WE ARE LIVE AND IN PERSON!!

Join us for the 2023 HMC Annual Summit, the only Hispanic-centric conference developed by industry leaders with multicultural expertise where we provide marketers with the very tools they need to ensure cultural and market relevance in today’s multicultural mainstream.

Welcome Reception

Wednesday, April 26
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET
Convene at One Liberty Plaza

HMC kicks off its Annual Summit with a networking reception filled with executives of the biggest brands, media platforms, research firms and agencies–many of whom are decorated architects of the Hispanic marketing industry.

Sponsored By:

Agenda

Thursday, April 27
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET
Convene at One Liberty Plaza

ONSITE ATTENDEE LIST

Click here to view HMC 2023 Summit attendee list!

 

8:30 a.m to 9:00 a.m. ET
Breakfast

Enjoy a continental breakfast to get your day going, thanks to our sponsor SBS!

9:00 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. ET
Welcome

HMC Chair Isabella Sánchez, Vice President of Media Integration at Zubi, delivers the opening remarks and sets the tone for a jam-packed day of learning and networking.

9:10 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. ET
Opening Keynote with Hyundai CMO Angela Zepeda

The multicultural consumer is a key driving force of the automotive industry as the population in the U.S. continues to grow and becomes more affluent. Reaching multicultural consumers is a core business imperative at Hyundai and a key driver for increasing the bottom line. On the heels of Hyundai’s first bilingual spot with Lopez Negrete Communications, Hyundai CMO Angela Zepeda kicks off the HMC 2023 Annual Summit by sharing some of the cultural insights that power the brand’s initiatives of today. She’ll discuss how holistic and in-culture marketing can help create a more inclusive environment, how the brand’s cross-cultural approach is poised to grow market share, and what she sees on the horizon for Hyundai and the multicultural automotive category.

9:40 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. ET
Unleashing the Power of Hispanic Influencer Marketing

Hear from a panel of top Hispanic content creators on how to leverage the power of influencers to drive brand awareness, engagement, and growth in the Hispanic market. Moderated by Laura Guerrero, Director of Content & Influencer Marketing, Amplification for Sensis, this session will be a must-attend for CMOs, brand managers, digital marketers, and anyone who is interested in learning more about the Hispanic influencer marketing landscape and how to succeed in this dynamic and rapidly growing industry.

Speakers:

  • Sara Mora, Influencer, Activist and Digital Storyteller
  • Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez, TikTok Influencer, Financial Educator and Author
  • Jonathan “PaqJonathan” Chavez, Latinx Content Creator & Digital Disruptor



10:20 a.m to 10:40 a.m. ET
Coffee Break
10:40 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. ET
The Evolution of Video Consumption

With new and emerging media channels and platforms, marketers need new content strategies to keep up with the voracious appetite consumers have for streaming video—a trend led by the Hispanic market. How can advertisers effectively leverage paid and ad-supported platforms and break through the clutter? Moderated by Savannah Sellers, anchor of Morning News NOW and co-host of Stay Tuned for NBC News, this session featuring leaders of key streaming platforms as they discuss what’s next for Latino content (in-language and in-culture) and audiences.

Speakers:

  • Ameneh Atai, GM of Audience Measurement, Nielsen
  • Reny Díaz, Vice President of Audience Strategy & Content Development for Hispanic Streaming Group, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
  • Oswald Méndez, CMO, Canela Media
  • Jake Piasecki, U.S. Head of Verticals for CPG, Health & Wellness, and Telco, Roku
11:20 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. ET
A View from the Top: In Conversation with TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis
Wade Headshot CEO of TelevisaUnivision

TelevisaUnivision is the leading Spanish-language media and content company in the world. At the helm of its transformative efforts is CEO Wade Davis, who ushered in ViX and catapulted it to the top spot in Spanish-language streaming. In this session, Mr. Davis will provide his insights into the evolution of the Hispanic media & marketing industry, as he sits down for a candid conversation with MediaLink Chairman & CEO Michael Kassan. Don’t miss this unprecedented access to two C-suite leaders as they discuss the issues and trends of today’s dynamic marketplace and what they see on the horizon for brands looking to connect meaningfully with Latinos.

11:50 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET
Hispanic Creativity beyond Casting: Listening to the Voices & Reflecting their Stories

Hispanic representation in advertising must be more than casting. Authentic and positive portrayals of Latinos with organic and culturally nuanced storylines matter–this is why diverse storytellers at both client and agency levels are so important. In this session developed with Circulo Creativo USA and moderated by Alma Founder & Chairman/DDB McDonald’s Global Chief Creative Officer Luis Miguel Messianu, you’ll hear from a panel of top Hispanic creatives, their approach to DEI, and their blueprint for what makes both a creative and effective campaign.

Speakers:

  • Diego Andrade, SVP Executive Creative Director, Orci
  • Flor Leibaschoff, Founder/Chief Creative Officer, BeautifulBeast
  • Javier Osorio, Group Creative Director, Fluent360
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET
Lunch

This luncheon is about you – no speakers, no agenda. It’s your opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders!

1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET
HMC Marketer of the Year

Congratulations to Molson Coors, the 2023 HMC Marketer of the Year! This is the only award of its kind honoring companies who demonstrate a top-down commitment to multicultural marketing and allocate spending commensurate with the Hispanic opportunity!

In one of the most anticipated sessions, HMC Chair & VP of Media Integration at Zubi Isabella Sanchez sits down with Molson Coors CMO Sofia Colucci to discuss how the brand shifted its strategy from developing Hispanic-specific programs to building mainstream programs led by Hispanic insights and talent. You’ll learn about the Hispanic-led product innovations and meaningful partnerships, like Miller Lite’s Es Jose Time effort with J Balvin, the U.S. launches of Sol and TopoChico Hard Seltzer, and all the sports, music and entertainment initiatives that have built Molson Coors a loyal and growing Latino fan base!



2:00 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. ET
Navigating the Hispanic Healthcare Market: Best Practices and Strategies for Success

The Hispanic market has rapidly evolved into one of the most important segments for healthcare companies. Top healthcare insurers and providers are increasingly investing in Hispanic marketing with great promise. Moderated by Sensis President & Chief Strategy Officer Jose Villa, this session features a panel of leaders from top healthcare companies who will share best practices and effective Hispanic marketing strategies that generate measurable ROI. They’ll also provide case studies and success stories on how they have leveraged culturally sensitive messaging and innovative tactics to reach Hispanic patients and improve their health outcomes.

Speaker:

  • Beatriz E. Rojas, Executive Director of Advertising, Kaiser Permanente
  • Nydia Sahagun, Head of Brand and Acquisition Marketing, Primary Care Organization, Humana
2:40 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
Coffee Break

Need a pick-me-up? We have you covered… and caffeinated!

3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET
CMO Chat with Circle K's Global VP of Marketing Margaret Barron

Circle K is on a journey to transform itself from a traditional convenience store chain to a destination retailer. Passionate about making its customers’ lives a little easier, the brand is focused on connecting with these everyday heroes in a meaningful way through deep segmentation understanding. In this session, Circle K Global VP of Marketing Margaret Barron sits down with GroupM Multicultural President & Immediate-Past HMC Chair Gonzalo Del Fa as they discuss how Circle K has evolved its offering to meet their customers’ needs, focusing on food, mobility and beverage categories, and how its multi-disciplinary strategies and multicultural segmentation have made them a convenience store favorite.

3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
The Superior Strength of Hispanic Marketing Through Cultural Authenticity

Understanding where we are and where we’ve been helps us meet the moment. The Cultural Inclusion Accelerator™ has uncovered powerful data-driven insights into the resilience of Hispanic consumers and superior effectiveness of Hispanic marketing. In this session, learn how brands can stretch every client dollar to create deeper relationships that lift sales and trust through cultural and linguistic authenticity and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB).

Speakers:

  • Carlos Santiago, President & Chief Strategist, Santiago Solutions Group; Co-Founder, AIMM; and Lead Architect, Cultural Inclusion Accelerator
  • Lisette Arsuaga, Co-President, DMI Consulting & Co-Founder, AIMM



4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
HMC Strategic Excellence Awards: Gold Case Studies

This can’t-miss session will showcase the Gold winners of the HMC Strategic Excellence Awards, the only award honoring the best account planning teams in Hispanic marketing who have created effective campaigns built on cultural fluency. We will be join by some of the judges. Moderated by Collage Group Executive Director, Multicultural Strategy Victor Paredes, this session features three of the judges as they review their favorite campaigns, what went into the winner selections and what made each of them effective and engaging. Check back for the winners, which will be announced later this spring!

Judges:

  • Pablo Buffagni, President, Creative Director, BBQ Agency and Director of Círculo Creativo USA
  • Alice Ovadia, Vice President of Media Strategy, TRUth
  • Nuria Santamaria Wolfe, Director, Strategic Audience Partnerships, Meta
  • Amilynn Soto, Industry Business Solutions – Strategist, Leading eCommerce, TikTok



4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Fireside Chat with State Farm

This high-level session, moderated by Jessica Ricaurte, Chief Revenue Officer of Adsmovil, features insights and strategies from one of our previous Marketer of the Year winners, State Farm! You’ll hear from State Farm’s top marketing leaders about their latest culture-first initiatives and how State Farm makes insurance accessible to all.

Speakers:

  • Susan Beige, Marketing Director, State Farm
  • Baldwin Cunningham, Director of Media and Partnerships, State Farm
5:00 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. ET
Latinos: The Driving Force of the American Economy

With a GDP of $2.8 trillion dollars, Latinos are not only driving cultural shifts but are helping the U.S economy boom! Did you know one out of every four births today is Latino? Not only that, but one out of every five entrepreneurs is also Latino. This session features Ana Valdez, President & CEO of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) as she presents the latest facts, figures and trends, demonstrating the enormous opportunity many brands are missing by not investing appropriately in the Hispanic market.

Online Registration is Closed!

Early Bird Pricing

Until March 24

Includes: Welcome Reception on 4/26, all sessions on 4/27, continental breakfast, coffee breaks and lunch

Members $650
Additional members $550
Non-members $950

Regular Pricing

March 25 to April 25

Includes: Welcome Reception on 4/26, all sessions on 4/27, continental breakfast, coffee breaks and lunch

Members $750
Additional members $550
Non-members $1,100

Special Pricing

For groups of 4 or more or students:

For pricing, contact info@hispanicmarketingcouncil.org

For media inquiries, contact jennifer@bigvoicecomm.com

You can register ONSITE, please download the registration form as a PDF, click here. Bring the completed registration form to the event to register onsite. The location information is in the next section.

 

* Photo ID will be required for each attendee when entering the venue and for collecting a badge onsite.

 

For questions email us at: registration@hispanicmarketingcouncil.org

“HMC is committed to providing an inclusive environment and, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, will honor requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities.  Requests can be served more effectively if notice is provided at least 8 days before April 27. Direct accommodation requests to Fulvia Lee at flee@hispanicmarketingcounci.org.”

 

* Cancellation, Refund & Substitution Policy
If circumstances change and you can no longer attend this summit, you may cancel your registration by providing written notice via email at registration@hispanicmarketingcouncil.org. Registrations may be refunded in full, if a cancellation is made in writing up to 45 calendar days prior to the in-person summit start date. A refund of all fees, minus a $100 administrative fee, will be given for cancellations received by March 27, 2023. Cancellations received after the cancelation cutoff date or nonattendance will not be refunded. Substitution of registrations may be made at any time up to the summit start date. All substitutions must be approved and will be at HMC discretion. Sharing of attendee badges/credentials is not permitted at any time.

Location

Convene at One Liberty Plazas
1 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10006

Hotel Partners:

Hotel Indigo
50 TRINITY PLACE NEW YORK, NY 10006

1. Plug in your dates
2. Click “Rate Preference”
3. Use code 100323877
4. SEARCH

AC Hotel New York Downtown
151 MAIDEN LANE NEW YORK, NY 10038

For more information, including transportation, click here.

Speaker Information

Isabella Sánchez

Vice President of Media Integration
Zubi

Isabella has over 30 years of Hispanic media experience working with many of the largest marketers in the US Hispanic market. As Vice President of Media Integration at Zubi, she oversees all Hispanic strategic media planning and execution for Zubi’s clients, as well as new business development efforts.

Her passion for marketing to diverse audiences is evidenced in her commitment to always elevating the industry profile, while helping marketers understand and capitalize on the biggest growth opportunity in the U.S. Her mantra of “in constant pursuit of the perfect balance between art and science” demonstrates her passion for cultural connections, creative innovation and applying the latest technology to measure and optimize performance.

Isabella is considered a thought-leader in the Hispanic marketing industry and is often called upon to share her insights and experiences in industry conferences and trade publications. She currently serves as Executive Board Member and Treasurer for the Hispanic Marketing Council, Advisory Board member for Texas Tech University’s Institute for Hispanic and International Communication and serves on the South Florida March of Dimes Board.

Angela Zepeda

Chief Marketing Officer
Hyundai

Angela Zepeda is the chief marketing officer (CMO) for Hyundai Motor America. Angela is responsible for all of Hyundai’s marketing and advertising activities in the U.S., including the strategic direction, brand development, national and regional advertising, experiential marketing, digital and social media, brand partnerships, and lead generation, among other responsibilities. Angela was named CMO in October 2019.

Angela comes to Hyundai as a seasoned marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience. She has built a career on consumer-centric campaigns that build brands and drive business results, and is an expert in online and digital marketing. Angela was most recently at Hyundai’s agency of record INNOCEAN USA, where she spent three years and was the senior vice president and managing director, handling all operations for the Hyundai business including creative, planning and media operations. She was initially hired by the agency to head up business development.

Previous to INNOCEAN, Angela was CEO of Quigley-Simpson in Los Angeles, where she oversaw all aspects of the agency—from brand leadership to new business development to operational efficiencies. Before that, Angela was CMO of Campbell Ewald-Los Angeles, where she played a key role in growing the agency’s business. Angela has also worked at some of Los Angeles’ best-known agencies, including TBWA\Chiat\Day, Team One, Rapp, Doner, and FCB, providing counsel to clients in the automotive, healthcare, financial services and packaged goods industries.

Angela is also an expert in marketing to women, with a keen understanding of the emotional triggers involved in women’s retail habits. She has spoken on the topic at various conferences, including the ISSM CONVERGE Conference, the WLN Conference, the M2W Conference in Chicago, and the Marketing to Women Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Angela holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Advertising from California State University, Fullerton. She is a member of thinkLA, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the American Advertising Federation, and has held board positions with the Susan G. Komen organization and the LA Grant Foundation.

Angela was named to the Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOsAd Age’s Leading Women and the Brand Innovators Top 100 Women in Brand Marketing lists in 2021.

Sara Mora

Influencer, Activist and Digital Storyteller

Sara Mora is an activist, digital storyteller, advisor. She is committed to education, language
accessibility, the power of storytelling and decentralizing narrative in mainstream media and
migrant rights. Working with companies like META and CHISPA to create impact on issues
affecting migrant and latino creators and community using technology. She won a lawsuit
against Trump opposing anti-immigration laws. A DACA recipient herself, she has dedicated her
youth to strategizing ways to support her community. @MissSaraMora on all social media.

Instagram: @MissSaraMora
Twitter: @MissSaraMora

Giovanna "Gigi" Gonzalez

TikTok Influencer, Financial Educator and Author

Giovanna “Gigi” Gonzalez is a TikTok influencer, financial educator and author of the upcoming book, Cultura and Cash. During The Great Resignation, she quit her 10-year corporate career to pursue her true passion: teaching financial literacy to young adults on her TikTok account @thefirstgenmentor.

Gigi has partnered with over a dozen influencer marketing campaigns with brands like Fidelity, TurboTax, Lean In and Mitu. In 2022, she was named 40 under 40 by the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and “Top 25 Creator” by Fast Company. Gigi has been featured on The New York Times, Refinery29 and Business Insider. 

In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants in Chicago, playing with her rescue dog, and binging some good reality TV.

Instagram: @gigithefirstgenmentor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giovannagonzalez/
TikTok: @thefirstgenmentor
Twitter: @gigithefirstgen
Website: www.thefirstgenmentor.com

Jonathan "PaqJonathan" Chavez

Latinx Content Creator & Digital Disruptor

Jonathan “PaqJonathan” Chavez creates nostalgia-driven comedy sketch videos online. He is a distinguished Latinx creator with a large U.S. audience. Jonathan has collaborated with transcontinental actors like Jaime Camil and Eugenio Derbez and was recognized by Vogue Mexico as a cultural disruptor in the digital space. A nominee for “Best Fictional Character” at the Tecla Awards, Jonathan is breaking through many social media platforms with his comedy and has even tapped into music with his recent original songs. Jonathan is fluent in both English and Spanish and bridges nontraditional and traditional media as he continues to create content.

Instagram: @paqjonathan
TikTok: @paqjonathan1
YouTube: @jonathanchavez4529

Laura Guerrero

Director of Content & Influencer Marketing, Amplification
Sensis

As the Director of Content & Influencer Marketing at Sensis, the largest independently minority owned multicultural agency in the United States, Laura is responsible for the strategy and execution of influencer campaigns across all offices and clients. In addition, she oversees content, social media and digital efforts for all clients. She launched the COVID-19 State Awareness influencer campaign with the California Department of Public Health in the fall of 2020 which wrapped up earlier this year.

The robust social media influencer program was launched with the goal of encouraging Californians to follow harm reduction behaviors and get vaccinated. Laura and her team have been able to partner with nearly 400 influencers and counting, across CA from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, ages and categories. With these partnerships, they have been able to generate and promote nearly 1,500 pieces of engaging content across all platforms, resulting in over 30.5 million impressions and garnering over 3.7M engagements, such as comments, likes, and shares across all platforms.

Prior to Sensis, she worked at various national public relations firms, managing all influencer and celebrity partnerships and national public relations campaigns for hospitality, consumer lifestyle brands, and events including Colgate, Colourpop, Cameo, Art of Elysium Gala, Gold Meets Golden, Patrick Ta Beauty, 1 Hotels, The Sixty Hotels, and more. She has over 7 years of experience and her expertise lies in targeted celebrity wrangling, product seeding, event management, and brand recognition through focused talent and media outreach. Her current clients include a range of California based organizations, including the California Community Colleges, Reading Partners, California DMV, UnidosUS, California Realtors Association, and more.

Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and Public Relations from California State University, Northridge.

Ameneh Atai

General Manager, Audience Measurement
Nielsen

As GM of Audience Measurement at Nielsen, Ameneh Atai is responsible for leading all digital and advanced TV commercial strategy, sales and client services teams in the US.

Ameneh joined Nielsen in 2015 through the acquisition of eXelate.  Ameneh brings diverse knowledge to the Ad and MarTech space as her previous roles were in Director

of Solutions Architecture and Director of Artificial Intelligence Solutions; her strengths are in advising and working directly with marketers and advertisers.  She is client focused with a strong background in data driven software solutions and extensive experience in the digital advertising ecosystem.

Ameneh started her career in Systems Engineering and held positions at International Submarine Engineering and Engineering Consulting, designing autonomous submarines and Big Data collection and monitoring infrastructures. She received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering – Electronics from Simon Fraser University and holds two US patents in systems design, one of which has been in collaboration with University of Waterloo.  In her personal time, Ameneh is an avid traveler.  She also is classically trained in dance and passionate about empowering young women by teaching dance and choreography.

Reny Díaz

Vice President, Audience Strategy & Content Development for Hispanic Streaming Group
NBCU Telemundo Enterprises

Reny Díaz is Vice President of Audience Strategy & Content Development at NBCU Telemundo Enterprises. He is responsible for content strategies that attract and retain the full spectrum of U.S. Hispanics in streaming. Diaz is a pioneer of underserved bilingual audiences and was instrumental to the creation of Tplus and its ongoing projects. He reports to Romina Rosado, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hispanic Streaming for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises.

Prior to this role, Díaz oversaw consumer research for Telemundo. Under his leadership, Telemundo partnered with other brands within the NBCUniversal portfolio on innovative and collaborative marketing campaigns and launched an audience segmentation and consumer testing framework that is now leveraged throughout Telemundo. Díaz came to the company in 2015 after serving as Head of Research for Fusion, ABC News and Univision’s English-language joint venture. He began his career at Nielsen, supporting the advancement of their Latinx thought leadership.

Diaz serves on the board of Anseye Pou Ayiti, which promotes teacher excellence and student success to raise educational outcomes in underserved and rural areas in Haiti. In 2019, Díaz was recognized as an Outstanding Voices Honoree as part of the South Florida Business Journal’s annual Business of Pride Awards.

Díaz holds an undergraduate Sociology and History degree from Yale College.

Oswald Méndez

Chief Marketing Officer
Canela Media

Oswald Méndez serves as Canela Media’s Chief Marketing Officer where he leads all customer-centric strategies and programs to drive the company’s growth through cross-cultural Latino audiences in U.S. and Latin American markets. Méndez is responsible for overseeing all marketing functions for the company, including all aspects of paid, earned, owned, and shared efforts across consumer and business to business marketing and publicity, ad sales marketing, community management, creative services, insights, and audience acquisition and retention strategies.

Méndez comes to Canela having driven growth and innovation in leadership roles at globally recognized media brands. At BBC America, he served as EVP of Marketing, where he elevated the company’s tentpole content through record-breaking audience growth to become pop culture phenomena in the face of systemic cord-cutting and linear audience erosion. Prior to that, Méndez successfully launched media brands such as FOX Hispanic Media and MundoFox. Earlier in his career, Méndez spent over two decades working for global and domestic agencies such as McCann-Erickson Worldwide and was part of the team that launched globally Universal McCann.  He was a Managing Partner at The Vidal Partnership where he was ran Integrated Communications and Branded Content Studios and began his career in the multicultural space at Conill Advertising.

Jake Piasecki

U.S. Head of Verticals: CPG, Health & Wellness, and Telco
Roku

Jake is the U.S. Head of Verticals for CPG, Health & Wellness, and Telco at Roku. He manages a large portfolio of advertising sales revenue within the CPG, Health & Wellness, and Telco industries while also overseeing a team of Managers and Senior Account Executives who work with clients such as Verizon, P&G, GM, Coca Cola and Johnson & Johnson.  Jake has been at Roku since July of 2020 and prior spent time leading ad revenue efforts at Fox Networks, Tremor Video, and Viacom.

Savannah Sellers

Anchor of Morning News NOW and Co-Host of Stay Tuned
NBC News

Savannah Sellers anchors Morning News NOW on the network’s streaming service NBC News
NOW, and is a co-host of Stay Tuned, NBC’s twice-daily news show on Snapchat and a
correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.

Sellers has covered an array of politics and pop culture topics, ranging from the issue of gun
violence in America to climate change and politics, focusing on the trends and social issues
most vital to the millennial and Gen Z populations. She has interviewed notable public figures,
politicians, celebrities and athletes.

Sellers is the recipient of a News & Documentary Emmy for her work as a producer on the NBC
Nightly News series “Hooked: America’s Heroin Epidemic.”
Sellers began her career in New York with the NBCUniversal Page Program before working at
NBC Nightly News and as the executive assistant to the president of MSNBC.

She co-hosts the Global Citizen Festival and works closely with Red Nose Day, as part of
NBCUniversal’s partnerships with the charity organizations. Sellers is also a co-host of the
Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers conference.

She is originally from San Diego and holds a degree in Broadcast News and International Media
from the University of Colorado at Boulder’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Wade Davis

Chief Executive Officer
TelevisaUnivision
Wade Headshot CEO of TelevisaUnivision

Wade Davis is Chief Executive Officer and one of the owners of Univision Communications Inc. As the leading Hispanic media company in the U.S., Univision is guided by its long-standing mission to entertain, inform and empower U.S. Hispanics with news, sports and entertainment content across broadcast and cable television, audio and digital platforms. The company’s top-rated media portfolio features the Univision and UniMás broadcast networks, 10 cable networks, 61 television stations, 58 radio stations and a robust audio and music experience footprint, and various market-leading digital properties.

Davis has served as a media industry leader for over 25 years, including founding ForgeLight in 2019 to build, acquire and operate companies in the Media and Consumer Technology sectors. His experience includes serving as a C-Suite Fortune 100 operator, board director, investment banker and entrepreneur.

Prior to founding ForgeLight, Davis served as EVP & CFO for Viacom, where he played a key role in driving a turnaround of the business. In this role, he delivered total company growth across revenue, operating income, and earnings per share. Davis achieved these results by creating several strategic operational improvements, implementing an organizational redesign, leading cost transformation initiatives, and directing the operational oversight of key growth segments. The success of this turnaround paved the way for the merge of Viacom and CBS to create ViacomCBS.

Prior to Viacom, Davis co-founded America’s Choice, Inc. where he acquired research and associated IP to build a for-profit K-12 school performance improvement solutions business. He also founded AdvancePath Academics, a technology-based provider of dropout recovery and alternative education solutions. AdvancePath was successfully sold to Graduation Alliance. Earlier in his career, Davis spent nine years in M&A investment banking with ThinkEquity, Lazard, and Wasserstein Perella and led nearly $30B in total transactions, primarily in the tech, education and media sectors.

Davis’ Board memberships include Cengage Learning, Executive Chairman of Hammerhead Navigation and the Board of Directors of Daybreak Games. Previously he was a Board Observer on the Board of Directors of Roku, the rotational Chairman of the Rhapsody/Napster Board and on the Board of Viacom18 India.

Davis earned a dual BA degree, with honors, in Economics & Philosophy from Williams College.

Michael Kassan

Chief Executive Officer
MediaLink

Michael E. Kassan helps bridge the gaps between media, marketers, and technologists.

Kassan founded MediaLink in 2003 to be a transformational partner to the world’s leading media, marketing, and technology companies. Bringing these groups together while balancing strategic insight with pragmatic execution, MediaLink guides its clients through

an increasingly fragmented media landscape. As Chairman and CEO, Kassan has led the firm’s expansion from strategic advisory into multiple business lines including executive search, financial due diligence, agency benchmarking/reviews, and trade marketing. With a culture focused on both confidentiality and transparency, MediaLink now sits at the epicenter of major cross-industry initiatives and legislation helping to build consensus between government, marketers, and publishers.

Kassan maintains a deep commitment to advising the media industry’s leadership. He acts as Special Advisor to numerous CEO’s helping them “break through the noise” in today’s marketplace and advising on issues ranging from corporate strategy and partnerships to M&A.

Drawing on a combination of experience, relationships, and insights, Kassan writes extensively as a noted blogger and serves frequently as a moderator and keynote speaker at global industry conferences. He has built instrumental partnerships with the Consumer Electronics Show and the Cannes Lions. He also produces and hosts a radio show on WOR 710 AM and Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio, “Medialinked — Inside Advertising and Media with Michael Kassan.”

Prior to MediaLink, Kassan led Initiative Media Worldwide as COO and Vice-Chairman from 1994 to 2001. Kassan helped grow the company’s initial $1.5 billion in billings nearly ten-fold. Prior to Initiative, he was President and COO of International Video Entertainment (Artisan Entertainment). In his first career, Kassan spent ten years as a tax lawyer specializing in the entertainment industry.

Kassan currently serves as Chair of the UJA-New York Marketing Communications Committee as well as on the Boards of the American Advertising Federation, the Ad Council, and the Hollywood Radio and Television Society. He served as Chairman of the California State Senate Select Committee on the Entertainment Industry.

Diego Andrade

Senior Vice President, Executive Creative Director
Orci

With over 12 years of experience creating content for diverse audiences, in the agency and social publisher world alike, Diego has a strong foundation as a creative marketing professional and an extensive background creating digital and social content. He’s created raw, authentic, emotional, and hilarious creative for brands like Honda, Acura, McDonald’s, Target, Walmart, Disney, Netflix, AT&T, Comcast, Bud Light, among others. As a queer Mexican-born, US-raised, East Coast to West Coast transplant, Diego values diverse POVs and intersectionality in everything he does. He’s a super stan of many nerdy fandoms, but comic books and in particular the X-Men will always be his first creative love.

Flor Leibaschoff

Founder/Chief Creative Officer
BeautifulBeast

Flor is a master storyteller. She cares about every detail, whether crafting the perfect narrative on a multi-touchpoint campaign for a blue-chip brand or writing a post on her healthy-eating Instagram. Her meteoric story in advertising started at some of the top shops in Argentina, like Del Campo Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi and Agulla & Baccetti.

Shortly after her arrival in the US, Flor’s name entered the history books of Hispanic advertising by winning a Silver Lion as the first Hispanic team participating in the Cannes Lions Young Creative competition in France.

In 2019, Flor was recognized as one of the Women to Watch by DMN (Data. Strategy. Technology.) in New York. Her work has been featured in Lürzer’s Archive as Spot of the Week and has won every major award globally, including Lions, Effies, and REGGIEs, among others. Her contributions were vital to achieving the recognition as Top US Hispanic Agency by Ad Age.

Believe it or not, in between all that, Flor still finds time to give back to the industry; she is the current President of Círculo Creativo USA, the most important creative association for Hispanic advertising professionals in the country.

Flor brings to BeautifulBeast more than twenty years of experience, combined with her passion for big ideas and a unique understanding of the power of collaboration. She is the mother of Lucas, Bruno, Lara, and Pippo, their puppy.

Flor is also a published author of children’s books.

Javier Osorio

Group Creative Director
Fluent360
Javier thinks of creativity as a combination of imagination, sensibility and strategic thinking. For more than 20 years, he has applied this principle to help brands connect with their audiences through stories. He believes that dynamic between brands and people changes constantly, as do the processes and tools, but well-told stories remain the most powerful way to deeply connect with human emotions. Javier has demonstrated a flexibility to not only adapt to complex and process-driven organizations, but also function efficiently when faced with fluid, more dynamic structures where process is invented on-the-fly.
As the Group Creative Director for Fluent360, Javier is responsible for all the Hispanic creative work of the agency. He has worked in many agencies and countries–including Walter Isaacson, Dieste and Lápiz/Leo Burnett, among others–in several languages for large and small, global and local brands.
What makes Javier a great creative director is his ingenuity, curiosity about life and passion to push things to the limit, without compromising the strategic integrity of the project. That’s why his work has received numerous accolades, including Silver Lion (TV) Cannes Advertising Festival, five Ad Age Hispanic Advertising Awards, Gold & Bronze New York Festivals, 4 Chicago Addy Awards, two Silver Effies, a Bronze Effie, plus he has been a finalist for Ojo de Iberoamérica (Ojo Classic TV) and the Radio Mercury Awards. He has served on the juries for the National Addy Awards, Cúspide Awards Puerto Rico, Ojo de Iberoamérica, Miami Addy Award, Effies, and Jury Adstars.

Luis Miguel Messianu

Founder & Chairman
Alma

Luis Miguel Messianu has played a respectable and influential role in the most important developments in the U.S. multicultural market during an advertising career that spans three decades. Born to Romanian parents and raised in Mexico City, he has worked in both the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets. His professional trajectory is defined by a conscious effort to help pioneer the melding of marketing niches into a nuanced and evolving market. His award-winning work for multinationals such as McDonald’s, State Farm Insurance, Clorox, MolsonCoors, Sprint, Pepsi, among others, is a testament to that effort. Luis Miguel Messianu is an innovator, a mentor, and an example followed by many distinguished professionals in the multicultural marketing community.

Twenty seven years ago, when advertising to U.S. Hispanics was an afterthought in a business plan, Luis Miguel had the foresight to target this vast and untapped market. In 1994 he started his own Hispanic agency, winning soon after the McDonald’s and State Farm Insurance accounts. Twenty seven years and numerous award-winning campaigns later, both clients still trust their multicultural strategy to Luis Miguel’s creative shop, now called alma. alma is a modern culture marketing agency known for highly effective, award-winning segment-led creative campaigns. Working with a broad roster of clients, including McDonald’s, MolsonCoors, PepsiCo, Wells Fargo, CVS Health, Google, State Farm and others, alma unlocks culture for brands by harnessing the power of emotional storytelling to move people.

 

In 2001, DDB partnered with the agency, recognizing the spirit, passion, and creativity of the team built by Luis Miguel, as well as his vision and leadership in creating a non-conformist culture, which constantly reinvents itself. Luis Miguel sits on DDB’s Global and DDB Latina’s Creative Councils and their Executive committee, and today alma is the largest Multicultural agency in the country, with a team that hails from over 30 countries, the agency has fueled exceptional business growth through creativity, earning 27 Cannes Lions and 13 Effie Awards, as well as numerous One Show, Clio, ANA, and New York Festival Awards. alma has been named to Ad Age’s prestigious A-List seven times and has earned “Agency of the Year ” titles from El Ojo, El Sol, FIAP and USH Ideas, all while nurturing a culture of accountability, curiosity and collaboration. With access to Omnicom’s global network, alma has offices in Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Tallahassee.

In 2015, ADCOLOR named Luis Miguel Legend Honoree in celebration of his achievements in diversity through his career, and in 2016 he was selected as juror for the Radio Category at the Cannes Lions Advertising festival. In 2019 he was inducted into the CMC Advertising Hall of Fame, one of the highest recognitions in the multicultural industry.

Sofia Colucci

Chief Marketing Officer
Molson Coors

As Chief Marketing Officer at Molson Coors, Sofia Colucci brings both passion and pragmatism to everything she does. The Uruguayan-Canadian marketer first joined the company to lead innovation in 2017 and held the role of Global VP of Marketing for Miller Brands & Economy prior to rising to CMO earlier this year.

Sofia has a proven track record of driving brands in culture while also delivering consistent brand campaigns. Her work has transformed brands like Miller Lite, with global campaign launches like Tastes Like Miller Time and inclusive marketing initiatives like the Good $hit, celebrating the history of women brewers. Earlier this year, she led Molson Coors’s first Super Bowl ad in over 30 years with the launch of the High Stakes Beer Ad.

Sofia has been recognized by Campaign’s US Female Frontier, Crain’s 40 Under 40 and Brand Innovators’ Top 100 Women in Marketing. Her team’s work has won multiple awards including Cannes, D&AD and The One Show.

Beatriz E. Rojas

Executive Director, Advertising
Kaiser Permanente

With over 30 years of experience Beatriz brings a robust know-how in global marketing and U.S. diverse domestic segments. She has worked in a variety of industries such as technology with IBM Co., retail with Sears Holdings, and for the last 10 years in healthcare and insurance with Kaiser Permanente.  An on-going opportunity she has managed in her roles is to develop and deliver the corporate strategy and consistent brand, while embracing the cultural differences of each segment, regions or countries to achieve the business goals.

Beatriz is an innovative thinker who takes complex challenges and turns them into strong programs. An example is the Mental Health marketing program she developed for Kaiser Permanente, leading the market with a public campaign to reduce stigma and raise awareness.

At Sears Holdings she created a loyalty program for Kmart to retain customers and increase the business volume, requiring significant collaboration across multiples teams and business lines, change management and technology innovation.

In her tenure at IBM Co. Beatriz had multiple roles, including a establishing a Direct Marketing Center in Bogota, Colombia to cover the small and medium business for the Spanish speaking countries in South America.

One of the most interesting and challenging projects she participated in was the transition of the brand and marketing programs when the Chinese company Lenovo acquired the IBM personal computers division.

For five years, Beatriz was on the Board of Alternatives in Action, a non-profit organization in Oakland focused on providing opportunities to underserved young adults. She also worked at the non-profit Women’s Initiative, managing the major fundraising events.

Beatriz has a computer science degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, and a master’s in marketing from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores (IESA) in Caracas, Venezuela.

She enjoys taking ballet classes, hiking by the ocean, and “playing” in her succulent and cactus garden on sunny Sundays.  Beatriz is a native of Caracas, Venezuela.

Nydia Sahagun

Head of Brand and Acquisition Marketing, Primary Care Organization
Humana

Nydia Sahagun is Head of Brand and Acquisition Marketing for Humana’s Primary Care Organization. Nydia’s career as a leading and award-winning national marketer spans over 20 years and includes work at top national retail, financial services and healthcare brands. At Humana’s Primary Care Organization, Nydia is responsible for orchestrating a 360° marketing transformation for the Conviva Care Centers brand that includes an elevated marketing technology stack, implementation of fundamentals in consumer insights and data-driven marketing campaigns and a full website redesign.

Prior to that at Wells Fargo, Nydia oversaw the development of enterprise segment strategies to deliver products, services and experiences that meet the needs of the rapidly growing diverse marketplace. Her leadership role within the company and unique lens into culture helped shape a more a customer centric approach to marketing.

Armed with intimate knowledge, ranging from media and agency to CPG and retail, Nydia knows how to succeed with consumers by tapping into data and insights to drive overall business performance. As a leader in the marketing industry and member of the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, Nydia has been quoted extensively in outlets such as Minnesota Public Radio, Advertising Age, and Portada to name a few, in addition to providing her expertise at nationally recognized industry conferences such as the Association of National Advertisers’ Masters of Marketing.

She received her MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in Marketing Communication. Nydia currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her wife and 4-year old son.

José Villa

President & Chief Strategy Officer
Sensis

José Villa is the founder and President and Chief Strategy Officer of Sensis, an integrated cross-cultural marketing agency. José founded Sensis as a Web development firm in 1998, and one of the first agencies focused on the multicultural digital market. Under José’s direction, Sensis has grown into the largest independent multicultural agency in the U.S. José has more than 24 years of experience in advertising and multicultural marketing across a variety of industries. José has a unique professional background that combines digital technology and advertising with economics, market research and strategy consulting. He has pioneered a new “cross-cultural” approach to reaching the diverse American mainstream.

His thought-provoking analyses of advertising at the intersection of technology and culture are published regularly on MediaPost, AdAge, and numerous industry trade publications. José is also a regular speaker at advertising and digital conferences such as RAB OneShow, SXSW, MediaPost, and Hispanicize. A thought leader in cross-cultural and modern advertising, José has co-authored multiple studies including the “Hispanic Millennial Project”, the “We are Gen Z” Report” and the “Boomer Cultures Report.”

José has an Economics degree from Harvard University and an MBA in Marketing from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Margaret Barron

Global Vice President of Marketing
Circle K

As Circle K Global VP of Marketing, Margaret Barron is responsible for developing the Circle K brand globally, managing brand royalties, delivering creative brand campaigns for all categories and marketing, overseeing the design team, and developing global brand strategy. She manages brand briefs from Europe, Canada and the United States and facilitates creative workshops for global colleagues based on different business challenges. She is also responsible for the brand’s financial services with a specific focus on the underbanked and unbanked globally.

Barron joined Circle K when the company acquired the Topaz brand in Ireland more than three years ago. Since then, her influence on Circle K’s marketing business, especially its growing brand, has been impressive and widely admired throughout the company.

Gonzalo Del Fa

President
GroupM Multicultural

As President of GroupM Multicultural, Gonzalo plays a key role in all aspects of the multicultural media and marketing efforts initiated by all WPP media agencies: Wavemaker, Mediacom, Mindshare and Essence. The goal of the division is to provide clients with a truly relevant and informative point of view of multicultural markets and audiences across the US, resulting in tailored communications strategies based on in-depth knowledge of consumers.

Under Gonzalo’s leadership, GroupM Multicultural handles $1B in billings from clients such as Nestle, Unilever, Target, L’Oréal, General Mills, Walgreens, Church & Dwight, IKEA, AARP, Kimberly Clark, Universal Pictures and Bayer. Gonzalo first joined the GroupM family in 2003 as Managing Director of MEC Argentina. During his three year tenure he developed a reputation for creative media thinking and activation. In 2006, he moved to New York to launch MEC Bravo and in 2010 he was instrumental in combining all the agencies under the GroupM Multicultural banner. In 2014 Gonzalo was awarded Media Maven of the Year, in 2016 he was nominated for the Crain’s Visionary Award and in 2017 he received the Executive Leadership Award.

Gonzalo started his professional career at American Express Argentina and prior to joining GroupM he worked for BBVA, Hachette Filipacchi and Editorial Televisa.

Carlos Santiago

President & Chief Strategist
Santiago Solutions Group

Carlos is a recognized strategist who has been guiding growth strategies backed by innovative
insights, data and econometrics to optimize and solve challenges in implementing Multicultural
and Inclusive & Generational segment efforts within a Modern Marketing and Total Market
context.

Since 2000, Carlos has led Santiago Solutions Group (SSG) guiding insights discovery,
opportunity models, analytics, and marketing strategies for clients such as AARP, AT&T,
Arizona Blue, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield California, CVS Health, Elli Lilly, Feeding
America, Ferrara, J&J, Home Depot, Kimberly Clark, McDonald’s, Nestle, The Principal, Sierra
Club, SNHU, Sparkling Ice, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Target, Ulta Beauty,
Verizon, Walgreen’s, Walmart, Stater Bros., among others.

In 2016, Carlos co-founded AIMM – the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, an
arm of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), evolving the multicultural and diverse
marketing discipline for the 21st century alongside CMOs from Nestle, Wells Fargo, Walmart,
Denny’s, USAA, P&G and 140+ leading advertisers. Carlos leads efforts around multicultural
data quality and transparency and the Cultural Insights Impact Measure™ (CIIM™). CIIM is the
new industry gold-standard measure gauging the incremental value of cultural relevance in ads
and content. With more than 300,000 evaluations across 500+ brands/200+ shows, CIIM has
opened a path to create more authentic portrayals, deeper consumer connections, and greater
sales lift for brands.

Lisette Arsuaga

Co-President
DMI Consulting

One of the premier experts on multicultural and inclusive marketing strategies today, Lisette has a proven track record of key strategic alliances and programs with media & communication companies, government
entities, and celebrities to effectively reach multicultural groups in a culturally relevant way. She has broad experience in managing campaigns in both Spanish and English and executed programs that
effectively target all diverse segments.

Lisette is a member of the Minority Advisory Council/Advisor for Google, Warner Bros. and the AdCouncil. She has addressed the United Nations and has spoken at national colleges and universities, ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, ANA Multicultural Conference, Cannes Lyons Creative Festival, META Forums, and Social Shake Up Digital Media Conference, among others.

Pablo Buffagni

President, Creative Director
BBQ Agency

Having worked at JWT, DDB and Saatchi & Saatchi back in Argentina, Pablo moved to the U.S. to become the Head of Creative at Bromley, followed by Conill Saatchi & Saatchi, and Gallegos. A few years ago, he applied his Argentine barbecue skills and home tradition to work, in the form of fun and productive ​asado​ meetings with teams and clients. These great moments with friends served as the inspiration for the launch of self-founded BBQ Agency in 2014. Since then, BBQ has created work for clients and brands like Pepsi, Barilla, and Chrysler for the US Hispanic Market and Latin America, featuring Danny Trejo, Nicky Jam, Fernanda Castillo and Mauricio Ochmann among others.

Pablo has worked for dozens of brands in many categories, including Argentine Beef, Pepsi, Got Milk, Starbucks, Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, T-Mobile, Sprint, Comcast, Target, JCPenney, Clorox, Tide, Sony Playstation, Burger King and McDonald’s. In 2006, for Toyota, he created one of the first bilingual/bicultural TV Spots to air in the Superbowl.

He received the first Gold Film Lion and the first Media Lion for a US Hispanic agency at Cannes, and represented the US as judge in the Outdoor Category.

Pablo is a former professor at the Catholic University of Argentina, he used to teach Creative Writing at California State University, Fullerton, and worked as a Judo sensei before starting his career in advertising.

Alice Ovadia

Vice President of Media Strategy
TRUth

Alice is the VP of Media Strategy at TRUth, a full-service independent media agency based out of Dallas. Her role includes new business development, media strategy and planning, and consumer insights.  She is endlessly curious about human behavior and culture and has an insatiable desire to travel and see the world.  She thrives on trying new things, exploring the unknown, and is always looking to learn a thing or two.

Nuria Santamaria Wolfe

Director, Strategic Audience Partnerships
Meta

Nuria Santamaría Wolfe is Director of Strategic Audience Partnerships at Meta, working with the company’s ecosystem of third-party partners to accelerate revenue growth across the most important business priorities. 

Prior to joining Meta, Nuria co-founded Encantos, an award-winning media and edtech company named by Fast Company as one of the Most Innovative companies in 2021.  Before founding her own company, Nuria held leadership positions at various tech companies including Twitter and Accenture, where she helped brands leverage technology to connect with diverse audiences.

Recognized for her achievements in driving diversity in media and in tech, Nuria has been named an AdAge “Woman to Watch”, one of Digital Diversity Network’s “40 Under 40 Silicon Valley”, and a Walker’s Legacy “Power50 Woman”.  

Nuria graduated from Stanford University with degrees in Economics and Spanish. She was born in El Salvador and grew up in Los Angeles, where she currently lives with her husband and two children. 

Amilynn Soto

Industry Business Solutions – Strategist, Leading eCommerce
TikTok

Ami is a creative and strategic storyteller, currently leading strategic eCommerce efforts as an Industry Business Strategist at TikTok. She has extensive experience in the advertising and multicultural industry, having previously worked at the community as Associate Director of Strategy, where she developed strategically grounded creative work in the U.S. and globally for notable brands such as Verizon, Corona, Samsung, Amazon, and Google, among others.

As a bilingual and bicultural Cuban-American, Ami hails from Miami but currently resides in Brooklyn where she’s perpetually on the hunt for cafecito, croquetas and cocktail bars that play Bad Bunny, Rosalia and sometimes, even Pitbull.

Victor Paredes

Executive Director, Multicultural Strategy
Collage Group

Victor is a successful marketing and advertising executive with proven experience in building practices that drive brand equity, sales, traffic, and qualified leads. His marketing experience spans sectors such as entertainment, hospitality, healthcare, consumer packaged goods, and direct-to-consumer services. Throughout his career, Victor has led multidisciplinary teams of strategy, digital, media, promotions and public relations experts in building effective integrated marketing platforms.

Prior to Collage Group, he was the Executive Director of Account Planning at Lopez Negrete Communications. Paredes was responsible for leading a team that applies cultural intelligence to inspire work that matters and work that engages today’s Latino consumer. And previously he was VP Creative Strategy at UWG.

His passion for marketing and branding began in the music industry, propelling artists like Marc Anthony and extending into marketing communications. His professional career has been a rewarding journey of connecting iconic brands with myriad diverse audiences including Latinx, black, and LGBTQ. Paredes excels at empowering brands with cultural relevance to succeed in a diverse America and a global economy.

Victor has had the privilege of fostering enduring success for iconic global brands including Target, Heineken, MasterCard, Nestlé, McDonald’s, Kleenex, Sprint, and Walgreens. His healthcare experience also includes Pfizer OTC, GSK pharmaceuticals, and Humana Vitality. Today, he has vast experience across many categories including wellness, automotive, beverages, financial services, beauty, and fashion.

Victor earned his MBA at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and his undergraduate degree at CUNY’s Herbert Lehman College.

Susan Beigie

Marketing Director
State Farm

Sue Schaefer Beigie is an innovative strategic marketing and sales leader with a proven track record of delivering results at Fortune 100 companies. She’s most recognized for exceptional ability to lead programs in technology, wireless and insurance industries. She currently leads Brand Marketing and Strategy for State Farm, driving high impact campaigns across general market and Hispanic consumers. She has scoped and developed marketing/sales strategies across insurance and financial services, customer segments and distribution channels to pave the road for more personalized engagement with customers and prospects in support of product line objectives.

Susan is married (Dave) with two sons, Aidan (21) and Matthew (18).

Baldwin Cunningham

Director of Media and Partnerships
State Farm

Baldwin Cunningham is the Director of Media and Partnerships at State Farm, where he’s accountable for the media budget and sponsorship portfolio to drive brand awareness, consideration, and quote starts for State Farm’s product portfolio.

Prior to that, he was the VP, Client Sales Lead at Warner Brothers Discovery, where he was responsible for driving revenue across CPG, DTC, Finance, and Insurance categories.

Cunningham was previously VP of Strategy at Brit + Co and before that, Founder & CEO of Partnered. Partnered was a digital network that helped traditional businesses innovate how they market & sell to customers by partnering with the world’s most innovative startups. He helped over 200 leading brands from Coca-Cola to L’Oreal to Nestle meet the companies who are disrupting industries and transforming how business gets done, resulting in a Forbes 30 under 30 award in 2015. More recently, he was recognized with the 2019 Cynopsis Rising Star Award and was named to Bumble Biz’s list of Most Inspiring New Yorkers.

Cunningham is a graduate of Springfield College, Y Combinator, a tech incubator located in Silicon Valley and completed an executive leadership certificate at University of Virginia Darden Business School. 

Jessica Ricaurte

Chief Revenue Officer
Adsmovil

Jessica Ricaurte is an industry veteran in the multicultural space with 18 years of experience. She possesses a unique mix of business development, product, creative, and storytelling skills. Her focus and passion are with the multigenerational Hispanic market.

Prior to joining Adsmovil as a Chief Revenue Officer, she led Yahoo’s Diversity and Inclusion sales category. Jessica’s career began on the agency side at ID Media (IPG) as a broadcast buyer. Quickly leaning into working closely with Univision, Telemundo and Azteca America, she decided to pursue a career in Multicultural Marketing.

Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communications from the University of Michigan.

Ana Valdez

President & Chief Executive Officer
Latino Donor Collaborative

Ana Valdez is the co-founder of Valdez Productions & Consulting, Inc. and the CEO of The
Latino Donor Collaborative. She is an American marketing, media and political expert, a
thought leader combining 25 years of experience in politics, media and the corporate world.
She was born and raised in Mexico City, and has studied and worked in Mexico, Europe and
the U.S. She has lived in Los Angeles, California, since 1997.

Ana has worked at the United Nations in Geneva, the Clinton Administration in Washington
DC, and has collaborated with companies such as Nielsen, Citibank, Colgate, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Scott Paper, Best Foods, Summit Entertainment, U.S. Department of Energy, Bill
Richardson for US President Campaign, Dolores Huerta Foundation, and others. Ana has been
the on-the-air Political and Media Analyst for Fox11 and Univision, a blogger for
MyFoxParents.com, Huffington Post, and CNN online, and she is best-selling published
author.

Ana has served on the board of trustees of SiTV, the first national cable channel targeting
Latinos in English; on the Southern California Public Radio Board, chairing the board from
2016 to 2020; and on the board of American Public Media Group and Minnesota Public
Radio.

She has also served on the following boards:

  • The Trust for Public Land National Board – Chair of Diversity Task Force
  • Los Angeles Universal Preschool Board of Directors (LAUP)- Chair of the Government Relations Committee
  • Children’s Bureau Board of Directors- Chair of the Public Outreach Committee
  • Queenscare Charitable Board
  • LA Mayor’s Small Business Board
  • Green Leadership Trust- Founding member
  • Center for Early Education- Diversity Committee Chair
  • UCLA Department of Statistics, Advisory Board
  • Center Dance Arts, Los Angeles Music Center
  • Regional Committee of The White House Fellowships, and The Eisenhower Fellowships

Ana has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Latinos in America in 2018 by Hispanic
Magazine; one of the Top 50 Most Influential Latinas in the US in 2020; one of the Top 100
Latinas by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2021, and as a one of the eight CHANGEMAKERS
within the 2021 Fifty Most Powerful Latinas by ALPFA, 2022 100 Top Latino Leaders by
Latino Leaders Magazine, and the published co-author of Latina Leadership in 2023, to
name a few.

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