PASADENA, CA – November 28, 2016 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – California based nonprofit LatinaVIDA is holding a career strategy and professional development workshop “Rise to the Top” at the University of Phoenix Learning Center in Pasadena on December 10.
“The exponential growth of Latinas in the U.S. remains a significant opportunity and source of talent for all employers who need to tap into the full potential of this Bilingual and Bicultural community”, says Cecilia Mota, Executive Director. “The challenge for major employers is not in recruiting Latinas—we show up for opportunity, hands down. The real challenge is in retaining and advancing Latinas in corporate America given the cultural handicaps like work/family issues that they face within the workplace due to old corporate policies that don’t fully embrace diversity and inclusion.”
Having dedicated her career to the creation of initiatives that empower, educate and, mentor Latina professionals, entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders, who are often seeking guidance while moving-up the ranks, Cecilia Mota has used her vast influence, network, expertise and resources to negotiate opportunities, open doors for up and coming talent and provide a front row look into the world of corporate America and the board room, while providing an excellent example of what it really takes to be a mover and a shaker in the business and not for profit worlds.
Her efforts have focused on building quality relationships, high level and grassroots community collaboration, resulting in her dynamic new role as LatinaVIDA’s Executive Director. LatinaVIDA which is an acronym for Visibility, Identity, Determination and Action is a dedicated to inspiring the next generation of Latina executives. Latina millennials constitute a large percentage of U.S. working adults and they are now completing college at increasing rates. When they enter the workforce however, Latinas are more likely to leave and set up their own small business.
“The brain drain of smart, savvy Latinas out of the workplace is a real loss for many companies and institutions”, says Dr. Maria Hernandez, Co-Founder of LatinaVIDA. “This was my personal experience. I left a career in academia 22 years ago because of the glass ceiling; not because I didn’t feel I could do more. Little did I know this was a common experience among Latinas and another is that we feel particularly isolated at the cultural cross roads between tradition and career.” Hernandez is now on her second small business and a board member for AAA’s Mountain West Group, one of the largest Clubs in the federation. “Even though my career turned out great, the road map was never clear for me. This workshop is all the advice I truly could have used to navigate organizational cultures, leveraging mentors and sponsors and just seeing myself as an executive.”
The US Bureau of Labor statistics reports that only 3% of senior executives in the nation are Latina and only a total of 38 Latinas are on corporate boards. With a purchasing power of $1.7T throughout the nation, Hispanic consumers are one of the largest ethnic economic consumer segments today.
Interested participants of all backgrounds can register for the event at the LatinaVIDA website www.latinavida.org Deadline for registration is December 5th.
About LatinaVIDA
LatinaVIDA is focused on inspiring the next generation of Latina executives. It was founded in 2013 as a 510C(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation in California. LatinaVIDA’s mission is to engage career minded Latinas in developing their strategic roadmap to reach the C-Suite by connecting them to key resources that support their journey. Past and present corporate sponsors for LatinaVIDA include University of Phoenix, Charles Schwab, Safeway, PG&E, and Microsoft. For more information, contact Cecilia Mota, Executive Director at 818.823.9755
Photos with permission to use with this story available for download.