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Tomorrow, Latina professionals, entrepreneurs, business leaders and allies will come together in Chicago for the 5th Annual Uplift Latina Forum, an evening built around connection, opportunity and conversations that can move careers, businesses and financial futures forward.

Held on the eve of Latina Equal Pay Day, Uplift Latina brings together accomplished women from across business, finance, entrepreneurship, media and corporate leadership to share their experiences, perspectives and practical

Professional networking has never been easier to measure and harder to evaluate. LinkedIn gives professionals a visible number of connections, followers and interactions, creating the impression that a large digital network automatically translates into professional influence. Yet a person can accumulate hundreds or thousands of connections and discover, at precisely the moment they need an introduction, referral, client lead or career opportunity, that surprisingly few of those people represent

October changes the rhythm of the business year. Summer is behind us, companies are deep into fourth-quarter priorities, budgets and talent decisions are taking shape, and the finish line of the calendar year is suddenly visible. It can feel like the beginning of the year-end slowdown, but professionally, October should mean almost the opposite. The beginning of the fourth quarter offers a valuable window to strengthen relationships, increase visibility and create opportunities that can carry in

Fall can look like the beginning of the year-end slowdown, but professionally, it is often one of the most consequential periods on the calendar. Companies are finalizing budgets, assessing talent needs, filling open positions and determining which skills they will need in the coming year. Executives are setting priorities, managers are identifying leadership potential and professionals are considering their next moves. For anyone contemplating a promotion, new job, business opportunity or leade

CHICAGO — HispanicPro has announced seven featured guests for the 2026 Uplift Latina Forum, bringing together leaders in business, talent, finance and entrepreneurship for an evening focused on opportunity and long-term prosperity.

The forum takes place Wednesday, October 7, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Level Sporting Club, 3343 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Held on the eve of Latina Equal Pay Day, the event will connect Latina professionals, entrepreneurs, business leaders and allies through network

A better job search does not begin with submitting more applications. It begins with defining what “better” actually means and building a strategy around the employers, skills and relationships most likely to produce that outcome.

That distinction matters in a labor market that remains active but increasingly selective. The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August 2026, while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the same time, approximately 7 milli

A job posting can look promising until you read the details: a salary below your target, a location that will not work, or responsibilities that barely use your strongest skills. Yet under pressure to find work, it is easy to apply anyway. Repeat that decision often enough, and a job search becomes a full-time exercise in submitting applications for jobs you would hesitate to accept.

The U.S. labor market offers real opportunities, but finding a better job requires more than finding an open one.

Beautiful weather, sweeping city views and a wall-to-wall crowd set the stage last Friday for the 18th Annual ¡Viva La Hispanidad! Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Celebration at I|O Godfrey Roofscape. Latino professionals, entrepreneurs, business leaders and community advocates came together for an open-air evening dedicated to culture, connection and opportunity.

The evening demonstrated why Hispanic Heritage Month remains more than a cultural observance. It is also an important moment to recog

For millions of professionals, applying for a job now begins with a familiar ritual. A candidate finds an opening, updates a résumé, completes an online application and waits. Sometimes a rejection arrives within hours. In other cases, there is no response at all. The applicant may never know whether a recruiter reviewed the résumé, an automated system ranked it too low or a knockout question removed it from consideration.

This uncertainty is especially important for Hispanic professionals. Auto

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate our culture, history and contributions, but its greatest value may be found in what happens when the right people, organizations and resources come together. Tomorrow evening, Latino professionals, business leaders, entrepreneurs, community advocates and allies will gather in downtown Chicago for a celebration designed to create exactly that kind of connection.

The 18th Annual ¡Viva La Hispanidad! Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Celebration

Founder’s Perspective, By Alfonso Barrera, Founder, HispanicPro – The Hispanic Professional Network

More than 20 years ago, during a meeting of Allstate’s Latino employee resource group at the company’s former headquarters in Northfield, Illinois, I heard Dr. Robert Rodriguez offer a piece of advice about networking that has stayed with me ever since:

“Don’t be a 911 networker.”

The phrase was simple, but the message behind it changed the way I thought about professional relationships. Do not w

There is a natural tendency when we walk into a professional gathering to find someone we already know. A familiar face makes the room more comfortable. We start talking with a friend, colleague or former coworker, and before we realize it, much of the evening has been spent with people who were already part of our professional world.

Those relationships matter. But there is another opportunity standing in the same room that can be much easier to overlook: the people you do not know.

Some of the

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations are often built around music, food and cultural pride. Those elements matter because they create the energy and shared identity that bring people together. But the most valuable celebrations also create something that lasts long after the evening ends: access to people, organizations and relationships capable of moving careers, businesses and communities forward.

That is what will distinguish the 18th Annual ¡Viva La Hispanidad! Hispanic Heritage Month Kickof

Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of culture, history and identity, but it is also an important reminder of the growing influence Hispanic professionals, entrepreneurs and consumers have on the American economy. Cultural pride and professional advancement are not separate conversations. They intersect whenever people gather to exchange ideas, create partnerships, share opportunities and strengthen the institutions serving their communities.

That intersection will be visible on Friday, Sep

Artificial intelligence can revise a résumé, analyze a job description, prepare interview questions and draft a polished networking message in seconds. It can help professionals research companies, identify marketable skills and communicate more effectively. What it cannot do is walk into a room, recognize an unexpected opportunity or create the trust that develops when two people speak face to face.

That distinction is becoming more important as AI-generated communication floods the professiona

The first week of September occupies an unusual place on the business calendar. Summer is ending, Labor Day weekend is approaching and many professionals have quietly begun checking out. Emails receive slower responses, calendars become lighter and serious planning is postponed until everyone returns.

That temporary slowdown creates an advantage for those willing to use it.

While others are mentally extending the holiday weekend, ambitious professionals and entrepreneurs can use this first week

Entrepreneurship is often presented as a dramatic leap that begins whenever inspiration strikes. In practice, timing matters. A strong idea launched into an inactive market may struggle to attract attention, while a thoughtfully prepared business introduced during a commercially active season can gain customers, partners and momentum much faster.

Fall offers one of the most favorable windows of the year for turning an idea into a functioning business. Professionals return from summer vacations.

Entrepreneurship is often presented as a dramatic career move that begins with a brilliant idea, a large investment and a fearless leap into the unknown. The reality is usually less cinematic and considerably more practical. Most successful businesses begin when someone identifies a problem, confirms that people will pay for a solution and builds a disciplined operation around delivering it consistently.

Americans continue to demonstrate a powerful appetite for business ownership. The United Sta

The fall business season is approaching quickly, and the decisions professionals and entrepreneurs make now could influence the opportunities they encounter through the end of 2026 and into 2027.

In exactly two weeks, Chicago’s Latino professional and business community will gather for the 18th Annual ¡Viva La Hispanidad! Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff Celebration on Friday, September 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the I|O Godfrey Roofscape in River North. The celebration will bring together professio

Searching for a new role often begins with familiar steps: updating a résumé, browsing job boards and submitting applications. Those activities still matter, but they reveal only the visible portion of the employment market. Many influential, well-paid positions begin taking shape long before a formal job description appears online.

Organizations frequently identify a business problem before they authorize a new position. A company may need to enter a new market, repair an underperforming divisi