Prospanica New York Celebrates Top Latino Leaders at S&P Global

Prospanica New York’s First Annual Top Latino Leaders Under 40 Event

Committed to empowering the Hispanic community, Prospanica New York (PNY) recently hosted its First Annual Top Latino Leaders Under 40 Awards Program at S&P Global on November 20, 2019. This award program sought to recognize and celebrate Hispanic professionals across all sectors of the New York metro area who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, service, and commitment to the growth of the Hispanic community. All recipients were of Hispanic heritage and represented leadership in the following categories: Entrepreneurs, Higher Education, Digital Technology and Marketing, Banking and Finance, Immigration, Non-Profit and Law, Global Sales, Analytics & Politics, and Project Management, Arts & Culture Consulting.  

Of the many nominations received, 25 nominees were selected to receive the Top Latino Leaders Under 40 distinction. Please take a moment to check out the bios of our winners below. 

This year Prospanica New York also had an opportunity to award three scholarships to outstanding students. Congratulations to our scholarship recipients; Baron Munoz from Cornell University, Micaela Lucero from Cornell Law School, and Deivid Villegas from the University of Rochester. These students are current members of Prospanica in good standing who met the national scholarship criteria. As a Premier Chapter, Prospanica New York is able to award scholarships locally to support our community. We are thankful to our corporate scholarship sponsors NBC Universal and S&P Global for their generous donations. A special acknowledgment is due to our event keynote speaker, Nancy Ruffin, for devoting time fundraising towards our 2019 scholarship fund.

EVENT RECAP

With over 200 attendees, our recipients shined while being celebrated and recognized. Our wonderful sponsors, CBRE, Impact Consulting, Marsh, NBC Universal, Nielsen, Brown Brothers Harriman, and S&P Global, bestowed the honors to our winners. Thanks to our sponsor Diageo, one guest went home with a bottle of Whiskey after answering the trivia question “when was Prospanica founded”. Most would agree that it was indeed a diversely wonderful show of unity and support for our community. 

For Prospanica New York, our greatest joy was to see everyone in the room recognized for their outstanding contributions to our community. We saw employers asking recipients about their community involvement, their careers, and just shaking hands to congratulate them. We could not have put together such an incredible event without the support and collaboration from our sponsors, volunteers, and board - for that we extend our most sincere thanks to all. 

Peter Bonilla from S&P Global shared the following regarding how he utilizes his membership, "Prospanica has offered me three core principles of professional development: the opportunity to build and showcase my personal brand, recognition for my special work, and an environment to network. What more can a business professional ask for? Thank you Prospanica!”

Maggie Arboleda from ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) shared the following regarding the event, “Being recognized as a Top Latino Leader Under 40, is not only an honor, but a responsibility for us to ensure that we are giving back to our community. As a long standing ALPFA member, it reinvigorated my commitment to peer organizations such as Prospanica New York - its mission and vision of developing the next generation of leaders. We look forward to working with the fellow recipients by coming together to enhance and leave our world a better place. We are family!”

Carla Freitas Renfeld-Miller from Citi expressed, “I was amazed to learn about the great work that Prospanica New York was doing recognizing the awardees for their service and their career paths - from legal services to fashion and financial education. Listening to their stories encouraged me to do even more personally! I feel confident that with these change agents, and the support of organizations like Prospanica, we will succeed in our pursuit of Latino inclusion - making our NYC Community stronger for everyone.”

MEET OUR TOP LATINO LEADERS UNDER 40 

Entrepreneurs 

Albania Rosario is the Founder and Executive Director of Fashion Designers of Latin America. Rosario arrived at the United States at the age of 18 from the Dominican Republic, to pursue her academic career and passion for fashion. She brings established and upcoming designers from across Latin America to have their work seen during the New York Fashion Week. She also created the Uptown Fashion Institute, a local non-profit which allows students to enroll in fashion-related courses, events and trainings. There are courses on photography, makeup, styling, modeling, entrepreneurship, event production and directing. Albania has also worked with Children Affected by AIDS in the Dominican Republic, and has visited the orphanage, Hogar Sanisi, where these children reside. In 2017, she was recognized in South Korea, Eastern Europe and Asia as being of the best fashion platforms for Latinos. 

Pablo Nagy is the CEO of High-End Latino Experiences Group (HELE). Nagy has managed to nurture great partnerships and is consistent in his offerings to the Latinx community. Last month, he was nominated by People En Espa?ol during Hispanic Heritage Month as One of the Ten Latino entrepreneurs you should know. He was interviewed by Univision for creating unique upscale experiences for the Latin American culture. Nagy has been using his business success to promote numerous beneficial causes in order to help Hispanic and Latino countries and communities. At this year's fundraising event for HELE Group, he was able to raise over $15,000 in donations to Cuatro Por Venezuela, which supports women in his home country of Venezuela. His business is based in the New York Metropolitan area, but the impact of his charity projects is on a global scale. 

Paul Ramirez is the Co-Founder of The Bronx Beer Hall. Under Ramirez's direction, The Bronx Beer Hall has become a culturally significant location in the ever-evolving landscape of the borough. After 7 years in operation, The Bronx Beer Hall has garnered both local and international recognition and has been featured in The New York Times, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, Delta Sky Miles Magazine and many more. Ramirez exemplifies excellence by constantly developing creative business ideas and solutions that are community focused. He is adept at acknowledging the needs of the Bronx community and the role he plays as both a Puerto Rican man and a thought leader in his community. Ramirez’s collaborative spirit ensures that The Bronx Beer Hall's programming is open and inclusive to all. 

Yai Vargas is the CEO of Latinista. Latinista is a national network of women and Latina professionals invested in professional development and career mobility. There are chapters in New York City, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles. Vargas has traveled to her home country, the Dominican Republic, to do professional training events and community outreach. Her mission is to support Latinas on their personal and professional journey to achieve their absolute best. She does so by curating professional content, workshops on professional branding, financial literacy and wellness, public speaking, and communication as well as networking opportunities. She also serves as an ambassador for the Latino Commission on Aids. 

Higher Education 

Jorge Cabrera is the President of the Rutgers Business School Alumni Association. Cabrera exemplifies excellence in the Hispanic community by being a leader in organizations that impact the Hispanic community directly. As the President for the Rutgers Business School Alumni Association, Cabrera has doubled the engagement of alumni through mentorship programs, career, community and professional events, as well as through networking opportunities. He serves as the Elected Democratic County Committee Member for Bloomfield, NJ for the 3-10 district. He has focused on creating an inclusive and engaged community, where everyone feels part of the community. Cabrera is a Mentor with HISPA, America Needs You, and an active Prospanica member. 

Michael McCaw is the Associate Director, Office of Academic Appointments for New York University (NYU). McCaw is a proud native of the Bronx and a “second generation” higher education administrator, following in the footsteps of both of his parents who previously worked at NYU. Since 2003, he has served in various capacities at NYU, ranging from faculty affairs, student advisement, curriculum development, human resources, and project management roles. He currently serves as the Associate Director of Academic Appointments in the Provost’s Office. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at NYU Steinhardt, teaching Interviewing Strategies to students. McCaw provides service and leadership beyond his day-to-day role through the NYU Senate and his voluntary leadership roles in the NYU Administrative Management Council. Michael also received the prestigious NYU Distinguished Administrator Award in 2019, which recognizes individuals who excel in operations, service, leadership, integrity, diversity, communication, innovation, inclusion, and community service. 

Technology Digital and Marketing 

Diana C. Ruano is a Senior Manager of Consumer Growth, Marketing & Innovation at Verizon. Diana is a champion and role model for empowering diversity and communities of color. She effectively leverages her ability to influence within her company, while remaining actively engaged in her community, as well as in other local communities. One notable effort she pushed early in her career was to bring attention to the importance of supporting diversity recruiting efforts at the business unit level in partnership with human resources. Her efforts were recognized by The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management and was awarded a full tuition scholarship to New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business. This year, Diana launched an initiative called “Let’s Talk Pay,” where Latinas and other women of color can have interactive, candid conversations focused on tackling the difficult topics related to achieving equal pay. 

Iris Otano is the Vice President of Global Technology at Bank of America. Otano creates a sense of collaboration, and win-win scenarios through business partnerships with professional organizations and Business Resource Groups at other firms. Otano cofounded the Bloomberg Latino Community and grew it from 12 to 700+ members globally across New York, New Jersey, and London. She was a founding member of and led various employee resource groups (ERG) in the United States and United Kingdom regions. She created multiple leadership development opportunities for its members and other Latino networks, including training, 1-on-1 advice via LinkedIn and meetups. She has also previously served as the Tri-chair of the HOLA New York Communications team in 2017, where she focused her efforts on bringing new ideas, building connections, and building a team of dedicated volunteers. 

Kelly Castellon is the Senior Manager of Multi-Touch Attribution at Nielsen. Castellon is a highly skilled and extremely proficient leader in Nielsen both in digital measurement, as well as in cultivating support for, and leading its internal Latino Employee Resource Group (ERG). Castellon has a strong record of creating and delivering. Castellon consistently delivers on behalf of Nielsen and its clients. Castellon is a strong advocate for the United States Hispanic community both personally and professionally. She devotes both her personal and professional time and resources to support the Latinx business community, as well as the personal growth of Latinx and business projects that highlight the impact of Latinx community in the United States. 

Michelle Mendoza is the Director of Marketing & Customer Experience at the Associated Supermarket Group. A native of the West Coast, with the persuasion of a strategic East Coast media leader, Michelle has worked on elite planning teams at Univision Communications and iHeart Media. At the age of 27, she was a founding member and later invited to serve on the board of directors for Trilatino Triathlon Club, an organization dedicated to promoting healthy living and lifestyles for people of color. Michelle is committed to advancing diversity and acknowledging the economic contributions made by growing populations. 

Banking and Finance 

Orley J. Pacheco is the Northeast Regional Director of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America). He joined the organization in 2005 and is strongly committed to mentoring young Hispanics and developing the next generation of Hispanic Leaders through board leadership development and holding workplaces accountable to bridging true Diversity & Inclusion in Corporate America. Orley is also a Wealth Manager at ARS Capital Advisors, Inc. and a Registered Investment Advisor. He and his team take a holistic approach to financial planning when working with individuals and their families. Orley became the Chairman of Junior Achievement of New Jersey, and was active in engaging hundreds of Hispanic volunteers, and touching the lives of thousands of underrepresented students. Prior to returning to financial services, Orley served with the United States Marine Corps, and is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is a champion for other Veterans bridging employment opportunities in Corporate America.

Patricia Alonso De La Fuente is a Managing Director at KPMG with over 16 years of public accounting experience in accounting advisory, mergers and acquisitions, debentures, IPOs and audit. She has extensive international experience advising and auditing South American companies. She has worked in Spain, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. Patricia is the driving force behind the growth of KPMG projects related to the Latin American markets ("LATAM”); she serves as the lead for KPMG AAS “One Americas” initiative. Patricia also manages the planning and execution of KPMG’s inclusion and diversity networks: Hispano Latino New York and Women Initiative AAS New York. She consistently advances diversity and is focused on leading and developing team members, from the associate level to the director level. She has been an activist for the Hispanic and Latino community at KPMG and continues to find creative ways to give back to the community. 

Peter Bonilla joined S&P Global over 7 years ago and is currently the Team Leader of the Private Equity Research Team of Market Intelligence. He is responsible for managing two outreach teams in New York and Islamabad who build relationships and gather intelligence from Venture Capital and Private Equity firms. In 2017, Peter Bonilla was named Treasurer of Adelante, one of S&P Global’s Employee Resource Groups. Peter was then honored with an Employee Resource Group Leader Award for overall excellence, and outstanding contributions as a creative collaborator. In 2019, Peter was nominated and selected to be a Business Ambassador of the 2019 Global Rotation Program at S&P Global where he supported 14 lucky employees from all over the globe to achieve their short-term projects and ensure they were prepared to present in front of leadership. Peter is currently leading a special project to raise funds to build a school for less fortunate children in Guatemala through Adelante’s partnership with Pencils of Promise.

Angelica Alam is the Head of APAC, Interbank Information Network at JPMorgan Chase & Co. With over 11 years of experience in business, Angelica has traversed a dynamic career spanning strategy, operations, business development and marketing at blue chip organizations across the media and financial services industries. In 2016, she became the Founder and President of the Let Me Be Great Foundation, with the mission to connect promising young talent from High school and College with high-caliber professional mentors with the access and resources to make an impact in the academic and professional trajectory of their mentees. Since its launch, the foundation has helped numerous young women navigate their way through some of the country’s most selective colleges and universities and helped them to begin successful careers in the private and public sectors. Angelica channeled her passion into writing and authored “Turn Your Goals into Action: A Simple Guide to Tracking Your Success,” a self-empowerment tool that helps readers identify and reach personal and professional goals. Angelica uses her experiences as a woman and as a person of color to continue to break the mold in the corporate world to inspire, motivate and encourage audiences of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Carla Renfield-Miller is the Senior Vice President of International Franchise Management at Citi. Carla joined Citi over 8 years ago through a Global Leadership Development Program and has since then worked across a diverse range of departments, functions, and countries, including in Korea, China, Singapore, the Philippines and the United States. She became Co-Chair of Citi's Hispanic/Latino Network 18 months ago and has since then doubled its size, and more than doubled its engagement. Her dedication to the Latino workforce’s advancement and inclusion at Citi, has also led her to be nominated for the HACR Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers awards. Carla is also an advocate and supporter of the Disabled, African American, Asian, Veteran and LGBTQ+ communities. She uses her voice to advocate for individuals coming from these groups, in situations such as recruiting decisions, performance reviews, promotion discussions, and selection of employees for training and development opportunities.

Josue Napa is the Vice President, Controller for The Brooklyn Nets. Napa was born in Peru and has worked hard to learn the norms and the English language when he moved to the United States. Today, Napa has elevated to the position of Vice President and Controller of a major league sports team, The Brooklyn Nets. He has excelled professionally and has become a role model for many, as he navigates through his career journey. He also volunteers his time to make an impact in the community, by being an active member, Treasurer and CFO of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) in New York. He has volunteered time mentoring students from non-profits such as the New York chapter of Junior Achievement. He is the Lead for the Latin Business Resource Group at BSE, the parent company of The Brooklyn Nets. He has contributed to organizations such as the Ascend Scholarship Fund, an organization focused on providing scholarships to help the immigrant community reach their full potential. Napa has been the Chairperson of Ascend's major fundraiser for the past 4 years. He lives by example and has inspired many to begin teaching financial literacy to children at an early age.

Immigration, Non-Profit and Law

Angy Rivera is the Co-Executive Director of the New York State Leadership Council. Angy is a leader in immigration activism. Angy emigrated from Colombia when she was young girl and lived undocumented for many years. Her story is central to the Peabody Award-winning PBS documentary Don’t Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie). She has participated in marches from Washington, D.C., to rallies in NY, sometimes outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. In 2010, she created Ask Angy—the first advice column for undocumented youth in the United States. Rivera’s column gave a voice to masses of people entangled in a broken immigration system from 2010 to 2016. She has been featured in videos, articles, and documentaries. In 2012, she was recognized as one of The Hispanic Coalition New York's 40 Under 40 Rising Stars. In 2016, she received the American Immigration Council’s Immigrant Youth Achievement Award for her dedication to immigrant justice. Angy is an inspiration to the Latinx community.

Cindy Zuniga is an Associate at Venable LLP. As an Associate, she mentors other Hispanic women interested in law. However, beyond just being a Lawyer, Zuniga uses her platform on Instagram (@zerobasedbudget) to share personal finance tips to over 14 thousand followers around the world. While earning her Juris Doctorate at Cordozo Law School, she made sure to position herself in spaces she knew would connect her to the Hispanic community and allow her to share her knowledge. She has been sought after by prominent individuals such as Dave Ramsey to speak about her experiences as a Hispanic woman.

Maggie Arboleda is a part of the Women of ALPFA Strategic Development for Diversity & Inclusion. Maggie develops partnerships with Multi-National Corporations to deliver impactful Diversity & Inclusion programming geared towards the unique challenges faced by women of color as they build their careers in Corporate America. In addition to Maggie’s experience in Diversity & Inclusion, she has led Community Affairs and Communications Strategy, most recently for the New York Community Bank where she developed and implemented Social Impact Marketing elevating brand awareness for community outreach efforts. Arboleda's engagements have reached a global scale, and through ALPFA, she has been able to have a national reach with a local touch. 

Global Sales, Analytics & Politics 

Ariel Jacob Luna is the Director of Veterans Services at Bergen County, New Jersey. Luna is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the start of 2000 and upon his departure from the Army in 2002, he joined the New York National Guard where he was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004-2005. While serving in the National Guard, Luna was pursing his bachelor’s degree at Brooklyn College. He completed his Master’s in Administrative Science, with a concentration in Non-Profit Organizational Development from Fairleigh Dickinson University. While serving as the Director of Veteran Services at Fairleigh Dickinson University, he was instrumental in supporting over 700 veterans in obtaining bachelor and master’s degrees. As Director of Veteran Services of Bergen County, Luna has focused his efforts on housing, employment opportunities, and good service referral providers. In August of 2016, Bergen County became the 28th Community in the United States to have effectively ended Veteran homelessness. He has effectively touched the lives of many people, especially veterans both local and nationally, through his years of serving the community.

German Santana is the Principal Partner Manager of Large Partner Sales and Global Partnerships at Google. He has been at Google since 2011 and finds advertising to be one of his biggest passions. Germán went to school in Colombia, France, and recently got his MBA from Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Business School. Santana takes an active role in Google's Hispanic Employee Resource Group (HOLA), and in 2017 was offered the Chapter Lead position which he held until 2019. As the Chapter Lead in NYC, he empowered fellow colleagues to collaborate and partner with organizations that align with their values. He was encouraged to work with organizations that focused on youth, students and women. He also serves on the board of The Sports Creative, an organization that serves at-risk youth through community-led sports and creative programs. His outreach has been in a global setting, with events held for several institutions throughout the world. His passion is to help those who were not as privileged as he was growing up.

Jose Maldonado is the Head of Placement and MMA Analytics, Senior Vice President at Marsh Digital. Maldonado has worked for Marsh for almost 15 years. He has progressed in his career at Marsh from Assistant Vice President to managing the firm’s growing Data and Analytics division. Jose has also been a part of Marsh’s Hispanic resource group for over five years, presently serving as the chapter’s Co-Chair. He collaborates with other ERG groups and colleagues within the firm to create a more inclusive culture. He exemplifies excellence by representing the Hispanic community and by the high level of leadership he has obtained at Marsh.

Project Management, Arts & Culture Consulting 

Janet Aristy is the Chief of Online Permitting for the NYC Department of Environmental. She has guided the development of programs for the Hispanic community, including reducing recidivism for youthful offenders, and increasing preventative care for those incarcerated. As Chief of Online Permitting, Janet has led a working team to develop an online permit process for Licensed Master Plumbers, which allows licensed master plumbers to submit and obtain permits online and saving them visits to city agency offices. While at the Department of Corrections, she launched an agency-wide work order management system allowing data to be tracked and monitored and a violence reduction tool to increase inmate accessibility for expeditious resolution of inmate grievances and other notable issues. Most recently, Janet has developed a public facing lead service line map. Thanks to her efforts, every New Yorker can now check if they have a lead service line. Janet understands that having a seat at the table in government institutions can reimagine how power is exercised and the impact it can have for the Hispanic community.

Gonzalo Adriazola is a Strategy Consultant at Accenture. His expertise has benefited global Fortune 500 companies increase customer satisfaction, grow revenue, and reduce costs. His experience spans the Technology, Retail, Consumer Goods, Oil & Gas, and Life Sciences industries. He also leads the professional development efforts of Accenture’s Hispanic American Employee Resource Group in New York, is heavily involved with diversity and inclusion recruiting initiatives. He has also performed pro-bono strategy engagements with non-profits such as the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and Prospanica. As an immigrant and a first-generation college graduate, Adriazola, understands the value of mentorship, access, and representation. He is very engaged in the community and shares his story of overcoming the odds in the hope of sparking inspiration in others. He is an ambassador for One Young World, a premier global forum for young leaders, and has represented Accenture in the 2017 summit in Bogota, Colombia and the 2018 summit in the Netherlands.

Valentín Cocha-Nú?ez is an Educator at the Museum of Modern Art. Valentin is an Art Historian and Fine Art Consultant with a comprehensive knowledge of world cultures, especially that of Latin America and its visual history. He is currently the Interim Director of Education at El Museo del Barrio where he continues to design and coordinate inclusive intergenerational bilingual programs to better serve the Latinx community. Valentin believes that participation in the arts and cultural activities has the potential to strengthen our communities, mobilize activism, and empower people to act as agents of social change for a greater society. Through the arts, he brings people of all races, ages and backgrounds to learn about the Latino culture.

MEET OUR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 

Baron Munoz, SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University

Born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana before moving to San Diego and Los Angeles, Baron received his Bachelors of Fine Arts from OTIS College of Arts and Design with an emphasis in Fashion Design. After graduating, he spent a good few months in Paris immersing himself in the culture before moving to New York to pursue a career in fashion. Looking into the future, Baron would like to pivot his post-MBA into a role in strategy consulting to efficiently and effectively take company products from concept to consumer. With his experience in fashion, paired with the tools acquired while attending SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University will give him the competitive edge to be a strong asset at any consulting firm. 

Micaela Lucero, Cornell University - Cornell Law School

Micaela’s goals are to create a startup in New Mexico that bridges the gap in legal representation for those who do not qualify for pro-bono aid and cannot afford private representation, especially those whose lives have been impacted by sexual harassment, assault, and domestic violence. Without simple protections, such as physical safety, many are not able to fully focus on education and a career. Her current position and education will provide her with the skills and network necessary to create a startup that attracts service-oriented attorneys and provides affordable series to clients on a sliding scale based on income. 

Deivid Villegas, University of Rochester Simon Business School

David Villegas was born in Colombia and raised in Warwick, New York. He has six years of financial services experience and has worked for top leaders in the industry such as BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, and Fidelity Investments. Currently, David is a 2nd year MBA Candidate at the University of Rochester Simon Business School where he is concentrating in Corporate Finance and Accounting, Computers and Information Systems. David received his bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University where he majored in Finance and Accounting, Spanish language, literature, and culture.