PowerUp 3.0 Summit
Economic Engines of Our Future: Fueling Our Growth Through Coalitions, Creativity, and Cultural Intelligence
Thursday, November 12, 2020
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
WHAT TO EXPECT
Join Amplify Latinx for the PowerUp 3.0 Latinx Business Summit where we will celebrate the diversity and contributions of our Latinx business community.
The U.S Latinx market generates $2.6 Trillion in GDP per year, which would make U.S. Latinos the 8th largest economy in the world if we were a country! As the fastest growing business segment and talent base, Latinos are vital to the post-COVID economic recovery.
Join Latinx entrepreneurs, investors, advocates, policy-makers, and coalition partners to learn how the entire MA business community can play a role in advancing Latinx business growth and innovation to power our economy. We will highlight ways to fuel our growth through coalitions, creativity, and cultural Intelligence. We are thrilled to have Lili Gil Valetta, CEO of CulturIntel as this year’s keynote.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Video produced by EmVision Productions
EMCEE
DENISE ISAAC
Bilingual Meteorologist at NBC10 Boston, NECN & Telemundo Boston
I’m a bilingual Meteorologist born and raised in Panama currently working with NBC Boston, NECN and Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra who has always been obsessed with the weather, especially with thunderstorms and hurricanes. Forecasting winter storms and Nor’easters here in New England have certainly been fun and challenging.
I studied meteorology at Florida State University and landed my first job in Washington, DC working for the local Telemundo station.
Two years after, I ended up in the wilds of Minnesota as a producer and reporter for WeatherNation.
In 2010, I accepted a job at the #1 station in Miami, Telemundo WSCV, where I was the lead morning meteorologist for the market, and the national show Un Nuevo Dia. I also juggled those duties with weather assignments on WTVJ, Miami’s NBC affiliate.
After 6 years in South Florida, WXYZ channel 7 in Detroit offered me a job as their 4p and 7p Meteorologist, so I jumped on the bandwagon and headed north to the Great Lakes region to forecast snow and cold weather.
When I’m not making graphics for my weather broadcasts, I enjoy playing sports, being adventurous, watching football and rooting on the Seminoles with my husband and beautiful daughters.
DENISE ISAAC
Bilingual Meteorologist at NBC10 Boston, NECN & Telemundo Boston
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
LILIANA “LILI” GIL VALLETTA
Co-founder and CEO of the cultural intelligence market research tech-firm CulturIntel and the cultural marketing agency CIEN+
@Liligil
Lili is an award-winning entrepreneur, recognized cultural intelligence™ expert, A.I. tech innovator, and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She came to the U.S. at the age of 17 without speaking English after leaving her entire family behind in her native country of Colombia. After a successful corporate career, including a 10-year tenure at Johnson & Johnson where she pioneered various diversity strategies, Lili co-founded CIEN+ and CulturIntel.
Her firm is globally recognized as a leader in big data analytics, business, and marketing strategies to help global corporations successfully turn cultural trends and inclusion into profits.
She is a regular TV commentator seen on Fox News, Fox Business and CNN en Español, and has been featured by Forbes, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, The NY Daily News, and MM&M. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2018 U.S. Hispanic Businessperson of the Year by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 2018 New York Women of Excellence, PR Week’s Top 50 Most Influential in Healthcare, among others.
For her commitment to advancing minority and women business issues, she has advised initiatives at the United Nations and the White House and she currently serves as a board member of the Harvard Women’s Leadership Board, National Board of Directors of the YMCA USA, mentor to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneur Leaders Program, and was appointed by New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo to join the New York State Council on Women and Girls and by Mayor Bill de Blasio to join the NYC Tech Leadership Council.
LILIANA "LILI" GIL VALLETTA
Co-founder & CEO, CulturIntel and Cien+
OPENING SPEAKERS
MARK MADRID
CEO, Latino Business Action Network (LBAN)
Mark L. Madrid is CEO of the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on strengthening America through funding and supporting U.S. Latino entrepreneurial research and education impact programs at Stanford University. LBAN collaborates with Stanford Graduate School of Business to champion the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, which explores and expands knowledge of the Latino entrepreneurship segment in our economy through research, knowledge dissemination, and facilitated collaboration.
The goal of LBAN is to double the number of $10+ million, $100+ million, $1+ billion Latino-owned businesses in the U.S. by 2025. In his role with LBAN, Madrid has cultivated strategic partnerships with the likes of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the International Economic Development Council, the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge, the Aspen Institute and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (and Foundation).
Previously, Mark served as President/CEO of the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the 2015 United States Hispanic Chamber of the Year. Prior to serving in nonprofit executive roles, he enjoyed a dynamic career in corporate banking that began on Wall Street in 1995 with J.P. Morgan.
Mark is the 2020 Recipient of the Latino Leaders Maestro Award in the Category of Leadership for his lifetime accomplishments as a distinguished influencer in promoting Latinx entrepreneurship and for his legacy as advisor, entrepreneur, diversity business promoter, civic champion, all which place him as one of the most exemplary Latino leaders in the United States.
Mark was named the 2019 Silicon Valley Nonprofit CEO of the Year by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. In October 2019, he was honored by Texas State University McCoy College of Business as the Beta Gamma Sigma Chapter Honoree, given to distinguished alumni or friends of the McCoy College of Business. He was featured in Affinity Inc for his distinguished national leadership in Latino economic development, inclusiveness and equity.
In 2020, Mark was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. The foundation is dedicated to inspiring community philanthropy and engaging people to invest in the educational excellence, leadership development, and convening and engaging the Hispanic community to improve the quality of life for Latinos and the Silicon Valley region. In 2019 he was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Scholarship America, the leading nonprofit scholarship and educational support organization in the United States. The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund, managed by Scholarship America, was established within one week of the attacks on September 11, 2001. The Fund exists to “provide education assistance for postsecondary study to financially needy dependents of those people killed or permanently disabled as a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and during the rescue activities relating to those attacks.” To date, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund and its subfunds have provided $160 million to more than 3,500 recipients. The Fund will continue aiding families through 2030, ensuring a brighter future for even the youngest dependents of those who were lost.
In 2019, Mark was selected as a Founding Member of the Silicon Valley Business Journal Leadership Trust, an exclusive community for influential business leaders, executives and entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley. He was chosen due to his experience, leadership and influence in the local business landscape and beyond.
Mark was honored by Hispanic Lifestyle as a 2019 Hispanic Executive of the Year. He was named a finalist for the Influencer Award at the SaaStr Annual 2019 Annual Conference, the largest B2B software conference in the world. In July 2018 Mark was named one of the top Latino leaders in the United States by the National Diversity Council and in 2016 he was appointed to serve on the board of the McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University. Also, he was recognized by both his alma maters, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded the Community Emerging Legacy Award by the University of Texas at Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement. The University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business named him the recipient of Mendoza’s Alumni Service Award.
During the 2015 Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Graduate Business Diploma Ceremony, Mark was honored with the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC Founder’s Award and the David J. LaBarre Community Service Award.
The Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC Founder’s Award is given to one University of Notre Dame Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) student who is highly-regarded by the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business faculty, possesses the integrity and character consistent with Notre Dame and displays leadership and scholarship within the Mendoza College of Business.
The David J. LaBarre Community Service Award is given to one Master of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) student who is highly-regarded by his/her fellow MNA classmates, possesses the integrity and character consistent with Notre Dame, demonstrates a willingness to help other students and displays a commitment to both Notre Dame and surrounding communities.
For the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Centennial Celebration, Mark was one of 60 BBA alumni featured in a campaign celebrating the 80,000+ alumni. He is a United States Army Honorary Colonel, an Honorary Advisory Board Member of The National Veterans Opportunity Coalition, a Forbes Nonprofit Council member and a recipient of the Jefferson Award. Most recently the San Francisco Business Times named Mark one of ten OUTstanding Voices in the Bay Area for his standout presence as a role model in advocating for a safer, more inclusive space for LGBTQ employees. The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named Mark the LGBT Advocate of the Year and American Airlines honored Mark with the Extra Mile Award.
Mark holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, where he graduated with Honors and earned the designation as an Endowed Presidential Scholar. He graduated Cum Laude with a Master in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business.
He is an alumnus of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative Education-Scaling Program. Recently, he received a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from the Boston College Carroll School of Management Center for Corporate Citizenship.
Latino Leaders Magazine named Mark one of the nation’s top Latinos in the areas of finance and nonprofits. He was honored as an inaugural Texas Modern Hispanic Gentlemen by Texas Monthly and as a Houston Business Journal 40 Under 40. Austin Mayor Steve Adler appointed Mark as Co-Chair of former President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Austin initiative. MBK’s goal is to ensure that all youth, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to improve their life outcomes and overcome barriers to success.
Mark serves as a mentor for the University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs Executive Master in Public Leadership (EMPL) program. He is a former McBee Fellow for the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO). AARO is a non-partisan nonprofit organization that builds on the savvy and brainpower of 100 prominent leaders from the Central Texas region of Travis, Williamson, Hays, Caldwell, Bastrop and Burnet counties. As well, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Central Texas Regional office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Austin.
Mark created the Mark L. Madrid Scholarships, which are awarded to deserving Latina and Latino college students majoring in business from the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Notre Dame and Texas State University.
Mark is best known for his passion and, most importantly, his compassion. His favorite symbol is the lightning bolt, which embodies energy and enthusiasm. He has been featured in Forbes, the San Francisco Business Times, the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the Austin Business Journal and the Houston Business Journal. Those who know Mark all agree that he represents this symbol extremely well. Mark loves his God, his family, his friends, his pet Champ. His solitude joy is his zeal for competitive running, and he is currently training to qualify for the Boston Marathon after placing in his division in several races across the United States.
MARK MADRID
CEO of the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN)
INARA TAREQUE
Research Analyst, Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
Inara conducts research with the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI). She collaborates closely with GSB faculty to advance the scholarship on U.S. Latino-owned businesses, aiming to support Latino entrepreneurs through research, knowledge dissemination, and facilitated collaboration. Inara performs quantitative and qualitative analyses, designs and implements SLEI’s national surveys of U.S. Latino and white business-owners, and grows and maintains SLEI’s longitudinal panel data of the nearly 2,000 entrepreneurs.
Prior to joining SLEI, Inara performed research at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where her research intersected ecosystem development, startup financing trends, and diversity in entrepreneurship. She also developed and performed data analysis for Inc. to calculate the Inc. Entrepreneurship Index, which is a timely measure of American entrepreneurship. Additionally, in collaboration with Startup Genome and Inc., Inara developed the Inc. Surge Cities index which ranks U.S. metropolitan areas for starting a business using seven key indicators.
Inara completed her BA from Grinnell College with majors in Mathematics and Economics and a minor in Global Development Studies.
INARA TAREQUE
Research Analyst, Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative
ANA VALDEZ
Executive President, Latino Donor Collaborative
Ana Valdez is a principal at Valdez Productions & Consulting, Inc. and the executive president of The Latino Donor Collaborative. She is an American marketing, media and political consultant, a thought leader combining 28 years of experience in politics, the corporate world and media. She was born and raised in Mexico City, and has studied and worked also in Spain, Switzerland and the U.S. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Valdez has worked at the United Nations’ Commission for Human Rights, as presidential appointee for the Clinton Administration, and has collaborated with Nielsen, Citibank, Colgate, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Scott Paper, Best Foods, Summit Entertainment, Fox Channel 11, U.S. Department of Energy, Bill Richardson for US President Campaign, Dolores Huerta Foundation, and others. She was also Fox11’s on-the-air Political and Media Analyst, and a blogger for MyFoxParents.com, Huffington Post, and CNN online.
In 1998, she along with her husband, Jeff Valdez, started Valdez Productions and Consulting Inc. to create media content, media platforms, and strategies that serve the new multicultural American market. The company has written and produced content for Disney Studios, Nickelodeon, ABC, Showtime, KTLA, Univision, YouTube and others. In 2003 Valdez Productions launched the American national cable and satellite channel SiTV, now Fuse.
She has served on the following boards:
Southern California Public Radio- Chair of the Board of Trustees
The Trust for Public Land National Board – Chair of Diversity Task Force
Los Angeles Universal Preschool Board of Directors (LAUP)- Chair of the Government Relations Committee
Children’s Bureau Board of Directors- Chair of the Public Outreach Committee
American Public Media Board of Trustees
Minnesota Public Radio Board of Trustees
QueensCare Foundation Board of Directors
LA Mayor’s Small Business Board
Green Leadership Trust- Founding member
Center for Early Education- Diversity Committee Chair
SiTV Board of Directors- Founding member
UCLA Department of Statistics Advisory Board
Ana was recognized as one of the Top Latinos in America in 2018, and one of the Top 50 Most Influential Latinas in the US in 2020.
Valdez has a firm mission of making a difference in the lives of underserved communities.
ANA VALDEZ
Executive President, Latino Donor Collaborative
ENTREPRENEURS
ANDREINA VIERA
CEO, The Vieras
Andreina Viera is an administrative professional and business aficionado, committed to creating solutions for businesses and enabling growth in professional settings. With over 20 years of experience in the executive world, she has worked in the offices of industry leaders in fashion, food, health and education. In her most recent role as the CEO of The Vieras, Andreina, is a connector of people, ideas and professional development. Helping businesses increase their margin while decreasing their liabilities. Andreina has saved her clients millions in operational pivots while providing their back-office support in specialized areas such as Accounting, Administrative, HR, IT, Marketing and Safety & Environmental Services. The Vieras is the one-stop-shop for any size business. Andreina is also an international public speaker and her personal passion is to create opportunities for women of color and empower growth within disadvantaged communities.
ANDREINA VIERA
CEO, The Vieras
BESSIE KING
General Manager-Villa Mexico Cafe, Member of the Board-Massachusetts Restaurants United
Bessie King was born in Texas and raised in Mexico City, where her mother’s family is from. Upon relocating to the U.S., Julie King, Bessie’s mother, founded Villa Mexico Cafe- one of Massachusetts’ first authentic Mexican food restaurants. Bessie completed her education and worked in media and marketing before joining her mother at the restaurant. She aims to increase Latinx representation in the business world, asking for access to economic and educational resources, through advocacy, volunteering, and most recently her involvement in building Massachusetts Restaurants United (MRU). Bessie is also a supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and local food-security organizations.
BESSIE KING
General Manager-Villa Mexico Cafe
Member of the Board-Massachusetts Restaurants United
ELIAS TORRES
Founder and CEO of Drift
Elias Torres is the founder and CTO of Drift, the world’s leading conversational marketing and sales platform. Prior to Drift, he served as the VP of Engineering at HubSpot, growing their revenue to $100 million after the acquisition of his previous company Performable in 2011. Prior to Performable, Elias served as VP of Engineering at Lookery and spent the first 10 years of his career as an engineer at IBM.
In addition to starting, advising and helping early stage companies, Elias is passionate about building winning teams. He is also a community activist focused on supporting LatinX entrepreneurs across the US.
He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur and TechCrunch.
ELIAS TORRES
Founder and CEO of Drift
KARLA MORALES
Founder, Your Home Detox
Karla Morales is a queer Guate-rican entrepreneur and creative from Ayer, MA. She is the 2019 Rising Star award winner for the Center for Women & Enterprise. As the founder of Your Home Detox, Karla’s work seeks to transform the cleaning industry to not only protect our loved one’s, but also the planet’s health. She recently returned to pursuing her A.A. degree in Sociology at Bunker Hill Community College.
KARLA MORALES
Founder, Your Home Detox
LIBIS BUENO
CEO/CTO and Founder of Domitek Inc.
Libis was born in the Dominican Republic. At the age of 16 Libis and his family moved to Worcester MA to join extended family members that had already established roots in the community. After years of living in Worcester, the city became his second home. Libis is a proud member of the Latino community, who has dedicated himself to be involved in the development and growth of the local Latino community. Libis currently lives in Worcester with his family and his Business is located in downtown Worcester, just a few blocks from City Hall.
Libis is a board member for the Chamber of Commerce, a board member of Worcester BID, a Board member and executive committee member for MassHire as well as a board member for LABO and Mechanics Hall.
Libis has always been passionate about technology and recognized early on the role technology could play in improving the lives of everyday people. Libis pursued a career in Computer Science & Technology and saw firsthand the impact that a poorly maintained network infrastructure and system could have on a business. He discovered that many of these businesses did not have access to affordable and reliable technical support. This is why he started Domitek Inc in 2004, to help owners of small and medium businesses around Worcester, Massachusetts get the very best out of their technology and exceed their business goals.
Much of Libis’s encyclopedic IT knowledge was gained during his work supporting health care organizations with their Electronic Medical Records (EMR) implementation and technical support. He also has experience in offering technical advice and support to businesses in the financial, construction and manufacturing industries as well as NGO/non-profit organizations. Libis also has experience supporting government agencies, working on projects at the Pentagon and at VA hospitals throughout the nation. Over the years he has designed, installed and managed servers and Cloud-based networks with remote capabilities that allow clients to work from anywhere at any time, while ensuring they comply with current regulations.
In addition, Libis is a Microsoft certified technical expert and has helped many clients with systems deployment, server migration, virtualization, cloud and network support.
As a hands-on owner, Libis believes in offering personal service and tailored solutions as a part of a long-term business relationship. He knows the priorities of his clients and takes pride in telling things as they are in clean, jargon-free language. Libis will do anything in his power to make sure your business thrives, because he’s a firm believer that your success is his success.
LIBIS BUENO
CEO, CTO and Founder, Domitek Inc.
BREAKOUT SESSION ONE
Unleashing Latino Innovation
The COVID pandemic and economic crisis has pushed Latino entrepreneurs to pivot and leverage new technologies to do businesses. Business owners are using this opportunity to innovate as a strategy for survival and growth. In this conversation, we will explore how to unleash Latino creativity and innovation, and how the funders can help fuel this untapped Latino talent to restart the economy.
ELI VELASQUEZ
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Investors of Color Network
Eli is co-Founder and Managing Partner of the Investors of Color Network, a national network of Black and Latinx accredited investors across the U.S. focused on closing the racial funding gap in early-stage capital. In his prior role at VentureWell, he oversaw the U.S. State Dept. Global Investors Program. He has assisted with training, supporting and launching new angel networks in Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Vietnam, Mexico, and Colombia. He also serves as a Board Member on the Angel Capital Association, Capital Advisor to the Stanford Latino Business Action Network, and US Senator for the World Business Angel Forum. He is an investor in Portfolia’s Rising America Fund, Advisor to AccelHub Venture Partners and the Business Angel Minority Association (baMa).
Prior, he was the Director of Venture Development at Texas Tech University where he co-founded the Lubbock Angel Network, a group that has invested over $4M and seen four exits since its founding in 2015. His efforts in Texas led to over $20M in funding for startups, entrepreneurship programs, and proof of concept funds. Before that, Mr. Velasquez worked for The Boeing Company in southern California, initially within Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) group where he was assigned to develop the Delta Rockets. In his last two years at Boeing, he worked as an Intellectual Property Consultant with Boeing’s Intellectual Property Business (IPB) unit.
He obtained a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and his J.D. degree with an Intellectual Property Certificate from Whittier Law School.
ELI VELASQUEZ (Moderator)
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Investors of Color Network
LILIBETH GANGAS
Chief Technology Community Officer, Kapor Center
Lili Gangas is the Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center working to create new and more inclusive tech innovation ecosystems regionally & nationally. Her work is centered at the intersection of technology, economic justice, and action driven partnerships to tackle pressing social and economic inequities of underrepresented communities head-on. Her areas of focus and interest include tech advocacy themes such as closing the Digital Divide, Future of Work(ers), and Responsible Technology particularly as they relate to new models with cross sector partners. Lili believes that it is critical that we help prepare and upskill communities of color for the future, today. She was a New America CA fellow focus on Tech for Good, was recognized as SF Business Times Most Influential Women in Business and SF Business Times 40 Under 40, and is an MBA lecturer at Mills College. Lili was recently a featured Salesforce Dreamforce and TEDxOakland speaker.
Before coming to the Kapor Center, Lili was an Associate Principal at Accenture Technology Lab’s Open Innovation team, based out of Silicon Valley, building bridges between startups and commercial clients. She was also a founding member of the Innovation Services team at Booz Allen specializing in crowdsourcing, prize challenges, and open data solutions at the federal level. Before that, Lili could be found in the lab working on software and hardware solutions for the aerospace industry as a Senior Multi-Disciplined Software Engineer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.
Lili’s community involvement is at her heart and purpose. All of her work is focused on engaging communities at different intersections to show that tech can be done right if it’s inclusive of all people – whether it’s locally in Oakland or across the US. She’s a proud immigrant from Bolivia and believes in meeting the community where they are at. She’s been an active Startup Weekend organizer – helping launch Women’s Edition, Impact Edition, and Latinx in Tech Editions. She also helped organize the first TEDxOakland. She is an advisor to tech focused nonprofits such as AI-4-All.org, 1Degree.org, Techqueria.org, and LatinasInTech.org.
Lili holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
LILIBETH GANGAS
Chief Technology Community Officer, Kapor Center
CAROLYN RODZ
Co-Founder and CEO, Hello Alice
An investment banker turned three-time award winning Latina entrepreneur from Bolivia, Carolyn serves as the Founder and CEO of Hello Alice (helloalice.com), a smart technology that helps business owners find the right path to start and grow their companies. Carolyn is a long-time advocate for underestimated founders and believes technology-driven data will prove the business case for inclusion. During her time at Hello Alice, Carolyn was recognized as a “17 Women to Watch,” by Inc. Magazine, has testified before the U.S. Congressional House Small Business Committee, and was featured in a U.S.Senate report by Senator Shaheen titled, “Tackling the Gender Gap: What Women Entrepreneurs Need to Thrive.” She was selected by Mayor Turner of Houston to co-chair the Women and Minority Small Business Task Force in 2019.
With her previous companies she was stated as “Woman to Watch,” by Entrepreneur Magazine, American Express Micro to Millions awardee, and has been featured in Inc., Forbes, Fortune, and more for her work toward building entrepreneurial ecosystems. Prior to Hello Alice, Carolyn launched the world’s first completely virtual accelerator, supporting over 300 women from across the United States and internationally and helped them raise over $76 million in investments. Fast Company highlighted the accelerator as the “most innovative and
fastest growing for women.” It was this experience that ultimately spurred the formation of Hello Alice, as Carolyn recognized that the inequities facing women entrepreneurs resulted largely from lack of awareness and access to existing resources and networks — problems that not only faced women, but all marginalized populations. Circular Board also hosted the world’s first “Pitch With Purpose,” a pitch competition awarding $25,000 to a company supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Previously, Carolyn scaled and sold a marketing firm, Cake, that developed technology-driven marketing analytics solutions. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Cake was viewed as one of the early data analytics utilized by enterprise companies to streamline their marketing. Carolyn’s first company, Signatures was a luxury retail line that sold in over 400 stores worldwide, including Neiman Marcus, Harrods, and Bloomingdales. Additional recognitions include being selected as a delegate to the United Nations Foundation Global Accelerator. She is a member of the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, and a featured Dell influencer, a Fortune Most Powerful Women attendee, a Sam Walton Emerging Entrepreneur. Carolyn presented the keynote at TEDx Austin on the topic of failure, and serves as a regular contributor to major media outlets. Through her advisory position, Carolyn continues to support Texas A&M Mays College of Business, and currently resides in Houston, Texas with her husband and two boys, Luca and Henry.
CAROLYN RODZ
Co-Founder and CEO, Hello Alice
ENRIQUE SHADAH
Founding Director, Expert Collective Cooperative & Affiliate to the MIT LinQ Catalyst Program on Biomedical Innovation
An expert in all aspects of the process of venture creation, Enrique has founded and led startups, advised sellers and buyers in M&A transactions, and spearheaded industrial collaborations and spin-offs in academia. Enrique currently serves as the founding Director of the Expert Collective Cooperative, an organization focused on advising business and technology leaders to translate knowledge into digital and physical products and services that have positive socio-economic and environmental impact. He also holds an appointment at the MIT LinQ program for biomedical innovation, housed within MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences, in which he focuses on managing venture and industrial relations.
At MIT, Enrique developed expertise in leading a community of academics, practitioners and professionals to create win-win collaborations. For example, Enrique was the conceptual creator of MIT’s Startup Exchange, an online platform that enables interactions between MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program’s corporate members and MIT-connected startups (http://startupexchange.mit.edu) and remains an active mentor in the MIT startup community.
For most of his tenure at the Institute, Enrique has held industry-facing positions including Head of the Workplace Learning Collaborative at MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL; http://jwel.mit.edu) and Senior Industrial Liaison Officer at the Office of Corporate Relations.
Enrique earned a Master in Business Administration from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts (Magna Cum Laude) and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela. Enrique is fluent in English and Spanish and has basic knowledge of Portuguese.
ENRIQUE SHADAH
Founding Director, Expert Collective Cooperative & Affiliate to the MIT LinQ Catalyst Program on Biomedical Innovation
BREAKOUT SESSION TWO
Building an Equitable Small Business Ecosystem
Massachusetts business service organizations, capital providers and advocates have been working together intensely over the last several months to support small businesses of color through emergency funding programs, advocacy and technical assistance. These groups are exemplifying the power of collaboration and coalition-building to support small businesses owned by people of color, immigrants and those with low incomes. Learn some of the best practices in ecosystem-building as a way to fuel an inclusive and equitable business economy and close the racial wealth gap in the Commonwealth.
ALEXANDRA NOVA
Deputy Director, The Lawrence Partnership
Alexandra (Alex) Nova is the Deputy Director, The Lawrence Partnership where she brings a breadth of human service, external relations, and corporate marketing experience and expertise. As a first generation immigrant raised in Lawrence, she also brings a unique perspective of the opportunities present in our community, where she serves as an advocate for the city and for the Partnership’s Inclusive Economic Development approach.
A proud graduate of Lawrence High School, Alex returned to the City after attending college out of state and lived, was married and worked in Lawrence before her career took her to Boston in 2006. Similar to the various stakeholders involved with the Lawrence Partnership’s network, Alex’s experience and career have tracked through multiple industries and sectors, with roles at Phillips Academy, State Street Corporation, and Eastern Bank, where she had the opportunity to work with some of the Commonwealth’s leading corporations. Beyond her corporate experience, she has also overseen programming to support teen parents at Family Services, Inc. and researched, developed and coordinated social, educational and recreational services for families at Fidelity House, Inc., both in Lawrence.
Alex has held various volunteer leadership positions including serving on the Boston board of directors of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America), the largest Latino professional organization in the country. She is a graduate of the Center for Collaborative Leadership’s Emerging Leaders program and most recently completed the Inroads Cultural Inclusion Program for Non Profit Board Governance in Lawrence. Alex is one of the founders and co-chairs of Inroads’ Mastermind, a professional development program for Cultural Inclusion Board Governance alumni.
Alex has always remained engaged in Lawrence and is excited to give back to the City that welcomed her as a young immigrant. She and her husband, a fellow Lawrencian, have three children.
ALEXANDRA NOVA (Moderator)
Deputy Director, The Lawrence Partnership
GLYNN LLOYD
Executive Director, The Foundation for Business Equity
Glynn Lloyd has been a pioneer in the field of transformative urban economic development for over 25 years. He is the Founder of City Fresh Foods, a nationally-renowned food service business, and over 20 years grew it on average 15% annually to $9M in revenue. As well as, the Urban Farming institute (UFI), a community-led nonprofit supporting the development of the urban farming industry in Massachusetts and has helped founded the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), a coalition of black business, community, religious and labor leaders working together to improve economic indicators in the Black community. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Business Equity (FBE). The Foundation’s first Initiative: The Business Equity Initiative has designed and is executing a unique approach to truly scaling up local Black and Latinx enterprises in Eastern MA to close the racial wealth gap (www.fbequity.org). Glynn resides in Roxbury with his wife Sara and daughters, Grace and Ayana.
GLENN LLOYD
Executive Director, The Foundation for Business Equity
SEGUN IDOWU
Executive Director, BECMA
A lifelong resident of Boston, Segun is a proud product of the Boston Public Schools. Following his graduation from Boston Latin Academy, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and honors from the Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key Societies.
In August 2014, Segun organized the Boston Police Camera Action Team (BPCAT) with his colleague, Shekia Scott. BPACT’s mission was to further accountability and safety in Boston through the mandatory use of police body-worn cameras. As a result of their efforts, Boston began a yearlong mandatory body-worn camera pilot program and policy in September 2016. In 2018, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a $2 million investment in a permanent citywide body-worn camera program.
In 2018, Segun was elected to serve as the 1 stVice President for the Boston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the first chapter of the oldest civil rights advocacy organization in the nation. In this role, he managed the much heralded and research intensive report card project that assessed the city’s efforts and results in addressing systemic racial disparities.
In 2019, Segun stepped off the NAACP board to join the board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts and focus on other board obligations at Southwest Boston CDC, New Leaders Council (NLC), Voter Choice Massachusetts, and the Roxbury YMCA. He also advises initiatives at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.
Segun currently serves as the Executive Director for the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc. (BECMA) where he advocates for policies, practices, and contracts that positively impact its member businesses. BECMA held the successful Mass. Black Expo in November 2019, which featured 60+ Black-owned businesses and organizations and connected close to 1,000 people to 25+ business development workshops and resources. In April 2020, Boston Magazine recognized Segun as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the City of Boston,” and in July, the Boston Globe recognized him on the front page of their Sunday edition as a “Man of the Moment” for his work in ramping up BECMA’s efforts to advocate for and direct resources to Black businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, he was recognized by Boston Business Journal as part of their “Power 50” list for similar work.
SEGUN IDOWU
Executive Director, BECMA
COREAN REYNOLDS
Program Officer for Economic Inclusion and Special Projects, The Boston Foundation
Corean Reynolds joined the Boston Foundation in 2016, where she now serves as Program Officer for Economic Inclusion and Special Projects. In her work she utilizes philanthropy to help strengthen the ecosystem of support services for Black and Latinx-owned businesses in Greater Boston. Additionally, Corean manages internal operations for the Business Equity Fund, a philanthropic fund that provides growth capital for Black and Latinx-owned businesses to create jobs, grow wealth, and revitalize communities.
Prior to the Boston Foundation, Corean supported Workforce, Supplier and Diversity Development at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Corean witnessed the effects of neighborhood deterioration and its impact on community residents and local businesses—an experience that inspired her to become an advocate for community.
She utilizes this passion for advocacy through her service as a member of English for New Bostonians Board of Directors, a steering committee member for the PowerUp LatinxBiz, Center for Women and Enterprise and formerly the Greater Boston Immigrant Defense Fund. In 2013, Corean received a B.S. in Urban Planning and Regional Development from Michigan State University, making her one of the 10 multiracial women nationally to do so that year. Corean is a classically trained Soprano and has performed internationally from the age of 11.
COREAN REYNOLDS
Program Officer for Economic Inclusion and Special Projects, The Boston Foundation
GOALS
Identify &
Connect
Identify and map growth oriented Latinx owned businesses in Massachusetts
Build Relationships
Facilitate connections among Latinx entrepreneurs through curated networking opportunities and an online digital platform
Access Existing Resources
Foster relationship building and access to existing business resources, such as capital, education, mentors, accelerators, and growth opportunities
Policy
Agenda
Advance a policy agenda focused on driving economic opportunity and growth for Latinx businesses
BENEFITS
We invite Latinx businesses, resource partners and sponsors to join us. You’ll be inspired by successful Latinx entrepreneurs and business leaders innovating in key industries driving our economy, learn how the broader MA business community can play a role in advancing Latinx business growth, and why doing so matters to our shared future.
JOIN AS A BUSINESS PARTNER
Below are our current business partners. We hope you’ll join us.
CONNECTIVITY CHALLENGE
- In Boston, Latinx-owned businesses average less than $100,000 in annual sales, compared to $644,000 in annual sales for all privately-owned firms
- Latinx business often operate in silos and lack connections to capital, management expertise, business networks, human capital, and partners necessary for growth
- Existing resources and programs for entrepreneurs are not inclusive or adept at connecting to the growing Latinx demographic
OPPORTUNITY
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
LEAD SPONSOR
AMPLIFY SPONSORS
OUR MEDIA SPONSORS
