Podcasts about latino professionals

Here at Laura Flanders & Friends, we offer a comprehensive fellowship program in collaboration with the City University of New York (CUNY) John Jay School of Criminal Justice. Participants work hands-on, gaining knowledge about our independent movement media operation producing our TV, radio and podcast productions. Throughout the program our entire staff spends time with each fellow, sharing expertise and knowledge from editing to scripting to promotions and technical skills. We mentor our fellows and guide them in producing their own media pieces. You are about to hear one of those stories produced by our Justice Capital Initiative fellow Erika Harley, a college sophomore pursuing a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Description:  Many first-generation Latino students face unique challenges as they navigate the path from college to career readiness. ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) is a transformative organization providing mentorship, professional development, and a sense of belonging through its ALPFAmilia network. In this audio report, John Jay Justice Capital Initiative fellow Erika Harley explores how ALPFA empowers students to overcome barriers, featuring interviews with John Jay Chapter President Nayeli Zempoaltecatl and the New York Director of Student Affairs Kevin Durjpal. Together, they share how ALPFA bridges the gap for underrepresented groups, fosters equity, and transforms lives."Everybody a part of ALPFA is automatically a part of an ALPFAMILIA because this network, why it was created, was to help, at first, Latinos. Now it has branched out, of course. But we understand one another. We know the struggles we're facing." – Nayeli Zempoatecatl “A lot of students, they want to join in first to get an internship. But then when you join in, you realize you make a lot of good friends. You may look at family. That's the reason why you want to stay. I know that's the reason why I stayed.” – Kevin DurjpalGuests:Kevin Durjpal: ALPFA NY Director of Student Affairs Committee; Strategy & Consulting Analyst, AccentureNayeli Zempoaltecatl: President, ALPFA John Jay ChapterMusic Included:  "Tweet Storm" & " Electric Car" by Podington BearAt The Laura Flanders Show, we're dedicated to providing a platform for diverse voices in the field of social justice. This report, a collaboration between The Laura Flanders Show fellowship program and CUNY John Jay College, reflects our commitment. The opinions presented are solely those of the guest contributor and do not necessarily reflect or represent The Laura Flanders Show's views or those of CUNY John Jay College. Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O'Conner. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

What's up, Moneda Moves community? No one should be left behind in our mission to achieve equal pay, even for Latinas. Yet, in 2024, the Latina pay gap widened for the first time in 20 years. That's impacting Latinas across the board and in most disparate ways our caregivers, mothers, farmworkers, and people working in hospitality. My time reporting out of NYC reminds me of a time when I covered farmworkers and activists marching 200 miles to Albany to demand basic workers' rights, including collective bargaining, workers' compensation, and unemployment benefits. This was finally granted in 2019 via the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act. This week's guest is Mónica Ramírez, an attorney, author, and activist. She is the founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, The Latinx House, and Poderistas. Mónica has received numerous awards, including Harvard Kennedy School's first Gender Equity Changemaker Award, Feminist Majority's Global Women's Rights Award, and the Smithsonian's 2018 Ingenuity Award. She was named to Forbes Mexico's 100 Most Powerful Women's 2018 list, TIME Magazine's TIME100 Next list in 2021, and the Association of Latino Professionals for America's (ALPFA) Most Powerful Latinas list for 2024. Now more than ever, it's so important to be aware of the inequities our communities face at all levels and to call them out. If we are ever going to see the equal pay we deserve, we need to bring marginalized workers on this journey with us. That includes the farmworkers, janitors, and caretakers. At Moneda Moves, we applaud how our community is building generational wealth through entrepreneurship, leading companies, and career progression. But in our interview with Mónica, we discuss how the best way to move forward as a community and to close the wage gap is to respect individuals across industries that power our society in search of equity. There is no room for disparaging the same jobs that gave the next generation a leg up in the first place. In this week's episode, Mónica highlights why the pay gap is widening and what we can do to fix it. The fight for equal pay is a long road ahead, but we can start within our own communities. Latinas are making on average 51 cents on the dollar compared to our white, non-Hispanic colleagues. This pay gap is affecting Latinas in white-collar jobs and blue-collar alike. We have a lot of work to do to fix this, and Mónica is here to teach us how. No te lo quieres perder. Follow Mónica on Instagram: @activistmonicaramirez  Follow Moneda Moves on Instagram: @MonedaMoves Follow your host Lyanne Alfaro on Instagram: @LyanneAlfaro Main podcast theme song from Premium Beat. Our music is from Epidemic Sound. Podcast production for this episode was provided by Sarah Tulloch and her podcast production company, CCST.

Juan Carlos (JC) Morales shares his unique perspective on the world of finance and how he has dedicated his career to strengthening and empowering the Latino community as the founder and CEO of Surfside Capital Advisors. He has led innovative financial strategies for companies in Boston and beyond and has been a key architect of initiatives that positively impact Latinos. From his prominent roles in Fortune 500 companies to his tenure as CEO of BNY Mellon Mexico and CFO at TIAA Asset Management and State Street Global Advisors, JC has shown unwavering commitment to the inclusion and economic advancement of Latino communities. His influence extends beyond corporate boundaries: as a co-founder of the Boston chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and creator of the Latino Equity Fund at The Boston Foundation, he has raised over $8 million to support Latino causes since 2013. His story inspires everyone to strive for financial freedom and to use their resources for collective well-being. Don't miss his inspiring journey in our latest episode, available now on Spotify!

HR outsourcing companies in Dallas are spearheading efforts to integrate Latino talent, addressing career advancement gaps and promoting inclusive workplaces. Their strategies boost job satisfaction, retention, and innovation, benefiting both employees and organizations. Insurance4Dallas City: Dallas Address: 4516 Lovers Lane Website: https://insurance4dallas.com/health-insurance-companies-in-texas/ Phone: +1-972-219-6004

Learn more about LPA of NEW -- https://www.facebook.com/LPAofNEW 

What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Jessenia Francisco, Director, Marketing Operations at Lucid. Summary: Jessenia shares her journey from nonprofit to tech, emphasizing adaptability and purpose. She tackles imposter syndrome by fostering an inclusive culture, explores the strategic use of tools like Lucidchart in her own day to day, and advocates for mindful martech selection, particularly the integration of AI, balancing innovation with practicality. Her work with Women in Revenue underscores the power of mentorship in empowering women in revenue roles, highlighting the importance of community and strategic thinking for professional and personal growth. About JesseniaJessenia started her career in Finance at Merril Lynch and Bank of AmericaShe pivoted to the non profit space joining the Association of Latino Professionals for America where she started to get in fundraising operationsShe was later recruited by the NewSchools Venture Fund and moved out to the Bay area to roll out Salesforce across the organizationShe then joined the Opportunity Fund as Development Operations Manager focused on improving the donor acquisition process and marketing automation implementationJessenia then made the mega move to Asana where she started in Sales Operations and later pivoted to Marketing Operations leading Martech Program and eventually becoming Head of Marketing AutomationToday she's Director of Marketing Operations at Lucid Software, the creators of the popular flowchart and diagram tool; LucidchartShifting from Counting Coins to Making ChangeJessenia's career evolution from finance to the nonprofit sector was not just a job change; it was a pursuit of impact over income. She sought to make a tangible difference, moving away from the profit-focused dialogues of her finance days towards creating systemic change. This quest for purpose led her to the nonprofit world, where she found the work deeply rewarding.Reflecting on her journey, Jessenia realized she had been involved in operations long before it became a recognized field, combining her analytical skills with business operations even during her finance tenure. This foundation served her well in the nonprofit sector, allowing her to apply her skills to support community-driven initiatives. She was particularly moved by the stories of the communities she worked with, finding a profound connection to the people and the transformative changes her efforts contributed to.At NewSchools Venture Fund, Jessenia experienced the intersection of venture philanthropy and educational reform. This organization, pioneering in merging investment with educational innovation, aimed to disrupt traditional learning models. She was fascinated by project-based learning, as seen in a Napa school, where even kindergartners engaged in complex concepts like velocity and gravity. Such moments underscored the significant impact of strategic funding in education.The nonprofit sector also presented Jessenia with numerous growth opportunities, from implementing CRMs to leading marketing operations. These experiences built her expertise in sales and marketing operations, highlighting the sector's potential for rapid professional development. Jessenia appreciated the creative challenges and the "champagne taste on a beer budget" mentality, which taught her to maximize limited resources effectively.However, Jessenia also faced challenges, including under-resourcing in technology and potential career stagnation. The nonprofit world's inclination to deprioritize tech investments and the limitations in career growth posed significant hurdles. Additionally, leadership changes and political dynamics within organizations could disrupt projects and affect the effectiveness of operations work.Key Takeaway: Jessenia's narrative reveals the dual nature of nonprofit work: its capacity to fulfill a deep-seated need for purpose and impact, juxtaposed with the practical challenges of limited resources and career growth ceilings. Her journey highlights the importance of adaptability, creativity, and a steadfast focus on mission-driven work amidst these challenges.Career Leaps From Small Ponds to Big Tech OceansJessenia's career leap from niche nonprofits to tech giants like Asana and Lucid sheds light on the value and versatility of working in different organizational sizes. Initially joining Asana when it was a relatively small team of 350, she quickly dispelled the myth that smaller entities lack significance. Her experience at Asana, a company that grew from a "cult classic" to a major player, exemplifies the unique advantages of smaller companies, such as a close-knit work culture and rapid adaptability.Small companies, Jessenia notes, offer a level of intimacy and direct impact that larger organizations can struggle to match. From knowing a colleague's preference for Diet Coke to having the ability to influence business outcomes directly, these environments foster a sense of community and effectiveness. Yet, she also confronts the misconception that privilege and pedigree are absent in smaller settings. Even in a tight-knit team, backgrounds of privilege and elite education can influence dynamics, something Jessenia encountered firsthand.However, as companies grow, maintaining the essence of a smaller organization's culture poses challenges. Jessenia emphasizes the importance of meeting people and business needs as they evolve, advocating for empathy and adaptability in processes. She warns against being wedded to past solutions or technologies, stressing the need to tailor approaches to the organization's current context rather than relying on what worked elsewhere.Key Takeaway: Jessenia makes the point that smaller companies offer a richness of experience and that you will need a nuanced approach if transitioning to or scaling within larger tech companies. She highlights the importance of adaptability, empathy, and a keen understanding of the unique dynamics at play, offering insights into successfully navigating career transitions and fostering personal and professional growth in any organizational landscape.Reflections on Overcoming Imposter SyndromeJessenia tackles imposter syndrome with a unique blend of emotional intelligence and mindful reflection. Instead of reacting on impulse, she takes time to process complex ideas, valuing collaboration over solitary effort. Recognizing when to ask for help has been crucial in her journey, turning potential hurdles into learning opportunities and stronger bonds with her colleagues.Her approach to leadership focuses on empowering her team, encouraging them to confidently express their insights and take ownership of their expertise. This method not only addresses imposter syndrome but also promotes a culture where accountability and teamwork thrive. Jessenia believes in the power of vulnerability and support, showing that admitting you don't know everything can be your greatest strength.Jessenia actively seeks out communities for both professional and personal growth, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. By engaging with networks, she ensures no one has to face difficulties alone, emphasizing the importance of collective wisdom and shared experiences.Key Takeaway: The cornerstone of her strategy against imposter syndrome lies in fostering environments where asking questions, seeking clarity, and valuing each team member's viewpoint are encouraged. This approach not only helps combat feelings of inadequacy but also strengthens the team's cohesion and effectiveness.Cracking the MOPs Code with Lucidchart's Vis...

Dr. Celia Chomón Zamora, CAE currently serves as ACTFL's Director of Professional Learning and Certification. Dr. Zamora has served the language education community since 2005, where she has worked as a K-12 language teacher and administrator in public and private school settings, a postsecondary language program instructor, assistant director, Quality Assurance Senior Manager, and researcher. The daughter of first-generation immigrants from Venezuela and Cuba, Dr. Zamora is a passionate advocate of heritage language learners. She currently serves as a scholar for the Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP), a Chairwoman for the Events and Relationship Committee of Association Latinos, a member of ASAE's Research Foundation Committee and the Chairwoman of the CAE Registered Provider Committee and was recently recognized as one of the Top 30 Rising Latinos by Latino Professionals, as well as Association Forum's 40 Under 40. Dr. Zamora completed her doctoral degree in Spanish Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University, where she was awarded the Harold N. Glassman Distinguished Dissertation Award in the social sciences. At ACTFL, she is currently focusing on providing a platform to amplify the voices of underrepresented language learning communities, developing resources and communities of support for less commonly taught and Indigenous languages, and continuing to advocate and support heritage language learners and teachers.   www.actfl.org https://www.languageconnectsfoundation.org/about-us     Thank you for listening to the A+ Parents podcast. If you love the show, don't forget to subscribe, share and leave us a review. Also, follow us online at www.aplusparents.com  www.mrdmath.com or on our social channels @MrDMathlive @aplusparentspodcast   Also, host Dennis DiNoia has a new book out NOW called “Teach: Becoming Independently Responsible Learners. Order your copy: https://aplusparents.com/teach   OR on Amazon   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X2B3MG8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_DDH16A3BD5X79CSFSQXB   To learn more about Mr.D Math Live Homeschool classes, visit:   https://mrdmath.edu20.org/visitor_class_catalog?affiliate=10252228

Like many students, Amanda started her college path doing something she loved: playing her clarinet. After some time in college, she realized that even though she loved music, she didn't necessarily want that to be her career path.  Once she transferred schools, she took advantage of an opportunity to speak to multiple professionals in a field she was interested in to help guide her decisions to a new major.  Technology and the cybersecurity landscape have changed significantly in the years since Amanda was in college, so she has been very proactive in learning and collecting valuable professional experiences along her path. Through it all, Amanda has invested time in a valuable professional organization that positively contributes not only to her community, but to her own professional experience.  Don't miss this valuable conversation about Amanda's journey as a fourth generation Mexican American from Texas to working in cybersecurity for a dream technology company on the west coast.  

@markasher32 talks with Drew McCaskill, from @LinkedIn about Networking Tips for Latino Professionals, the business of sports and our crosstalk  @Mastering_Money #smallbusiness #networking #news #stocks #sports #retire #annuities 

Alexander Almonte is a professional career coach and business consultant. His expansive career in financial services includes five years at AIG Investments, where he was promoted to Director at 24 years old, followed by nine years at JPMorgan Chase, where he built finance, business management, technology, and operations organizations for the global Strategic Investments business. He was promoted to Vice President at 26 years old and to CFO at 29. Underpinning his achievements is a deep commitment to mentoring and developing people. Alexander has served on the board of ALPFA NY (Association for Latino Professionals for America - New York) as Chief Operating Officer, an organization dedicated to empowering and developing Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. His work as a coach, serving over 10,000 individuals over ten years, inspired Alexander to create Almonte.Life, a lifestyle company that empowers people and business owners to do their best work while living a full and purposeful life. Alexander received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Queens College. He is fluent in Spanish, and reverted to Islam in 2022. Support the Islamic Center at NYU Our operating and programmatic budget comes directly from donations and as our community grows, so do our expenses. If you are interested in making a one-time, monthly, annual, or general donation to the Islamic Center at NYU, please do so at https://icnyu.org/donate/.

Bank of America's Patricia Pacheco De Baez has grit. She learned it from her fierce Latina mother, who taught her to work hard and strive for excellence – something Patricia has carried with her throughout her career journey. Patricia started as a temp in the financial industry, always grateful for every opportunity she was given – whether big or small. All she needed was a “foot in the door.” Once there, she began to stand out and advocate for herself early in her career. At the age of 25, she did her research, gathered up the courage to ask for pay equity, and got it. It's easy to see how she's moved up the career ladder. Patricia currently holds the title of Managing Director for NYC Private Bank, Market Leader & Diverse Segment Champion at Bank of America. Listen as Patricia walks us through her professional journey and how she learned not to give up on her dream. She's a big proponent of mentors and sponsors and practices being open and honest with them, so they get the most out of their time together. Patricia is a risk taker and isn't afraid to make big moves, and she shares with us why she thinks working hard and striving for excellence are the keys to success.  Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Patricia. Highlights:  [02:46] Patricia's background and key lessons she's learned[10:37] Patricia's diverse career path[15:41] What Patricia looks for in a position[22:04] How to be direct about your ask[25:17] Advocating for yourself[32:33] Being honest with your mentors[40:12] Finding confidence to make bold moves[43:26] Patricia's move into management[52:28] The importance of working hard[55:00] Striving for excellence[58:54] Lightning round questions Quotes: “Education is the instrument for us to break the cycle of poverty and accomplish our dreams.” – Patricia Pacheco De Baez  “Every time I'm very comfortable in a role, I ask myself, ‘What else can I do?'” – Patricia Pacheco De Baez  “If you don't advocate for yourself, who will?” – Patricia Pacheco De Baez  “Every one of us has something to bring to the table that differentiates us and makes us unique.” – Patricia Pacheco De Baez    Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you?  “Extreme Ownership” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin and Maya Angelou's poem, “Still I Rise”.  What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying?  “In the moment of turbulence and darkness, just remember… it's not just about You.” What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself?  Grit What is one change you've implanted that made your life better?  Meditation What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage?  “This Girl is on Fire” by Alicia Keys   About Patricia Pacheco De Baez:   Patricia Pacheco is a Market Leader & Diverse Segment Lead in NYC Private Bank. In this role she drives business development strategies focusing on the wealth management needs of high net worth families in the areas of investment management, estate planning, banking and credit.   Prior to this role, she was responsible for Latin America and European large corporate subsidiaries in Global Corporate Investment Bank. In this role, she drove more than 316% growth in revenues since 2014 when she joined the firm. Some of her clients included Bimbo, Cemex, Diageo, EssilorLuxottica, Gerdau and Unilever. Pacheco was also a member of Bank of America's Global Corporate Banking Subsidiaries Management Committee.   Prior to joining Bank of America, Pacheco worked at J.P. Morgan Treasury Services for seven years where she was responsible for coverage of financial institutions (FIs), public sector and non-bank FIs operating in Mexico City. Previously she led the strategy and execution of cash management product sales for Latin America and served as the relationship manager for Latin America FIs subsidiaries and branches in the United States. Before working at J.P. Morgan, Pacheco spent six years at American Express Bank as a relationship manager covering FIs in the United States and Canada.   Pacheco has been actively involved in leading many Hispanic and employee network initiatives throughout the course of her career. She currently serves as co- chair of Bank of America's Hispanic Latino Executive Council and emeritus chair of the firm's Hispanic Network Executive Advisory Board (HOLA NY). Pacheco also serves as a member of the YMCA USA National Board & ALPFA NY Senior Leadership Council. Pacheco has received numerous awards for her business experience and volunteerism including Bank of America's “Outstanding Employee Network Leader Award” (2015), as well as Bank of America's “Global Diversity & Inclusion Team Award” (2017) and “Global Diversity & Inclusion Individual Award” (2018) – two of the firm's most prestigious employee honors. She also was the recipient of the “Young Hispanic Corporate Achiever Award” (2016) from the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility and was recognized as a “Women's of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) Rising Star” (2018-2019). Pacheco holds an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration from Manhattanville College with dual majors in international business and Latin America studies.

Join our resident Business Ninja Kelsey, together with Jaime Nacach, the founder and CEO of Virtual Latinos, the first platform focused on creating long-term relationships between Clients and Virtual Assistants by connecting entrepreneurs, teams, and agencies from the US, Canada, and the world with virtual assistants and professionals from Latin America, including Mexico, Central America, and South America. Their vision is to empower North American high-growth businesses to efficiently ramp up their talent and exponentially scale revenue while supporting Latino professionals to achieve their potential and improve their quality of life. Find out more about them by visiting their website at www.virtuallatinos.com.-----Do you want to be interviewed for your business?  Schedule time with us, and we'll create a podcast like this for your business:  https://www.WriteForMe.io/-----https://www.facebook.com/writeforme.iohttps://www.instagram.com/writeforme.io/https://twitter.com/writeformeiohttps://www.linkedin.com/company/writeforme/https://www.pinterest.com/andysteuer/Want to be interviewed on our Business Ninjas podcast? Schedule time with us now, and we'll make it happen right away! Check out WriteForMe, more than just a Content Agency! See the Faces Behind The Voices on our YouTube Channel!

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, Clarion Partners' Pedro Niño and CBRE's Armando Nuñez and Nellie Cruz join Spencer Levy to offer perspectives on their workplace experiences and the importance of diversity and share tips for people at every stage of a career.

To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, Gil Vasquez, CPA, the founder of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), joins the Journal of Accountancy podcast to discuss the history of ALPFA and how it has evolved over the years. The founder and managing partner of Vasquez & Company LLP talks about early struggles to land a job as a CPA and some of the work he has done serving on boards in Los Angeles. National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Even though the podcast is on a short break, we wanted to release this amazing episode in honor of the celebratory month. In the episode, hosts Aileen Rueda-DaCosta and Kristopher Swanson sat down with Cecilia Thibault and Danny Barrera from Young Latino Professionals of Wichita in order to talk about their organization's powerful work and the many ways in which this aligns with abcd (asset-based community development). We hope you enjoy, and again, happy Hispanic Heritage Month!Young Latino Professionals of Wichita (or YLPW) was started in 2018 and "aims to create and leverage an entire network of Latinos to positively influence our community". As you'll discover in this interview, their work is so grounded upon relationship and connecting, and it's truly wonderful to see the amazing impact - and growth - they've had in the Wichita community over a period of only 4 years. Cecilia and Danny are both leaders within the group, and they have so much wisdom and insight around leading in these kinds of community spaces in an asset-based way. We're so excited to share this episode with you all!You'll learn so much about YLPW in the midst of this interview, but to learn even more, check out their website here! And, to get more details about their Art After Hours event mentioned in the episode, check out their Instagram here!

Having immigrated to the United States at a young age, Ileana Musa learned a lot about a strong work ethic and positive outlook. She grew up a dancer and loved the arts – and thought this is what she'd pursue as a career until her father stepped in and told her she should focus on finance and minor in dance. Fast forward to today, Ileana is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending for one of the largest financial institutions in the world. She's created a path for herself and shares with us the steps to forming win-win relationships that help us succeed too. Ileana is resourceful and always made do with what she's had. She's found the opportunities in life and believes you can change your own path at any time. She tells stories of how she's connected with people and why sharing your own personal story and vision is vital for this connection. Ileana gives us insights on how to meet setbacks head-on and identify quick wins in order to keep forward momentum. Listen to this podcast if you're struggling and want to find a new way of thinking or build relationships with the right people who can help you reach your goals.  Highlights:  [03:30] Ileana's story [05:16] Decision to pursue a career in financial services  [07:40] Ileana's daily success habits [10:10] Building your personal brand [17:42] Gaining access to influential leaders [23:30] Overcoming fears and limiting beliefs [29:43] Executing on your new opportunity [37:14] Advice on staying ahead of the curve   Quotes: “What's the quality of your work when no one is watching?” – Ileana Musa “The more you share what drives you, the more connectivity you have with people around you.” – Ileana Musa “I will never throw in the towel because of a setback.” – Ileana Musa   About Ileana Musa: Ileana Musa is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending. In this role she leads the segment and strategy that focuses on Morgan Stanley's International Client Advisors and international clients to ensure they have access to strategic investment, cash management and lending solutions, services and thought leadership to address both sides of a client's balance sheet. Ileana is a member of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management Management Committee, Wealth Management Operating Committee, Latin America Management Committee, US Banks Management Committee, and the Bank Leadership Committee. Ileana co-chairs the enterprise Latino Employee Network.  Prior to joining Morgan Stanley she was the Global Client Segment and Strategy executive for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this capacity, Ileana focused on international financial advisors to ensure the delivery of a consistent, goals-based wealth management experience for international high-net-worth and ultra-high-net worth clients. Prior to this role, Ileana was head of International Credit & Banking within Bank of America's Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) Banking group. In this role, she led the teams that supported and delivered integrated liquidity, cash management and lending solutions and services to financial advisors and high-net-worth clients in Latin America, Asia and Europe.  Ileana held several leadership roles in the domestic, international and affluent banking platforms at Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, where she lent her talent in growing the cross-border wealth management business.  Ileana received her BBA degree, with a concentration in finance, from the University of Miami and an M.B.A. degree in finance from Florida International University. Ileana is fluent in Spanish, is FINRA registered and is Six-Sigma Greenbelt certified.  Ileana was recently named to the Girl Scouts National Board (GSUSA) and sits on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Florida International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami.  Ileana was named to the ‘Top 100 Most Influential Latinas' List in 2020 by Latino Leaders. Last year she was recognized to the 2019 MAKERS class of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management as well as being recognized by Latino Justice with the 2019 Latina Trailblazer Award honoring her professional and personal achievements in opening doors and new opportunities for other professionals. Additionally, Ileana was named to ALPFA's 2019 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America list for a third year in a row as previously featured in Fortune magazine. In 2016 Ileana was awarded the 2015 Top 10 Corporate Executives of the Year by Latina Style magazine.  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileanamusa3 

Andrew Gordon, chief executive officer and founder of Diversity Abroad, leads the conversation on the importance of providing equitable access to global education.   CASA: Hello, and welcome to CFR's Higher Education Webinar. I am Maria Casa, director of the National Program and Outreach at CFR. Thank you all for joining us. Today's discussion is on the record, and the video and transcript will be made available on our website, CFR.org/academic if you would like to share them with your colleagues after today. As always, CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. We are delighted to have Andrew Gordon with us to discuss the importance of providing equitable access to global education. Mr. Gordon is the founder and chief executive officer of Diversity Abroad, an organization focusing on topics pertaining to access, diversity, inclusion, and equity in international education. He works with higher education institutions, nonprofit and for profit organizations, and government agencies for developing strategies for increasing access to international education for diverse, first-generation, and high financial needs students. Mr. Gordon is a member of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Association of International Education Administrators, the European Association for International Education, the National Association of Black Accountants, and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. He is an alum of INROADS and the Association for the International Exchange of Students in Economics and Commerce. Welcome, Andrew. Thank you very much for speaking with us today. GORDON: It's great to be here. Thank you. CASA: Can you begin by giving us an overview of what equitable access to global education means and its importance in higher education? GORDON: Yeah. Absolutely. First, just want to say thank you, Maria, for the invitation to speak and to CFR Academic for hosting this session, particularly, this important topic. As I delve into my remarks, I'll give a little bit of background as to the—where my remarks are going to come from. As Maria mentioned, I founded an organization, Diversity Abroad, that centers diversity, equity, inclusion in global education. And over the last sixteen years had an opportunity to work with higher-education institutions, everything from community colleges to liberal arts, R-1s to Ivy Leagues, on this question of what does equitable access to global learning and global education mean. And we get this question often and, usually, when I get this question sitting in meetings with academic professionals, I, in some ways, put the question back and I say, well, what's the benefit of global education and global learning. Why do our campuses invest in infrastructure for global education and global learning, whether that's sending students abroad, supporting international students, ensuring that global themes are embedded into the curriculum? We often hear in the field of international education the term campus internationalization. Why are we investing in that in the first place? Well, when we think about global education and global learning and the students that engage in it, one of the organizations that many on the call may be familiar with, AAC&U, puts global learning and global education as a high impact practice, the kind of opportunities that help our students excel academically, grow interpersonally, and also be positioned that much better to thrive professionally once they leave school. And so taking a step back and thinking of the benefits of global education, we talk about students who engage in global learning opportunities. Many times this helps open their—broaden their perspective of the world as a whole. If they're participating in a physical—or education abroad program, many times it helps them in building resilience, a deeper sense of self, having more empathy for those who are, if you will, “different” than they are, embracing difference, something I think we can all appreciate we need that much more so in our society. So when we think—and we could probably, Maria, spend the entire time that we have talking about the benefits of global education and global learning. But the thing is that we know that—those of us who work in higher education know that and in many ways we are the gatekeepers to the kind of experiences inside the classroom, outside the classroom, that we say will fall under the umbrella of global learning. So if we know the benefits of these opportunities, we know how it can impact our students, then it is—well, the onus is on us to ensure that all of our students have equitable access to the benefits of global learning. We can't, on one side, say these are all the benefits of these phenomenal opportunities and so on and so forth, and then on the other side be OK with only certain students having access to global learning opportunities because, essentially, what we're saying is, well, this is a great thing that we have but only certain students are able to. And when we think about what—I would say, for many folks, when we talk about global learning, I would say one of the first things we often go to is study abroad. Study abroad is a phenomenal, phenomenal experience, and we'll talk about other forms in a moment. When we think about that particular opportunity that, I would say, is very high profile on many campuses, students graduating from high school going into university, the percentage is that eightieth, ninetieth percentile of students who are interested in study abroad. We know that is one of the global—one of the experiences that would fall under global education. We also know that, traditionally, study abroad has not reached a vast—too many of our students, we'll say, particularly our students of color, those who are first generation, those who are coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. And so I think, in many ways, we'll get students who we say are—the growing population of students on our campuses are also those that study abroad has not supported, and even when campuses have been more successful in getting students to study abroad they haven't necessarily been as—we haven't necessarily been as successful in supporting the success of our students while they're there. So, when we think back to study abroad, if you will, being an aspect of global learning, which is a high-impact practice, you know, high-impact practice is only a high-impact practice if it's properly administered. So we send students but we're not prepared to really support our students in a very holistic way, in an inclusive way. Great, we've sent them but we're not really giving them equitable access to the benefits of a global education. And, likewise, global education exists in different parts of the campus as well. Think about what happens in our classrooms. In the curriculum we have a variety of different area—academic areas of focus. Frankly, how we support our incoming international students—our international students—every student is not going to study abroad, but our campuses are globally diverse environments where our students from all backgrounds exist and our international students and how they acclimate to U.S. culture, how we prepare them to engage with students from a variety of different backgrounds, Americans from a variety of different backgrounds. That's also part of the global learning that happens. And so when we take a step back and just, again, think about why is it that we invest in global education and global learning, it's because we know the benefits of it. We are 5 percent of the world's population, and I think if anything in the last two years, sort of two and a half, three years, we—it is very clear and currently as well is very clear how incredibly interconnected we are as a globe, even as their call—you hear the pundits and otherwise say, like, oh, well, globalization is dead, and so on and so forth. It was, like, regardless of what those conversations are, we know that as a world we are all reliant on each other, and the world that the students, particularly the younger students, if you will—younger age college students—are going to inherit is going to be that much more interconnected. And so for us, as a country, the United States, to be able to take on the challenges and the opportunities that the twenty-first century puts before us and to be successful in taking on the—both challenges and opportunities that has to be a global approach because we're not on this globe by ourselves, and for our future leaders to be prepared to do that it's incredibly important for them to appreciate the importance of global learning and global education, have equitable access to a variety of those opportunities. And, frankly, we are shooting ourselves in the foot if we only allow our—maybe we say not intentionally but structurally the situation is such that only a certain population of students has access, real access, to these kind of learning opportunities. And so, I think, as higher education institutions we have to ask ourselves, what does that mean, yes, for the International Education Office, but also what does that mean for our academics in the classroom? What does that mean for our senior administrators who are deciding where to invest funds and otherwise of an institution? What does it mean for our chief diversity officers, for our VP of student affairs, and otherwise, who also were tasked with ensuring equitable access to a variety of opportunities that are available on campus? And so, when we think about these questions at Diversity Abroad, I think being in association and being able to work with the three hundred-plus institutions that we do on these topics, we really do look at it holistically. What does that mean—global education, equitable access, and education abroad? Global learning at home, what happens in and outside the classroom domestically? Support for our international students? But also how are we also ensuring that the professionals—faculty, staff, and otherwise who are engaged in global educational opportunities or experiences in and outside the classroom—that those faculty members and those staff are reflective of the rich diversity that our students embody? CASA: Thank you. Thank you for that introduction. Now let's open it up to questions. As a reminder, please click the raise hand icon on your screen to request to ask a question. On an iPad or Tablet, click the more button to access the raise hand feature. When you are called upon, accept the unmute prompt and please state your name and affiliation, followed by your question. You may also submit a written question via the Q&A icon or vote for other questions you would like to hear answered in your Zoom window at any time. We do have a raised hand from Basilio Monteiro, associate dean and associate professor of mass communication at St. John's University. Basilio? (No response.) You could accept the unmute prompt. Q: Thank you very much, Mr. Gordon, for your introductory remarks. You know, this internationalization of education—oftentimes what happens is I find that students go and stay within the one small bubble instead of mixing up with other students from the country where they go to. That interaction is not there, and oftentimes, it's not even promoted to go. They will go—they go as tourists. They don't go as learners to learn, and that seems to be the kind of trend, so I find. And I talk to the students. They'll say, OK, oh, I went here. I went there. I saw this and I saw that, and that's it. So that is—what is your overall national experience at this point on this particular context? GORDON: Yeah. Thank you for that comment, and you're right. I think that as the field of international education we have not been as intentional as we could be in ensuring that once we've put in the investment dollars, human capital, and otherwise that helps get students overseas that we're really creating kind of an environment where our students are going to have the kind of experiences that they come back and they really have been able to develop deeper empathy, embracing difference, and so on and so forth. We think about it here in the U.S., right. The students at our campus, a lot of them are having a good time but they're still learning. They're still having very, in some cases—I hate to overuse the word transformative, but experiences that are shaping who they are becoming as people. That doesn't have to change when our students go abroad, and so whether we're talking about programs that are led directly by faculty, I'm thinking about how are we intentionally finding opportunities for our students to engage in the host community; what are opportunities of reciprocity when they're in country in a certain location so that our students don't just have a stamp on their passport but they'd have the kind of experience that is changing how they view themselves, how they view the world, and, frankly, how they view both the challenges and the opportunities that lie before all of us. What is incumbent on, I think, institutions as well as the organizations, institutions that work with a lot of third party organizations to help facilitate study abroad, it's incumbent on those organizations as well to say, we know our students want to have a good time. They're going to have a good time. That's excellent. We want that. But we also—the core reason why our students are engaging in these opportunities needs to be academic, self-development, and otherwise. The fun is going to happen, but that other piece needs to be there because if it's not then, frankly, we become glorified travel agents, taking students from point A to point B. I don't think if you asked anyone in international education what their role is that we would say that's what our role is because it's not. But we need to be intentional about ensuring that the kind of outcomes that we want, that we say our students can gain—we've built the structure to be able to—for our students to be able to achieve those outcomes. Thank you for that question. CASA: Our next question comes from Beverly Lindsay from the University of California system. Q: Thanks to both of you for your introductory comments, Maria and Andrew, for your statement. As a former member of NAFSA and a number of other professional organizations, I actually have several questions, but I will limit them. One is, as you know, throughout higher education, particularly in comprehensive research universities, there is an emphasis on the African diaspora, the Latino diaspora. So many of the undergraduate students tend to go to those countries that are African, the Caribbean, or South America, for example. How do we encourage students, regardless of demographic background, to go anywhere in the world because they would get more experience? For example, when I was the international dean at Hampton we set up a program where the undergraduates could go and do internships at the British parliament, which was really innovative. The second question I would ask you is to what extent do you involve graduate students through your organization? Now, I realize that they're often focused on their thesis or, in rare cases, we don't think of study abroad. We think of research opportunities for our doctoral students. But to what extent do you involve students from different levels? Because I know in community colleges there is considerable emphasis now in terms of having the Los Angeles Community College system, the Dade County students in the community colleges, go abroad. So, as I said, I had many but I'll just focus on those right now. But thank you for your forthcoming answer. GORDON: Yeah. Thank you for that, Beverly. I think when it comes to destination, where our students go, again, unfortunately, I think, that our field has an opportunity to go in a different direction as far as a narrative about certain places. I think, unfortunately, in the U.S., when we think of Africa, when we think of the Global South as a whole, it's often positioned through the lens of deficit of the people, of the governments, health care systems, and so on and so forth. And, without question, there's work to be done. But there's a lot that's happening of innovation in—I mean, Africa, the continent, I mean, obviously, the different countries. Same thing in Latin America. But if we position these locations as you go here to help, you go here almost in a savior type mentality, whereas if we position locations like Europe and Australia and otherwise, like, well, you go here, this is where you're going to learn, this is where you go on internships and this is where you're going to prepare yourself professionally, really, seems like amplifying this narrative of parts of the world are important for learning, growth, innovation. Other parts of the world are more focused on philanthropy, giving, and so on and so forth. And I think that puts us, frankly, as a nation in peril. There was a recent survey that came out—I want to say it was in the last couple weeks—and it—they surveyed youth in Africa. I can't remember which countries. But it asked—the question was who has a more positive impact on your country, China or the U.S., or maybe it was a variety of countries. But China eked out ahead the U.S. So the continent with the youngest population in the world, and we know what that means for the future, of future work and otherwise, views of different countries having a positive impact. We don't see a lot of study abroad programs on the African continent, for example, or Latin America that are focused on innovation and technology. I can—I can go on and on. And so I think we have to take a step back as a field of international education—I think, higher education as a whole—and push back against narratives of how certain regions of the world, certain countries, are viewed so that our students are encouraged to want to engage anywhere in the world as they're looking to deepen their understanding, grow interpersonally, be that much better positioned for their post-degree careers, and so on and so forth. So that—I think that onus is on us as institutions, as organizations, to increase that perspective. But I also think that that also has an aspect to deal with incoming international students as well. With the incoming international students how are we helping them have opportunity to tell more their story about the countries they come from, the contributions their countries make to the U.S., to other parts of the world, and so on and so forth. As to the other question as far as how we engage with graduate students, we were—I would say primarily graduate students who are working in higher education programs, international education programs, that are interested specifically in this work will engage with Diversity Abroad in a variety of ways, either participating in one of the communities of practice that we have, coming to our annual conference, Global Inclusion, in a kind of variety of different ways from that perspective. As far as specifically looking at mobility-based programs for graduate students, that's not our focus at this time. CASA: Our next question comes from Hemchand Gossai, associate dean of humanities and social sciences at Northern Virginia Community College. Q: Maria and Andrew, thank you very much for your comments and also for providing this opportunity. My institution is very large with a multi-campus sort of setting with seventy-five thousand students. It's almost ubiquitous among institutions of higher education, particularly in their admissions process, to extol the importance of how many countries are represented at the college or university, and that's a great thing. We have that as well, and we have a large contingent of international students. One of the things that has struck me and that you have sort of alluded to, Andrew, has to do with the role of our international students as they arrive on our campuses, and I'm wondering if you can reflect a little bit about how best our large contingent of international students might not only be integrated but might actually interact and shape our local community of first-generation students, of students of color, and so on. If you would, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. GORDON: Yeah. Excellent, excellent question. Let me start off by saying, for us, when we think of international students—well, not when we think of international students—but the process of the experience that our international students have operationally, if you will, in many ways it's the flip of our students going abroad. We had a question earlier about how do we better ensure our domestic students are integrating once they're in country. We're just flipping that and saying that for our international students. So what we're saying is that we want the same for both. We don't want our international students to be seen as, hey, this is a revenue source. You're here on campus. Now we're done. No. We want them to be successful, and our international students embody the same identities that our domestic students do. They're students of color. They're first-gen, disabilities, come from different religious backgrounds, LGBTQI. They embody all these same identities that we're trying to support with our domestic students and we want to do the same thing for international students. So and thinking of what that means is really asking the question is what does holistic support look like for our international students. Too often, our international students once they get on campus, they're seen as that international student. I mean, simply, that's their passport. That's where you're actually born. They need the same support, and then some additional at times, as our domestic students. Are we asking them, what contributions do you want in the classroom? Are we appreciating that our international students are coming from a different perspective during certain discussions and are we giving them space to be able to share those perspectives and honor the fact that it comes from a different perspective but that's still important? Because that's part of global learning that our domestic students benefit from as well when you have those rich discussions in the classroom, when you have a variety of different perspectives that are being shared, and we think about being able to hear that, analyze what's being said, and develop your own sense of, OK, this is my thought on this topic or otherwise. But when we just have a conversation, for example, in the classroom that's focused on domestic, even though we have a wide or very diverse population of students that—of international students in our classroom we're really missing an opportunity to both engage with the international students, help them have a deeper sense of belonging on our campus and, frankly, for our domestic students and all students to be to be able to learn that much more so. The other part of the question I mentioned, and kind of tying back to what I mentioned a second ago of how our international students embody so much of that—so many of the identities of our domestic students, you know, when we have programs for first-generation college students are we just thinking about our domestic first-generation college students? Our international students can be the same way. When we think about our disability services, when we think about programs that are maybe related to race in ways, are we thinking intentionally about that? Yes, an African American and an international student from Africa who's from Africa and who's Black and has grown up in Africa their entire life very well are—some shared experiences, but very different. Are we thinking about opportunities for learning and growth from that way? So as I would say it's the intentionality in the programming and the intentionality in thinking of what is our role in—and, obviously, helping our students be successful, but particularly from an equitable access to global education, we have all the ingredients to the salad, if you will. What's our role in making sure that this comes together and this works in a way that serves our students, our domestic, our international students—frankly, serves the institution. And so there's broader goals that we have in higher education around learning but also preparing a generation of citizens that are thoughtful not just about home but thoughtful about the relationship between home and abroad and how our world is broadly interconnected and reliant on each other. CASA: Thank you. Our next question comes from Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome, associate professor in the department of political science in Brooklyn College. Q: Good evening. I'm calling from Nigeria now. And I'm a professor, not associate. I was wondering if there is a two-way stream in terms of the way in which international education is conceived of thinking about students coming from foreign countries as exchange students, and I'm particularly interested in this from an African perspective. It's unbelievably difficult for many African students to come to the U.S. as exchange students. They face formidable visa barriers, and for many of them that are from socioeconomic backgrounds where they are not flush with money it is actually an impossibility. So, I mean, is there any kind of thinking about how skewed the pool is that the educational institutions in the U.S. is joined from, given all the constraints that are put in the way of students from the Global South, especially Africa— GORDON: Yeah. Q: —who want to just come to the U.S. just like our students go to those places? GORDON: Yeah. Yeah. No. Wonderful, wonderful question, and I'd kind of bifurcate my answers. I think with respect to visas, I think that's a question—offices handle that at State and I think there has to be a broader question of are we creating enough opportunities for students or making it easy enough for students or talented students that want to come take advantage of the rich diversity and the academic opportunities, some professional opportunities that exist in the U.S. Are we making it easy enough for those students to come to our shores? And I think that's a question that—State has to continue to be evaluated from that aspect. I'm not by any means an expert with visas, so I'm going to—I'm going to stay in my lane to an extent. But I think, broadly speaking, is we do—I think as a nation have welcomed and want to continue to welcome talented folks from all over the world to be able to come. And then I think the second part of the question, what's the role of institutions, I think similar to our—to domestic students, we know who our students are. We know what the challenges they have and being able to access opportunities that we have. And so we say—going back to what I mentioned earlier, we say we know what these—we know the benefits of these kind of opportunities. We're the gatekeepers to that. We know who our students are, and we know the challenges they have and this includes international students that are interested in coming, be it exchange or otherwise. How do we in higher education create more opportunities for talented students to be able to take advantage of these opportunities that we're very clear the benefits to them? And so from an exchange standpoint, looking and saying are we building exchanges—do we have the infrastructure, are we investing in the infrastructure so that we can have more exchanges with the Global South? Because many times exchanges, while not always cost neutral, is usually much more cost neutral than a paid study abroad or otherwise. So are we creating those kind of opportunities? Again, realizing that that benefits the student—the international student, the domestic student. It benefits our campus community and our broader community as a whole when our international students are out and engaging with the broader community around the universities and otherwise. So are we investing in that? And then when it comes to fully matriculated students, whether at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate level, are we doing enough? Is there more we should be doing to ensure that if funding is a challenge that the funding is—funding schemes that are available to better create opportunities for students to be able to come, and then also like we've mentioned in the last question is our campus infrastructure—our campus set up in such that our international students feel like they belong, the campus is thinking about them, and this is a place where they want to, frankly, stay and contribute their knowledge or insights, their experience, and otherwise, which, again, benefits them, benefits the campus, and benefits the community and the nation as a whole. Q: Next we have a comment from Pamela Waldron-Moore, a professor at Xavier University of Louisiana. You have touched on this topic but you might want to go a little deeper. She writes, as a professor at Xavier University of Louisiana, I know that this is a helpful conversation. One area of global education that does not seem to have had much exposure is the opportunity for national institutions to provide exchange opportunities that allow low-income students to appreciate diverse education. For example, students can learn much from institutions located in naturally global environments—New York, DC, California, et cetera. Many U.S. institutions are teeming with international students who are happy to interact with a wider body of learners. GORDON: Yeah. I'll just comment on that briefly, and I know Xavier does great work with our national exchange as well as with international. But your point is right on. When we think of the globally diverse cities that exist in the U.S., they're learning labs. I'm from the Bay Area. I like going to San Francisco. I go to places in Oakland and otherwise. These are learning opportunities. I think when you think of the flow of migration to certain areas within the country, there's so much to learn there for our domestic students as well as for our international students. And so when we think of global learning holistically, as much as—I started Diversity Abroad based on study abroad. I'm a fan of study abroad, absolutely. But I think when we think about global learning, we have to get—mobility from the standpoint of getting on a plane, crossing an ocean, and using your passport is not the only way. And when we think about the institutions, where our institutions exist, what does the community look like? How globally diverse is our local community? Are there opportunities for us, thinking of co-curricular activities, to better engage with our local communities as well, because part of the broader goal that we talked about, the benefits of global learning, those benefits can be gained—different benefits, different places, in different ways, but can be gained locally but also can be gained abroad. So, an excellent point. CASA: Again, as a reminder, please click the raise hand icon on your screen if you would like to ask a question, or write it in via the Q&A icon. Andrew, can you talk a little bit about the specific activities that Diversity Abroad engages in as an organization? GORDON: Yeah. Absolutely. Happy to. So Diversity Abroad founded in 2006. We're a member-based consortium, around three hundred and fifty colleges and universities. As I mentioned, it ranges from small liberal arts to community colleges, Ivies to R-1s, and, really, we—our focus is looking at diversity, equity, and inclusion within internationalization and global education. And so what does that mean? We look at four key areas of our work. It's education abroad, international students, global learning at home, and then career and organizational advancement, and we—the actual practices of the work that we do focuses heavy on learning and development. So everything from our annual conference, Global Inclusion, to our DEI certificate for folks who are engaged in global education or are interested in global education, as well as a leadership certificate for student leaders who want to embed DEI, global, into their leadership. We publish a set of good practices called the Global Equity Inclusion Guidelines, it's a set of policy practices for embedding DEI into a campus's global education operation, and then there's a ton of thought leadership that we do, collaboration with organizations. We have a phenomenal team that is always working to continue to push this conversation forward, and maybe more than moving the conversation forward, to push forward resources, learning opportunities, and otherwise to ensure that, frankly, as a field a decade from now we're not having this same conversation but that we've made some real tangible progress in going forward. So, much harder to execute on a daily and weekly basis than to kind of go over in a couple of seconds. But I'm really proud of the work that we're doing and always interested in collaborating with professionals and institutions that share—frankly, share our vision of equitable access to global educational opportunities. CASA: Great. Our next question comes from Krishna Garza-Baker from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She's assistant director of experiential learning. Q: Hello, Maria and Andrew. Thank you so much for this conversation. I'm actually a current member of Diversity Abroad and absolutely love all their resources. I'm there on a daily basis. So I would like to reflect back to the idea on promoting the benefits of global learning. As much as I promote the benefits of global programs to my students—I work specifically with business students at the Alvarez College of Business—what are some ways in which you have seen or experienced navigating the topic of the financial investment into educational experience and what are some other barriers to global learning that you have seen for domestic students? GORDON: Krishna, thank you for that comment and happy to have you as part of the Diversity Abroad community. So finance is interesting. Without question, finances can be a barrier to students engaging in global educational opportunities, particularly mobility-based ones. What's interesting, though, is that at times when you ask a student, are you interested in studying abroad, for example? They say, no, I can't afford it. And I was, like, well, do you know how much it costs? Well, I'm not actually sure. Are you sure how your financial aid works and how your financial aid can support? It was, like, no, I'm not actually sure. So you have students sometimes that see study abroad and there's an interest, but for a variety of other reasons, maybe they're becoming a little bit more hesitant, and finance is an easy one to go to say, oh, I can't afford it. And so I think it's important for, one, us to understand, from a financial standpoint, A, is the students—can they really not afford it? How are we addressing that? Or is this a question of, I'm interested and I'm on the fence and so on and so forth and I'm just kind of saying financial. I think for the aspect of students not being able to afford it, as an institution, again, we have to go back and say what's the value of global educational opportunities. We know that students who are statistically—we're saying that students who study abroad graduate sooner, graduate with higher GPAs as well. So that is hitting part of a broader goal that we have of higher education about persistence and completion. And so as an institution are we investing in the kind of activities like global education opportunities that are supporting the broader goals that we have as an institution around persistence and completion, and that is something that's strategically at institutions that—are questions we have to ask ourselves. We say, you know, yes, global, you know, the importance of all these opportunities to study abroad and so on and so forth. Are we investing in it in a way that any of our students that are interested finance is not going to be the barrier that pushes them back? Now, I think, on the other aspect of it with respect to finance and being able to talk with students and their families, students and their families who are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. They're on campus, and they're on campus, in a way, because they've seen being a student at your campus as an investment, something that is valuable enough to either, personal finances—going out and fundraising in a variety of different ways because they see the value in that. The question, I think, that we have as—in higher education and particularly in international education are we positioning global education as this is an investment? And this goes back to a comment that was made a little bit earlier about, hey, you know what, we're sending these students abroad. They're not really engaging with the populations. It's kind of like it's just vacation. OK. Well, if I'm a serious student and I'm concerned about finances, and I have to make choices about what I invest in, if study abroad is positioned as, you know, go have fun abroad I'll say, well, listen, I'll go on vacation at another point in my life. I'm focused on getting in school, doing the kind of things that's going to position me to be able to thrive, support family, and otherwise. So in education abroad and study abroad, the onus is on us to make sure that the way we're talking about these opportunities, the way that opportunities are actually taking place, is such that a student that has to make that decision looks at study abroad or other global opportunities and says, you know what, this is where I want to invest my time, my resources, and otherwise because this is something that's going to help me continue to grow with the broader goals that I have. CASA: Our next question comes from Maggie Mahoney, director of global engagement at the University of Houston. Q: Good afternoon, Maria and Andrew. Nice to talk with you. Hello from Houston, Texas. Andrew, my question is about our teams, because we want to bring the best of our teams to our students. We know that burnout is an ongoing issue. We've had the pandemic. We've had the murder of George Floyd that kind of shifted things even more for the bigger focus of DEI and that has become exhausting, not to mention in Texas we face our own Texas state issues and now inflation changing. So there's a lot of stress on our teams, and in institutions of higher ed we should have offices that mirror the diversity of our students. But we don't always have that. Do you have any recommendations for our diverse staff team members and their self care in the face of this burnout and too often being turned to in the support of DEI efforts whenever we should all be doing the work? And do you have any recommendations for team leaders on how to continue doing our work while supporting our diverse team members, as we know they're overwhelmed? GORDON: Yeah. Thank you for that comment. And that's—I think a very important point is that we can't ignore—when we think of—we think of some of the organizations that we've looked AT and say, hey, these are great companies or great organizations that I'll support. The folks who are at the table many times come from incredibly diverse backgrounds, and in international education if we want the work that we do to have the kind of impact, we want to make sure that we're drawing the best and brightest, most diverse folks that say, hey, higher education, international education, specifically, this is a place where I want to go work. Our faculty members who may potentially be leading programs abroad, there's a lot that our faculty members can be doing over the summer when we say, you know what, I want to lead a study abroad program because this is—not only the impact this could have on students, but I know I'm going to be supported by the international office and otherwise as I'm going abroad. So what I would say is a couple of things. One is from a team leader perspective, and I think what you pointed out being something that is really a very salient topic. You know, DEI work cannot fall on folks of color or folks who we look at and say, OK, well, you represent XYZ identity so, yes, diversity worked for you. All that does, as stated, is it leads to burnout and it doesn't lead to us moving the needle. So, organizationally, are the practices or the policies in place. So, operationally, DEI is just embedded into what we do and regardless of what your role is, the DEI tasks that are there, is there for you to do. So regardless of what your background is, whatever the DEI tasks are connected to your role, those are there for you to be able to do. And so that'd be one aspect of it, really looking operationally from that perspective. But then another question is asking ourselves whether it's at the department level within an office, like a global education office or whatever it may be, are we building a climate of belonging. Are we building a climate where our staff that come from historically marginalized backgrounds feel like, hey, we can come—we can come here. We can be ourselves. When we're having challenges we're being supported and otherwise because, again, then we're able to be able to do the work that's needed to increase participation in global educational opportunities, being able to work with the faculty members to think through how do we better embed global themes into the curriculum, being able to support our international students. Which is saying none of this happens automatically. It is run by people, on people power, and we've got to take care of our people. If we don't take care of our people, all the other things that we want to do, ultimately, we won't be as successful as we'd like. CASA: We have a question now from Professor Waldron-Moore from Xavier. She says—she asks, how can we generate interest in study abroad from the classroom? Shouldn't we address seriously ways to motivate students to learn more about diversity in order to raise their awareness about higher education? We need to get the excitement about other countries and people going before we grow an interest in study abroad or a study exchange. GORDON: Yeah. So that's—I would say it's not an either/or but I would say they very much work in tandem. So the more—and to the point, the more that we—the more that global themes are presented to our students, the more interest that will start to generate with our students. If you have a population of students that from the time they set foot on campus they know they're going to study abroad and so and so forth, that's great. We want those students. But you have another population of students who maybe that's not the case, and so how are we embedding global themes into the curriculum regardless of what our fields may be? What are—are we finding opportunities to embed global themes into the curriculum so that, one, we're helping to promote the idea of there's a lot to learn outside of the shores of the U.S. as well, but, two, for our students—and every student's not going to study abroad. For our students who aren't going abroad are we finding opportunities to ensure that they still have access to global learning themes within the classroom. And so they very much play off each other, and I will say that now much more so for the students who, ultimately, decide not to participate in a study abroad or a formal study abroad program it's an opportunity for them to still get access to global learning opportunities. But I will say—one other thing I want to bring up and I started bringing this up in my earlier comments, I think when we're thinking about global education and diversity, equity, and inclusion, definitely thinking of it through, say, two lenses. One is the lens of what we've primarily been talking about of how are we supporting our historically marginalized students, supporting our staff and our faculty, our people, as they're engaged in global education, and that many times, again, are folks in historically marginalized populations. But when we think about learning global DEI competencies, all of our students need to access that. DEI is not just populations to support or competencies to be learned—to learn. So inside the classroom, when they're participating in study abroad or otherwise, are we thinking through how we position our students to learn the kind of competencies that can position them to be better citizens, to be better—that much more thriving in their professional careers and otherwise. And, again, that takes place—many times that takes place in the classroom. CASA: Our next question is also written and comes from Wendy Kuran, associate vice president for development and alumni engagement at Duke Kunshan University. Actually, she has two questions. The first is, following up on the earlier question and Andrew's great answer, is the career and self-development value proposition of study abroad clear to diverse students? Is there credible, accessible research about the value? What could we, at universities, including students, do to help make that case in new ways more effectively? And the second shorter question, do you ever work in secondary education intercultural exchange programs and, if not, are those in your ecosystems? Are there those in your ecosystems who do? GORDON: Yeah. So I'll start with the second question first. We work with some secondary institutions and organizations that support secondary students at that level. I would not say that that has been the traditional group of professionals or organizations or institutions that have come to us. But we are seeing some growing traction there. So I'm always interested in connecting with folks who have interest with that. With respect to career, I would say there are definitely institutions who have been at the forefront of centering the connection between global education and career, and I think as the field of global education that's work that's improving. But there's still work to do, I think, particularly for being able to make the case for students who, for a variety of reasons may be hesitant about study abroad. What we find in engaging with students, yes, research is important. Using more factoids are important. Firsthand experiences being important of students who embody similar identities and otherwise that can say, I had this kind of experience. I went from point A to point B to point Z. I know when I've had an opportunity to go to campuses and speak and otherwise telling a little bit about my own personal trajectory from doing accounting consulting to becoming an entrepreneur and otherwise and how study abroad impacted that, that's one of the things that attract students is really wanting to understand, OK, you look like me. You had a similar experience. How did you do that? So which is to say particularly with that—the part of your question asking about historically marginalized student populations, are we telling the stories of success? Are we telling the stories of how our students from historically marginalized backgrounds have been able to leverage global opportunities to advance in their career? For them to be able to say very concretely, I had this experience and then I'm working in this job and this is how this experience helped me and so on so forth. Again, that is intentional work, yes, by our global education offices but also, frankly, in collaboration with our career centers, our offices that are doing career development on campus. How are we working with them to be able to bring them back to connect with the students, the alum, and otherwise to be able to tell those stories, which, again, is part of the broader ecosystem of what does engagement look like to be able to increase participation and the success of students who are interested in study abroad? CASA: Have you been able to develop dedicated assessment and evaluation tools for success or gauging the success or the results of study abroad programs? GORDON: So we, ourselves, have not. There are some tools out there and some studies that are out there. Gosh, I'm trying to think of his name right now at the University of Georgia. There was a study in the early kind of 2000s called the Glossary Study. It was just recently built—they built upon that with a new study that showed the connection between academic success. I wouldn't say that for me, I'm familiar with a survey or research that goes as deep on the career success aspect of it. But I know there are some resources out there that talk deeper about the connection between career development and—study abroad and career development. CASA: And do you have thoughts on how global education and study abroad contribute to U.S. foreign policy creation and international relations? GORDON: Yeah. Well, in part, I mean, I think there's an aspect of just civics that's connected to every time you get on a plane, you travel, and you flash that green—I always say green—that blue passport, why is that so easy? Because even being able to understand the ability that you have to travel to the vast majority of the world without having a visa, without—and, frankly, other countries aren't able to do that. So almost, certainly, encourage deeper appreciation for the privilege that we have as U.S. citizens, being able to travel as freely as we do for most of the world, but also being able to engage, I think, for students of—U.S. students to be able to engage in other populations, hear their perspective. You know, sometimes there's perspectives that are critical to the U.S. Sometimes there are perspectives that are wildly in love with the U.S., and that's great. It's important to hear all of that, to hear how you're perceived, and then you bring that back home with you. Now you're thinking about your role as a citizen, what that does to you to be able to understand positionality of the U.S. and the rest of the world and what role that you personally want to take with that. And so I—and I guess I say for myself having a deeper appreciation for the, frankly, benefits of being a U.S. citizen by traveling and having had the opportunity to travel as much as I do and interact with folks all over the world. And so I think for all of our populations I think the populations that maybe haven't been as civically engaged or as deeply civically engaged it creates that many more opportunities to have that appreciation for. CASA: Yes. GORDON: And then, frankly, just people-to-people. I would just say—this is the last thing I'll say. It's funny, I mean—I mean, people-to-people exchanges, what they say it's hard to hate someone you know. (Laughs.) I mean, it's true. I mean, and I think that it's easy to turn on the news and hear XYZ about any number of people and locations in the world. I think when you sit down you break bread and you have coffee, whatever it may be, with folks from other parts of the world it does develop, I think, a deeper appreciation, really helping push us down that road of embracing difference and, I think, developing a deeper empathy, which we could all use more of that. CASA: Great. Well, we've come to the end of our time and, Andrew, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us, and to all of you for your questions and comments. You can follow Diversity Abroad on Twitter at @DiversityAbroad. You will be receiving an invitation to our next Higher Education webinar under separate cover. In the meantime, I encourage you to follow at @CFR_Academic on Twitter and visit CFR.org, ForeignAffairs.com, and ThinkGlobalHealth.org for research and analysis on global issues. I hope you're all having a great summer, and thank you again for joining us today. We look forward to your continued participation in the Higher Education Webinar Series. 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Today Leila is joined by Magda N Yrizarry, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer SVP - Global DEI & Employee Engagement at VerizonLEARN MORE ABOUT:Magda Yrizarry has been a force for change at Verizon for over three decades. As the Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, she is tasked with developing strategies and programs that infuse greater equity to ensure that all employees have equal access and opportunity to advance and thrive in their careers. Core to her role as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Magda helps to ensure Verizon's DE&I strategies care for all four stakeholders — employees, customers, society and shareholders. -  Magda has been twice recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in America by the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), named to People en Español's-  25 Most Powerful Women, a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise-  Magda is an ardent champion of increasing the presence of women and people of color across the technology sector and at all levels-  The importance of ERGs and recognising the needs of each generationSupport the show (https://www.mckenziedelisfoundation.com/donate)

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Wednesday, March 30. Our top story is about Pekin Mayor and State Rep. Mark Luft rejecting a campaign donation from Reditus Labs, whose CEO faces tax fraud charges. You'll also hear about how the Bradley University student chapter of the Association for Latino Professionals of America is helping one first-generation student thrive. WCBU's Hannah Alani interviews Bradley junior Naomi Barranco about breaking down barriers associated with being a first-generation American, and the first person in her family to attend college. On Deck is produced by WCBU student intern Holden Kellogg.

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know for Friday, March 25. Our top story is about how students involved with the Bradley University chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals of America are raising money to attend a national conference in Orlando this summer. You'll also hear from Colonel Rusty Ballard of Morton. He will soon become the next commander of the Illinois Air National Guard's 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria. On Deck is produced by WCBU student intern Holden Kellogg.

It's Women's History Month and fortunately an Extraordinary Latina was the most recent guest .In this episode of Our Classroom we were joined by Isis Ortiz-Belton who is making power moves in the financial services and banking industry. We discussed Isis': Education journey Co-authorship of the book Extraordinary Latinas Women she admires ISIS ORTIZ-BELTON is a financial services and banking professional with over 12 years of credit risk, corporate finance, and underwriting experience. She is a Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Eastern Bank where she manages a portfolio of commercial banking relationships with a broad array of middle market and security alarm companies. Prior to joining Eastern, Isis was Vice President, Portfolio Manager at Citizen's Bank independently managing over 30 middle market client relationships in the public and private sectors. She has also held positions at Santander Bank and at John Hancock Financial Services. Her career began in the non-profit sector at ACCION International, now a pioneer in the fields of microfinance and fintech impact investing. Isis is an active community leader and diversity, equity and inclusion champion. She's a strong advocate for the education and financial literacy of minority students and the rights of women, BIPOC and those identifying as LGBTQ+. Notably, Isis is the President for the Boston chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (“ALPFA”), the first and largest Latino professional association serving over 95,000 professional and student members across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. She sits on the Board of Trustees for Phoenix Charter Academy Network and she is a member of the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club Advisory Council. Isis holds a B.A. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Business Management from Emmanuel College, a Master of Science in Finance from the New England Institute of Business at Cambridge College, and a Master of Business Administration from Bentley University. She's a recipient of the 2014 McCallum Leadership Scholar Award, a 2018 Latinos for Education Board Fellow, a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 2021 Boston Future Leaders fellow, and a 2021 Leaders Engaged and Activated to Drive System-Wide Change (“LEADS”) Lawrence fellow. Most recently, Isis was recognized as a 2021 Latinx Amplifier and co-authored her first book, Extraordinary Latinas. Originally from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Isis lives with her wife in Lawrence, MA. Follow Isis on LinkedIn or via Twitter @iceychill

What does career success look like? That can be a difficult question to answer if you haven't stepped back to understand how to actually measure your success. Or understand what success looks like in the environment or organization to which you currently belong. Our guest, Indhira Arrington, Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Ares Management, shares with us the three critical things she identified to be present in all the successful people she encountered. Indhira describes success as a 3-legged stool. The first leg is all about honing your talent. The second is refining your executive presence and the third comes as a result of the other two legs – gaining sponsorship from senior leaders. In her role at Ares, Indhira partners with the firm's DEI Council to advance Ares' strategy to attract, develop, engage and advance diverse talent within an inclusive, welcoming environment, along with advancing equity in the broader alternative asset management industry. She also serves as an advisor to support DEI initiatives at portfolio companies across Ares' investment strategies. In this episode, Indhira also shares her methodology for success, how to refine your executive presence, and why it's important to cultivate your personal group of advocates and sponsors. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Indhira.   Highlights: [02:52] Indhira's journey [10:56] Indhira's methodology for success [15:01] Staying ahead of the curve [20:37] Managing your manager [28:23] How to gain sponsorship [30:35] The art of self-promotion [35:22] Cultivating your group of advocates [40:17] Always be in the service of others   Quotes: “I truly believe in the saying, ‘Good is the enemy of great.' I don't want things to just be good enough. It's helpful in some scenarios but good enough can also hurt you and others.” – Indhira Arrington “Success is like a 3-legged stool. The first leg is all about honing your talent. The second is refining your executive presence and the third comes as a result of the other two legs – gaining sponsorship from senior leaders.” - Indhira Arrington “Sponsorship is what's going to make a differential impact in your ability to move up within organizations.” – Indhira Arrington “It's important to understand how your role impacts the broader strategy because once you know that you can start to expand that impact.” – Indhira Arrington “When you approach everything with the mindset of ‘how can you be in service to others', the universe ensures that everything comes back two-fold for you.” - Indhira Arrington About Indhira Arrington: Mrs. Arrington is a Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ("DEI") Officer in the Ares Human Resources Department, and partners with the firm's DEI Council to advance Ares' strategy to attract, develop, engage and advance diverse talent within an inclusive, welcoming environment, along with advance equity in the broader alternative asset management industry. Mrs. Arrington also serves as an advisor to support DEI initiatives at portfolio companies across Ares' investment strategies. Prior to joining Ares in 2021, Mrs. Arrington served as a Senior Vice President and Head of Targeted Sourcing at Wells Fargo & Company, where she provided leadership in the strategic planning and execution of diversity sourcing initiatives and programs for the firm. Previously, Mrs. Arrington held several senior roles at The Bank of America Corporation within the Global Diversity and Inclusion Organization. In addition, she was an Equity Derivatives Sales Trader at Morgan Stanley. Mrs. Arrington began her career as a Financial Analyst at CIT Group. She serves on the Board of Directors of Poly Prep, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families and the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP). Mrs. Arrington holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from Rutgers University in Economics and an M.B.A. from the New York University Stern School of Business. Mrs. Arrington is a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow, a Toigo Fellow and an INROADS alum. She is a Cornell University Certified Diversity Professional/Advanced Practitioner (CCDP/AP) and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, Phi Beta Kappa, Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), PRIMER Network and the Council of Urban Professionals. Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/indhiraarrington/

In this special Hispanic Heritage Month Edition episode, Luis speaks with Diego A. Verdugo, CFP®, CRPS®. Diego is first-generation immigrant from the Mexican state of Sonora. His family arrived to Arizona in 2001 with the hope of pursuing the American Dream. He is a cancer survivor and has battled a chronic immunodeficiency since birth. In 2012, Diego became the first in his family to graduate from college by earning an undergraduate degree in Economics & Business and Spanish language from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Diego entered the financial services industry by joining Principal in 2012.  In his current role, he provides consultative support to advisors on advanced financial planning concepts and strategies. Diego became a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional in August 2021 and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning. Diego serves on multiple non-profit organizations' boards, including the Junior Achievement of Arizona Phoenix – Metro board and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) board. He is an advocate for financial literacy and devotes much of his time to helping close the financial knowledge and wealth gaps of underrepresented and low-income communities. He is a champion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts and has been recognized as an Ambassador for his work in the space. In 2020, Diego was recognized by InvestmentNews as a member of its prestigious 40 under 40 program in recognition of his accomplishments, contributions to the industry, leadership and promise.  Diego lives in Phoenix with his fiancée (who's pregnant with their second child) and his four-year old daughter. His family has recently ventured in the entrepreneurship space with the launch of several small businesses. Notes: In this episode, Luis and Diego talk about the following and more: Diego's background and upbringing Diego's trajectory in pursuing the American Dream How Diego's Hispanic Heritage has impacted his career and entrepreneurship Diego's best piece of advice for all Hispanic men and women trying to go after their dream   Resources: LatinXcellence, more than a brand, it's a movement! The BLX Internship Program Diego's LinkedIn Diego's Instagram Luis' LinkedIn Luis' Twitter Luis' Instagram

Jon talks with CFO, Avec O'Brien about how the right CFO in your company can accelerate your decision making and growth! Avec G. O'Brien, is the U.S. & Mexico Controller for Mastronardi Produce/SUNSET. In this role she is responsible for the financial affairs of the organization and focuses on a broad range of financial, operational, strategic and executive leadership issues impacting the organization. Avec is an Officer of the Board of Directors of the Detroit chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI) and a National Board Director at the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). She is a graduate of Leadership Detroit (LD XXXIII). Previously, Avec was Chief Financial Officer of the Detroit Science Center. Before that, she was a manager in the assurance and enterprise risk services practice of Deloitte & Touche, LLP. Avec also worked as office manager at Heidrick & Struggles and as Senior Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mexico City. Simultaneously, Avec was an associate professor at the MBA program of the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Avec has served as board member and as a volunteer of several Detroit-area nonprofits. She is the founding president of the Michigan chapter of ALPFA. Avec earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Public Accounting from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Additionally, she earned her Master in Business Administration with Distinction from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Avec is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Avec resides in Novi, Michigan, with her husband Joe and sons James and Michael.   Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!   Connect with Avec O'Brien: Website: https://www.financialexecutives.org/Network/Chapters/Detroit/Home.aspx 

Sometimes we think financial independence is not at our reach because we have limited opportunities to improve our career journey, but actually, this is just a perception. When evaluating a new opportunity do not discount yourself for not having the experience right off, be a risk-taker and go for the next big role, make your mark in the near term, and you will learn everything else.In this episode, Ileana Musa shares with us her career journey and how her father had a huge influence on her financial life. She also shares her mission to help the next generation of Latinos to achieve financial independence and equity. Ileana Musa is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending. Ileana was recently named to the Girl Scouts National Board (GSUSA) and sits on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Florida International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami.What you'll hear about in today's episode: The influence her father had which led her to study finance and eventually her current leadership role Her suggestions for Latinas to improve their financial lives Her advise for organizations to help improve the advancement of Latinas For a quick recap of this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/266 Want to get social? Let's connect more on Instagram @herdineromatters For all of those financially strong women who want to keep learning and taking control of their finances. Financially Strong Latina La Membresía, enrollment now open! To know more about this membership go to: http://www.jenhemphill.com/membership

Sometimes we think financial independence is not at our reach because we have limited opportunities to improve our career journey, but actually, this is just a perception. When evaluating a new opportunity do not discount yourself for not having the experience right off, be a risk-taker and go for the next big role, make your mark in the near term, and you will learn everything else. In this episode, Ileana Musa shares with us her career journey and how her father had a huge influence on her financial life. She also shares her mission to help the next generation of Latinos to achieve financial independence and equity.  Ileana Musa is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending. Ileana was recently named to the Girl Scouts National Board (GSUSA) and sits on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Florida International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami. What you'll hear about in today's episode: The influence her father had which led her to study finance and eventually her current leadership role Her suggestions for Latinas to improve their financial lives Her advise for organizations to help improve the advancement of Latinas For a quick recap of this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/266   Want to get social? Let’s connect more on Instagram @herdineromatters   For all of those financially strong women who want to keep learning and taking control of their finances. Financially Strong Latina La Membresía, enrollment now open! To know more about this membership go to: http://www.jenhemphill.com/membership

Sometimes we think financial independence is not at our reach because we have limited opportunities to improve our career journey, but actually, this is just a perception. When evaluating a new opportunity do not discount yourself for not having the experience right off, be a risk-taker and go for the next big role, make your mark in the near term, and you will learn everything else. In this episode, Ileana Musa shares with us her career journey and how her father had a huge influence on her financial life. She also shares her mission to help the next generation of Latinos to achieve financial independence and equity.  Ileana Musa is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending. Ileana was recently named to the Girl Scouts National Board (GSUSA) and sits on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Florida International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami. What you'll hear about in today's episode: The influence her father had which led her to study finance and eventually her current leadership role Her suggestions for Latinas to improve their financial lives Her advise for organizations to help improve the advancement of Latinas For a quick recap of this episode go to http://www.jenhemphill.com/266   Want to get social? Let’s connect more on Instagram @herdineromatters   For all of those financially strong women who want to keep learning and taking control of their finances. Financially Strong Latina La Membresía, enrollment now open! To know more about this membership go to: http://www.jenhemphill.com/membership

Social responsibility within communities is now shifting how businesses operate. And today’s guest specializes in implementing an innovative and accessible workforce design that transforms businesses and adds value to all aspects of organizations. Daniel Villao is the CEO at Intelligent Partnerships, Inc. He is an agent of change and value-oriented problem solver with decades of experience in policy development, Daniel Villao has had proven success in innovative supplier-access design and training. He excels in working closely with stakeholders to drive positive organizational change, having successfully helped major employers such as Microsoft, Lufthansa, Zurich, and AON adopt apprenticeship to create workforce development systems in his capacity as Deputy Administrator. Daniel has dedicated his career to analyzing the ever-changing workplace. Daniel is also the Immediate Past Chair of the Association of Latino Professionals for America(ALPFA) and the former Deputy Administrator in the Office of Apprenticeship for the U.S. Department of Labor under the Obama and Trump Administrations. In this episode, we talked about: Pro-diversity businesses and how they are doing better than other businesses Community Relations vs. Internal Staffing How small to medium-sized businesses equip themselves to be seen as an employer of choice or a partner of choice in the communities they work in Opportunities being missed by organizations that are not engaging in the D&I conversation -- Connect with Daniel Website Contact Page Facebook Instagram Connect with me: Facebook Group Linked In Instagram Twitter --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/amariah-gonzalez/support

Kamala Harris recently shared that her mother always reminded her that, “You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.” Being a pioneer is hard. It means pushing through boundaries and overcoming great challenges, often times alone. In this episode, Ileana Musa, Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending at Morgan Stanley, shares what it was like growing up as a young Latina immigrant in a single parent home and how education and a strong work ethic laid the foundation to achieve her career aspirations. Ileana also shares why staying true to yourself and sharing your authentic story leads to awareness and stronger relationships, which ultimately leads to opportunity.   Highlights: [03:30] Ileana’s story [05:16] Decision to pursue a career in financial services [07:40] Ileana’s daily success habits [10:10] Building your personal brand [17:42] Gaining access to influential leaders [23:30] Overcoming fears and limiting beliefs [29:43] Executing on your new opportunity [37:14] Advice on staying ahead of the curve   Quotes: “Sharing your story helps others to share their stories.” – Ileana Musa “It's up to each of us to paint the picture of what the future holds.” – Ileana Musa “When you give back to other employees as it relates to their development, people take notice, and that ultimately gives you access.” – Ileana Musa “Think about what you bring to the table and how you can then build a meaningful connection.” – Ileana Musa “The sooner you fail, the sooner you are going to learn.” – Ileana Musa   About Ileana Musa: Ileana Musa is the Co-Head of International Wealth Management and the Head of International Banking & Lending. In this role she leads the segment and strategy that focuses on Morgan Stanley’s International Client Advisors and international clients to ensure they have access to strategic investment, cash management and lending solutions, services and thought leadership to address both sides of a client’s balance sheet. Ileana is a member of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management Management Committee, Wealth Management Operating Committee, Latin America Management Committee, US Banks Management Committee, and the Bank Leadership Committee. Ileana co-chairs the enterprise Latino Employee Network. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley she was the Global Client Segment and Strategy executive for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. In this capacity, Ileana focused on international financial advisors to ensure the delivery of a consistent, goals-based wealth management experience for international high-net-worth and ultra-high-net worth clients. Prior to this role, Ileana was head of International Credit & Banking within Bank of America’s Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) Banking group. In this role, she led the teams that supported and delivered integrated liquidity, cash management and lending solutions and services to financial advisors and high-net-worth clients in Latin America, Asia and Europe. Ileana held several leadership roles in the domestic, international and affluent banking platforms at Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, where she lent her talent in growing the cross-border wealth management business. Ileana received her BBA degree, with a concentration in finance, from the University of Miami and an M.B.A. degree in finance from Florida International University. Ileana is fluent in Spanish, is FINRA registered and is Six-Sigma Greenbelt certified. Ileana was recently named to the Girl Scouts National Board (GSUSA) and sits on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Florida International University Honors College and the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami. Ileana was named to the ‘Top 100 Most Influential Latinas’ List in 2020 by Latino Leaders. Last year she was recognized to the 2019 MAKERS class of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management as well as being recognized by Latino Justice with the 2019 Latina Trailblazer Award honoring her professional and personal achievements in opening doors and new opportunities for other professionals. Additionally, Ileana was named to ALPFA’s 2019 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America list for a third year in a row as previously featured in Fortune magazine. In 2016 Ileana was awarded the 2015 Top 10 Corporate Executives of the Year by Latina Style magazine. Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileanamusa3  

In this episode, Eric Brotman '09 and cohost Renée Winsky ‘05 are joined by Alexander Nunez '05, senior vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs for BGE, to discuss leadership in a private sector company, and how there are many pathways to success that can often lead to a stronger, more sustainable, and equitable future for an entire community.  In this episode:  The power of connection and how to build a network that consists of mentorship, diversity, and community-driven approaches The importance of understanding long-term objectives, goals, and visions in order to achieve near-term action items How demonstrating support and inclusion can instill strong leadership skills in others Learning how to be flexible and embrace failures, and the importance of recognizing that there are multiple paths to success Key methods for growing your leadership acumen and why these methods are valuable assets  Meet Alexander G. Núñez Alexander G. Núñez ’05 is senior vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs for BGE. Núñez focuses on the company’s regulatory agenda with the Public Service Commission and other regulators, and he oversees BGE’s expansion of customer offerings including new products and services. Prior to joining BGE in 2001, he worked for the Maryland General Assembly for several years, where he served as Committee Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee of Maryland.  Contributing actively to several community and business organizations, Núñez is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. He also serves as vice-president of the Walters Art Museum Board of Trustees and as chair of its Engagement Committee.  He is a member of the board of trustees for the Chesapeake Bay Trust.  He also serves on the board of directors for the Baltimore chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). Núñez serves as an appointee on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board and on the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs.  He is a member of the Edison Electric Institutes’ Customer Solutions Executive Advisory Committee.   Núñez is a graduate of The LEADERship Class of 2018.  He is also a graduate of the Leadership Maryland Class of 2005 and served on its board of directors for several years. For show notes & more: www.leadershipmd.org

In this Hispanic Heritage Edition episode, Luis speaks with Ana Trujillo Limon. Ana has worked in the communications and media industry for more than a decade. Her career started as a reporter at the Santa Fe New Mexican before she took a job as an editor in an outdoor industry trade magazine in Colorado. She’s currently the senior editor for the Financial Planning Association’s publications, including the APEX Award-winning Journal of Financial Planning, the FPA Next Generation Planner and Practice Management Blog. Ana serves on the FPA Diversity Committee and is the co-founder of FPA Latino, a member resource group for Latino FPA members. She is a member of the nation’s first Latina sorority, Lambda Theta Alpha, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and the American Copy Editors Society. She lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado with her husband Jamie Limon, and their two dogs Zena and Baloo. Notes: In this episode, you’ll learn about the following and more: Ana’s background and upbringing How Ana’s Hispanic Heritage has shaped her career The importance of having mentors and role models at an early age How the FPA helps students, financial planners, and the financial planning community Ana’s best piece of advice for all Hispanic men and women currently working hard to go after their dream Resources:   3 Fundamental “Money Moves” to Make Before Turning 45 Ana’s Instagram Ana’s LinkedIn Ana’s Twitter Financial Planning Association Website Elizabeth Suarez – Negotiation Unleashed Build a Better Financial Future LLC Luis’ Twitter Luis’ LinkedIn Luis’ Instagram Luis’ Facebook

Avec O’Brien is a Senior Finance Executive, Servant Leader and Board Director. She’s the current President of the Detroit chapter of FEI and served as Director on the National Board of ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professionals for America. In this episode, Avec and I talked about the power of mentorship, the challenges of raising teenage sons and life as a Latina woman in accounting. Avec’s mentors have had a huge influence on her leadership style and I hope this conversation inspires you to seek out mentorship or become a mentor. Check out the Equals Change Blog. (https://www.fordfoundation.org/ideas/equals-change-blog/) Special Guest: Avec O'Brien.

In episode 41 of The Charity Charge Show, Stephen Garten chats with Selene Benavides, Chief Financial Officer at The Association of Latino Professionals For America and Consero Global. Selene Benavides is Client Finance Director with Consero Global where she helps companies address complex financial requirements with software applications while scaling finance operations more efficiently and reducing G&A expenses to allow for greater investment in driving and supporting top line growth for her clients. Prior to her new role, Ms. Benavides was the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, located in Irving, Texas where she was responsible for helping its leadership define the strategic direction of the organization, enhance its offerings and reduce its expenses, all while overseeing the Operations, Finance, Legal, and IT functions of the business which includes 40 Chapters across the nation.

In this episode, Robbie, Richie and EMily interview ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professionals for America. We discuss their mission in gaining more representation in corporate America, especially in the financial sector. DALE meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays in Arts & Letters 101. For updates, follow us on instagram @daledepaul. This episode was produced by Richie Requena

Editorial – LinkedIn: The 5-Minute Drill for Executive Networking Success Editorial Reviews: LinkedIn: The 5-Minute Drill for Executive Networking Success. Don’t let your story go untold! In this book, Lori and Joe prove that building strong, mutually beneficial relationships, which are at the core of every successful leader's network, in 5-Minutes-a-day can be done! They will leave you wanting more with the results you'll be able to achieve. “5-Minutes” a day made a difference for my business, I know it will for yours, too.David L. Hancock, Founder, Morgan James Publishers People know a leader cares because s/he is connected to them. If you aspire to be a leader that cares and so increase the influence of your network and its impact on your community, Lori and Joe's personable approach will draw you in and inspire new ideas for you to achieve extraordinary results.Charles P. Garcia, 2019 Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow Lori and Joe’s long histories of building bridges for others across the LinkedIn network make them super-qualified to offer these actionable tips and strategies for success. Not only is their teaching incredibly helpful, but their hearts come through on every page. Read it now!Joel Comm, New York Times Best-Selling Author In this book, Lori and Joe give you a distinct competitive advantage. How? By showing you how to navigate the nuances of building authentic relationships on LinkedIn, the most powerful online networking tool of our day for meeting influencers. Take it!Scott Friedman, Global Speaking Fellow Lori and Joe address a topic near and dear to me... connecting with people and building relationships. Their focus is a critical platform for long-term success, and how to use it efficiently. Read this book AND... Be authentic, Be real, Be human. Network, and build Communities because... a Network gives you Reach, but a Community gives you Power. #RonR... #NoLetUp!Ted Rubin, Best-Selling Author About the Authors Brand influence and social media strategist Lori Ruff, globally recognized as “The LinkedIn Diva,” delivers world-class expertise at a time when today’s top performers are trying to make their mark in a bigger and ever more challenging world.  She first released RockTheWorld™ with Your Online Presence: Your Ticket to a Multiplatinum LinkedIn Profile in 2009 and co-hosted Rock the World with LinkedIn podcast with Mike O’Neil, The LinkedIn Rockstar 2010-2014.  Since then, she has designed and executed seminal brand strategy campaigns for nonprofits like the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and successful businesses and executives across a range of industries in the private, non-profit and public sectors. Lori lives in Central Virginia nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains but can often be found on a train traveling through Washington, DC.Joe Frankie III is a West Point graduate who had a full career in the U.S. Army as a warfighter and logistician for 30+ years. Currently, as an author, coach, and search consultant, he advises military veterans and executives and has over 40 years of experience leading multifunctional teams worldwide in engineering, logistics, life sciences, technology, aviation and environmental services from startups to Fortune 500 companies in both private and public sectors.  Joe lives near Houston, Texas with his wife of 40+ years, Karen and their Miniature Schnauzer, Ollie. Need a 5-Minute Drill?  Preorder now: (released Dec 3, 2019) AMAZON - Barnes & Nobles - Books A Million 

This is a brand new segment we will be doing each and every Tuesday. Our founder, Stephen Garten will be reading testimonials from nonprofits who have shared their excitement and thoughts about working with Charity Charge. Hope you enjoy. :) "Thank you and to your team for working really hard to get ALPFA a CC with a nice line of credit that we can use without having to pay the credit card in advance of each payment based on our needs. ALPFA has gone through 4 years of insolvency and it has been really, really difficult to get any bank to give us any form of credit, including major banks. However, our financials and our cash situation are in much better shape now with $5.5M in sales yearly (past 4 years) and only about $250K of debt compared to $5M same time 4 years ago. You saw this for yourselves and helped us! The impact we want to do for our Latino community on furthering their education and obtaining their first career jobs cannot be done alone and very happy to see Charity Card as a partner on this endeavor!" - Selene Benavides, CFO at ALPFA

DHG is a proud supporter of ALPFA, which is the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and the longest standing Latino organization with more than 81,000 members today. Several of our DHG team members recently attended the ALPFA national convention in Las Vegas, including Jose Torres, a tax associate in our Los Angeles office. In this podcast, Jose talks about his experience at the convention and why he thinks it is important for us to build awareness around Hispanic Heritage Month.  

Mali Phonpadith interviews Jason Howell. Join our community to receive notifications, event updates, and more: http://soarcommunitynetwork.com Click here to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. Jason Howell is President of Jason Howell Company; a fiduciary wealth management firm that supports happy financial lives for parents who are also raising businesses. As a father of two and fellow business owner, he personally understands the challenges associated with growing a business and a family. Jason is also an adjunct professor of personal finance at American University’s Kogod School of Business and is an active member of many organizations including: The Financial Planning Association – Advocacy Outreach The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors – Advocacy Outreach The XY Planning Network – Advisory Board The GMU School of Business Alumni – President Elect Business Networking International – Membership Committee First Presbyterian Church – Ruling Elder for the Children and Youth Ministry Jason is a former United States Congressional candidate and has been featured as both an independent political strategist and an established financial expert on the local ABC affiliate’s News Channel 8 Capital Insider program. Jason is a former chapter President of both Toastmasters and the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). In 2013 he was honored by George Mason University as one of the 20 Prominent Patriots in business and was the distinguished alumnus speaker for the 2015 School of Business graduating class. website: www.JasonHowell.com

In this show we're talking with Carmen Cadran about art and culture! After immigrating from Venezuela, Carmen has gone on to accomplish so many amazing things for the Latinx community. She has her Masters and has worked with an Emmy-award winning communications company and Boston-based Latino newspaper, El Planeta. Now, Carmen is the Digital Communications Officer at the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an active member for Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPF). Listen as we discuss her work and story as a Latina immigrant and how art and culture  shapes our world.  Get inspired to chase after your passions and learn a new perspective! Visit www.SisterRadio.com

On this edition of Making Oregon, our guest is Juan Barazza, a Portland champion for entrepreneurial development, as the Program Manager at Portland State University Center for Entrepreneurship, the President of the local chapter of ALPFA (the Association of Latino Professionals for America), and as the founder and CEO of startup VDO interpreters, a A SaaS platform that provides Language Access Compliance for the Healthcare Industry. He’s also going to be a speaker at the upcoming “GoGreen” conference in Portland on October 5th (Built Oregon is a sponsor). We’ll talk about Juan’s personal journey, his transition to startup founder after a corporate career in multiple industries, and his budding local involvement in mentorship, startup development, and sustainability through Startup Weekend Latino, the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Cleantech challenge Lastly, we’ll have a great discussion about his leadership in helping Oregon and Portland keep the conversation going regarding diversity, equity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial and investment arenas.

Tiffany Canjura, President of the Latino Professionals of America Association She is a young nonprofit leader and student at the University of Delaware.   Tiffany Canjura is a young non-profit leader and student at the University of Delaware. She was elected as a leading board member for the Alfred Lerner Student Advisory Board and as the Executive Vice President of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity while still acting as a Social Media Ambassador, Insomnia Cookies Marketing Representative and as ALPFA President. The Latino Professionals of America Association helps its members either get internships, jobs or start businesses. The resources the organization provides. The companies it partners with to get its members interviews. The various events the organization plans to provide their members for success in the business world. We discuss the other activities Tiffany is involved that help her balance her leadership role. Her day today at the Association and what she does in her role as President. We explore her personal story, the mission of the organization, lessons she has learned that we all can learn from. She discusses success, issues the students face along with their challenges and to deal with them. We explore several entertaining points during our lightning round and staying in touch. It’s exciting to note that several of the organization's members and the executive board are either thinking of or are in the process of starting their own business. Looking for special resources to help start a business, generate ideas or help gain employment there are free premium resources at mitchellchadrow.com/signup startupssmarter.com – to Start Your Business, generate ideas and get your first customer! The Association also prepares its members for the Business world in a number of ways. ALPHA helps with the interview process coordinates networking events with companies like EY, Baker Tilly, J.P Morgan Chase, Bloomberg, Deloitte, KPMG. Honest and raw business advice holds a number of panels with individuals from various companies to share valuable lessons and success secrets. In the midst of at these events, members have required dress either Business Casual or Business Professional Attire. The Association teaches its members proper etiquette, formality, professionalism, networking skills as well as valuable lessons that prepare them for business life. Tiffany is in the Lerner School of Business at the University of Delaware with a concentration in International Business, Business Management, and Business Administration a minor in Advertising. Its all about a balance as we focus on not only business but family and life – Tiffany is also extremely involved in her work as a lifeguard, Zumba instructor, social media ambassador, and marketing representative. She is also actively involved in UDress Magazine, Entrepreneurship club, Women in Business club. As President of the Association of Latino Professionals for America Tiffany Supervises the organization's Social Media accounts; Organizes Fundraisers and Events; Coordinates and collaborates with other on-campus organizations and helps Sponsors other campus events; Recruits new members; Engages with her staff and members; Organizes weekly club meetings; Posts club updates and notifications; Advertising Association events.   We explore Tiffany's personal story and the mission of her group. We discuss resources for their members, prospective members or students either looking for internships, their first job or help to start a business. She reviews the reoccurring themes that are experienced as a young leader that you can summarize for the benefit of other aspiring, leaders or members looking for help and resources to either start up and grow a business or get experience as an intern or find a job? What do you think are the most common mistakes your members or prospective members or students/(entrepreneurs/or students looking for internships or jobs) make that delay or prevent their success? We talk about some of the essential understandings members/entrepreneurs/students need to have the proper mindset to deal with the daily challenges they face. Her drive comes from her family, how she was raised and wanting to give back to her community.  She wants to be successful and to make a difference in this world. She told us about her achievements and the resources for students to start their own business at the University of Delaware campus UD or the various organizations that she is actively involved.  Our conversation turns to when she discovered that was a business leader and that she wanted to help others in being a resource.  Challenging moments are analyzed to give perspective on what it takes to work toward success.  the failure that has influenced and shaped you to who you are today   In the fast pitch round we cover several questions such as:  1) What one thing Contributes most to your success 2) Best business advice that your organization has received at one of your events / If you had a billboard and could put anything on it what would it be – Be Yourself 3) Next, the “audible inspirational book” which is sponsored by mitchellchadrow.com/audible – name a book that has helped you in either business family or life 4) What flaws have turned out to be strengths 5) App that you use to help you in business, family or life 6) A quote or mantra that you use to inspire and motivate 7) Less than $100 purchase that has impacted your life the most – business suit 8) Fun fact: 9) Worse advice being given to young entrepreneurs today – 10) When you think of the word successful what first name comes to your mind 11) What kind of systems do you have in your life 12) Two years from now what are you doing? The post-Young Nonprofit Leader Tiffany Canjura, President, Latino Professionals for America, Association, University of Delaware Show 022 appeared first on Startup Entrepreneur Listenup Show.

Charles P. Garcia is the CEO of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), whose mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation in every sector of the global economy.  Founded in 1972, ALPFA is the nation’s largest Latino professional organization with 43 professional chapters and 144 student chapters.  He also chairs the TIGER 21 South Florida Chapter, the premier peer-to-peer group for ultrahigh-net-worth individuals, which is in 17 cities, and its 320 members control over $30 billion in personal assets. Mr. Garcia’s career spans a broad spectrum of industries, all focused on leveraging his in-depth understanding of Hispanic consumers.  In 1997, Mr. Garcia became the CEO of Sterling Financial Group, a privately held financial services firm which he grew from a small business to 60 offices in seven countries, 20,000 Hispanic clients and $2 billion in assets prior to selling it in 2005.  The company was named by Inc. magazine as the # 8 fastest growing privately held company in the country and Charles was named Entrepreneur of the Year by three national organizations. With an expertise in retail operations, marketing, finance, strategy, and international business, he served for six years (until the company was sold in 2012) on the Board of Directors of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. (Fortune 500), one of the largest supermarkets in the southeast with nearly 500 stores and 400 in-store pharmacies.  He served on the Audit Committee, as a financial expert under SEC rules, and on the Nominating and Corporate Governance committee.  He also chaired an Advisory Board for Aetna Inc. (Fortune 100), reporting directly to its CEO, focused on growing the Hispanic market share of this diversified healthcare company.  Mr. Garcia was also a Hispanic market strategy advisor for Amway, a $13 billion private company in the direct selling industry. Mr. Garcia has worked for four Presidents, both Democrat and Republican, and served on high profile federal and state government boards.  He was the Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy, appointed by both President Bush and President Obama, to oversee all operations at the Air Force Academy.  The fifteen member board is composed of four U.S. Senators, four U.S. Congressmen, and seven Presidential appointments.  The Secretary of the Air Force awarded him the Distinguished Public Service Medal for leading “a historic transformation to ensure it operates more like a corporate board of directors.”  Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to the State Board of Education, which oversees all public education in Florida. Mr. Garcia has a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was the first student in his class to publish on the Columbia Law Review.  He has an M.P.A. from the University of Oklahoma; and a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he was awarded the Class of 1983 Honor and Ethics Trophy given to the graduate who “most personified the ideals of personal integrity.”  In 1988, he was awarded a White House Fellowship by President Reagan.  He served in various high level positions in the federal government, receiving the Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez Public Service and Integrity award. The book Hispanics in the USA: Making History chose Mr. Garcia as one of fourteen Latino role models for the nation, and both Hispanic Business and Latino Leaders magazines recognized him as one of the “100 most influential Hispanics in the United States.”  He has authored two best-selling leadership books:  A Message from Garcia (John Wiley, 2003) and Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows (McGraw Hill, 2009).   He writes regularly for CNN, Fox News and the Huffington Post. Aprendizajes Lo que aprendio Charlie en la academia militar que le ayudo a crear una vida de liderazgo y exito Como Charlie se creo oportunidades que lo llevaron a encontrar a su mentor

Today we sit down with Edgar Jimenez to continue our conversation about empowering individuals from communities that are underepresented in academia and various professions. Edgar Jimenez is the president of ALPHA, an all-volunteer organization that helps mentor and provide educational guidance to middle and high school kids as well as veterans and women, all while helping young professionals develop public speaking skills. While only 3% of television shows have a Latino character, the 400-500 members of ALPHA act as role-models of success for Latino children throughout the Washington area. Edgar Jimenez a technology professional working for an accounting Firm for almost 19 years supporting a financial services teams. I have also chaired the DCVA Latino network to help increase Latino visibility, community service participation and recruitment into the Firm Our mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation in every sector of the global economy.