At 18% of the U.S. population, the American Latino cohort is the fastest-growing segment and largest ethnic minority group in our country, more so Latinos make up 25% of the Gen Z population. Insightful research from the Latino Donor Collaborative confirms that American Latinos have become an important economic engine for the country's prosperity, yet many organizations are unaware of shifting client demographics, and today’s opportunity to connect with untapped markets. Learn about the New American Economy with special guests who are at the forefront of the Latino Growth wave.
is the founder and sole owner of Alvarado Construction, a commercial general contractor, construction management and design/build firm in Denver, Colorado; President of Palo Alto Inc., and co-owner of the Colorado Rockies Baseball Team. She has changed the “male-only” image of construction contractors across the United States and opened doors for women to enter non-traditional fields of endeavor.
Ms. Alvarado was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2003 and has been honored as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in America” by Hispanic Business Magazine, “Most Inspiring American Latino,” by American Latino T.V. Network, twice as The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Business Woman of the Year, and The Revlon Business Woman of the Year. She is also the recipient of the Horatio Alger Award, the Sara Lee Front Runner Award, The National Minority Supplier Development Council Leadership Award, and The "Brillante Award" by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs.
is the President/Co-founder of New American Funding. Since 2003, New American Funding has grown to 2,900 employees, 207 nationwide branches, and maintains a servicing portfolio of over 110,000 loans for $28.7 billion. A first-generation Latina, she leverages more than 36 years of experience in the mortgage industry to lead the company’s sales and operations efforts.
In addition, Ms. Arvielo created the company’s Latino Focus and New American Dream initiatives to improve the home lending experiences for Latino and African-American homebuyers. She is on numerous committees, including for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (HCFAC). She frequently visits Washington, D.C. to lobby for the industry and homeowners. Ernst & Young recognized Ms. Arvielo as the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of The Year® Orange County.
is the General Counsel at Compass Working Capital where she serves as the organization’s chief legal advisor and director of the national network. She has previously served as CEO and Founder of FitNation Ventures, EVP, General Counsel for Sports Club/LA and Reebok Sports Club/NY, and Senior Business Law Associate at Edwards Wildman.
Betty is also an investor with Pipeline Angels. Ms. Francisco is also a dedicated community leader who has been involved with a number of non-profit and civic leadership organizations. She is the co-founder of Latina Circle/Amplify Latinx, a Boston-based social venture focused on increasing Latinx civic engagement and leadership representation. She serves on the boards of directors of Beth Israel Lahey Health, Roxbury Community College, YMCA of Greater Boston, Boston Educational Development Foundation, and the Board of Corporators of Eastern Bank.
is a high-level executive and thought leader. She brings a wealth of expertise gathered in influential political, corporate, and media settings to her dynamic roles as Executive President of the Latino Donor Collaborative, Principle and Co-Founder of Valdez Productions Inc., and Chairman of the Board at Southern California Public Radio, among other non-profit initiatives. In every capacity, she is true to a life-long passion for empowering the Latino community.
An American Latina, born and raised in Mexico City, Ms. Valdez has a business degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) and a Master’s in International Relations from Instituto Ortega y Gasset in Madrid, Spain. She has held many prestigious marketing and communications roles at organizations, such as Nielsen Mexico City, Banamex (now Citibank), the United Nations’ Commission for Human Rights, and the Presidential Clinton administration.
Nancy Torres is a joint MBA and MPP candidate at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. She is a Co-President for the Latino Student Organization (LASO) at Harvard Business School and a George Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership. Prior to graduate school, Nancy spent five years working in the technology sector at Google, Uber and IDEO focusing on data analytics, business operations and strategy and venture design. Interested in the intersection of technology and finance, she spent the past summer working in Goldman Sachs’ Technology Investment Banking group where she will be returning after graduation.
A native Marylander with Colombian roots, Nancy graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration. She has completed coursework at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, and Universidad EAFIT in Colombia. When not on the go, Nancy enjoys running, meditating and salsa dancing.
