Mary D. Padilla

Mary D. Padilla is a marketing and communications professional with 20 years of experience in television production, public relations, marketing, client relations, community relations and event management. She has held leadership positions at Univision Television Network in New York City and Miami, and also was a telecommunications executive in Kansas City. She has provided consultation services in various areas related to branding, communications and Hispanic marketing, including her work with the 2007 NCLR ALMA Awards. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas, and serves on the board of directors of various nonprofit organizations.

Arisa Cunningham
VP, GLOBAL DIVERSITY, JOHNSON & JOHNSON MEDICAL DEVICES AND DIAGNOSTIC GROUP

Ms. Arisa Batista Cunningham is Vice President, Global Diversity, for the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices and Diagnostics Group.  In this role, she is responsible for the comprehensive global diversity strategy and action plans within all franchises of the $24B sector.   

Ms. Batista Cunningham has extensive experience in U.S. and global marketing, strategic planning, business development and advocacy across various product categories with major consumer and pharmaceutical companies including Procter & Gamble, Revlon, Chesebrough-Pond's/Unilever and Whitehall Labs, division of Wyeth.  Her work has been acknowledged by many organizations and she has been honored with several awards for creativity, business excellence and leadership.  

Ms. Batista Cunningham has also made significant contributions in diversity as a member of the Steering Committee of the Women’s Leadership Initiative, co-chair of the Women of Color/Multicultural Women subcommittee, chapter leader of HOLA and winner of the J&J Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Award.  Among her many community and professional associations, she serves on the Board of Directors of The National GEM Consortium, and of The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families.  She is also on the Advisory Board for the National Hispanic Health Foundation, a Congressionally mandated project for HealthCare Disparities and is President of Madrinas, a network of Latina leaders.

A native of the Republic of Panama, she has an MBA from Ohio University and undergraduate degrees from James Madison University and Sta. Maria La Antigua University.  She lives in Chappaqua, New York with her husband and 5 children.

Carmen Ramos-Watson
PRESIDENT & CEO, QUALITY MANAGEMENT RESOURCES, INC.

Carmen founded Quality Management Resources, Inc., (QMRI), a management and marketing consulting firm in 1990.  With over 20 years of experience in International marketing and management development, market research and strategic planning, Carmen has led the company in social marketing and Hispanic outreach for 16 years.  Since starting  QMRI, Carmen’s experience includes:  consulting to Senior executives on strategy development and market penetration, developing marketing outreach strategies for major international corporations; developing a social marketing campaign for the Federal government health initiative Closing the Health Gap targeting Hispanics, Founding Celebra La Vida Con Salud, a national health education campaign for Hispanics which has formulated a coalition of innovative partnerships and optimized practices to eliminate the footprint of low health access and education to prevent illness or death.  This has resulted in over $5M of free health screenings per year.  Her company has created unique campaigns including “Salud Entre Nosotras”, a  conference dialogue for Latina health and a nationally recognized curriculum educating women on HPV and cervical cancer.  Carmen has founded a national non-profit,  Celebra La Vida, Inc. working nationally and internationally with government and business leaders to advance health outcomes and health literacy and she continues to serve as consultant to national and international entities on enhancing health outcomes of communities.    With QMRI, Carmen has served fortune 100 companies, federal government agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit community based organizations.  Examples of her client list include:  numerous agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services including , National Institutes of Health, CDC Office on Smoking and Health, and FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition as well as NikeGO, Washington, Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, Merck & Co. Pfizer and Alzheimer’s Association to name a few.

Prior to founding QMRI, Carmen held various positions at Citibank/Citicorp over a ten year span where she provided consulting support to Citibank International’s global marketing strategy, initiated a marketing development and territory penetration program to acquire and maintain new markets in Latin America; and designed an internal and external marketing campaign to build brand loyalty  at Citibank.  Carmen also established and managed the Service Quality and Marketing Department of Citibank International where she designed and implemented strategies to build profitability and customer loyalty.

Carmen’s outstanding initiative and drive have won her numerous awards including Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year and Washington Metropolitan Forty under Forty High achievers award.  She graduated from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government Executive Leadership Program, the Amos Tuck School of Business @ Dartmouth Advanced Minority Business Executive Program and received a Masters Certificate from the University of Miami in Quality Management.  Her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Management is from Barry University in Miami, Florida.  She is a National Hispana Leadership Institute Fellow of 2007.

Aside from her passion for social marketing and strategic planning for social change, Carmen is a community activist involved in local and national health and education issues.  She is a passionate supporter of women in business and commits her time to the empowerment of women.  She has served as Chair of CentroNia a bilingual multicultural learning center in Washington, DC and is a member of the board of Advisors for City First Bank of Washington, D.C.

Cynthia Hudson
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, CNN EN ESPAÑOL

Cynthia Hudson is senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Español and Hispanic strategy for CNN/U.S. Hudson oversees all aspects, including newsgathering, editorial content, programming, production, operations and personnel, of the CNN en Español 24/7 television network, CNN en Español RADIO and CNNMéxico.com.

In addition to an extensive bilingual staff at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, CNN en Español’s operations include a newsgathering and production hub in Mexico City and a fully staffed bureau in Buenos Aires, Spanish-speaking personnel based at the CNN bureaus in Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Jerusalem, and a worldwide network of nearly 50 Spanish-speaking contributing journalists.

Before joining CNN en Español, Hudson served as chief creative officer and executive vice president for SBS and managing director of Mega TV. There she was responsible for SBS’ expansion, directly overseeing flagship TV station Mega TV, as well as the company’s internet site lamusica.com and other new media development.   In addition, Hudson supervised the strategic expansion of SBS content across multiple media platforms and development of branded entertainment synergies among all SBS properties.  Mega TV saw tremendous growth under her watch and garnered the network 27 EMMY awards in just four years since its launch.

From 1997 to 2005, Hudson served as senior vice president and editorial director of Cosmopolitan Television (a Hearst Entertainment and Syndication Group division), heading up the creation and development of the Cosmopolitan TV Networks, including Canal Cosmopolitan Iberia and Canal Cosmopolitan Latin America as well as the foundation for Cosmo TV Canada.  There she led the research, development and creation of Cosmo TV, overseeing design of original programs, on-air packaging, promotions and program acquisitions, as well as the creation and production of original formats and the overall business strategy for the networks.

Prior to Cosmopolitan TV, Hudson was senior vice president of programming and creative services for United International Holding’s joint venture channel service, United Family Communications (UFC), now MGM Networks Latin America. While at UFC she created Casa Club TV, the first pan-regional Home channel for Latin America (today MGM).

Hudson was the vice president of programming and production for the Telemundo Network from 1992-94. During her tenure, the network’s programming line-up was redesigned, achieving its highest ratings to date and developing its first in-house telenovela production unit with successes such as “Tres Destinos,” a prime-time scripted drama series that debuted in 1994.

From 1984 to 1992, Hudson held various production and executive positions with the Univision Network, including Executive Producer of the first daytime U.S. Hispanic magazine show, “TV Mujer” (“TV Woman”), which garnered Univision its first Emmy Award for ongoing series production.  Hudson started her professional career in news at Univision affiliate WLTV 23, where she held various positions from reporting to production and management. 

Born in Los Angeles, she holds a Masters in Communications from the University of Miami, and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Daisy Expósito-Ulla
CHAIRMAN/CEO, D EXPÓSITO & PARTNERS, LLC

Daisy Expósito-Ulla, an iconic name in multicultural communications in America, is Chairman/CEO of d expósito & Partners, an independent, woman- and minority-owned, full-service marketing and communications agency.  Dubbed as The New American Agency®, d expósito & Partners offers excellence in marketing while creatively leveraging cultural insights for total market solutions in today’s digital age. 

Daisy has achieved a stellar career in brand-building through successful advertising and marketing communications, creating consumer-centric strategies and effective, holistic campaigns proven to engage and move consumers to embrace her clients’ brands.  Under her leadership, d expósito & Partners has already experienced significant growth, expanding and diversifying its already impressive client roster that now includes the U.S. Census 2010.  Other clients include ConAgra Foods, McDonald’s Restaurants of the New York Tri-State area, Mazda North America, Anheuser-Busch/InBev, Amway Global, among others. 

Expósito-Ulla’s professional beginnings hark back to content creation for television, as well as creative and production work at pioneering Hispanic agency, Conill (now part of Saatchi & Saatchi).  However, it was as a result of the unique success story at the ad agency she helped found, The Bravo Group (a Young & Rubicam/WPP company), that she captured the attention of the media and became a household name within the marketing industry.  As head of Bravo, the agency reported billings of nearly half a billion dollars.  With its enormous success, Bravo virtually became the blueprint for other global agencies wanting to enter the U.S. Hispanic market. 

As a reflection of her strategic and business-building abilities, her client experience extends across multiple categories, with clients such as Sears, AT&T, AT&T Wireless, Citibank, Kraft Foods, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, Bank of America, Chevron, Miller Brewing Company, Campbell Soup Co., Dr. Pepper, Unilever, McDonald’s, The Ford Motor Company, Mazda, the US Army and the US Postal Service.  Her creative and strategic leadership produced extraordinary results for clients and won much creative recognition, including numerous Clio, Effie, Telly, Addy, NY Festival of Festivals and the Se Habla Español awards.  However, her most visible and gratifying achievement was spearheading the development of the Hispanic communications platform for the US Census 2000, which helped verify the presence of over 40 million Hispanics living in the United States. 

Daisy has served on various industry association boards of directors, such as the AdCouncil and the AAAA Foundation.  She helped found the Association for Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA), and is currently a board member.  While serving as president of AHAA, she conceived and launched one of her most ambitious public service initiatives, FuturaMente (FutureMinds), a national campaign to motivate Hispanic-Americans to become teachers while also promoting education of Latino children and youth.  She currently serves on the board of directors of the Advertising Education Foundation (AEF), and she is a founding member and former trustee of the New America Alliance.

Since 2000, she has been involved with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a White House-backed initiative she supports as an active member of its Board of Directors and Chair of its Latino Initiative committee.  Her involvement with the American Cancer Society resulted in the first outreach effort to raise awareness and educate Spanish-speaking women about the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.  For this, she received the American Cancer Society’s Humanitarian Award. 

Daisy is the recipient of countless industry and civic awards.  Among these, she has been bestowed recognition by The International Center, alongside Nobel Peace laureate Elie Wiesel, and Henry Kissinger, as well as The Carvel Immigrant Award.  She has been recognized twice by Crain’s New York Business as one of New York’s 100 Top Minority Executives and Multicultural Leaders.  She has received the Women of Distinction award by the Girl Scouts Council of Greater New York and the Salute to Women Achievers award from the YMCA of New York.  She was honored with a Role Model award at the American Advertising Federation District Two Diversity Achievement Awards.  She has also been honored as an outstanding leader at the New York Women’s Agenda eighth annual “Star” Breakfast.  Most notably, though, she was recognized with the distinction, Women Who Change the World, by New York Women in Communications, Inc., winning her the prestigious Matrix Award in May 2003, the first Latina to receive the recognition.  

Most recent recognitions, since her new start with d expósito & Partners, include:  NY Women’s Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Award; Latin Business Magazine’s “Spirit Award 2007”; Latina Style Magazine’s 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year; Latin Business Magazine’s 2008 Excellence Recognition; the Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly 30th Anniversary Gala’s Corporate Achievement Award.  Servicing the McDonald’s business, a brand to which her professional career has consistently sustained a link, has garnered the agency three performance awards from the client,  2009 LatinBiz “Women of Virtue” Award and a 2009 Silver Telly Award for the McDonald’s/Latin Grammy’s “Pure Inspiration” campaign.

Her love for the arts has manifested itself in her support, along with that of her husband, for various projects throughout the years; among them El Museo del Barrio, Teatro Repertorio Español, INTAR, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.  She has been serving as a board member of Repertorio Español since 2004. 

Daisy Expósito-Ulla came to the United States from Cuba with her family in 1964.  Daisy and her husband and business partner Jorge Ulla, an award-winning filmmaker and Grammy-nominated producer, live in New York with their 20 year-old son, Gabriel, a student at New York University.

Diane Sanchez
PRESIDENT & CEO, TELEFONICA USA, INC.

Diane Sanchez serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Telefonica USA, Inc.  In this role, Ms. Sanchez is responsible for designing and executing Telefonica’s strategy and the full P&L responsibility of its 3 US-based strategic business segments. This entails managing the telecommunication and IT service needs of US based multinational corporations throughout the USA, Latin America, Central America and Caribbean Regions and Telefonica Residential

Ms. Sanchez has cultivated relationships with key corporate decision makers who are succeeding in implementing converged solutions that support their business strategy. Ms. Sanchez has held management positions for some of the world market leaders in communications and played a key role of leading their entry into emerged markets.

Ivette Mayo
FOUNDER, YO SOY I AM, LLC & YO SOY EXPRESSIONS

Ivette Mayo spent most of her career with a major global airline in marketing, sales, public relations and training. She worked successfully with sales and marketing to integrate culture and language as key components to their successful launch into the Latin American market place. As a corporate trainer, she was instrumental in developing training in the area of cultural awareness and effective sales applications.

In 2006, Ivette launched her company, Yo Soy I Am, LLC. Ivette’s goal is to help clients’ reach their fullest potential, bridge cultural differences and discover creative strategies that directly affect results at all levels. In addition, Ivette has experience with senior level management and has worked with several Fortune 500 companies. Ivette works closely with clients to plan and sustain efforts to establish mutual understanding between their organizations and the community they serve.

Ivette’s strong commitment to service and community has motivated her to serve on various boards such as the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, the Tampa Bay Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Women Professional Association of Tampa Bay. She has worked closely with the Minority Economic Development Council of Tampa Bay as an advisor. With her commitment to developing a multicultural strategy to business and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders, she was part of the Leadership Brandon  and served as the as the 2008 President of the International Business Summit that help forge strong commitment to doing business with small minority businesses and the international community.

In 2007, Ivette started her second company, Yo Soy Expressions. It is a specialty note card business that is inspired by the excellence of “la mujer Latina”. Each design is created by her to commemorate and celebrates the powerful Latina spirit. She has an online store – www.yosoyexpressions.com

Ivette has received many acknowledged for her work in the Tampa Bay business community and was a finalist for “Woman of the Year – 2007” and awarded the 2009 Diversity and Inclusion Award Winner by the Tampa Bay Business Journal her work in promoting diversity in today’s marketplace. In September of 2009,Ivette was awarded Latina Style Magazine’s highly coveted Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Award. In the Fall 2010, Ivette was one of ten Latina business-owners to be receiving a senior executive education grants by Latina Style and Dartmouth College at Tuck School of Business’s flagship Executive Program - Building a High-Performing Minority Business Program, which assist business owners take their company to the next level.

Ivette is a sought after speaker and is often called upon to share a dynamic and motivational message at conferences, meetings, job fairs and multicultural events.

Ivette attended San Diego State University, where she pursued a BS in Communication. Ivette is married and has two wonderful daughters. Ivette currently resides in Humble, Texas.

For additional information about Ivette and her companies, please call us at 713-447-5404 or send an email to: ivette.mayo@yosoy-iam.com or info@yosoyexpressions.com.

Liliana Gil
MANAGING PARTNER & CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER, (ACENTO GROUP) AG, MEMBER OF THE XL ALLIANCE

Award-winning and industry-recognized Marketing Executive, Liliana Gil is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Acento Group (AG), member of the XL Alliance, a unique “Cultural Marketing” firm and agency under the leadership of “former corporate clients now serving clients”. Their strategic services are divided in two primary divisions: The Cultural Intelligence™ Institute and Cultural Marketing & Advertising Services.  Gil and her team are commonly approached by business leaders to be personally coached and gain insights on how to prepare their organization to strategize and reach the fastest growing market segment in the U.S: the Hispanic & Multicultural consumer. Some of these organizations that have been influenced include: Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, Bayer, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of FL, Wellpoint, GNC, Kroger, L’Oreal, The Latin GRAMMY®, MISSION Skincare, Serena Williams, among others.

Featured as one of the country’s most accomplished business women 2009-2010 by the National Association of Professional Women, winner of the Business Woman of the Year Award in 2008 by the National Latin Pride Awards, selected by PODER Magazine as one of the Top 20 Leaders under 40 in the U.S- among others, highlight Gil’s contributions to business, society and the community making her a very inspirational and influential Latina business figure.  She is also a recognized speaker, writer, TV presenter and known supporter of diversity.  Her thought leadership has been featured in places like the Harvard Business Review, ANA, AdvertisingAge, USA Today, HispanicAd, Produ, Revista PODER, among others. Lili is also the host of YouTube’s 1st and only Cultural Intelligence™ channel: Moments to CultuRise where she empowers executives and marketing professionals with up-to-date multicultural news and insights to boost their business in today’s culturally diverse America.

Prior to her entrepreneurial accomplishments, her strong track record was well established as Worldwide Director of Marketing Services for Johnson & Johnson where she managed global Agency relations and sourcing and also pioneered the creation of the corporation’s Hispanic and Multicultural Marketing initiative. Some of the brands she personally impacted include: Tylenol, Aveeno, Splenda, Topomax, Levaquin, among others. Her legacy at J&J still lives having been the co-founder of HOLA (Hispanic Organization for Leadership & Achievement) an employee resource group that today has over 1,500 members in 4 countries.

Lina Navia
YOGA EXPERT

Lina Navia was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She started acting on television at the age of eight, in some of Colombia’s most renowned programs. This experience helped her understand the importance of working with children to inspire them to communicate and create a space to express themselves.

After graduating with a degree in Communications and Language from Bogota’s Universidad Javeriana, Lina traveled to Nueva York to study theatre at The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute.

Later, in 1998 she moved to Los Angeles, and in search of a place to exercise, Lina found a studio where she took her first yoga class. In the beginning she did not know what to expect. Her only knowledge of yoga was a book she came across at home when she was a little girl, which had photos of a woman in a pink leotard doing impossible poses only people from another planet could pull off. Once the class was over, Lina felt as light as a feather and her mind was clear and relaxed - a marvelous brand new sensation. That is how her life in the world of yoga began.

In 2001, while pregnant with her first baby, Lina took prenatal yoga with Gurmuk, at Golden Bridge Yoga. This experience furthered her practice and prepared her to give birth in a wonderful and fulfilling manner.

After both of her children Sofia and Sebastian were born, Lina realized the happiness she felt by being with children. She decided to find the way to work with them and for them.

In 2007 she took a couple courses to teach children’s yoga: one with Shakta Kaur Khalsa (Radiant Child Yoga Program) and a few months afterwards with Shana Meyerson (Miniyogis). That same year she started to teach in the City of Bell Gardens, where her yoga classes in Spanish for kids program won first place in the category of Health and Wellness of the California Society of Parks and Recreation.

But not only the kids of Bell Gardens learned from Lina. She also learned a lot from them. This helped her understand the magnitude and benefits of this practice...beyond the physical.

This experience inspired her to continue her studies. Towards the end of 2007 she took a course with Erich Schiffmann at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement. There Lina gained a deeper knowledge of the benefits of her own practice, and started to feel that connection so talked about in yoga.

In 2008, Lina had the very good fortune to train with Yogaworks. It was an interactive and very detailed 200-hour course. Completing this certification gave her the confidence to start teaching adults as well.

At the end of 2009, Lina took a prenatal yoga certification course with Patti Asad (Yogaworks). Since the yoga experience while pregnant with her own kids added so much to her personal life, she desired to share this with other women.

Her mission with ümbral is to offer the benefits of yoga to those in the Hispanic community willing to receive it, via a unique and meaningful health and wellness endeavor.

Linda Griego
PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, GRIEGO ENTERPRISES

Ms. Griego is a successful entrepreneur whose career also encompasses civic leadership and government service.

Since 1986, Ms. Griego has served as president and chief executive officer of Griego Enterprises, Inc., a business management company that has developed and operated restaurants in Los Angeles restaurant.  She is also the managing partner of Zapgo Entertainment LLC, a television   production company working on pilot shows aimed at the young Latino market.

For more than two decades, Ms. Griego has been involved in civic affairs and served as the interim president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Community Development Bank;  president and chief executive officer of Rebuild LA (RLA), an agency created following the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest; and was deputy mayor to then Mayor Tom Bradley in the early 1990’s.  She also served briefly as a special advisor to the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.

Ms. Griego currently serves on the boards of directors of three publicly-traded companies:  CBS Corporation, AECOM Technology, and Southwest Water Company.  She previously served on the board of directors of City National Bank, Granite Construction, Inc., and Blockbuster, Inc. She served a four-year term as a Los Angeles director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.  

Ms. Griego is currently a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and for twelve years, served as a trustee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ms. Griego currently serves on the advisory boards of the UCLA Women’s Health Center and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.   Ms. Griego is a former senior fellow of the UCLA School of Public Policy.

She has received several awards, including the UCLA Medal (the highest honor bestowed by the university), the Mexican American Bar Foundation, and the City of Hope (Woman of the Year).
Born and raised in Tucumcari, New Mexico, Ms. Griego comes from a Mexican American family of bakers and railroad workers.  Ms. Griego attended UCLA and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1975.

Maria Contreras-Sweet
FOUNDING CHAIRWOMAN, PROMERICA BANK

Ms. Contreras-Sweet is the founding chairwoman of Promérica Bank, the first Latino-owned business bank in California in over 35 years which serves small to mid-sized businesses with a focus on the Latino business community.   Contreras-Sweet becomes one of the first Latinas in the country to found a publicly-traded company.  She presently serves on the Los Angeles Mayor’s Trade Advisory Council. 

Prior to founding Promérica Bank, Maria served for five years (longest ever) as the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing Agency for the State of California, where she managed a $14 billion budget and a workforce of over 42,000.  As the first Latina Cabinet Secretary, she oversaw the regulation of fourteen departments, including the Departments of Financial Institutions, Corporations, Real Estate, Transportation (Caltrans), Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the California Highway Patrol.  During her tenure she created the Department of Managed Health Care and led the implementation of Proposition 46, a $2.1 billion housing fund, stimulating the state’s economy.  She chaired The Infrastructure Commission which published “Invest for California:  Strategic Planning for California’s Future Prosperity and Quality of Life.”  She served as the Chair of the Census 2000 Decennial State Campaign.  During California’s energy crisis, the governor appointed Maria to the restructured Independent System Operator board of directors.   She chaired the Finance Committee of the state’s electrical power grid, helping to stabilize a highly volatile energy market.

Prior to her state cabinet post, Maria served on the Board of Blue Cross of California, as vice president and equity partner of the 7UP/RC Bottling Company.  She is the Founding President of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); a Founding Director of The California Endowment; a U.S. Senate appointee to the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission; a member of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University, the International Women’s Forum, the Children’s Hospital board, the Hispanic Advisory Board for PepsiCo and Frito-Lay Company and on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and their PAC.

Maria is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Spirit of California from the California State Legislature, Entrepreneur of the Year from the U.S. Hispanic Congressional Caucus.  She has been featured on the covers of Latina Style, PODER and other magazines. She is a highly sought-after speaker in the areas of infrastructure investment, finance, and the Latino market and has led international delegations to Europe and Latin America to address infrastructure issues.  She is married to Ray Sweet and they have three children, Rafael, Francesca and Antonio.

Maria Gonzalez-Noguera
VICE PREDISENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS, ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES INC.

Maria Cristina Gonzalez Noguera is the Vice President of Public Affairs Global Communications at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (ELC), one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of prestige skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, with over 26 brands sold in over 140 countries worldwide.

Ms. Gonzalez Noguera works with executive management to direct ELC's corporate communications efforts related to government affairs, global media relations, and oversees corporate communications for the North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions.  She plays a crucial role in designing and implementing communications initiatives around major corporate events such as brand acquisitions, executive management restructuring, and internal and external policy initiatives. Ms. Gonzalez Noguera also oversees communications with regard to ELC’s extensive Corporate Responsibility activities.

Prior to joining ELC, Ms. González-Noguera was a Managing Director at the Washington, D.C. public relations firm, Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates (CLS).  During her tenure at CLS, she developed, implemented and managed communications and crisis campaigns for a variety of corporate and public affairs clients including: Avianca Airlines, Hyundai Electronics Industries, League of American Theatres & Producers, The Inter-American Development Bank, The World Bank Group, The Better World Fund (created with The UN Foundation – Ted Turner's $1 billion gift to support UN projects), BriteSmile, Cathay Pacific Airways, Grupo Techint , as well as the Government s of Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru and The Republic of Georgia.

While at CLS, Ms. Gonzalez Noguera designed and participated in a semi-annual communications seminar for The World Bank Executives and Country Managers to train participants on the elements of a successful multi-national, multi-audience, multi-media communications program as well as crisis management.

Prior to CLS, Ms. Gonzalez Noguera was a Financial Analyst at Popular Securities, the investment banking subsidiary of Puerto Rico’s largest commercial bank, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.  During her tenure at Popular Securities, Ms. Gonzalez Noguera participated in the structuring and issuing of public debt instruments and private securities.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Ms. Gonzalez Noguera is fluent in Spanish and English, and holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University. Ms. Gonzalez Noguera is a member of the Personal Care Products Council, El Museo del Barrio and the Hispanic College Fund.  She lives in Manhattan.

Marlene Garcia
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SALES RESOURCES, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES

Marlene Garcia – Currently, the Managing Director of Sales Resources at Continental Airlines. She began her career in the airline business in 1979.  With 31 years in the business.  Marlene has an extensive background covering a wide range of experience.  Her professional path has given her the opportunity to design and develop Sales systems and programs which support the information needed to manage budgets, capital plans, contract negotiations, and agency incentive programs at Continental. Marlene has balanced her technology strength with a background in Sales and Leadership Training and Development.  She is a respected leader and has successfully built a cooperative team that is known to be a leader in the organization.  Marlene holds a BA in Business Administration – Florida International University and has proven to bring innovation and creativity to every role she has held.

Monika Mantilla Garcia
CEO AND PRESIDENT, ALTURA CAPITAL GROUP

Ms. Mantilla is the CEO and President of Altura Capital Group.
As President and CEO of Altura Capital Group, Ms. Mantilla is responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership of the firm, including marketing, product development, human capital, client service and financial management.

Altura believes that a disciplined and comprehensive approach to diversity can add longterm value creation to the investment rograms of institutional investors. The firm works hand in hand with large institutional investors and provides methods, research, benchmarks
and implementation strategies that allow organizations to harness the power of diversity in the management of investments. The mission of Altura is to generate alpha creation opportunities
for investors by unleashing the economic potential and competitive abilities of undiscovered, underutilized or under-capitalized investment talent, markets, communities and service providers. Altura serves some of the largest institutional investors and government agencies in the country and the world.

Ms. Mantilla’s rich professional background includes investment management consulting, private equity, management consulting as well as a 9-year general management and international corporate law career. Ms. Mantilla’s prior positions include that of principal with an investment management consulting firm, managing director at a strategic and financial consulting firm, managing director for North America of a global logistics service provider, partner in a private equity fund, and advisor to numerous small and mid-sized companies in both domestic and international emerging markets in the areas of general management, investment management, trategic partnerships and private equity financing. She has advised
former Colombian governments on privatization and international trade issues and represented the Private Sector in international trade negotiations with Mexico and Venezuela (G3).

Ms. Mantilla has been actively and deeply involved in a variety of initiatives to support and strengthen minority and women
owned, emerging and community based financial services firms. Ms. Mantilla has been invited by the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee to address challenges, trends and other issues related to Hispanics in financial services. Ms. Mantilla has spearheaded the only two white papers ever written about Latinos in Financial Services. Both papers were commissioned by the New America Alliance. She has also been an active advocate for stronger trade and investment throughout the Americas and between the United States and Spain. She has received several honors and awards including Hispanic Magazine’s 2003 Excellence in Financial Services Award, the New York-Westchester Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce’s 2006 Business Woman of the Year award and a 2007 Special Recognition Emerging Manager Summit Award from the Opal Financial Group. In 2009, Latino Leaders Magazine recognized her as one of the Most Influential Leaders in Hispanic U.S.A. Ms. Mantilla is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Leadership Development at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, City University of New York. She serves on the Board of the New America Alliance, where she co-chairs the Capital and Advocacy Committee. She serves as the co-chair of the ICIC
brokerage mechanism task force to enhance the flow of capital to inner cities around the country. She serves as Member of
the Apoyo Fund Committee of the Westchester Community Foundation and is a Boardroom Bound Charter Friend.

Ms. Mantilla holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York and a Law degree from the Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia. Throughout her career she has participated in multiple executive and Board training programs in the areas of finance, marketing, human behavior, strategic alliance and public affairs. She holds the Series 65 license (Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination).

Tina Cordova
PRESIDENT, QUESTON CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Tina Cordova is a native New Mexican born and raised in the small town of Tularosa.  She is president of Queston Construction, Inc. which she founded in 1990 with her partner Russ Steward.  The company is a commercial construction concern with a division devoted to roofing.  Queston has completed projects throughout the state of New Mexico for customers such as Los Alamos National Labs, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Labs, The City of Albuquerque, The State of New Mexico, The Army Corp of Engineers, The Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many other private sector entities. 
Tina served on the Board of Directors of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for six years and served part of her term as Chairman of the Board.  She is a passionate advocate on behalf of Hispanic owned business.  Tina currently serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the New Mexico 8(a) and Minority Business Association.  The New Mexico 8(a) Association recently co-hosted a very successful Department of Energy Small Business Conference in Long Beach, California.  It was the largest DOE Small Business Conference ever held.  Tina also serves on the Foundation Board for New Mexico Highlands University, and was the Chair of The City of Albuquerque Small Business Committee appointed by Mayor Martin Chavez.

Tina has been recognized for her professional efforts and has been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in New Mexico 1998, Female Small Business Owner by Hispanic Magazine 1998, Woman of Achievement Award 1999, Top 25 Women Owned Businesses in New Mexico 2000 & 2006, SBA New Mexico Small Business Person of the Year 2000, Working Woman Magazine Regional Entrepreneurial Excellence Award 2001, The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Woman of the Year 2001, Top 100 Latinas in the US by HISPANIC Magazine, 2003, one of 6 women from across the country  honored by the SBA at their 50th Anniversary Celebration, 2003, Outstanding Alumnus for New Mexico Highlands University, 2003 and was chosen to receive the MBDA Minority Construction Contractor of the Year Award for 2007.  Under Tina’s leadership Queston has been ranked as one of the largest Women Owned Businesses and one of the largest Roofing contractors in the State of New Mexico by New Mexico Business Weekly for the last five years.  Tina was also recently chosen as one of New Mexico’s 2009 Power Brokers by the New Mexico Business Weekly and a Woman of Influence, 2010 by the same publication.

Queston Construction Inc. was awarded an Outstanding Innovation Award by Sandia National Laboratories in 2005 for their development of a Tie Off Device (TOD) utilized in fall protection in the construction industry.  Engineers at Sandia through the Small Business Assistance Program reviewed the design of the TOD.  Queston has acquired a Provisional Patent for the TOD and a Permanent Patent is in process.

Tina has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from New Mexico Highlands University where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry.

Tina has a son David and two grandsons Demetrius and Marcus and enjoys spending time with her family as well as being outdoors, camping and fishing.

Yolanda Londoño
VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, TUPPERWARE BRAND CORPORATION

Yolanda Londoño is Vice President of Global Social Responsibility for Tupperware Brands Corporation.  She directs and develops local and global philanthropic initiatives, cause-related marketing and global giving strategies with emphasis on programs that educate and empower women and girls. Tupperware Brands has a presence in more than 100 countries and over 2.5 million sales force members.

Yolanda joined Tupperware Brands after six years with JPMorgan Chase Bank in Houston, Texas where she was Vice President of Public Affairs. Her primary areas of accountability included identifying, funding and implementing strategic grant-making partnerships, sponsorships and volunteerism opportunities, government and community relations and new business development.  

Before joining Chase Bank, she was Executive Director of Tourism for the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau where she managed efforts to promote Houston to domestic and global audiences.  Previously, Yolanda served as President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the leading advocate for the economic and civic interests of the Hispanic business community in the Greater Houston region.

Prior work experience includes four years in Zimbabwe, Africa, where she worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development and three years in London, England with Logica Ltd., an international software consulting firm.  

Her professional career encompasses leadership roles in community and economic development, strategic marketing initiatives, civic engagement and non-profit organization management. She serves on numerous local nonprofit boards and was most recently appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service by Florida Governor Charlie Christ.

Yolanda was born in Bogota, Colombia. She and her husband Juan have two sons and currently reside in Orlando, Florida.