College & Independent Schools
Hispanic Heritage
Hispanic Heritage:
ABC News Veteran, Creator & Host, What Would You Do?
A lifetime of “never taking no for an answer” took Quiñones from migrant farm work to the anchor desk at 20/20 and Primetime and creating, What Would You Do?, the hit show he hosts.
Emmy & Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist
Maria Hinojosa is the Pulitzer Prize-winning founder of Futuro Media based in New York City. She has written four books, won multiple awards, and is the Anchor and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino US.
Award-Winning Actress, Doom Patrol & Orange is the New Black
At age 14, Guerrero watched her family be deported. She shares the incredible story of how she was able to remain in the U.S., continue her education and build a successful career.
President, Futuro Media & Founder, Latino Rebels
As Editorial Director for Futuro Media, Julio (Julito) Ricardo Varela is responsible for the overall editorial vision and voice of Latino USA, Latino Rebels and In The Thick.
World-Renowned Neurosurgeon & Neuroscientist
Mexican immigrant Quiñones-Hinojosa went from migrant worker to head of brain tumor surgery at Johns Hopkins. His incredible story is being developed into a movie by Brad Pitt and Disney.
America’s First Latina Fighter Pilot
Turned away from flight school because she was a woman, Custodio went on to break barriers (including the sound barrier) as the first Latina USAF pilot and commercial pilot for American Airlines.
Award-Winning Author, Poet & Spoken Word Artist
José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/ Jean Stein Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize.
Executive Director of the ACLU
The first Latino and openly gay head of the ACLU, Romero has transformed the ACLU into an organizational powerhouse championing civil liberties, individual freedom and human rights.
Artistic Director for the Women’s March & Author
Paola Mendoza was the Artistic Director for the Women’s March. Paola is a critically acclaimed film director and author. Her films tackle the effects of poverty and immigration on women and children in the US.
Survivor of the Parkland Florida Shooting
On February 14, 2018 a gunman wielding an AR-15 entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and fired on students, faculty, and staff. Samantha Fuentes was amongst the injured, and while fortunate to be alive, her body and life changed forever.
17th Surgeon General & CEO, Canyon Ranch Health
Having gone from high school dropout to serving as our nation’s top doctor, Carmona instills in audiences that anything is possible through commitment and determination.
CNN Political Analyst & Anchor for theGrio
Natasha S. Alford an award-winning journalist, host and media executive driven by the
power of storytelling to inspire and change people’s lives.
Co-Executive Director of the CPD
Ana María emigrated to the U.S. from Colombia at the age of 17 and has become a leading voice for racial justice, economic justice and immigrant rights in New York and nationally as co-Executive Director of the CPD.
Peabody Award-Winning Journalist, Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Inspiring Storyteller & Host/Moderator
Mariana Atencio is on a mission to help people supercharge their careers, their workplace cultures, and their happiness by embracing the power of authenticity.
Emmy® Winning Co-Host of The Real
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton is a Daytime Emmy® award-winning television host, acclaimed pop-vocalist, lifestyle personality, producer and founder of the faith-based jewelry brand, XIXI.
Award-Winning Latina Children’s Author & Literacy Advocate
Monica Brown is the award-winning author of over thirty magical multicultural picture books for children including Waiting for the Biblioburro, Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina, Frida and her Animalitos, and more.
Emmy Nominated Actor, American Crime
Nominated for a 2015 Emmy Award for his portrayal of Hector Tontz in ABC’s anthology series American Crime, Richard Cabral has been taking Hollywood by storm since being discovered at Homeboy Industries.
12th U.S. Secretary of Education
Dr. Miguel A. Cardona is an American leader and educator. He served as the 12th United States Secretary of Education, a position he was nominated for by President Joe Biden.
2008 United States Vice-Presidential Candidate
Rosa Alicia Clemente is an award-winning organizer, speaker, political commentator, producer, independent journalist, scholar-activist and former vice presidential candidate.
Former Broadcaster & Professional Baseball Player
Roberto Clemente, Jr. is a universally respected philanthropist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, producer, former broadcaster, and professional baseball player.
Best-Selling Author, Educator & Thought Leader
Jennifer De Leon is author of the YA novel Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From which was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection, and the essay collection White Space: Essays on Culture, Race, & Writing, which is a recipient of the Juniper Prize in Creative Nonfiction.
Professional Boxer, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist & World Champion
Marlen Esparza made history as the first US female boxer to win a medal in the first-ever women's boxing games at the Olympics.
Transgender Public Scholar & Intellectual Activist
Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza is passionate about the politics of radical difference and the ways that our collective differences might shed light on how we become a better body together. He is also a teacher at heart and loves being with people and teaching the community.
Grammy Award-Winning Singer, NYT Best-Selling Author, Philanthropist & Humanitarian
One of the biggest new stars in the '80s, Gloria Estefan predated the Latin pop explosion by a decade, scoring dance hits rooted in rhythms of her native Cuba before shifting her focus to softer ballads.
Emmy Award-Winning Actress & Activist
Best known for her Emmy-winning starring role in Ugly Betty, America Ferrera is an artist ambassador for Save the Children and an activist committed to issues surrounding education and children.
Travel Host & Video Journalist
Josh Garcia is an Award Winning, Emmy-Nominated Travel Host and Video-Journalist best known for his work on The Voyager with Josh Garcia on NBC.
Principal at MG2 & Founder of The Lionesque Group, an MG2 Studio
Continually pushing the boundaries of experiential retail, Melissa Gonzalez is an award-winning innovator and storyteller.
Intersectional Activist & Co-Founder of March For Our Lives
X González (they/them) is a gun-violence prevention activist born and raised in Parkland, Florida. A survivor of the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School shooting, X became a leading voice in the gun-violence prevention movement.
Legendary Soccer Manager
FC Barcelona manager and speaker Josep Guardiola led the world-renowned soccer team in winning a record six trophies in six competitions.
Former NASA Astronaut & Inspiration for A Million Miles Away
Former NASA engineer Jose Hernandez wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American had been chosen to travel into space. That hard work paid off when Hernandez was selected to begin training as a mission specialist.
Actor / Writer / Spoken Word Poet
Joe Hernandez-Kolski’s, aka "Pocho Joe," performances challenge while they entertain. He combines poetry, comedy and his socio-political "Chicagoan" voice to create a talk that embraces the conundrums of the US.
Leading Expert in Digital Transformation & Professor at the University of California, Davis
Martin Hilbert is a leading expert in digital transformation and a Professor at the University of California, Davis, where he chairs the pioneering Computational Social Sciences program.
US Army Lieutenant Colonel / Education Advocate
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch is the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field in the US Army. She is recognized for her work on teen pregnancy, gang violence and parenting education.
Award-Winning Director & Producer
Kat Lazo is a director, producer and host. As well as the Internet's favorite no-nonsense Latina who tells it how it is. The half Colombian - half Peruvian New Yorker has made a name for herself for educating folks on all things Latinidad.
Award-Winning Actress & Activist
Known for her role as "Gabrielle Solis" on Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria is a gifted actress & dedicated activist who works to raise ovarian cancer awareness. She is the founder of the nonprofit Eva's Heroes.
"Maria" on Sesame Street & Best-Selling Author
Having retired her iconic Sesame Street character “Maria,” Manzano now dedicates her time to speaking and writing on education, communication, and Hispanics in the media.
Identity Coach, Influencer & Co-Host of The EFF IT Madres Podcast
Welcome to the reintroduction of Romi Marie. Paired with an unmatched self-love, she wears every identity like a badge of honor: bisexual, entrepreneur, divorcee, mother.
Former Treasurer of the United States
Rosario Marin firmly believes that "of him to whom much is given, much is expected." She served as the highest-ranking Latina in the Bush Administration and the first U.S. Treasurer born outside of the country.
Radio Personality
Angie Martinez is the reigning queen of radio. With nearly 20 years of on-air experience, Martinez is also an author, actress, television host, recording artist, activist, and brand spokesperson.
Bilingual TV Personality & Life Coach
Television star Rosie Mercado is capturing hearts and imaginations across the globe with her compelling story, electric persona and breathtaking beauty.
The People's Court Judge
Judge Milian joined The People's Court in January 2001, with more than 19 years of legal experience on the bench, becoming the first female judge to preside over The People's Court.
Controversial Hacker & Director of Research/Cyber Risk at Alacrinet
Better known by his online alias “Sabu” Hector Monsegur is the most controversial hacker of this generation – both the brash voice behind the Anonymous/LulzSec hacker collectives as well as a Federal informant.
Award-Winning Actress, Dancer & Singer
Moreno is one of a select group of 8 living performers to have achieved entertainment's grand slam, having won all 4 of the most prestigious awards in show business: the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony, and the Grammy.
Educator, Author & Activist
Dr. Muñoz was the founding chair of the first Chicano Studies department in the nation at the California State University at Los Angeles and is the author of texts on the Mexican American political experience.
Syndicated Columnist
Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a nationally syndicated columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group and appears in nearly 200 papers including The Chicago Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author & Journalist
Nazario has spent over 20 years writing about social issues including immigration. Her acclaimed book, Enrique’s Journey, recounts a Honduran boy’s struggle to find his mother in the U.S.
Lawyer, Judge Cristina’s Court, Activist
Known as the internationally popular judge on Telemundo’s La Corte de la Familia and Cristina's Court, Perez is also a sought after lawyer with a practice specializing in immigration and nationality law.
Actor, Ugly Betty / Education Advocate
With an acting career in film, television, and theater spanning almost thirty years, starred on the hit series Ugly Betty. A former teacher, he maintains his passion for education.
Actor, Breaking Bad
Steven Michael Quezada is an actor, comedian and writer. His crowning achievement was playing DEA Agent Steve Gomez on the multi-award winning TV mega hit Breaking Bad.
Journalist, Award Winning Non-Fiction Author & Photographer
Sam Quinones is a journalist, storyteller, former LA Times reporter, and author of four acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction. His most recent book is The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth.
Aerospace Engineer & Former NASA Rocket Scientist
Shayla Rivera is an Aerospace Engineer and former Rocket Scientist with NASA turned salesperson, corporate trainer, and now TV & Radio host, Emcee/Host, Comedian, Actor, and Professor of Practice with the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.
Domestic Violence Activist, Actor & Author
Born in Cuba, Rivers came to the US at the age of two, endured horrific child abuse and witnessed domestic violence at the hands of his father, which he chronicles in his bestseller, A Private Family Matter.
Founder of Money Mindset Wealth Management & a Trailblazer Reshaping the Finance Landscape
Meet Scarlette Joyce Rojas, a trailblazer reshaping the finance landscape with her unparalleled mix of financial acumen and behavioral science expertise.
Political Analyst, Author & Entrepreneur
Known for understanding of American politics and culture, speaker Leslie Sanchez founded Impacto Group, a communications and market research firm.
Former Campaign Manager for Hillary Clinton
The first Hispanic woman to run a presidential campaign, attorney Solis Doyle explores politics, the rise of women and minorities in politics and issues affecting Hispanic Americans.
Renowned Broadcaster, Author & Host, On Shifting Ground, NPR Veteran
Journalist and author Ray Suarez hosts On Shifting Ground, a radio program syndicated on NPR and PRX stations across the U.S.
White House Coronavirus Task Force Whistleblower
Olivia Troye is a risk management and national security executive whose most recent role was serving as the Homeland Security, Counterterrorism, and White House Coronavirus Task Force Advisor to the Vice President of the United States.
Award-Winning Actress, Pioneering Supermodel, Humanitarian & Author
Patricia Velásquez is an award-winning actress, humanitarian, entrepreneur, transformational keynote speaker, author, and mother.