Speakers
KATHY CANO-MURILLO
CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR
& AUTHOR
Kathy Cano-Murillo is an author, artist & founder of the award-winning brand, CraftyChica. She spreads the gospel of glitter – literally through her DIY projects and figuratively through her speeches, workshops, books, and essays.
She has led multiple Crafty Chica mass retail product lines, and partnerships with Coca-Cola, HSN, HP, WordPress, Disney & many others. Kathy has authored seven craft books and two novels.
RORY LASSANSKE
CONTENT CREATOR
Rory Lassanske is one of the most active and influential content creators en Español. She started blogging in 2009. Born in Venezuela, she is a mom of 2 beautiful children and lives in Southlake, Texas.
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Her award-winning blog, MamaContemporanea.com, is the ultimate resource for modern Latina moms in the U.S and around the world. Rory has worked on many successful campaigns, and she is the brand ambassador for many brands.
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Tecla Award winner 2017 - Best Spanish Language Creator.
CANDY CALDRON
NUTRITION AND HEALTH COACH
Candy is a certified holistic nutrition & health coach and an avid healthy lifestyle social media influencer. Through her namesake page Candy Calderon she shares her popular and outspoken takes on healthy living from the modern busy woman perspective and taboo subjects very few talk about, while still having fun and a few glasses of wine in the process!
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She has coached thousands of people all over the world (in English & Spanish) through her signature programs about detoxing and healthy living, and regularly keynote speaks on how to prevent and reverse diseases, instead of reacting to them.
CARLOS GIL
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST & KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Carlos Gil has 8+ years of professional experience in B2B and B2C social media marketing as a Start-up Founder, Brand Marketing Executive, and Public Speaker.
Previously, he served as Senior Social Marketing Manager for LinkedIn. A true digital native, Carlos maintains an active presence on Twitter, Snapchat, and YouTube in addition to speaking at industry conferences such as SXSW and Social Media Marketing World.
VIANNEY RODRIGUEZ
RECIPE DEVELOPER
& AUTHOR
Vianney Rodriguez is the founder, recipe developer and South Texas foodie behind Sweet Life. She is also the author of Latin Twist, a cocktails book that showcases the cultures and flavors of over 20 countries, featuring 97 traditional and original Latin-inspired cocktail recipes.
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Sweet Life is a celebration of Vianney's life in South Texas and an exploration of South Texas food and culture.
GABY NATALE
EMMY-AWARD WINNER, AUTHOR, AND MEDIA PERSONALITY
Gaby Natale is a three time EMMY-award winner media personality, entrepreneur and influencer. She is the executive producer and host of the TV show SuperLatina that airs nationwide in VME TV, a member of the PBS family.
Gaby Natale is one of the few women in the entertainment industry who owns not only the rights to her TV show but also a television studio. This unique si tuation has allowed her to combine her passion for media and her entrepreneurial spirit.
KAMI HUYSE
CEO, ZOETICA
Kami Huyse is a digital strategist, speaker and author, connecting people and ideas. As the CEO of Zoetica, a digital marketing and public relations agency, she and her team help community-minded companies and organizations to build on and offline relationships with their customers and supporters that convert to measurable results.
She has won numerous awards for her work, including two Society for New Communications Research Social Media awards and the IABC's Gold Quill of Excellence Award.
SYLVIA BUTANDA
PROGRAM DIRECTOR, LATINITAS
Sylvia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and is originally from Brownsville, TX.
As program director for Latinitas and as a first generation college graduate, she is passionate about empowering chicas through media and technology enrichment, where they embrace their unique identities, perspectives and storytelling styles.
ELISHA FERNANDEZ
KIDPRENEUR & ARTIST
Elisha is a homeschooled 14 year-old, and a passionate best-selling author, artist, entrepreneur, and speaker. Elisha lives in Fort Worth, TX with her family and she loves spending time with them. She wrote I Love ME! at age ten, because she loves helping other kids become bullyproof, love themselves, and be the best they can be.
ELYSSA FERNANDEZ
KIDPRENEUR & ARTIST
Elyssa is 13 years old. She enjoys being an entrepreneur, best-selling author, speaker, artist, and coach. She is homeschooled, and her greatest coach and mentor is her mom, Elayna Fernandez. Elyssa became a vegan at age 7. Elyssa teaches children to love themselves and have self-confidence through her books, blog posts, and artistic expressions. Elyssa would be thrilled to get to know you.
JOSE RESENDEZ
POP CULTURE INFLUENCER
& DIGITAL STRATEGIST
Jose has a decade of experience in communications, specializing in digital & influencer marketing. Jose was listed in ADWEEK’s PR 30 Under 30 for his career; his PR clients have included P&G, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, PepsiCo & CHASE, among other household brands. Jose is also well known in the industry as a pop culture influencer & blogger himself, focusing on all things entertainment & lifestyle.
WENDY PEREZ
STYLE & BEAUTY CREATOR
Wendy is the content creator of Hey! Wendy Vanessa, a Latina blog about style, travel, and beauty. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Wendy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a concentration in Organizational/Corporate Communications. She is a social media content creator by day, and blogger by night. When she is not focused on work, she is helping manage her family business, traveling, or volunteering in her church. Wendy loves to help and inspire young women, her hope is to do this through Hey! Wendy Vanessa.
YVONNE GUIDRY
ENTERTAINMENT & FASHION CREATOR
Yvonne is the Texan native, multicultural beauty, fashion, entertainment and mommy influencer behind SpoiledLatina. Yvonne created her blog in 2008 as way to express her own opinions and love for lifestyle and beauty. Since than she has worked with many top tier brands to bring brand affinity to each. SpoiledLatina was recognized by the City of Houston in 2015 with a city proclamation for her blog 7 year anniversary and has turned her blogiversary into a day of celebration for ambitious women to get together for convo and empowerment. Yvonne is a proud 2017 Tecla Award winner for Top Lifestyle and Entertainment Content Creator.
JILLIAN GOLTZMAN
HOUSTON BLOGGER UNION
Jillian Goltzman is a personal development and lifestyle journalist with a passion for inspiring positive change in the lives of others. As the founder of Cup of Charisma, a socially conscious lifestyle blog, Jillian focuses on fusing fashion, philanthropy, travel and life advice to empower female millennials through her writing.
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Jillian is a multi-passionate creative who balances life as a social media manager by day at Integrate Agency and journalist by night, writing for sites and publications like Huffington Post, Miami.com, Miami Herald, and LAPALME Magazine.
ANTONIO ARELLANO
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
& INFLUENCER
Antonio Arellano was recognized as one of the most influential young Latino voices in the United States by Hispanicize. Originally from Michoacán, Mexico He is currently a content contributor and social media correspondent for KTRK ABC13 in Houston, Texas.
Arellano uses his social media platforms to educate, inform, and engage his audience on variety of topics covering immigration, civic engagement, and civil rights issues.
DAWNIEL WINNINGHAM
MASTER LIFE & BUSINESS COACH
Dawniel Patterson Winningham is America’s Leading Quit Coach. She is a Former JP Morgan Chase Vice President, Certified Executive Coach, Master Sales, Master Business, and Master Life Coach who left corporate America to live her dream of helping others live their dreams. She is the best-selling author of multiple books (her most recent book Passion, Purpose, and Profit debut at number one in five categories on Amazon). She has been featured in over 100 magazines (Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Essence Magazine) and online publications (Huffington Post, Careerbuilder.com, Todayshow.com) worldwide.
MIMI SANCHEZ
LIFESTYLE VLOGGER
Michelle MiMi Sanchez is currently the owner and operator of Moda Creative Agency, which launched in the Spring of 2017 in Miami, FL. MODA Creative is a sister company of MODA Modelos Agency which was launched in Dallas, TX back in 2005.
With the help of her staff, MiMi had positioned her modeling agency as a leader in the Dallas Hispanic market. MiMi’s strong academic background in Public Relations, Branding and in Social Media, has helped her accomplish many of her endeavors as an entrepreneur.
ALEJANDRA GRAF
HEALTHY FOOD BLOGGER
Alejandra Graf is a Mexican food lover and wellness pusher who follows a plant- based diet. She has a degree in art history, and a few years ago she decided to pursue another one of her passions, food. She became the voice behind Piloncillo&Vainilla, a blog dedicated to sharing her experiences, food philosophy, and healthy and tasty recipes – the kind of dishes that nourish body, mind, and soul. The kitchen was always the family meeting point and her first cooking classroom. Now she has a professional certification as a plant-based cook and food photographer.
DORINDA WALKER
VP OF CONSUMER STRATEGY & KEY INITIATIVES, MULTICULTURAL MARKETING, PRUDENTIAL'S U.S. BUSINESSES
Dorinda Walker is a Vice President of Consumer Strategy and Key Initiatives within Multicultural Marketing for Prudential’s U.S. Businesses. Dorinda is responsible for supporting, planning and executing profitable growth strategies among diverse consumer segments. To expand new business opportunities, she incorporates strategic planning, targeted marketing campaigns, program management, event planning and community engagement. In addition, she is accountable for educating distributors about the benefits of adapting Prudential’s Total Market Strategy.
ANLLELIC LOZADA
MARKETING MENTOR COACH
Anllelic [an-ye-lik] Lozada is a Marketing Mentor Coach, a NYC Business Solutions Certified Instructor, and partner of Los Tweens & Teens, a bilingual
e-magazine for the years between kindergarten and college.
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After 10+ years as a multicultural marketing executive in Miami and New York City for global brands like PR Newswire and The Huffington Post, Anllelic decides to combine both of her passions: marketing and spirituality to help others make a difference by getting in touch with what makes them unique.
LILI GIL VALLETTA
CO-FOUNDER & CEO,
CIEN+ AND CULTURINTEL
Lili is a nationally recognized cultural intelligenceTM expert, World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and an award-winning entrepreneur. After a successful 10-year career at Johnson & Johnson- where she pioneered diversity and multicultural marketing initiatives and co-founded the Hispanic Employee Resource Group HOLA- Lili became an entrepreneur in 2008 inspired by America’s shifting demographics and the need for innovation to reach equity in business and successfully turn cultural trends into profits.
VICTORIA GARZA
MARKETING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, LATINITAS
Victoria is an experienced marketing communications professional with a strong background in writing and editing corporate and nonprofit communications and for technical applications. Additionally, as a journalist, Victoria has had her reporting featured in the Austin Business Journal, the Texas Senate, KUT-FM, Texas Highways Magazine, and more; as a freelancer, she wrote blogs for General Motors, WeWork, and other clients.
RIKKI RINCON
FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR,
CREATIVE JUICE
Over the course of Rikki’s 30 year career he has served in a wide array of roles from digital brand manager, marketing, event producer, radio personality, blogger to brand ambassador. Born in Dallas, he is married to his lovely wife from Manzanillo, Cuba and enjoys life with their miniature dachshund Chloe.
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Apart from founding and operating Creative Juice Online, Rikki runs other businesses and serves as President of Music Access Latino, a Latino music division of Music Access, Inc.
ENRIQUETA LEMOINE
FOOD WRITER & RECIPE DEVELOPER
Enriqueta is a food writer, recipe developer, food photographer and foodtuber. Since 2010, she has been the author of SAVOIR FAIRE by enrilemoine, a cooking and cocktail blog where her two passions for cooking and writing converge. With a Masters Degree from Columbia University, vast experience as a journalist and in the Public Relations field, after traveling around the world, she decided to stay home to raise her two boys. A content guru, Enriqueta has been creating content, including video production for different media outlets. Her blog and recipes have been featured in BBC Mundo, El Nuevo Herald, Latina Parents, NBC, Telemundo, Ser Padres, Siempre Mujer, and in magazines and newspapers in Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Caracas, México City, Lima and London.
VALERIE CARMONA
FASHION & BEAUTY CREATOR
Valerie is a wife, working mom, and lover of fashion. Her educational background includes a BS in Fashion Merchandising from the University of North Texas as well as a Certificate d’etudes in French from Université inter-âges In Versailles France. Her blog, Val Around Town, focuses on Fashion, Beauty, and Lifestyle for the women on-the-go. She enjoys sharing her ideas with women on how you can be fashionable in a hurry, as a mom, and/or on a budget. She has created a platform to empower and to inspire all women to feel confident with their style no matter what size they are. She hopes to create a legacy that will live on in the eyes of others while still making a difference in the crazy world we live in today.
ROBYN MORENO
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & C0-PRESIDENT, LATINA MEDIA VENTURES
Robyn Moreno is the Editorial Director and Co-President of Latina Media Ventures, the largest media property aimed at acculturated Latinas in the U.S.
She’s also a well-known lifestyle expert, Emmy-nominated TV host, author, and blogger at RobynMoreno.com—a weekly newsletter and blog that helps women easily infuse beauty and joy into everyday life.
As a sought-after lifestyle expert, Robyn appears regularly on The Today Show, Wendy Williams, Extra, CBS Early Morning Show, The Steve Harvey Show, among other national and local outlets.
INGRID QUIROZ
FOUNDER, SOY TEXAS
Ingrid is currently a PR & Influencer Strategist for APC Collective. She was born in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she discovered her passion for connecting the community through her career with Univision Austin.
Ingrid recently founded a community platform, SOY TEXAS which celebrates our Latino community in the great state of Texas through storytelling, events and culture.
MELANIE MENDEZ-GONZALES
ONLINE MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR
Melanie Mendez-Gonzales is the creator of ¿Qué Means What? – an award-winning Latina lifestyle blog. Call her a multi-passion chaser. She creates content around her passions: education, entertainment, culture and family.
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Melanie has been named a 2017 TECLA Award Finalist; 2016 Best Latin@ Education Influencer by LATISM; a 2015 Texas-based Bloggers to Follow by FlipKey by Trip Advisor; 2014 American Latino Expedition Influencer by National Park Foundation; a Top Bloguera by LATISM 2013 - 2016.
JOEY GUERRA
MUSIC CRITIC & POP-CULTURE WRITER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Joey Guerra is a music critic and pop-culture writer for the Houston Chronicle. He covers the major genres, the Houston/Texas music scene and various aspects of pop-culture and TV. He has reviewed way too many Rodeo Houston shows and was a weekly American Idol correspondent for KRIV FOX 26. He is active on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat and was one of the first Chronicle writers to have a regular online blog, to podcast and to work with video. Has has hosted various local music events; executive-produced the "Houston Hearts Haiti" benefit CD; and has been voted Favorite Blogger/Tweeter/Writer by various magazines.
APRIL ARIAS
PRESIDENT, HOUSTON ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC MEDIA PROFESSIONALS
April Arias is a three-time Emmy Award-winning media and public relations consultant who currently serves as president of the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP). April began her career as a broadcast journalist, where she worked as an Executive Producer and Producer for Houston’s NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV. In her time at KPRC, she won three Emmy Awards for best newscast, along with numerous awards from the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters and the Houston Press Club. In 2013, April founded Arias Communications as a way to use her media and public relations expertise to give clients a real advantage in telling their stories. Along with media and public relations consulting, April works as a social media strategist, video producer and event planner.
TERESA GARZA
WRITER & LIFESTYLE BLOGGER
Teresa Garza, originally from Monterrey, México, has been living in the U.S. for more than two decades. With a Bachelors in Communication Sciences, Garza has brought forth her knowledge of the Communications/Multimedia field under many positions, including Anchor, Field Reporter, Writer, Editor, Producer and News Director in renowned Spanish television networks in United States as Telemundo and Azteca America.
While living in Los Angeles she dedicated herself to use her professional skills to explore the world of Blogging and social media to further express and share her love for the art of film, her creativity, and her point of view. Hence checalamovie.net is born, a Blog in Spanish about movies and lifestyle, written by Teresa Garza.
MANNY RUIZ
FOUNDER, HISPANICIZE MEDIA GROUP
Manny Ruiz is an accomplished entrepreneur and award-winning, public relations professional with extensive experience in Hispanic public relations. In 2011, he was named PR Professional of the Year by the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) for his on-going commitment to promoting the advancement of the industry as co-publisher of the Hispanic PR Blog and as the founder and creative director of Hispanicize. Prior to launching these on-line platforms and the annual Hispanicize Event, Manny was President of Multicultural Markets and Hispanic PR Wire for PR Newswire.
RITA GARCIA
ANCHOR, FOX 26
Rita Garcia is the newest anchor to join FOX 26 Morning News from 4-10 a.m. Before coming to Houston though, she reported for three years for the largest duopoly in southern California, KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles. It was in Los Angeles that she reported from the red carpet, where she interviewed Justin Bieber and the Royal Couple, to the raging California fires and severe weather where she experienced reporting her first EARTHQUAKE! During her tenure in California, she was honored with the prestigious "Tracy Miller Merit Award" for her dedication to the Alliance for Women in Media (AWM) organization in L.A.
SONIA DIAZ
HPRA NATIONAL DIRECTOR
As the Director of Public Relations and Digital Strategies at Balsera Communications, Sonia leads the strategic planning and execution for the agency’s U.S. Hispanic campaigns, local and national media relations, digital strategies, public affairs initiatives and advocacy efforts for Fortune 500 companies and grassroots organizations. Throughout the last decade, Sonia has acquired extensive experience in both the global and boutique agency setting, where her work has earned her multiple national awards, including 2014 PR Week Multicultural Campaign of the Year. Sonia received her B.A. from Texas State University in Modern Languages and Mass Communications and is fluent in Spanish. She currently serves as a national director for HPRA USA.
EDDIE GARCIA
INTERNET VIDEO PERSONALITY & ENTREPRENEUR
Eddie “Eddie G!” Garcia is a fast-rising Internet video personality and entrepreneur who began his “OMG, it’s Eddie G!” comedy channel on YouTube in January 2013. In 2016, he exploded in popularity thanks to a string of wildly popular viral videos that helped propel him into the spotlight.
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Today, Eddie counts on the support of over 400,000 followers across his various channels on Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram.
PILAR HERNANDEZ
RECIPE DEVELOPER & AUTHOR
Pilar Hernandez is an author of 2 cookbooks, food writer, food photographer and founder of her blog “En mi cocina hoy” sharing South American recipes in Spanish and English since 2008. Recently, she broke through the 1 million page views/month threshold.
ANGELA SUSTAITA-RUIZ
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER,
HISPANICIZE MEDIA GROUP
Angela Sustaita-Ruiz is an award-winning, public relations professional with more than 15 years in Hispanic PR and marketing, working with brands in every industry including consumer packaged goods, food & beverage, retail & lifestyle, travel & tourism, health & wellness, and consumer technology. In 2011, she was named PR Professional of the Year by the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) for her work in advancing the industry as co-publisher of the Hispanic PR Blog and as the co-founder and organizer of the Hispanicize Event.
LORENZO LOPEZ
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, WALMART U.S.
Lorenzo serves as the Senior Director of Communications, responsible for Walmart’s outreach to national and local media outlets. In his role, Lorenzo leads a team of communications professionals focused on supporting Walmart merchandising and marketing teams, promoting key national and private brand products as well as seasonal campaigns to the company’s more than 140 million customers per week. Lorenzo is also responsible for communicating Walmart’s strategic business initiatives, such as Online Grocery Pickup and Pickup Today, and associate opportunity initiatives focused on education and training for its 1.5 million U.S. associates.
MARISSA RODRIGUEZ
JOURNALIST & CONTENT CREATOR
Marissa Rodriguez has been telling Latino stories for more than 15 years. From social justice to parenting to culture, Marissa loves reporting on the issues that matter most to Latinos living in the United States.
She recently was editorial director of Vista Magazine, a national, dual-language lifestyle magazine reaching more than 3 million U.S. Latinas. Prior to that, she was an editor at Hispanic Magazine. You may have also seen her work in USA Today Hispanic Living, PODER Magazine, San Antonio Magazine, Qué Rica Vida, Todobebe.com, HipLatina.com and many others. She has a master’s degree from the Missouri School of Journalism. The mom of two writes about Latina life in Texas at ModernTejana.com.
MARIO YEARWOOD
FINANCIAL ADVISOR,
PRUDENTIAL
Mario is a Prudential Financial Advisor in Houston, Texas. He began his career with Prudential 2 years ago. Previously he worked for the Investment Bank at JP Morgan for 20 years in foreign exchange risk management. His specialty was the Mexican Peso. Mario is originally from Panama and fluent in Spanish and conversational Portuguese. His hobbies are golf, sailing and traveling to and learning about Latin American culture.
CRISTY CLAVIJO-KISH
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER,
HISPANICIZE MEDIA GROUP
Cristy Clavijo-Kish is an entrepreneur and award-winning marketing, media and communications practitioner with more than 15 years experience and specialization in Hispanic and multicultural community initiatives. She is the founder and co-publisher of Los Tweens & Teens, a bilingual blog and community resource site engaging multicultural parents and kids from ages 7-16. Prior to joining Latina Mom Bloggers, Cristy led PR Newswire’s Multicultural Markets division as senior vice president.
JONATHAN GUERIN
SENIOR PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER AND SPOKESMAN
Jonathan Guerin is United Airlines’ Senior Public Relations Manager and Spokesman with more than 15 years of proven experience in media relations, public affairs and strategic corporate communications. He believes in connecting United Airlines’ customers and employees to the moments that matter most by sharing memorable stories that drive meaningful and emotional connections.
REYNALDO DELGADO
SENIOR ACCOUNT SUPERVISOR,
EDELMAN
Reynaldo has been responsible for the development and execution of strategic communications programs for consumer and corporate clients targeting U.S. Hispanic and Latin America audiences for more than 10 years, and is currently employed at Edelman where he has built a portfolio of serving global clients targeting the demographic, including United Airlines, Unilever, Starbucks, Microsoft, among others.
VICTOR LANDA
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER,
ALAMEDA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
Victor is the Chief Content Officer of Alameda Media and Communications, as well as Founder/Editor of NewsTaco, one of the most read Latino online news sites in the US.
He’s a 35 year veteran of broadcast and print journalism and most recently a leading voice in digital news. He has been a TV videographer, reporter, editor, producer and anchor. For ten years he was news director at KVDA-Telemundo in San Antonio, Texas.
