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In 2014, Google came in for tough scrutiny when the Silicon Valley-based online search giant released employee diversity statistics showing scant levels of African-American and Latino employment, along with relatively low numbers of women holding technology and management positions. Google then was the first among major Silicon Valley technology companies, including Facebook and Apple, to release such figures in response to calls by fair employment activists to do so.

Earlier this month, the company released its diversity numbers again, revealing negligible progress over the past year. According to Google data, women still hold roughly one-fifth of the company’s tech jobs and leadership positions. READ MORE AT DIVERSE

Learn more about the feature guests of the Marketing, Media and PR Networking Forum being held Thursday, June 18 at Kinmont Chicago. 

Trina Fresco, Vice President, U.S. Community Alliances, Events and 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 also 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.

Marco Lopez,  Executive V.P. and Partner, Elemento L2

Marco López is the co-founder of Elemento L2, the creative agency that drives word of mouth and consumer engagement. Marco leads the company’s new client acquisition, the overall strategic direction of the company and elemento’s planning & creative departments.

Elemento’s current client roster includes Coca-Cola, Disney, PowerAde, Wilson, Target, NBA, Brown-Forman and Get Covered Illinois.

 Marco López led the Hispanic Department at Relay for over four years. During his tenure, Relay grew into a sole department, creating new expertise in Planning & Creative for the first time in the agency. The Hispanic Department at Relay during Marco’s leadership served clients such as Mazola, P&G, and AT&T amongst others.

Marco was also Marketing Director for Tribune’s Hoy Newspaper’s three daily editions (LA, NY and Chicago). Previous leadership roles included, the launch of his own agency (Matraca Marketing) and as Director of Diversity Marketing for AT&T in San Antonio, overseeing wireless diversity initiatives nationwide.

Marco grew up in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and now lives in Chicago with his family.

Jimena Catarivas, General Manager, La Raza Newspaper

Jimena Catarivas Corbett is the General Manager of La Raza Newspaper, the first woman to hold this position since the paper opened its doors 45 years ago. La Raza is Chicago’s leading Spanish-language newspaper and among the largest and oldest Sunday Hispanic newspapers in the United States, with a weekly audited circulation of more than 153,000 and the highest readership among Hispanic publications in Chicago.

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Catarivas Corbett joined La Raza Newspaper in February 2002. She worked her way up through the company, earning promotions to Assistant to the Publisher and to Marketing and Community Relations Manager before being named GM in 2011.

During her tenure with the company, La Raza’s audience increased by 27% YOY and local sales grew by 19%. In 2015 La Raza was nationally recognized by Editor & Publisher as one of the top “10 Newspapers That Do It Right.” In addition it has been recognized by the National Association of Hispanic Publications as the “Best Spanish Language Weekly” five times over the past decade and received numerous gold recognitions in a variety of editorial and design categories.

Catarivas Corbett attended Minnesota State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and a Bachelor of Science in International Business with a minor in Business Administration. During her studies in Minnesota State she also completed a study abroad program through the College of Business in Rouen, France.

John W. Alfonzo, Programming Research Manager, Telemundo Chicago

John Alfonzo leverages his insights of the Spanish language TV audience composition to assist news, marketing, community relations and management to develop a deeper understanding of Chicago’s Hispanic market and establish turn-key strategies to effectively increase viewership levels.

Additionally, John works directly with the Sales department to highlight market trends and illustrate the upside potential of the Hispanic market as a viable segment for small and large business alike.

John’s prior roles include research and planning director at San Jose Group and project manager at Millward Brown, where he developed in-depth expertise in product development, brand strategy, and managed communication optimization for companies like Unilever, Kraft, Capital One, Valspar, Abbott Nutrition and American Family insurance among many other Fortune 500 organizations.

John holds a B.A. in Marketing with a concentration in Research from DePaul University, in Chicago, IL. He is completely bilingual and fully embraces the duality of living between two worlds.

Anabel Monge, Lead News Co-anchor, Telemundo Chicago

Anabel joined Telemundo Chicago in September 2014; previously Monge worked in San Antonio as a weekday and weekend news anchor and a general assignment reporter from 2008 to 2013. Prior to this, she worked in Sacramento as a general assignment reporter from 2007 to 2008. Monge was a general assignment reporter in Fresno, California from 2005 to 2007. She also worked as a general assignment reporter for NBC 9 in El Paso from 2004 to 2005. Anabel began her career at NBC 9 in Midland, Texas as a general assignment reporter in 2002.

Monge is an Emmy award-winning journalist. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from New Mexico State University.

Time is running out to register. 

Even the most seasoned job hunter can make mistakes when it comes to writing resumes and nailing the job interview. So college students and recent graduates who are new to the process are bound to go through some missteps.

You can minimize the errors, though, by learning from the experience of those who've gone before you. Aliza Licht, senior vice president of global communications at Donna Karan International, the fashion brand, tells the tale of her rise up the career ladder in her new book, "Leave Your Mark" (Grand Central Publishing, $26). Licht's advice ranges from how to use social media professionally to surviving office politics. But she also talks at length about how to break into an industry in the first place.

She shared some of those tips recently during an interview. Here's an edited transcript of our conversation. READ MORE AT CHICAGO TRIBUNE

I am a Latino living in the U.S. That means I will live to be at least 80, according to the recently released CDC report. Whoopee! Not bad huh? That means I’ll outlive the “average white dude” by two years and I’ll outlive “the average black guy” by seven years. However, before I start adding up the years and budgeting my savings and social security funds, I should consider that I’m also much more apt to die from diabetes or complications from it than just about any other demographic group in the country.

Oh, and by the way, my longevity is severely affected by one other factor: I’ve spent most of my life in the United States. That’s right. If I had spent more of my life in Latin America and then come to the United States, I would live longer. According to the CDC’s first national study on Hispanic health risks and leading causes of death in the United States, “foreign-born Hispanics experience better health and fewer health risks than U.S.-born Hispanics.” READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO

Two-thirds of Latinos in the U.S. consider their Hispanic background to be part of their race, a newly released Pew Research Center survey has found.

That's the case even though Hispanic is considered an ethnicity by the U.S. Census bureau.

"That finding alone ... speaks to many Hispanics who say that their background is part of their race. That is something that doesn't fit with what Census' five standard backgrounds are," said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of Hispanic research at Pew Research Center.

Those backgrounds are white, black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

The Pew Research Center's report Mutiracial in America, issued Thursday, gives a detailed picture of how Americans who consider themselves multiracial see themselves. People from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds were surveyed for the report. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

During a summer weekend, many of us look forward to family activities, going to a beach, eating good food, or maybe just catching up on Mad Men. (Don't spoil the finale for me!)

But while you are enjoying your leisure time, you can also be networking. Here are three tips to incorporate networking into your summer weekends!

1. Invite a new connection out. Schedule a coffee or brunch. Invite someone to a gathering at your home. Invite someone to volunteer with you. Invite someone to check out a happening in your city/town. Even just invite someone to take a walk with you. Choose someone you have been meaning to get to know better. Also, long weekends are a great way to get to know someone on a more personal level in a non-traditional environment. This is usually where people are their most authentic selves anyway! They are out of "work mode" and are more relaxed.

2. Use downtime to connect. Take an early-morning hour over the weekend to reach out and connect with new people online, or use the time to reach out and see how established contacts are doing, write an unsolicited recommendation or testimonial for someone, or make a few virtual introductions with people in your network you think would benefit from knowing each other. You can also make a list of people you have a goal of meeting as inspiration to grow your network or your business. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

Minorities are on their way to becoming a majority of the U.S. population, a change that the U.S. Census Bureau estimates will happen in 2050. Pay attention to the 2016 election cycle, and you’ll realize quickly that this shift is already altering the nation’s political landscape.

These demographic trends prompted a relatively new think tank, the Houston-based Center for Opportunity Urbanism, to look at the cities where minorities are thriving today. The best cities, the group says, aren’t the ones you’d necessarily expect.

Best Cities For Hispanics/Latinos

1. Jacksonville, FL
2. Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
3. Baltimore, MD
4. Houston, TX
5. Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV
6. Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
8. San Antonio, TX
9. Austin, TX
10. St. Louis, MO-IL

To come up with its list, their index took into account four factors—population growth, median household income, self-employment rate, and homeownership rate—in the top 52 metro areas (including their suburbs) between 2000 and 2013. From this data, the report concludes that African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans are more likely to do well in lower-cost, economically flourishing Sunbelt cities such as Atlanta, Raleigh, and Jacksonville than in "once-thriving urban powerhouses" and "luxury" cities, like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In the latter cities, the report says that high costs-of-living have significantly reduced opportunities for middle and working class households. For example, in Silicon Valley, African Americans and Hispanics make up a third of the population but only 5% of workers at top firms. READ MORE AT FAST COMPANY

Acosta Sales & Marketing, 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, today released The Why? Behind The Buy™ U.S. Hispanic Shopper Study that provides valuable insights into U.S. Hispanic shopper behavior. As the U.S. Hispanic population grows, this report will help CPG companies and retailers develop marketing strategies to best attract and win with this important consumer segment.

“With the Hispanic population of 57 million expected to double by 2050, brands and retailers recognize that this growth can positively impact their bottom lines. Knowing how these consumers shop and make purchase decisions is important for capturing market share,” said Colin Stewart, Senior Vice President, Acosta. READ MORE AT BUSINESS WIRE

For the last year and half, I’ve been involved in a nationwide research initiative focused on Hispanic Millennials. Our research has focused on understanding how Hispanic Millennials differ from “mainstream,” Asian and African-American Millennials, as well as older Hispanics (35+). We dive deep into attitudes, behavior and motivations related to healthcare, financial services and food, beverage and alcohol consumption. Some of the key findings of our Hispanic Millennial Project research include:

Hispanic Millennials are optimistic and strongly believe in the American dream. READ MORE AT MEDIAPOST

You open your computer and ding! -- another invitation for a networking cocktail enters your inbox. This is the season for professional reunions and get togethers.

How do you feel?

You rub your hands together, excited at the thought of meeting lots of new potential customers?

Or frankly, you'd like to tell me that you are not comfortable attending these events. You hesitate to register even if it's time to grow your network. As you know, being in business is much more than doing what you do well. It's also about who you know.

Solution(s):

Like any successful event, a fruitful business networking event also needs preparation. Keep reading for my Happy Hour tips and tricks.

1. At your service!

Instead of thinking, "How do I sell myself?" think," How can I help this person achieve his business goals?" The purpose of a networking activity is to build mutually beneficial relationships. Adopt an attitude of service. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

Latinos and immigrants fueled an uptick in new business creation nationally, reversing a four-year downward cycle, according to the 2015 Kauffman Index: Startup Activity released on Thursday.

The entrepreneurial activity increase in the 2015 Index – which reversed the downward trend since 2010 – was the largest year-over-year increase in two decades, according to the research. Yet the rebound remains well below historical trends, Kauffman researchers said. In the 2015 Index, 310 out of 100,000 adults, or 0.31 percent, started new businesses each month, on average. In the 2014 Index, the average was 0.28 percent of the adult population. READ MORE AT MIAMI HERALD

As the 2016 election season begins, it's clear the growing demographic of Latino voters is highly coveted by candidates from both political parties. Amid the national conversation about the US Latino community, the Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program recently hosted a Latinos and Society Inaugural Summit featuring conversations with Latino leaders on innovation, entrepreneurship, inclusion, and leadership (watch our Summit video playlist featuring each panel).

"America's future and growth, America's international competitiveness, will depend on companies that innovate and use our rich resources, and our Latino community is such a big resource..." said panel moderator and Fusion special correspondent Mariana Atencio in her opening remarks.

Latinos' Growing Role in the US Economy READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

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Done right, networking can be the silver bullet for building your profile, gaining new business opportunities and building your career. But what happens when you show up to an event and just can't find ways to engage with others?

The secret to successful, strategic networking is to go alone.

For those who are hesitant to approach people on their own and strike up a conversation, taking someone along for support can in fact be a hindrance as you will likely use the event as a catch up. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTON POST

As more companies reach out to Latinas, one of the top online destinations for millennial women is launching a section that it hopes will resonate with the demographic.

"In our conversations with brands and advertisers, it is almost universally recognized that the Latina market is the fastest-growing market in the U.S., and it has great spending power and influence," said Anna Fieler, executive vice president of marketing at Popsugar. "It's a market that all brands want to reach."

Popsugar officially unveiled PopSugar Latina on Monday, a mobile-first hub for the modern Latina woman. Fieler said it decided to add the section because Latinas represent more than 12 percent of its average unique U.S. site visitors monthly. READ MORE AT NBCNEWS

The Hispanic market is growing at a fast pace, and marketing effectively to this group is quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option.

To make the biggest impact on your business right now, you need to re-evaluate your current marketing plans and strategies in order to respond to this dramatic consumer demographic shift.

According to a new report from the Association of Hispanics Advertising agencies, the top 500 U.S. marketers are currently allocating 8.4 percent of their overall ad spending to Hispanics, compared to 5.5 percent allocated in 2010. Also, their spending on Hispanic targeted media is up from $4.3 billion in 2010 to $7.1 billion this year. READ MORE AT THE BUSINESS JOURNALS

While there are some people who enjoy networking and get a lot of energy from interacting with a crowd, many find it intimidating and draining. Traditional networking is not for everyone.

However, networking is essential in today’s job market. Experts estimate that well over half of jobs are found through networking and word of mouth. The old job search method of comfortably sitting at your computer sending off résumés and cover letters will no longer get you very far.

Luckily for introverts, there are multiple ways to network. Some may bring you a bit outside of your comfort zone, but that’s not a bad thing. Think of these as skills you are developing that could benefit you in a future job.

1. Start from a position of strength. READ MORE

Educational attainment among U.S. Latinos has been changing rapidly in recent years, reflecting the group’s growth in the nation’s public K-12 schools and colleges. Over the past decade, the Hispanic high school dropout rate has declined and college enrollment has increased, even as Hispanics trail other groups in earning a bachelor’s degree.

Hispanics cited education as a top issue in 2014, ranking alongside the economy and above health care and immigration in importance, a Pew Research Center survey found.

Economic factors remain an obstacle for enrollment, however. In a 2014 National Journal poll, 66% of Hispanics who got a job or entered the military directly after high school cited the need to help support their family as a reason for not enrolling in college, compared with 39% of whites.

Here are five facts about Latinos and education: READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

While social networking’s popularity extends across ethnicities, conventional wisdom is correct in saying it is particularly important for US Hispanics. It’s not that they overindex as users of social networks across the board, but rather that social networking plays a distinct role in their digital activity, according to a new eMarketer report, “US Hispanics: What’s True, What’s Not True and What’s Sort of True in 2015.”

eMarketer estimates that 76.6% of US Hispanic internet users will access social networks at least monthly this year, vs. 69.4% of all US internet users. When one factors in the below-average internet penetration among Hispanics, however, this disparity mostly disappears when calculated as percentages of population, at 56.5% vs. 56.1%. READ MORE AT EMARKETER

Note to job seekers (especially younger ones, perhaps): If you're weighing competing job offers from fast-growing start-ups, you might not want to post your thought process in a public forum, especially in language a company CEO might find insulting.

An anonymous job seeker took to the question-and-answer site Quora and asked for advice on whether he (presumably a he) should take a job with the $40 billion ride-sharing company Uber or the $4.5 billion automated human resources company Zenefits—both of which had made him offers. READ MORE AT CNBC