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Read biographies of feature guests for the 2016 Latina Trailblazers Networking Forum being held next Thursday, July 28 at CUVEE Chicago. 

MODERATOR

Trina Fresco, Vice President, U. S. Community Alliances, Events & Engagement, Nielsen

Trina Fresco is the Vice President of U.S. Community Alliances, Events and Engagement for Nielsen. In her role she leads the collaboration with multicultural organizations across the country to increase Nielsen’s brand awareness with diverse consumers and improve the overall probability of multicultural involvement to reach our commitment of ensuring diversity in measurement. Trina also represents Nielsen as a Thought Leader. She serves as the Women in Nielsen (WIN) Midwest co-chair of the community relations subcommittee. She offers large-enterprise expertise through her tenure as vice president of operations for an IT firm for six years, plus national account manager and paint chemist within the chemical industry for nearly a decade.

Trina is passionate about her community and is an active board member of the Chicago Foundation for Women, and serves on a number of additional boards and committees. Most importantly, Trina is the mother of two angels, Sofia and Giana, and a little king, Lorenzo. Having had three children under three at one point in her life, she and her husband, George, try to keep things calm in the South Loop of Chicago.

DISCUSSION PANELISTS

Evelin Freytas, Agent and Owner, New York Life Insurance, President, University of Illinois Latina/Latino Alumni Association

Evelin Freytas, LUTCF, CLTC, received her Bachelor’s degree in International Business from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During her undergraduate career she studied Finance and International Business in Granada, Spain and at The Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as being an active member of Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. After graduation, Evelin began her career as a District Manager of Automatic Data Processing Payroll Services (ADP), in which she designed payroll and HR solutions specifically for the needs of small businesses.

Today, she is a Financial Services Representative for New York Life Insurance Company; she helps businesses and individuals create a roadmap to help them reach their financial goals. Evelin has received: The Premier Centurion Award, Annuity Champion Award, Community Impact Agent of The Year Award, Life AllStar Award, Career Life Producer Award, Career Life Success Award and Life Foundation Award; becoming the first Latina to earn all of these accolades in the Chicago North-shore office.

She is actively involved in several community organizations centered on education and empowerment of women and Latinos. Evelin currently serves as President of The University of Illinois Latina Latino Alumni Association (IllinoisLLAA), collaborates with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Latino Alliance and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Ecuadorian Volunteers Association. In addition to her work and community involvement, Evelin is a life learner and currently enrolled in an MBA program in downtown Chicago.

Ana Gil Garcia, Professor, Northeastern Illinois University

Ana Gil Garcia is an international education activist professor with a strong advocacy for diversity and inclusion and presently teaches at Northeastern Illinois University. As she developed her professional career, Ana formed strong educational leaders who are currently serving at various schools not only in Chicago but around the world. Her tenure in Chicago has been recognized from multiple organizations that valued her sense of sustainable and distributed leadership.

Mentoring and coaching minority women and young professionals for higher education is her educational life plan. She has taught for more than 30 years, from 6th grade to graduate classrooms and has held administrative positions and has kept her passion on transforming lives from the classroom.

Her service to the education professional communities can be verified by several ways: mentoring young professionals for higher education, coaching female professionals for doctoral programs, developing junior faculty, actively engaging in different boards and councils, training teachers to become school leaders, participating on campaigns against domestic violence and child abuse, advocating for Latino leadership parity and creating international bridges for minorities. Her defense of democracy and equal opportunities has brought recognition from various human rights groups. She has devoted most of her passion to ensuring peace and global citizenship education as the vehicle for preparing young people for their involvement in the civic life in their communities.

Karina Llergo Salto, Arts & Crafts Professional, Karina Llergo Art

Karina Llergo was born and raised in Mexico City where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design as well as advanced degrees in Multimedia, Animation, and Abstract Art. She studied with famed Mexican artist Roberto Cortazar and portraitist Enrique Estrada, who both saw her talent and strongly encouraged her to continue her artistic journey.

While keeping art at the forefront of her mind and heart, Karina enjoyed a highly successful corporate career as art director for Mexico City’s top newspaper “Reforma” and at illustrious advertising agency, McCann Erickson. Among the many campaigns she helped create, some of her most memorable were for clients such as Coca-Cola, Revlon and Kimberly Clark.

Throughout her professional life, Karina painted and worked tirelessly to develop her unique style. As a lifelong dancer, competitive swimmer and avid skydiver, she found herself drawn to depicting on canvas the palpable energy of the human body in motion.

Driven by these fascinations and armed with her talent for figurative painting , Karina found a way to translate her observations and creative imagination into thought-provoking paintings of breathtaking beauty.

Since moving to Chicago in 2007 and transitioning to art full time, Karina’s work has received high praise and she is greatly admired throughout the vibrant Chicagoland art world. Among her many accolades, Karina has received numerous Outstanding Achievement and Best In Show awards at distinguished art shows all over Chicagoland and exhibits in galleries throughout the United States.

Of Mexican, Armenian and Spanish descent, Karina’s diverse background influences her life in every way, as does her insatiable passion for the creative arts. When she is not painting, Karina relishes spending time with her husband and four children.

Leticia Romero, Owner, Azul Holistic Spa & Wellness Center, Author , Today’s Inspired LATINA

With a background of business administration and a passion for wellness and holistic health care, Leticia is co-founder and owner of Azul Holistic Spa & Wellness Center. Leticia and her twin sister Silvia Romero created Azul Spa as an inspiration of well-being promoting a variety of healing therapies through a holistic approach that attends to the needs of body, mind & spirit. Their passion for the spa business concept grew stronger and with great success. Azul Holistic Spa and Wellness center recently celebrated its fourth anniversary in the west loop in Chicago and recently opened a Miami Beach location.

As a founder an entrepreneur Leticia has been recognized by numerous associations, earning the award of reflecting excellence as a Latino business by Reflejos Newspaper in 2013, among others. Leticia and Silvia have been recognized for their work and nominated for Latinas entrepreneur of the year award by the Chicago Latino network in 2014. Azul Spa has been featured on Radio: WIND, WGN with Bill Moller and Univision radio. They also recently participated in a segment on “Living healthy Chicago” on WGN. Leticia has been featured on the cover of NegociosNow, Latina Style Magazine, Modern Luxury Miami magazine and Azul Spa was nominated as one of the best Spas in Chicago, by Savvy Sassy.

The Romero sisters are very proud to be a Latino business and have strategically aligned themselves with distinguished Latino organizations; such as the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women in Business, Women of ALPFA, among others. Although Azul Spa has found great support among the Latino business community, its appeal is wide range and highly regarded in the Spa industry of Chicago.

Time is running out to register. Don't miss the signature summer networking event for Chicago's Hispanic professional community in celebration of Latina Trailblazers at one of River North's most exclusive social destinations... CUVEE Chicago.

If you applied for a promotion and got turned down, you're probably feeling pretty rejected. Being passed over for a job never feels great, but it can be a particularly bitter pill when you're turned down by people who you see every day and who know your work well. But a "no" or a "not this time" doesn't need to be the end of your aspirations. Here are five things you can do in the aftermath of the rejection that can position you much more strongly for the next opportunity.

Don't take it personally. In most cases, being passed over for promotion isn't a repudiation of your skills or your personality. READ MORE AT U.S. WORLD & NEWS REPORT

When it comes to top earners in the entertainment field, at least six Latinas are holding more than their own. Here they are in order of highest earners:

1: Gloria Estefan
This Cuban-born singer turned singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman is worth a whopping USD 500 million and sits on the top of the pile of highest earning Latinas. That includes her minor ownership stake in NFL team, the Miami Dolphins. READ MORE AT NEWS AMERICAS

Retirement can seem like an impossible dream for many U.S. Hispanic women, who earn on average a little more than half of what white men are paid, according to an activist here.

"Latinas living in poverty after retirement are a symptom of a larger problem, that of unfair wages and unfair labor practices that keep women of color over-represented in low-income jobs," Cristina Aguilar, executive director of Denver-based advocacy group COLOR, told EFE.

"Less income means that Latinas can't save for times of crisis, nor for their children's education, much less for their own retirement," she said. READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO

The world that your parents grew up in is no more. Gone are the days of graduating from college and working one job for 40 years until you can collect your pension.

Things don’t work like that anymore.

In 2016, the modern job world is fast-paced and rapidly changing. Potential employers care more about efficiency and skill than the years of experience under your belt.

Now, more than ever before, we live in a world where the market rewards passion more than anything else. Whether you are “pursuing your passion” or bringing your passion to your pursuits, the modern market pays for this handsomely.

So with that in mind, here are 4 pieces of essential career advice tips for all of your millennials out there. READ MORE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST

Growing concern about global warming could determine who Hispanics vote for in the presidential election, a poll released Thursday shows.

Nearly 80 percent of Hispanics consider global warming to be a somewhat serious or very serious problem, up almost 7 percent from a year ago, the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economic Polling Initiative poll found. READ MORE AT SUN SENTINEL

White Americans tend to say that they would rather not own a business and dislike taking risks, in stark contrast to non-white Americans.

Since 2007 the fastest growth in small business ownership has been among ethnic minorities, specifically women from ethnic minorities. The number of businesses owned by white women has increased by just over 10%, but for Hispanic women it has grown 87.5%.

YouGov's latest research shows that this social trend may be born out of deeper differences in attitude. READ MORE AT YOUGOV

There are always some issues of employee unrest in an organization, irrespective of its size. Companies who are small or big sometimes suffer for satisfying their employees and as a result they leave. These employees face various amount of struggle within the organization and as a result they leave their job. Sometimes when these employees leave the job, the company suffers a huge amount of loss. The company initially spends a lot of money and time for training the employee. There are also some issues like providing some loyalty convenience to the employees. So every management must study about the struggle of the employee and the difficulties they face in the office as suggested by William Almonte.

Here in this article we are providing you some information regarding the issues for which the employees generally quit their job as studied by William Almonte Mahwah.

1. Huge amount of work is imposed on the employees

The companies are known to extract as much work as possible from the employee of the company. Sometimes the project managers distribute huge amount of work at a time among the employees. As a result the work load on every worker increases. Generally this type of problems require when the project managers miss-calculates the time and effort required to do the job. As a result a huge burden of work pressure is imposed on the employee. The employee needs to work for extra hours every day to deliver their project. This as a result affects their personal life and their behavior within the organizations. Sometimes these issues take a huge toll on the health of the employee or worker.

Solution -

So to help an employee on this purpose companies must take care while distributing the projects. They must distribute the projects by give a close attention on the amount of work and amount of time required to accomplish the project. They also may hire some extra professionals and increase the size of the team which can help in doing the task easily. As a result the quality in the output also does not get hampered.

2. The employees do not get the adequate reward which they deserve

In some companies we have seen some employees who work very hard and efficiently. They are known for delivering quality work every time and they generally deliver the projects assigned to them before time. But some management often do not reward the hard work of these employees. These types of employees are also known to provide some assistance to the other workers on various issues. When these types of issues continue for a long period, the employee decides to part ways with the companies.

Solution -

Every management must have some officials within the company who can pay a close attention to the work of every employee. Their main purpose is to look after the working nature of the employee and reward them every time for providing high quality. These types of initiatives help in motivating the employee and also help in watching so that the employee does not feel deprived.

Considering that 90 percent of millennials do not expect to stay at any particular job for more than three years, they are creating quite a head-scratching situation for human resource professionals and those who work in recruiting. To attract the best and brightest of this group—and to prevent turnover as much as possible—it helps to have a better understanding of this wave of workers. READ MORE AT ROCHESTER BUSINESS JOURNAL

I credit my passion for community building to how I grew up. I’ve been able to take the soft skills that my Ecuadorian family taught me — being welcoming to all, valuing empathy, embracing personal stories — and turn them into my own competitive advantage when it comes to producing content online for the various communities I manage.

My approach to online communities is why Andrea Guendelman’s words on turning our Latino culture into our alma mater really struck a chord. As the co-founder of BeVisible, a website that helps Latina millennials network both in real life and online, Andrea and Silvia Travesani, her fellow co-founder, have enabled Millennial Latina to embrace each other and support one another’s dreams. READ MORE AT FORBES

Americans have been feeling pessimistic toward the U.S. economy thanks in part to a decrease in median household income since President Obama took office. In the first quarter of this year, the economy grew at just 0.5% annualized pace.

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Javier Palomarez said on the FOX Business Network’s Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast despite the economic challenges that continue in a slow-growth environment, Hispanic businesses have found a way to be successful. READ MORE AT FOX BUSINESS

Intel, SAP, Lyft, Spotify and VMware are just some of the 30 Silicon Valley based companies that have signed a "Tech Inclusion Pledge" as a promise that they will promote diversity in their workplaces going forward.

Two years ago, the civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson pointed out the lack of diversity in the tech companies operating out of Silicon Valley. He went so far as to press a number of companies to release their data regarding the number of African Americans, Hispanics and women employed at their organizations. READ MORE AT BETA NEWS

We all know networking is one of the essential ways to getting almost anywhere in life. Networking just involves talking to people (the right people) and getting your name out there. Ideally, getting people talking about you.

There are typically two types of people out there: the introverts and the extroverts. Introverts, being more self-secluded and more of observers, usually have a harder time putting themselves out there; not to say that they do not have a social life, but their social circle may be just a bit smaller than most.

Extroverts, on the other hand, are more outspoken and more willing to put themselves in the line of fire if need be. Networking tips are used differently for both parties seeing as they both have different aspects as to how they operate and present themselves. READ MORE AT ULOOP

As the U.S. Hispanic population continues to grow in size and influence, Acosta, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, and Univision Communications Inc. (UCI), the leading media company serving Hispanic America, have released the 5th Edition of The Why? Behind The Buy™ U.S. Hispanic Shopper Study. This new research explores the buying patterns and behaviors of these highly experiential shoppers and provides insights CPG brands and retailers can leverage to better appeal to and connect with this important shopper segment.

“Data clearly shows Hispanics are the driving force behind sales growth across many key grocery categories, but the bigger challenge is to look more intently at Hispanic shoppers’ path to purchase to identify their specific attitudes and behaviors,” said Marianne Quinlan-Sacksteder, Director of Insights, Acosta. READ MORE AT BUSINESS WIRE

1. Strong Work Ethic

My father had two jobs in college, was in a band (saxophone) that played the weekends and was studying to keep a high GPA. My grandfather, an army veteran, started working when he was 10. They each always worked, respected their duty and always looked for more to do when they got home.

In the community, there is a level of gratitude for work that encourages a strong work ethic. Our families admire the full-time work we obtain that have nice offices with benefits! We are taught that we are lucky to have work and we should do everything we can to do a good job to keep the good work. Our strong work ethic is a result of pride and hunger. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

Networking is nothing new, especially in today’s social media-focused world. It’s almost as if you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your home to build a relationship…almost.

Though apps and social media platforms have made it much easier to meet new people, find those with similar interests, and link tenacity with opportunity, real-life networking still has to happen. Top leaders do business with people they know and trust, and there’s no real way gain someone’s trust without personal interaction. READ MORE AT BLACK ENTERPRISE

Listen to uplifting stories of Latinas who participated in the Innovation Academy for Women of the Americas launched at the University of New Mexico, hosted by Cristina Baccin.

Funded through a grant from President Obama’s signature education initiative 100,000 Strong in the Americas, the Academy brings together undergraduate women from New Mexico and Mexico who are studying Science, Technology, Engineering & Math and Architecture (STEM+A), with a special focus on Indigenous women. READ MORE AT UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

In recent years Latino consumers have generated exceptional growth opportunities for the financial services industry. Because of projected above-average growth in the number of Latino consumers and an expanding base of middle- and higher-income Hispanic households, these patterns are likely to continue, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in the report Hispanics: Demographic and Consumer Spending Trends. READ MORE AT YAHOO! FINANCE

300 predominantly Hispanic boys and girls learn character-building skills at the NFL PLAY 60 Character Camp with the Chicago Bears

Lake Forest, IL, June 27, 2016 – The Chicago Bears hosted its fourth successful NFL PLAY 60 Character Camp in conjunction with the NFL and Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz.

Designed to introduce youth to the sport of football and the value of teamwork, NFL PLAY 60 Character Camps bring together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and wellness by teaching football skills, emphasizing exercise, and reinforcing the importance of character in athletics and life.

It’s time to get out there!

As a budding entrepreneur, you surely have an idol in your industry. This is probably someone who has worked very hard to achieve their position and sits very comfortably with their success. Even the most wealthy and respected entrepreneurs started somewhere, however, and the majority started in the same position as you. One of the ways they managed to climb from beginner to professional is through networking. READ MORE AT THE AMERICAN GENIUS