Blog

There comes a time when the word "minority" loses its context, where one group surpasses its status in population and influence, crossing over into a new mainstream community of Americans.

When I first arrived in Silicon Valley to work for Apple in the 1980s, I felt like a minority. I entered a world with circles of influence that looked and felt foreign to me.

When it came time to start my own technology company, I didn't choose Silicon Valley. I chose Miami, because of its rich Hispanic heritage and opportunity for growing a Hispanic-owned business. READ MORE AT USA TODAY

U.S. Hispanic consumers continue to grow in numbers. And as predicted, they aren’t shy about flexing their spending muscle. One group in particular, Affluent Hispanics, whose earnings top $100K+ per year, are really tipping the scale. While they currently only represent about 12.2% of Hispanic earners, they punch above their weight as compared to non-Hispanic Affluents when it comes to contributing to overall spending. READ MORE AT MEDIAPOST

9 New Year's Resolutions every Marketer targeting the Hispanic population should make. As compiled by Portada's Editorial Team. 9 key themes brand marketers should take into account to propel their Hispanic Marketing forward in 2015.

1. Be aware that Immigration Reform substantially increases your Market

President Obama's executive order late last year, de facto increased the documented Hispanic population in the U.S. by almost 5 million consumers. Over the last few years, The Hispanic population grew mainly by birth, making the composition of the market more bilingual and English-dominant. However, most of the Hispanics who now will become legal through Obama's executive orders are Spanish-dominant. READ MORE AT PORTADA

Read bios of Feature Guests for the Professionals in STEM Networking Forum, Wednesday January 14 at Vertigo Sky Lounge Chicago.

Moderator

Maricela Vazquez, Meteorologist, Telemundo Chicago

Maricela joined the Telemundo Team in January 2011; she is the first and only Spanish speaking Latina Meteorologist in Chicago Spanish Media. Ms. Vazquez is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association, two of the most recognized organizations for weather.

Maricela is an Emmy Award winner; has a passion for news, a passion for her work and a passion for education. You will often see Maricela in classrooms while visiting schools, giving workshops and meeting the community. She is a role model for young Latinas and an advocate for education.

Discussion Panelists

Federico Conde, Senior Director, Global IT & Supply Chain Solutions, Kellogg Company

Federico “Fede” Conde is Senior Director of Global Supply Chain Solutions for the Kellogg Company.  Born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, Fede began his Kellogg career in Mexico in 1995 and was transferred to Battle Creek in 1998.  He has since held several roles in the US, Latin America, Australia, and Europe as Project Manager, Enterprise Architect, Business Partner, and Program Director.

He is a past co-chair and advisor to HOLA! -- Kellogg’s Latino Employee resource group in Chicago and leads Information Technology’s “Recruit the Best” team.

Prior to Kellogg’s, Fede worked for Procter and Gamble. Fede is a certified engineer with a degree in Computer Science from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores (ITSM) in Monterrey, Mexico and holds a Certification in Production and Inventory Management from the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS).  He acts as Vice-President of Membership for APICS Southwest Michigan Chapter.

Juliana Ceja, Business Analyst & IT Development, Rewards Network

With a passion for Agile development methodologies, solid knowledge of software development, IT project management skills and Business Analysis background, Juliana Ceja is a Business Analyst for Rewards Network Technology Development team. Juliana also serves as an Agile Coach for Rewards Network, where she assists with the implementation of Agile development practices and company-wide training.

 Prior to Rewards Network, Juliana worked at Coyote Logistics where she began in Operations and seized the opportunity to work with the company’s Technology department. At Coyote Logistics, she began as a Business Analyst for the Senior Development team and later went on to become the IT Project Manager.   She worked to bridge the PMO and development teams.   Juliana currently attends DePaul’s School of New Learning with focus in Computer Science.

Beimar Iriarte, Senior Statistician, R & D, Quality Engineering, Abbott Diagnostics

Beimar Iriarte is a Senior Statistician at Abbott Laboratories, Diagnostics Division. He provides statistical consulting to design, analysis, and review of studies for the evaluation of the analytical and clinical performance of diagnostic tests in analyzers used in clinical laboratories. Having first obtained his degree in Biochemistry, Beimar began his career as a laboratory scientist developing diagnostic tests for fertility, pregnancy and infectious diseases.

Beimar obtained his MS degree in Biochemistry from Illinois Institute of Technology and MS in Statistics from De Paul University, and currently continuing his studies in pursuit PhD in Biostatistics. He is chair and contributing member in committees in the IVD industry for the development of standards for the evaluation of laboratory methods: Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute, International System Organization.

Beimar has presented and chaired scientific sessions at conferences through the American Statistical Association and Federal Food and Drug Administration. He leads Science education after-school programs with elementary and high schools students. He enjoys travelling, practicing, teaching, and learning foreign languages.

Mahrinah Von Schlegel, Business Development & Strategy Director, Earlybird MVP

Mahrinah  is an Entrepreneur, Anthropologist, and Ecosystem Builder who has been in the digital startup space since 2001, developed nearly $1B in real estate, and founded an incubator in the City of Chicago.  She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MBA from the Wharton School of Business. She is currently Director of Business Development and Strategy at EarlybirdMVP and Executive Director of Embassy2.0.

Mike Salazar, President, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Chicago Chapter

Mike Salazar is first generation Mexican and a native of Pilsen, Chicago. He became an engineer and president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) because of his passion for sciences and STEM fields. Mike has a bachelors and masters degree in Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and has worked as a plant engineer for Tyson Foods for the past two years.

Mike has been the president of SHPE Chicago chapter for the past 5 years and has increased the membership base by 100%. SHPE Chicago is currently the third largest chapter in the nation. 

Mike has received numerous awards, including IIT Alumni of the year.

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

St. Augustine College announces open registration for the spring semester, which starts January 26, 2015. St Augustine will also host Open Houses on Thursdays, January 15th and 22nd from 9am to 7pm at all of its locations (Chicago: 1345 W. Argyle, 3255 W. Armitage, 2610 W. 25th Place, 11000 S. Ewing. Aurora: 841 N. Lake St, Aurora, IL.) These Open Houses are open to prospective students, their friends, and families.

The Open House will give everyone the opportunity to meet with Admissions Counselors, college staff, professors, and students, while learning about educational opportunities and available financial aid. There will be light food and refreshments.

Everyone interested in pursuing success through education is invited to visit or call one of St. Augustine’s locations and to register to win a $9,576 scholarship, which covers tuition for one year. The winner will be selected on January 22. Register NOW.

For more information: 773-878-8756 or www.staugustine.edu

2014 was a great year for business and with 2015 around the corner, things are only going to get better. One of the best ways to get out there and expand your business or enhance your career is to network. If you’re in a large city, there are a whole host of networking events that range from the super general to career specific where you can meet everyone from entrepreneurs to business owners to those with the power of referral.

There are however some basics when it comes to attending a networking event. Bringing your business cards and dressing sharp cover the basics. As someone who has been networking with business professionals for the past 30 years, here are my top 5 tips for making the most of the next networking event you attend in 2015.

1. Take the words “no”, “can’t”, and “won’t” out of your vocabulary. READ MORE AT LINKEDIN

As the New Year starts, there are many lessons companies have learned from marketing to Hispanics during 2014.
For starters, the old way of thinking, "I always did it this way" or "Hispanics are part of my general marketing efforts," proved to be unproductive, limiting company growth, sales and return on investment.
And that turned out to be a big wake-up call to many companies.

The market has changed. Millennials — anyone born in the U.S. between the early 1980s to the early 2000s (ages 13 to 35) — now are shaping the new America. This young group contains the marketing "sweet spot" of 18-25 year olds, which is lucrative for many industries. READ MORE AT ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Growing up in north Denver, Keith Villa would frequent Mexican restaurants with his family and enjoy a creamy, sweet, rice-based drink brought to the table in what looked like a metal cocktail shaker.

This milky, cinnamon-spiked, non-alcoholic concoction was Horchata, a staple of Latin America. Like so many things of childhood, Villa drank it in happily — but it didn’t leave a particular impression.

Much more recently, the Blue Moon Brewing Co. founder and head brewmaster was researching beer in Mexico and rediscovered Horchata at street markets. READ MORE AT THE DENVER POST

For millennials, jobs in the highest reaches of tech are among the most coveted. For Latino millennials, they sometimes seem unobtainable.

The numbers don't lie. At Google, Twitter, and Facebook, Latino employees make up between 2 percent and 3 percent of their respective workforce. These abysmal numbers are standard also throughout Silicon Valley, where overall only 3 percent of workers are Latino.

However, while few and far between, there are Latinos with dream jobs at top tech companies and in government. READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO

Does the thought of entering a crowded room filled with strangers make your palms sweat?

Networking is a fear many people share. Some would even say it’s one of the scariest steps of finding a job. Whether it’s getting freaked out by small talk or the fear of forgetting someone’s name, networking can be a scary thing to do.

If you’re feeling spooked by networking this month, here are some tips that can help you become a fearless networker. READ MORE AT BUSINESS2COMMUNITY

The employment market is the strongest it's been in six years. Here's how to boost the odds you'll find the job you want in 2015.

New year, new job. That’s the mantra for many workers as 2015 kicks off. According to a survey by career management experts Right Management, 86% of workers in North America say they plan to actively look for a new job this year. That’s up from 83% last year and just 60% at the peak of the recession in 2009.

Buoyed by a rapidly improving job market and strong economy, people are feeling more confident about seeking out new opportunities. There’s no time like the present: The first Monday after the New Year is the busiest day for job search... READ MORE AT TIME.COM

Geoscape, the leading market intelligence company focused on new mainstream consumers and businesses, reported today that over 993,000 Hispanics within the United States will turn age 18 in calendar year 2015; a monthly average of about 83,000. Hispanics will account for nearly 23 percent of all persons turning 18 within the United States.

This total represents a compelling fact that emphasizes the growing importance of the US Hispanic market as both consumers and potential new voters. Hispanics are the majority in 342 counties, representing 18 percent of the American population and totaling more than 56 million nationwide in 2014. Their relative youth, growing influence and buying power present compelling reasons for business strategists to redefine their priorities. READ MORE AT BUSINESSWIRE

The Latino community in the United States is prepared to welcome the New Year. It’s time to remember the traditions, rituals and customs that arrived from different places to take root amongst us Latinos living in the U.S.

Here are the seven most popular New Year’s Eve traditions practiced by Latinos all over the world.

1) The Tradition of the 12 Grapes
This is the most famous, extended and accepted tradition or ritual to welcome the New Year. There are many Hispanic, Latino and Latin American families in general, that customarily place 12 grapes in a little bowl for each family member at the dinning table. The tradition also states that a grape should be eaten to each of the 12 clock chimes at midnight on December 31st. READ MORE AT VOXXI

Houston's iconic and overwhelmingly Hispanic East End is currently looking to protect its historic and cultural legacy through a number of revitalization projects and urban improvements.

A few minutes from downtown and several miles from the Port of Houston, the East End was, since the early 20th century, a point of relocation for Germans, Italians and Mexican-Americans.

Nearby are two of the oldest Latino neighborhoods in the city, Magnolia Park and Second Ward.

The East End population tops 80,000 inhabitants, of whom 90 percent are of Hispanic descent, according to figures of the Greater East End Management District, or GEEMD, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 1999. READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO

Many companies still are struggling on how to reach the Hispanic market effectively and efficiently.

Some marketing executives still are not proactive enough to engage with this influential demographic, even though Hispanics will represent one in five Americans by 2020.

Some feel this audience is too complicated, so it may generate more work for them. Others feel that as their sales go down, they need to improve their performance in the general market first, in order to expand to other markets.

And still others think since their business has grown through a referral basis, there is no need to invest in this market, and that having a bilingual sales team will cover the demand.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.  READ MORE AT ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Undergraduate Hispanic American enrollment at Ball State University has increased 61 percent in five years.

According to Ball State's latest annual diversity committee report, which is required by state law, undergraduate Hispanic/Latino enrollment at BSU jumped from 350 in 2008-09 to 562 in 2013-14.

"Some of the increase is reflective of changing demographics, but it also reflects things we are doing to recruit a diverse student population," said Tom Taylor, vice president for enrollment at the university.

Of the 308.7 million people who resided in the United States during the 2010 census, 50.5 million or 16 percent were of Hispanic or Latino origin.

People of Mexican origin comprised the largest Hispanic group, followed by Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran, Dominican and Guatemalan, according to the Census Bureau.

In Indiana, the Hispanic or Latino population grew from 214,536 or 3.5 percent of the total population to 389,707 or 6 percent of the total population between 2000 and 2010. READ MORE AT THE STAR PRESS

What does it take to land a job? A recently successful job seeker described her strategy for finding a job - not just any job, but the one she really wanted, with the organization she most wanted to work for. Her approach is worth sharing, because it focuses on some of the things that introverts do best.

Target your search
Our successful job seeker abandoned her initial broadly focused "I'll take anything" attitude, and narrowed her search based on in-depth research and exploration. That's something introverts typically excel at.
To apply this strategy, check the Job-Hunt web site, in particular, the Employers Directory and the Pick Your Employer list of resources, to start to identify possible target employers that match your interests and skills. READ MORE AT PENN ENERGY

Look south west, and there is a vast, untapped export market. That’s the message of Canning House, Britain’s leading forum and contacts hub for Latin America, and a participant at Santander’s Breakthrough Box last week. “Companies are being held back because of a lack of familiarity and a fear of engagement,” said chief executive Robert Capurro – “but there are huge prizes to be had.”

Latin America has 8.6 per cent of the world’s population and 8 per cent of global GDP. It receives 14 per cent of the world’s foreign direct investment, yet under 1 per cent of UK exports go there. Germany exports four times more than we do.

Of course, businesses are right to be reticent. READ MORE AT CITYAM

The rise of Latin-American companies is already transforming the global business landscape, and it presents an exciting opportunity for U.S. companies to ally themselves with major players in this fertile business arena.

There's a good chance that Multilatina corporations — companies with a Latin-American base that have operations in more than one country — aren't on your business's radar. But their construction and expansion has been simmering for the past decade, and now they're at a boil. READ MORE AT BUSINESS INSIDER

More Hispanics are turning 18 every month than previously thought, underscoring why companies should do a better job specifically targeting Latinos, according to a report.

On average about 83,000 Latinos will turn 18 each month in 2015, more than the often reported 50,000, according to Geoscape, a business analytics company that specializes in tracking the nation's largest growing consumers, including Latinos. READ MORE AT FOX NEWS LATINO