www.negociosnow.com
10 March 2022
Age: 27
Title: Executive Director
Name of Organization: Greater
Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce
Calderon is the youngest
Latina to lead the organiza-
tion. The Greater Quad Cities
Hispanic Chamber of Com-
merce is a nonprofit, mem-
bership-driven organization
that includes businesses,
nonprofit organizations, edu-
cational institutions and indi-
viduals of any background in
the greater Quad Cities region
within its membership.
Calderon is a lifelong re-
sident of the Midwest and
graduated in 2019 from the
master of organizational lea-
dership program at St. Am-
brose University College of
Business. She also holds a
bachelor's degree in strategic
communication from St. Am-
brose University.
Her passion for working
with the Latino communi-
ty began right out of college
when she worked as a His-
panic outreach admissions
counselor. She found a great
community that embraced
her culture and welcomed
her in.
She now strives to educa-
te others on how beneficial a
diversity of race and thought
can be for our economy. Cal-
deron has served in several
leadership roles for the His-
panic chamber since 2018,
beginning as programs and
events manager and then be-
coming membership engage-
ment coordinator.
As executive director,
one of her priorities is to be
the hub of resources for the
chamber's business mem-
bers. Calderon strives to be
the point of contact whom
members can trust with their
business needs.
Another of her goals is to
enhance the reach of the His-
panic chamber in the com-
munity and begin different
forms of partnership that will
help the Quad Cities work in
unison.
Calderon volunteers
throughout the community in
the Leader mentorship pro-
gram and other women-em-
powering networking groups.
Under the Hispanic chamber
she sits on the CEO commu-
nity diversity, equity and in-
clusion advisory committee
for Genesis Hospital, the di-
versity and equity committee
for UnityPoint Health-Trinity,
the Quad Cities COVID-19
Coalition group, and is an ac-
tive board member for Q2030.
Janessa Calderon
Business booster Business booster
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"B
eing a leader in your
community comes in different
forms. A leader is not a title, it is
anyone who takes initiative towards
change for the greater good."
