Hispanic & Latinx Identity in 2021

Claudia Romo Edelman is a social entrepreneur, an advocate and a catalyst for change. A frequent public speaker and media contributor, Claudia is a leader for diversity, inclusion and equity, focused on unifying the U.S. Hispanic community and promoting sustainability and purpose-driven activities. Claudia is the Founder of the We Are All Human Foundation, a New York-based non-profit foundation, dedicated to advancing the agenda of diversity, inclusion and equity through developing and hosting global,national and regional events, conducting research and developing research pieces/publications, creating content and corporate activation. A Mexican-Swiss Diplomat, Claudia is also a Founder and Co-Host of ‘Global GoalsCast’, a podcast distributed by CBS News Digital, which highlights global progress through the stories of champions making a difference. Prior to her role at the We Are All Human, she was seconded to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to lead communications and advocacy for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Claudia was instrumental in the creation and launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lion Awards and is a special advisor for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. She is a Jury Member of the SDG Lion Awards in 2018 and 2019. She also has been a Jury Member of the D&AD Impact Awards for the last three consecutive years.

Patricia serves as the President & CEO for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE), leading strategy, fundraising & development, leadership programs, and expanding impact on a national scale. As an advocate for access and equity, Patricia strives to create a multi-generational, diverse, and inclusive support network to catapult the career growth Latinos across the country. Patricia leads with a diverse industry background, from co-founding a nonprofit, leading in community affairs for local government, marketing for corporate utilities company, to administration in higher education, to circling back to nonprofit at HACE as a Director in 2010, Sr. Director 2012, then CEO in 2015. Patricia has a strong history of serving the community, as reflected by her service on various nonprofit boards and committees, and several accolades, most recently appointed as a commissioner on the Illinois Hispanic Employment Plan Council and named Crain’s Business Chicago Top 25 Most Powerful Latinos. Patricia earned a double Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University Bloomington in Spanish and Communication & Culture and a Master’s in Public Affairs (MPA) in Public Management from Indiana University’s School of Public & Environmental Affairs (SPEA)-Indianapolis. Patricia is also a certified leadership coach, Insights Discovery© licensed practitioner, and a proud Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

Candelario Cervantez (he, him, his, él) is a business executive who opens educational opportunities to historically underrepresented and underserved minority populations and a champion for educational equity and excellence. Candelario is also a strong advocate of the promotion and advancement of diverse leaders in all industries.Currently, he is the National Senior Managing Director, Latinx Alliances on the National Public Partnerships and Government Affairs Team at Teach For America. Teach For America’s mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation's most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence. At Teach For America he also serves on the Latinx Advisory Council. He is also currently serving as Co-Chair of the National Diversity Council’s TX CEO Roundtable that is working to help Texas-based CEOs in advancing DEI in their organizations. Finally, he is the CEO of Art By Cervantez. The company focuses on utilizing art to connect with others on a deep level and to evoke passion, reflection and gratitude for the gifts of nature and faith.

Milagros Chirinos is the Associate Director of the Global Workplace Equality Program at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In this role, she oversees HRC’s Equidad MX and CL — two in-country programs designed to promote LGBTQ-inclusive workplaces in Mexico and Chile respectively as well as ongoing expansion efforts across the world. In her three-year tenure, Milagros has deepened HRC’s efforts in the Latin American region, played a leadership role supporting the HRC Global and Workplace programs, and enhanced international business relations. Previously, as HRC Deputy Press Secretary for Global Affairs and Spanish-language Media, Milagros expanded the organization’s global communications network and helped create HRC’s first Spanish-language webpage with vital resources tailored to the Latinx, Hispanic and Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S.