In this episode of the Si-Suite Podcast, Vanessa interviews Dr. Ginny A. Baro, an award-winning international transformational speaker, leadership coach, career strategist, and #1 bestselling author of Healing Leadership and Fearless Women at Work. 

Dr. Ginny shares her experience and journey as a young immigrant with a BIG dream and her journey with ALPFA NJ, serving as Director of Board Development. Dr. Ginny speaks about the responsibilities we feel as immigrants or children of immigrants and feeling responsible to give back to our parents' sacrifices. Today’s heartfelt conversation reminds us that our goals will help us find a purpose in life and through reflection and desire we can overcome any circumstances. Dr. Ginny and Vanessa remind us to spread the love and reach out to others and someone will lend a helping hand. 

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to connect with Dr. Ginny, follow her on LinkedIn and check out Dr. Ginny’s website (https://drginnybaro.com/events).

In today's episode, we explore Zarafshan's unique journey as the daughter of Pakistani immigrant parents, being the first female in her extended family to graduate college, and her passion for community impact. She shares valuable lessons on family, culture, career growth, advice for her younger self, and future goals.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about breaking boundaries, and paying it forward.

In this episode of the C-Suite Podcast, Vanessa interviews Humberto Lozano, the President of the ALPFA New Jersey chapter and VP in the CFO group at Bank of America. Humberto shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Passaic, New Jersey, to becoming a successful professional in real estate finance. He discusses the impact of his family, teachers, and mentors, including his older brother and a high school English teacher, on his academic and career choices. Humberto also speaks about his early educational experiences, his love for music, and how these passions influenced his career trajectory. He highlights the importance of persistence, creativity, and effective communication in personal and professional growth. Humberto concludes by discussing his goals for ALPFA New Jersey and his future career aspirations.

Hosted by Vanessa Schwippert, this podcast features deep conversations and insights from Latines and allies. Vanessa shares her journey from being a teacher to becoming the host of this podcast and her podcast and serving on the ALPFA board. She discusses the transition from the Si-Suite podcast, her diverse cultural background, and the collaborative efforts of her team members. Tune in to learn from various guests and their unique stories.

Monya Bunch is a seasoned attorney and certified DEI leader, who currently serves as WilmerHale’s Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI).

Monya’s legal background includes over ten years of private law firm practice, in addition to serving as in-house counsel at a brokerage services firm. In addition, Monya served as an adjunct professor at the Howard University School of Law and the University of Maryland, College Park.

She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Damon J. Keith, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and has been recognized by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” and profiled in Washington Lawyer magazine. She recently received Diversity Journal’s Black Leadership award, which honors individuals who are trailblazers in their field and promote diversity and inclusion.

Monya earned a J.D. from Howard University, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal, an M.P.A. from the University of Hartford, an undergraduate degree from Hampton University, and Georgetown University’s Executive Certificate in Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management. Monya was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and is a proud graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School.

Learn more about Monya

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/monya-m-bunch-battle-esq-she-her-51b9473/

Shout-out:

Today's Diversity Leader Shout-out goes to:

Sukari Pinnock Fitts MSOD, PCC, Program Director Georgetown Executive Certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Management

The ALFDP community (Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals)

Ronald C. Machen, Chair, Litigation/Controversy Department

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States ⁠License⁠

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International ⁠License

Tonya Robinson serves as Vice Chair and General Counsel – Legal, Regulatory and Compliance at KPMG LLP, is a member of the firm’s management committee, and serves as the Secretary to KPMG’s Board of Directors.

Before joining KPMG in 2017, Tonya served as the Acting General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), overseeing nearly 600 professionals. Prior to her federal agency service, Tonya was Special Assistant to President Obama for Justice and Regulatory Policy at the White House.

Prior to her service at the White House, Tonya was a partner at the law firm WilmerHale LLP where she worked on a range of litigation matters, including the ground-breaking University of Michigan affirmative action cases.

She left Wilmer to work as counsel to then-Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs.

Among her community and philanthropic activities, Tonya serves on the Board of Directors for the National Women’s Law Center.

Tonya holds a B.A. in Public Policy Studies and a Certificate in Women’s Studies from Duke University, a post-graduate degree in African Studies from the University of Cape Town, and has a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law.

Connect with Tonya Robinson on LinkedIn

Shout-out: Today's Diversity Leader Shout-out goes to Monya M. Bunch Battle, Esq., Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at WilmerHale

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States ⁠License⁠

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International ⁠License⁠

Mimi Carter has taken a career in politics, nonprofits, and agency to create a new normal in consulting that marries purpose with profit. 

She has a deep background in both nonprofit and corporate comms, as well as the ability to scale projects, work with teams and drive to goal when it comes to client mission. She has run and reorganized the PR and digital communications offices of some of the largest nonprofits in DC, such as The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Epilepsy Foundation of America, and others, but as a PR agency leader, has also led the nonprofit and corporate accounts for organizations like The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Mastercard Foundation, CenturyLink and more. Her favorite projects involve making the complex clear, the unseen seen, and creating campaigns that create value among stakeholders and shareholders, both emotionally and financially. 

But best of all, she's a super-connector. She runs a network of 6000 people called DC Communicators, which continues to attract some of the most influential names in both nonprofit and for-profit comms - from Politico, Illy, and the WNBA to the Red Cross, United Nations, and The Guggenheim. Her favorite topics are purpose and impact communications to create a sense of belonging with the reality of profit. 

Learn more about Mimi here 

Shout-out: Today's Diversity Leader Shout-out goes to Lisa Borders

Independent Director | “Enlightened” Podcast Host | Strategic Advisor | Keynote Speaker | DEI Advocate | Former WNBA President

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License

Mi Patria aims to improve the quality of life of underserved Puerto Rican communities by taking action against displacement, protecting and expanding affordable sustainable housing to create resilient self-sufficient communities, prepared to sustain emergencies. 

Through our efforts, military veterans and volunteers strengthen their communities and lead positive change. Many veterans are excellent leaders that desire to continue serving their community after their military service. It is proven volunteering has mental health benefits, which assists military veterans to identify a new purpose, and their continued service will forge new paths in their civilian life transition. 

In times of emergency and disaster, Mi Patria shifts primary focus to disaster response and relief efforts.

Learn more

Carmen Santiago, Co-founder: 

Raymond Collazo, Co-founder

Website: https://www.mipatria.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mipatria.pr/

Email for more information: [email protected]

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License

Nestor Solari is Co-Founder and CEO of Sigo Seguros, an insurance technology company providing affordable access to car insurance for immigrant and working class communities. 

The son of Uruguayan immigrants, Nestor earned a BS in Finance from Penn State as the first in his family to attend college. He also earned an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended as a Howard E. Mitchell Fellow. Nestor is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and began his studies at the Universidad ORT in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Before his graduate studies, Nestor worked on over $7.0 billion worth of transactions in Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Cambodia during his time at Goldman Sachs, Developing World Markets, and Creation Investments. He has conducted business in over 30 countries.

He has spoken at dozens of events about entrepreneurship and building insurance technology, and was named one of the Most Notable Hispanic Leaders in New York by Crain’s Business.

Nestor has dedicated his career and volunteer efforts to helping underserved communities, educating young people, and increasing diversity across the industries in which he works.

Learn more

LinkedIn

email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigoseguros/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sigoseguros

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sigoseguros/

Shout-out: Today's Diversity Leader Shout-out goes to Matt Stephenson, Edrizio De La Cruz, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, a long list of women in his life that led by example, in particular his Mom, and Fernanda Lima.

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License

Vanessa Nazario is Corporate Director, Chief Diversity Officer of Memorial Healthcare System.

Vanessa was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Trenton, NJ. She has worked in the field of Community Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for over 27 years. In 1996, she joined PNC Bank’s Community Development Department where championed equity and inclusion in throughout her 20-year career, concluding her tenure as VP, CDB Operations. 

In 2017, she began her role as Diversity Director with RWJ University Hospital, where she was responsible for diversity and inclusion and healthcare equity initiatives. Vanessa launched the Hospital’s first Diversity & Inclusion Council and provided oversight for seven Business Resource Groups.  She was also a key leader in the creation of the PROUD Gender Medical Center Program. 

In 2021, she joined Memorial Healthcare System as Director of DEI to create and lead the System’s inaugural diversity, health equity, and inclusion strategy. In June 2022, she was promoted to Corporate Director, Chief Diversity Officer to further MHS’s commitment to DEI.  

Vanessa serves on several committees including Florida Diversity Council’s Advisory Council; Human Resources Association of Broward County’s (HRABC) DEI Committee; Rider University’s Women in Leadership Council; HISPA’s South Florida Advisory Council; and ARC of Broward’s Business Advisory Council. 

She has been recognized by several organizations for her leadership including South Florida Business Wealth’s Diversity Executive Leadership award; DEIB Health Consortium’s Top Healthcare Diversity Officer; Diversity Global Magazine 2022 Top 15 Champions of Diversity; and Hallandale Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award.  

Vanessa received her MBA from Rider University and has a master’s in science degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

Learn more: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-nazario-ms-mba-9473735a/

MHS website: https://www.mhs.net

Shout-out: Today's Diversity Leader Shout-out goes to Brenda E. Snipes at Jefferson Health and Monica Diaz, at Royal Caribbean

Music:

Vente by Mamá Patxanga is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Amor Y Felicidad by SONGO 21 is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License