Hispanic Heritage Month

<p>Maria Contreras-Sweet is an expert in economic growth, job creation, corporate governance (ESG) and competitiveness.</p><p>Internationally acclaimed for her insights on growth, innovation, and corporate governance, or Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG), Contreras-Sweet serves on multiple boards of directors, including infrastructure firm Sempra Energy, TriNet, Regional Management Corp., and Zions Bancorporation.

<p>Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Eric Alva shares his powerful story of coming out as a gay man in the armed forces as well as his ardent advocacy for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.</p><p>The first American soldier injured in the Iraq War, Eric was hailed as an American hero. While he lost his leg in combat, his spirit remained stronger than ever — upon retirement, Eric came out as gay.

<p>Filmmaker and Human rights activist, Barbara Martinez Jitner, is the inspiration for the Jennifer Lopez film <i>Bordertown</i>. Martinez Jitner posed as a worker in a factory on the Mexican border in order to uncover a dark world of grueling poverty and sexual abuse that has led to over 400 women being murdered in the border town of Juarez, Mexico.

<p>Through the transformative power of storytelling, Soledad O’Brien brings a fresh perspective on diverse and contemporary issues to foster change in your own community or organization.</p><p>Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues.

<p>Edward James Olmos imparts a lively message about the ideals of cultural diversity and racial harmony that inspire you to fight for the causes in which you believe. </p><p>Named America’s most influential Latino star by Hispanic Magazine, Edward is an actor, director and passionate community activist best known for his roles in the film <i>Stand and Deliver </i>and television’s <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>.</p><p>A longtime pioneer for more diversified roles in the U.S.

<p>Actor, musician, activist, and feminist Jackie Cruz currently stars as “Marisol ‘Flaca’ Gonzales" on Netflix&#39;s critically-acclaimed series, <i>Orange Is the New Black</i>. </p>

<p>A two-time Emmy Award-winner for his reporting, Felipe Luciano was America&#39;s first Puerto Rican television anchor. He is the founder and chairman of the Young Lords Party, a member of The Original Last Poets, an advocate for inter-ethnic communication, and the host of "Street Talk".</p><p>A talented diversity speaker, Felipe Luciano is committed to community empowerment, ethnic pride, and civil rights. This commitment was pivotal to changing the color and complexion of politics, culture, and society in New York City.

<p>Sonia Nazario is an award-winning journalist whose stories have tackled some of this country’s most intractable problems -- hunger, drug addiction, immigration -- and have won some of the most prestigious journalism and book awards. </p><p>She is best known for "Enrique&#39;s Journey," her story of a Honduran boy’s struggle to find his mother in the U.S. Published as a series in the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>, "Enrique&#39;s Journey" won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2003.

<p>America Ferrera is perhaps best known for her fearless portrayal of "Betty Suarez" on ABC&#39;s hit comedy <i>Ugly Betty</i> and "Carmen" in the popular film <i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</i>. Ferrera&#39;s <i>Ugly Betty</i> role earned her an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as ALMA and Imagen Awards.</p><p>Ferrera currently produces and stars in the long-running NBC workplace comedy,<i> Superstore</i>.