2018 Latino Leadership Conference Sessions

Dreamers are the driving force of the future generation of Latino Leaders. It is important to support Dreamers in their professional endeavors within organizations and corporations. The DACA program has empowered nearly 800,000 dreamers to pursue their educational and professional goals. They are known to be some of the brightest and hard-working Latinos in the United States today. Dreamers have a growing economic power, as entrepreneurs eight percent of dreamers over the age of twenty-five have started their own businesses. Many of them are studying to be future doctors, lawyers, business leaders, engineers and scientists. Supporting them in corporations will continue to empower this young generation to continue pursuing their dreams and contribute to the Latino force of the future.

Only a few generations ago, Latinos were rarely represented in upper management within corporate America. Today, we see Hispanics rising to leadership roles in some, but not many, corporations. We are far from reaching a favorable percentage that accurately represents our community’s numbers and purchasing power. The factors that keep the numbers disproportionate are varied and complicated. In this session, we will identify what those factors are, as well as what today’s new Latino leaders can do to narrow the gap for future generations.

The LGBTQ-A movement has come a long way, but the fight for equality continues. LGBTQ Latinos today are leading the charge to help society move past violence, intolerance, and inequality toward a more open culture that increasingly accepts and embraces this community. Today’s candidates as future leaders in organizations, especially diverse applicants, consider different aspects of a prospective employer, such as the company mission and vision, social responsibility, an open and inclusive culture, as well as opportunities for advancement and growth. Once part of the team, additional steps must be taken and continuously pursued to effectively develop the talent into successful leaders.

Employee Resources Groups (ERGs) serve an integral role in supporting associates and aligning the business mission. When employees feel valued for their distinctive attributes and their diversity is celebrated, this encourages employee development and leads to a more engaged workforce and increased retention of your company’s valuable talent. The ERGs have multiple missions primarily to develop a connection between the company and the employees, helping to empower, develop and retain Hispanic talent. Additionally, ERGs work together to give back to the community and develop relationships with the customers to create loyalty between brand and consumer.

The social sector alone cannot solve the complex problems that stand in the way of progress for the Latino community. The deeply rooted issues arise from the interplay of government, social, philanthropic, and business actions. We must do more as we invest in high-impact Latino nonprofit organizations. We must work together, across sectors, and focus our efforts on collective solutions. By investing in the Latino community, we invest in the future and prosperity of the entire nation. We must do this by improving policies, expanding opportunities, and increasing investment in the growing Latino population. We will discuss how together we can establish priorities and continuously work to address and advance the ever-important Latino agenda.