Hispanic MBA Summit in New York City. By HAND FY, Monique J. Leo

Last Saturday, I attended the Pathways to Leadership: Hispanic MBA Summit in New York City. The conference was held at Columbia University and was the first of its kind. Leaders from various industries gathered to discuss strategies companies use to target the Hispanic market. The day began with a panel discussion on the growth of the Hispanic community and the impact of the community on the market. Industry leaders Isaac Lee (President, Univision), Alejanda Denda (VP, Visual Latina at Mars), Reymundo Abrahante (Agency Recruiter, State Farm), and Yi-Hsian Godfrey (Director, Consumer Card Services, American Express) all shared their experiences and insights on the Hispanic market. The panel discussion was moderated by Chris Sabatini, Senior Director, Policy Americas Society/Council of Americas. The day continued spotlighting companies such as American Express, Bain & Company and J.P Morgan Chase. But perhaps, for me, the most inspiring moment of the day came at lunch during the keynote address given by Dr. Maria Gordian (Director, Bain & Company). Dr. Gordian told the story of her parents and the lessons they taught to her as a child on the importance of education. She spoke candidly about the sacrifices her parents made working long hours and nights so that she and her two brothers would have access to a quality education. The summit was geared towards emerging Hispanic business leaders and gave leaders an opportunity to network with their peers, as well as engage with industry leaders from premium firms.