Read biographies of feature guests for the 2017 Latina Trailblazers Networking Forum being held tomorrow August 23rd at Michigan Avenue's The Gwen Hotel Chicago! 

Hannah Fernandez, Founder & CEO, ROI Business Funding

Hannah Fernandez is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ROI Business Funding, a Chicago-based company that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners across the US and Canada get access to capital and provides them with technical assistance to become fundable.

She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and has more than a decade experience in management leadership, sales and marketing. Hannah seeks to inspire others to achieve their fullest human potential and live their highest purpose. Losing half of her team in a massive wave of layoffs at Pfizer in 2009 opened her eyes to the lack of job security in corporate America, and this seminal moment in her career journey fueled her drive to build a business, be her own boss, and be in a greater position to help others.

Hannah is the Chair of the National Latino Education Institute (NLEI) Business Leadership Council and volunteers as a Chicago Public Schools science fair judge at the Museum of Science & Industry. She serves on the Board of Directors of Mega Partnering and Top One Coaching as well as a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council. Hannah won several awards for entrepreneurship, including the Top One Coaching Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Hannah has appeared in WCIU-TV’s You & Me This Morning, ABC 7, WTTW 11 etc, and she has been featured in USA Today, CBS, The Daily Herald, Yahoo! News, and other publications.

Elizabeth Florez, President, National Association of Hispanic Nurses - IL Chapter (NAHN)

Dr. Elizabeth Florez is an Assistant Professor at DePaul University’s School of Nursing. She earned her PhD in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Florez is the current President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-Illinois Chapter, where she focuses on supporting, mentoring, and increasing the number of Hispanic nurses and continuing community engagement within Latino communities. She is an active volunteer for the American Heart Association and is a national spokesperson for their Empowered to Serve campaign.

Dr. Florez has been honored with several awards including: Nueva Latina Estrella, Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Nurse Leaders, Mujere Destacada, and the American Heart Association Circle of Service Award. Through her nursing background, research agenda, and community involvement, Dr. Florez is aware of the issues that ethnic minorities and underserved communities face that impact their health. Dr. Florez has taken on many leadership roles within various organizations in an effort to share her expertise to help address health disparities, especially within the Latino community.

Maria Gonzalez Kronyak, Senior Director, Global Accounts, eMarketer

Maria Gonzalez Kronyak graduated from Drew University in Madison, NJ with a major in Sociology. She spent four years working for Univision's Distribution team and negotiated retransmission contracts with regional cable operators.

Now at eMarketer Maria's Account Management team empowers more than 1,200 companies with insights and research on digital marketing, media and eCommerce.

During her free time, she enjoys giving back to the community by supporting non profit organizations focused on improving the quality of students' education.

Maria Esther Lopez, Development Director, St. Augustine College

 Maria Esther Lopez is a long-time mission-driven leader who has served the Latino community in several capacities. She was recently appointed Director for Development at St. Augustine College, responsible for the college’s resource development, community relations, government affairs and advocacy. St. Augustine College is an independent Latino institution of higher education that works with more than 5,000 students through adult education, workforce development and academic degree programs. Its founding charter is to

make higher education and its benefits accessible to a diverse student population through dual-language higher education. It is the only institution of its kind in the United States.

Contributing to the community and advocating on behalf of the Latino community is Maria’s passion and she has served in a long list of boards and committees. At the national level that work included with the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans-Partners in Education, the National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships, and she was the founding board secretary of the American STEM Alliance based in Texas. At the state level her service included with the Regional Transit Authority
Citizen Advisory Board, the board of the Latino Policy Forum and the Illinois Latino Family Commission.

Before arriving at St. Augustine College, Maria founded Maria Esther Lopez & Associates where she assisted
medium sized non-profits and small business address marketing and communication needs. The mission of
the business was to provide a corporate quality, sustainable, branding image at an affordable price. Prior to
that, Maria served as Director for External Affairs at El Valor, an organization that works to promote early
childhood education, support people with disabilities, strengthen families and develop leadership. Maria’s
responsibilities at El Valor included resource development, media and marketing, government relations,
building construction project management, international relations, and the leadership programs.

Prior to joining the world of non-profits, Maria worked for CNA Insurance Institutional Markets, Miller-Pear
Communications, and Citibank’s retail division. A daughter of hard working immigrant blue collar parents from
Mexico, Maria was born and raised in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Maria obtained a Bachelor
Degree in Commerce at DePaul University, and completed a Master in Business Administration degree at
National-Louis University.

Lydia Ortiz, Latino Market Manager, New York Life

In her role as Latino Market Manager at New York Life Insurance Company, Lydia is responsible for developing Hispanic marketing, community relations, and talent acquisition strategies to serve the financial needs of the Latino community.

Lydia’s expertise in multicultural marketing, brand management, and corporate communications includes previous leadership roles at Allstate Insurance Company, the United States Department of Commerce, and Avlon Industries (an international hair products manufacturer).

In her community involvement, Lydia has served as Los Angeles Chapter President and on the National Board of Directors of Prospanica (formerly the National Society of Hispanic MBAs), as well as, the boards of the Northwest (IL) Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni Association.

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Lydia holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of
Arizona and a Master of International Management Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Time is running out to register! Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Men are welcome to attend. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

Ask anyone about your haircut, and they might shrug and say it looks “fine.” But ask for career advice? You’re likely to get an earful of trite sayings, blanket, sweeping statements and outdated, traditional work tactics that won’t serve you well if you’re trying to advance.

While executive advisors can definitely cater to your specific industry and goals, life coaches offer a varied perspective. Because their purpose is to analyze your whole life — not just your 9-to-5 routine — they offer a more holistic viewpoint. They often motivate their clients to look past the stale beliefs they’ve maintained over decades, leftover from parents and early mentors, to accept what really speaks to their souls. READ MORE AT LADDERS

For the fifth year, Cox Communications is recognizing two Valley Latina entrepreneurs whose leadership and entrepreneurial spirit are perfect examples of the rapid growing women-owned businesses throughout the country.

According to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber Commerce, over the past decade, there has been a nearly 200 percent increase in Latina-owned business, a sign of enormous growth by any measure, especially when compared to the 55 percent increase made by their non-Hispanic female counterparts. In addition, from 2002 to 2015, Latina-owned businesses in Arizona have increased by 73 percent, with over 21,400 total businesses currently flourishing. READ MORE AT AZ BIG MEDIA

For Hispanic students enrolled in Catholic schools, there’s often a sense of gratitude mixed with heightened self-awareness and varying levels of discomfort. Some express concern that their own background is not reflected in their school’s curriculum, such as absence of a discussion of Latino history, and note the lack of diversity in faculty and staff especially at schools that serve Hispanics and other students of color. READ MORE AT THE CRUX

Babel Ventures, a Silicon Valley firm founded by two young immigrant Latina entrepreneurs, just announced $30 million raised to help start-ups. These funds aim to empower entrepreneurs, many who struggle to receive funding, with the needed capitol to continue contributing to our economy through their start-ups.

The firm was founded earlier this year by Bárbara Kunde Minuzzi and Daniela Arruda. Both women have experience in raising big dollar funds from high net worth individuals. In the past, Barbara in particular has singlehandedly raised over $250 million for real estate and high tech companies. READ MORE AT HUFFPOST

Want to become well-spoken? Here are three tips.

1. Make others feel well-heard

We focus too much on what we should say next, formulating witty responses in our heads instead of giving full presence to the person talking. The art of listening is as important as the art of speaking.

When the other person feels truly “heard,” that person will perceive you are caring about what he or she is saying, and this may make you appear more likable and better spoken. READ MORE AT LADDERS

A new report puts a price tag on the Latino population in the United States, and it is over two trillion dollars. This economic power, says the report, would rank as the 7th largest in the world if the Latino GDP (Gross Domestic Product) were its own country.

Headed by University of California, Los Angeles Professor David E. Hayes-Bautista, and Werner Schink, CEO of Latino Futures Research, the report commissioned by the non-partisan group Latino Donor Collaborative estimates the total GDP of the Latino population based on data that is publicly available at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Labor. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

Jenny was a 24-year-old Air Force pilot who used to work in the accounting section of an interior design organization. One day, she realized another team was going through some difficult times. She kindly offered to help.

Surprisingly, she received this response in an email from her boss: “Number crunchers lack leadership skills.” Seriously?

Jenny, a determined Latina if there ever was one, decided to write to her boss’ boss (let's call him John) explaining how she could help her colleagues. READ MORE AT FORBES

Every career person should have a goal that drives them. If your goal is to hit the summit of your career, here are some tips that can propel you to your desired height.

Do what you love

The usual counsel is that you love what you do. But that is getting out of fashion. These days, you have to do what you love. If you love what you do, that is forced love and it never lasts. What lasts the distance is you doing what you love. Such love is innate and has the backing of inner energy.

If you see what you do as a hobby, you will never get tired of it. READ MORE AT NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Despite the fact that Hispanics currently make up over one-sixth of the population of the United States and hold considerable purchasing power - over $1.5 trillion per year - the entire Hispanic market remains underserved by most brands. As important as it is to market to this cohort, it's going to become increasingly more important for brands looking to survive and thrive. Consider the following: More than 40% of US Hispanics are Millennial, and Hispanics account for more than 25% of the population ages and & under. READ MORE AT INC.

While Hispanics have median household income that’s about 20% lower than the overall median average, their sheer size means that they’re approaching $1 trillion in aggregate household income this year. That’s according to a new report from Geoscape, which looks at multicultural trends in the US.

The median household income for Hispanics this year is estimated to be close to $45k, below the $57k average. (More household income stats here.) Almost one-fifth (19%) of the US population identifies as Hispanic, and two-thirds of the Hispanic population hail from Mexico. READ MORE AT MARKETING CHARTS

While it's always fun to see what's new each fashion season, it's important to put some thought into each new purchase you make to avoid wasting money buying things you won't wear. That's particularly true this year, with the everyone's budgets so tight.

So how can you look good AND save money? By taking stock of your closet and making a thorough assessment. Make your existing wardrobe work for you as much as possible BEFORE adding to your collection.

Here's your best game plan for fall 2017:

1. Start with a good selection of basic, flattering silhouettes in solid colors, like a sheath dress, pencil skirt, straight leg pants, and classic button shirt.

2. Mix and match those basics in new ways for different looks.

3. Add a few inexpensive, trendy accessories to make those basics fresh and of the moment.

4. Top your old standby with a chic new coat and wear the heck out of it before you retire it next spring.

5. Be frugal with special occasion pieces. Shop consignment instead of retail for cocktail dresses, evening bags, and holiday clothes. Even better, when is the last time you surfed eBay? On eBay you can find consignment deals for name brands.

HERE ARE YOUR "BEST BETS" FOR FALL FASHION 2017

It takes a certain kind of person enjoys networking — and I mean that in the best way. Being good at it requires lacking enough self-consciousness to get out there and talk to people, but having enough self-awareness to make the experience a positive one for the other party as well. You don't want the interaction to feel transactional, but you don't want to waste your time, or someone else's, either. READ MORE AT REFINERY 29

Is your career not going the way you’d expected? Maybe you were hoping for a promotion, but didn’t receive it. Or maybe you’ve been going on interviews to land that higher-level dream job, but it’s just not happening.

Instead of getting frustrated, now is the time to get analytical and strategic. READ MORE AT FORBES

The annual growth rate of the U.S. Hispanic population remained flat between 2016 and 2017, but Hispanics continue to account for more of the nation’s overall population growth than any other race or ethnicity, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of preliminary population estimates from the Census Bureau. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Startups are brave. Startups also need a lot of support in varying forms. Most are looking for both investment funding as well as skilled individuals to assist them. There is no better place for a startup company than a conference or networking event. These events provide startups with the opportunity to meet those people who can offer them indispensable advice, opportunities and insight.
Connect with the best so you can learn

Smart startups know that the ideal way to learn what they need to know about their industry and the marketplace is to connect with the best. READ MORE AT BIZ COMMUNITY

The effort to ensure increased recruitment and retention of Latino federal employees has largely stalled since the Clinton administration, and leaders of Latino federal workers said Tuesday that President Donald Trump should revive and fund the effort through executive order.

President Bill Clinton signed executive order 13171 in 2000 that sought to influence federal agency directors to use their discretionary funding to make Hispanic employment a priority. READ MORE AT FEDERAL TIMES

Latinos, the largest minority in the nation, and the largest racial or ethnic group in California and Los Angeles, are virtually disappearing from the big screen, a new report on Hollywood diversity shows.

The film and television business, which is in the midst of taking more than $1.5 billion in credits from California taxpayers, has essentially made no progress in major-film casting of people of color since 2007, USC's annual "Inequality in 900 Popular Films" report found. This despite being lambasted by critics in recent years.

The paper's analysis of the 100 top-grossing films of 2016 found that Latinos captured only 3.1 percent of big-screen roles. READ MORE AT LA WEEKLY

You’re unusually lucky if you know exactly what you want to do in life — or feel like your current job is perfect for you. Most people need a little guidance to hit their sweet spot, whether the question is how to translate a new degree into a great position, how to quit a job and start over; how to change roles or get promoted; or whether and when to go back to school for a graduate degree.

If you’re in need of help, you’re not alone. READ MORE AT FORBES