Negocios Now

www.negociosnow.com Julio 2020 21 PATRICIA AGUILAR President and Founder FourStar Branding Aguilar's company is a Chicago-based creative branding and marketing firm, and she has spent decades delivering branding and marketing to Fortune 500 firms. In her own company, she is a dynamic and strategic bilingual brand builder focused on, and committed to, offering small and medium businesses and nonprofits valued creative solutions. The company name was inspired by the four stars in Chicago's flag and represents four key branding pillars: ignite, increase, empower, and promote — taking small business to the next level. MELISSA BALLATE Founder and President Blue Daring Balate is a senior strategist skilled at helping organizations communicate their value and leverage their brands. Together with her team, she has helped the world's largest auto manufacturer develop its employer brand and helped Chicago brand the Riverwalk and promote equitable use of Divvy. Outside of the work done for clients, the firm invests heavily in a culture of creativity and collaboration. It's produced original music, a poetry book, a short film and most recently a music video. PHILLIP A. BARREDA Executive Vice President The Chicago Minority Business Supplier Council Inc. Barreda was named executive vice president of the Chicago MSDC in 2006. He has served in all aspects of minority business support and development since then, including membership expansion, access to capital and strategic business alliances. Prior to his time at the council, he spent 13 years with Harris Trust and Savings Bank. JACQUELINE CAMACHO CEO JJR Marketing Camacho is a visionary social entrepreneur who has a keen sense of service coupled with the vision to bring good to the world. She has created two successful companies, established two nonprofit organizations, published 17 books, and created more than 10 products. Being a cancer survivor sparked a sense of urgency to serve and transcend. She is one of the few Latina sports airplane pilots in the United States and says, "Taking off is optional; landing on your dreams is mandatory." ROBERTO CARMONA President Carmona Strategic Solutions In addition to leading Carmona Strategic Solutions, he is a consultant for the state Capital Development Board. His corporate experience includes leading complex sales competitions in the education and healthcare markets. As an executive recruiter, he has placed leaders for key roles in the private and public sectors. In government, Carmona oversaw federal economic development programs in Washington, D.C. He is an Illinois Humanities Council Road Scholar Speaker and a member of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. ROBERTO CURCI Dean Dominican University Brennan School of Business Curci has been dean of the Brennan School of Business at Dominican University since July 2015. A former associate dean of research and graduate programs at Butler University, Curci holds a doctorate in international business and finance from the University of Texas-Pan American. At Butler University, the Bogotá native oversaw the College of Business' strategic plans for internationalization. Dominican's Brennan School of Business received AACSB accreditation last year. ELDA DE LA ROSA Designer Elda De La Rosa Couture De La Rosa is a Chicago- based couture designer with a national and international following. Her designs combine elegance, artistry, excellent craftsmanship, and a commitment to showcasing the beauty and confidence of each woman who wears one of her designs. Her clients include debutants, activists, mothers, executives, brides and women who can afford to wear what they desire. De La Rosa provides consultations and receives clients by appointment. Her atelier is located in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast. ARTURO "PACO" MUÑOZ FERNANDEZ Founder Paco's Custom Clothiers Fernandez was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. He grew up very poor, shined shoes, waited tables, and sometimes his family slept on benches because they had nowhere to go. He arrived in Chicago in 1966 at the age of 13. He was hired as a temporary sales employee at The Custom Shop and stayed there 28 years. In 1999 he welcomed the first customer to Paco's Custom Clothiers, and today, 20 years later, the company has served more than 4,500 customers worldwide. DEMETRIO GARCIA Partner-Owner Golden Hill Foods Garcia is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of national and international experience in engineering, operations, planning, sales, leadership and business development. Golden Hill Foods is a national supplier of food ingredients and spices, and Garcia oversees global business development. He is also the strategic corporate partners lead for a national non-for- profit organization called ALPFA, The Association of Latino Professionals for America. He is a native of Chicago and graduate of the University of Illinois in mechanical engineering. ALEJANDRA GARZA Founder and President AGG Consulting Garza has more than 25 years of professional marketing and business development experience, providing strategic marketing and business development consulting services to healthcare insurance companies, educational institutions, nonprofits and public sector entities. She serves on the Illinois Medical District Commission, co-chair's Metropolitan Planning Commission's Land Use & Planning Committee, Sinai Health Systems board, University of Chicago Booth School of Business' Civic Scholar Committee, and is a member of the board of trustees of the Chicago History Museum. ALICIA GONZALEZ Executive Director Chicago Cubs Charities Gonzalez is from Pilsen and Little Italy in Chicago. In her current role, she oversees the Cubs philanthropic and programmatic investments in Chicago and provides strategic direction for using sport as a vehicle for improved health, academic success, and leadership development. She joined the Cubs in May 2018 after 10 years as the founding executive director of Chicago Run, a nonprofit that provides free sport-based youth development programs to Chicago Public School students and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center. ATZIMBA PEREZ Founder Atzimba Catering and Events Perez has more than 20 years of experience in the culinary arts and hospitality industry and in 2014 started her own company. With appreciation of her Mexican roots, Perez spreads traditional Mexican and pre-Hispanic cuisine through a wide variety of dishes, extensive knowledge of international food, and passion for what she does. As a philanthropist she supports St Jude, DREAM Fund, and the American Liver Association. She is a member of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and 1871. CARLOS PONCE Chief Executive Officer Resonance Management and Technology Solutions Inc. Ponce assists public sector organizations to recognize and align their operational and talent resources for achieving strategic objectives. He brings the perspective of 40 years of experience in public, nonprofit and private organizations to solving the complex challenges faced by his clients. He has served as commissioner in the Chicago Department of General Services, chief human resources officer for Chicago Public Schools, and as interim CEO and a member of the board of commissioners of the Chicago Housing Authority. JULISA SANCHEZ CRA Area Manager Wintrust Mortgage Sanchez has had a dynamic career in consumer and real estate lending for more than 20 years. With her passion for community development and entrepreneurship, she has guided many people to realize their dream of home ownership. She and her team support various nonprofits in Chicago, educating communities about responsible homeownership through home buying workshops. She serves on the board of Latin United Community Housing and is heavily involved with women empowerment organizations. EVE RODRIGUEZ MONTOYA President & CEO Rodriguez Media Communications, Inc. Rodriguez Media Communications Inc. was established to assist clients looking to elevate and expand their brand, product, mission or service. Rodriguez brings more than 15 years of experience in communications and public affairs from the public and private sectors. She has worked directly for two mayoral administrations in Chicago and managed press for major city departments including the Department of Transportation, Chicago Fire Department, and the Chicago Department of Aviation. LOU SANDOVAL National Director of Business Development Brunswick Corporation Sandoval is an award-winning, innovative business professional and collaborative leader. He is heading a new division of the Brunswick Corporation that is applying internet- of-things technology to the marine industry. He spent 15 years as the owner/founder of an award-winning marine dealership in the Great Lakes where he developed the market for a large European-based boat brand. Prior to that, he had a successful 17-year career in the healthcare-biotech- biomedical industry where he held many positions for several Fortune 100 companies. LUCINO SOTELO Chief Marketing Officer KemperSports Management Sotelo is an award-winning digital, marketing and transformational executive accomplished at improving total customer experience and ensuring the integrated commercial success of organizations. He is an inspirational leader who attracts, develops and mobilizes high-performing teams. Sotelo has an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor's degree from DePaul University in accounting. He serves as a member of the Chicago Board of Education and a commissioner for the Public Buildings Commission. BEREDICE TENEORIO Founder and President Nuestra Cocina Tenorio founded her company in 2013 after it began with the Nuestro Queso line of authentic Mexican cheeses. In 2017, the company launched other food lines such as yogurts, creams, specialty meats and desserts under the Nuestra Cocina brand. In a few years, the brand has achieved a presence in 20 states with products sold in more than 2,000 supermarkets and by chains such as Jewel Osco, Mariano's, Trader Joe's, and Walmart, among others. MARTHA E. TOVIAS President & CEO Tovias Title & Trust, Inc. Tovias is a seasoned entrepreneur who over the last 15 years has built several privately owned companies: Protect 1 Tile Inc., the first and only Latina-owned title company in Illinois; Café Rumba; Mediterranean Imports Inc., based in Italy; and most recently Tovias Title & Trust Inc. As part of her commitment to the Latino community, Tovias Title contributes 10% of its profits to nonprofit organizations that are a voice for unheard minority women and young girls in the Chicago area. CHICAGO H I S P A N I C P O W E R H I S P A N I C P O W E R CHICAGO READ MORE AT NEGOCIOSNOW.COM LATINOS NOTABLES

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