact, superpowers.
A Republican thought leader and cofounder of the Lincoln Project, Mike Madrid leverages his unique Latino perspective to provide commentary on a country in the midst of an enormous cultural transformation. He knows that as Armerica's complexion continues to change, the political party that properly addresses the education divide in the Latino community and invests in what he describes as “an aspirational agenda for a multiracial working class” will be of best service to the country.
As a child, Carolina Ceballos stood witness to her mother's determination and fearlessness in the face of unprecedented familial stress. Today, as deputy chief compliance officer at Facebook Payments, Ceballos carries on the lessons of her youth. Whether she's navigating issues of money laundering or fraud or human trafficking, she works tirelessly to ensure that the transactions in the global financial world bring people together instead of causing them harm.
Inherited from his father, Jorge Plasencia's entrepreneurial spirit is affirmed through his creative marketing agency, Republica Havas. There, Plasencia echoes the multicultural makeup of Miami, where Republica Havas is based, while spotlighting the unique perspective of the American Latino. Because he knows that if you're not investing in the Latino community today, you're likely be obsolete in 20 years.
As CHRO and partner at TPG and a board member at Upwork, Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri proudly carries the torch for her maternal grandmother, a mentor and analytical thinker who was one of the first women to go to a university in Puerto Rico. In her current roles, Vazquez-Ubarri focuses on data to emphasize the gaps in diverse representation in corporate America while messaging the need for the Latino community to collectively “run to the fire,” as she puts it, and take advantage of its numbers.
As chief communications officer at National Public Radio (NPR), Isabel Lara ensures there's a unified brand voice at the trusted news institution—one that acknowledges all voices, all accents, and all experiences. A Venezuelan immigrant who came to the United States 20 years ago, Lara has already spent considerable time walking the halls of media companies and museums. What's been made crystal clear during her journey is that “the Latino story is part of the American story.”
For Alicia Menendez, introducing mainstream media to the Latino community brings with it a deep sense of responsibility. An MSNBC anchor and the host of the Latina to Latina podcast, Menendez understands the value of context when shaping media narratives, and with her “heart of service,” she promotes the message that if you want to break down silos, you need to be clear about the why and be willing to ask for help.
Recorded in front of a live audience via Zoom, this bonus episode features a conversation with Meta's Aidymar Bigio and emphasizes the human connection and shared experiences being created by the metaverse, particularly as we become more accustomed to living in a virtual world. At the end of the episode, the floor is opened up for questions from the audience to Bigio, ranging from “What is your favorite VR experience and why?” to “How do you see VR enhancing travel?”
One evening, while returning home from a baseball game on the team bus, Bobby and his brother didn't follow the rest of the players into a restaurant for dinner. They simply couldn't afford it. That night, the generosity of one man set into motion Bobby's ambition to always pay it forward—to his friends, his coworkers, his family. Today, Herrera is cofounder and president of Populus Group and the author of The Gift of Struggle, a book about leadership and the life-changing lessons learned in working through the grind.
As a child, Maria Teresa Kumar often acted as her family's de facto translator, in some instances going to the doctor with her grandmother to make sure she received the right prescriptions. Her responsibility meant she often navigated two worlds and assumed the role of advocate for those the system quickly left behind. Today, as president and CEO of Voto Latino—and as an Emmy-nominated MSNBC contributor—she maintains an advocacy for Latinos that is louder and more critical than ever before.
You don't become the CEO of a Fortune 200 company at the age of 42 without talent, self-confidence, and a clear vision for growth in market share and shareholder value. What makes Sol Trujillo legendary is that he brings that same competitive spirit and foresight to the project he now leads. Today, Trujillo is cofounder of L'Attitude and chair of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), an immensely important role in which he ensures that Latinos take their rightful place in the family photo of America.
When Aidymar Bigio immigrated to the United States—having been accepted to the engineering program at the University of Rochester—it came as more than a culture shock. She describes that first step of her journey as a “survival game in assimilation.” Aidymar Bigio's story begins as that of a curious girl who heard a ticking coming from her mom. That experience propelled her towards a career in engineering, and today, as a prominent Latina at Meta, she leads the future of Oculus.
The first-generation son of a Cuban mother and Peruvian father, Mike Roggero never saw anything on television growing up that represented who he was. Today, as chairman and CEO of Fuse Media, Roggero has a goal to make the voice of the underserved stretch out across the entire media ecosystem—so that the Fuse brand becomes ubiquitous and, in turn, showcases the right representation of a blended America.
Samara Mejia Hernandez discovered early on that math acted as a universal language when she was challenged by a fifth-grade teacher to pursue accelerated courses. Later, when an older sister pushed her towards an engineering program, Hernandez began to recognize the value of investing in potential. Today, the Chingona Ventures' founding partner carries that insight into her investment strategies, embracing the totality of her life experience to benefit the founders in whom she sees potential.
For Dr. Cristina Mora, the greatest challenge faced by Latinos is being seen as American. The community's collective consciousness may have developed as a result of never being accepted, but every new generation brings with it an added layer of dynamism and a welcome discourse about the identity of America. Today, as a professor of sociology at UC Berkeley and author of Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Constructed a New American, Dr. Mora insists on the nuance of Latinidad and calls for Latinos to work together towards a project of justice.
The New Majority (TNM) podcast highlights the leaders of our country's new majority—one that is increasingly multicultural, increasingly diverse, and increasingly Latino. TNM amplifies the voices of Latino professionals who are not readily allowed a platform where their insights and stories can be heard. Even as the US Latino population increases every year, the demographic growth remains undervalued and underrepresented in corporate leadership positions and media coverage. The New Majority is here to change that. Over the course of our limited podcast series, you'll hear from Latino innovators in both business and culture. Host Pedro A. Guerrero, publisher of Hispanic Executive, will interview leaders of the new majority about their career journeys and their lessons learned—and, in doing so, provide our audience with relevant industry advice and expertise. For a transcript of an episode of The New Majority, please email us.
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