The Chingona Chair

What happens when a deeply rooted cultural tradition goes mainstream? In this episode of The Chingona Chair, Diana Leza Sheehan and Alex Garza sit down with Cesáreo Moreno, Chief Curator and Visual Arts Director at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, to explore the history, meaning, and evolution of Día de los Muertos.

From its Indigenous and Catholic influences to the role of art, family, memory, and community, Cesáreo Moreno shares how Día de los Muertos has evolved in Mexico and the United States. The conversation also dives into what he calls the“Coco effect”, including how the film helped introduce the tradition to a broader audience while raising questions about commercialization, cultural authenticity, and the growing crossover between Día de los Muertos and Halloween.

At the heart of the conversation is an even bigger question: How can traditions evolve and reach new audiences without losing the meaning that made them powerful in the first place?

In this episode of The Chingona Chair, we sit down with Karina Martinez, founder of Drafted, the media platform putting Latina sports fans at the center of a booming women’s sports economy. In just three years, Karina has gone from launching Drafted with what she calls a “wild hair of an idea” to building a platform fueled by community, cultural insight and data. Her philosophy is refreshingly simple: stop deciding what audiences should care about and start listening to what they’re telling you. We talk about why Latina consumers have been undervalued, what their fandom actually means in dollars, and why brands hoping to reach them need to stop treating cultural relevance like a campaign and start building a relationship. Karina also gets candid about entrepreneurship, getting fired three times in one year, learning to trust her own instincts, and building a company from her personal truths. In This Episode:

• Why Latina sports fans represent an overlooked economic opportunity
• How Drafted turned community listening into a business strategy
• Why representation starts with recognizing value
• What brands get wrong when trying to reach Latina consumers
• Why cultural relevance requires long-term investment, not a one-off campaign
• Building intimacy and trust while scaling a community
• Entrepreneurship, failure and finding power in your own truth
• Why sometimes you have to be “so loud they can’t ignore us”

For marketers, brand leaders, sports executives and entrepreneurs, this is a conversation about much more than sports. It’s about who gets valued, who gets heard—and what happens when a community starts defining its value for itself.

Women's sports are no longer a niche movement. They are becoming a cultural and economic force.

In this episode of The Chingona Chair, we sit down with Clarissa Flores, former Northwestern basketball standout, Puerto Rican national team athlete, hospitality executive, and founder of Level Sporting Club, Chicago's premier destination dedicated to women's sports.

Clarissa shares her journey from the basketball court to entrepreneurship, the inspiration behind creating Level Sporting Club, and why visibility and infrastructure are key to the future of women's athletics. We also explore what brands, marketers, investors, and business leaders are missing when it comes to the rapidly growing women's sports ecosystem.

Whether you're a sports fan, entrepreneur, marketer, or community builder, this conversation offers powerful lessons on leadership, authenticity, belonging, and recognizing opportunity before it becomes obvious.

In This Episode:

• Why women's sports is experiencing unprecedented growth
• The business case for investing in women's sports
• Building community through hospitality and experiences
• Latina leadership and entrepreneurship
• Creating spaces where everyone feels they belong
• What brands need to know before investing in women's sports
• The vision behind Chicago's Level Sporting Club

In this episode of The Chingona Chair, we sit down with entrepreneur, investor, board leader, sailor, and author Lou Sandoval to explore what leadership really looks like behind the titles.

Lou shares how his journey through Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurship, nonprofit leadership, and corporate boardrooms shaped his philosophy of servant leadership, strategic growth, and building consensus. Drawing on lessons from sailing across the Pacific Ocean, leading organizations through change, and raising the next generation of leaders, he reflects on the power of values, resilience, and knowing when to pivot.

The conversation also dives into his book, Tenacity for Life, where Lou challenges the common belief that perseverance simply means pushing harder. Instead, he explains why renewal, reflection, and adaptability are essential ingredients for long-term success.

Whether you're an aspiring board member, business leader, entrepreneur, or simply navigating your own next chapter, this episode offers practical wisdom on leadership, legacy, and finding the courage to keep moving forward.

Key topics include:

• Why Lou describes himself as a "builder"
• Leadership lessons from the boardroom and the open water
• The difference between governance and management
• Building consensus through shared values
• When persistence helps and when it's time to pivot
• Raising confident Latino leaders and creating opportunities for the next generation
• The role of renewal in sustaining success

Memorable takeaway: "Tenacity isn't refusing to quit. It's staying committed to the objective while being willing to change the path."

What does it take to build a successful career in communications while staying true to your voice, your culture, and your purpose?

In this episode of The Chingona Chair, Diana Leza Sheehan sits down with communications executive, former journalist, and contributing author of Latinas in Public Relations: Shaping Communications, Communities, and Culture, Brenda Duran. Together, they explore Brenda's journey from newsroom reporter to government communications leader, the power of storytelling to drive impact, and why Latinas need to stop shrinking and start owning their space.

The conversation dives into the future of communications in an AI-driven world, the skills young professionals should be developing today, and how bicultural perspectives create a unique leadership advantage. Brenda also shares candid advice on career pivots, overcoming self-doubt, taking ownership of your narrative, and creating opportunities for those who follow behind you.

If you're building a career, leading a team, navigating change, or looking for inspiration to embrace your authentic voice, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why storytelling remains a powerful leadership tool in every industry
• How AI is changing communications and why human judgment matters more than ever
• The difference between belonging in the room and owning your place at the table
• How Latina leaders can leverage their bicultural experiences as a professional superpower
• Why career pivots are often the foundation for future success

#TheChingonaChair #LatinaLeadership #Storytelling #PublicRelations #Communications #WomenInLeadership #LatinasInPR #CareerGrowth #AI #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #PodcastEpisode

The FIFA World Cup 2026 isn't just going to be the most watched sporting event in history, with over six billion people expected to tune in. It's the biggest marketing opportunity US brands have ever had. And most of them are going to miss it.

In this episode of The Chingona Chair, Diana Leza Sheehan of PDG Insights is joined by co-hosts, Alex Garza of AGG Consulting and Lilia Arroyo Flores of Dígame Consulting, to break down what brands are getting right, what they're getting wrong, and why authentic connection — not visibility — is the only strategy that wins with Latino consumers.

They dig into standout campaigns from Adidas, Buchanan's Whiskey, and Miller Light, the Latina multiplier driving jersey purchases and fan culture, why Spanish-language coverage is no longer a niche play, and the one cliché every brand needs to retire before kickoff.

From grassroots ambassadors to music-first marketing to indigenous textile collaborations in Puebla — this is real talk on what cultural relevance actually looks like in 2026.

Featuring:

• Diana Leza Sheehan, PDG Insights
• Alex Garza, AGG Consulting
• Lilia Arroyo Flores, Dígame Consulting

The Chingona Chair — where culture, business, and the real drivers of consumer behavior collide. No fluff. No filters.

Bienvenidos to Cafecito Con HACE, hosted by The Chingona Chair.

At the 2026 HACE Summit, our host sat down with Talita Ramos Erickson, Head of Legal Operations and Chief of Staff at McDonald’s.

From navigating leadership as an immigrant in environments where few people reflected her identity, to leading at the center of complex, high-stakes decision-making, Talita shares a powerful perspective on what it really takes to influence without always being the loudest voice in the room.

A short but powerful conversation about leading with authenticity, building trust in relationship-driven cultures, and redefining success in a way that creates impact—both inside the organization and beyond it.

Bienvenidos to Cafecito Con HACE, hosted by The Chingona Chair.

At the 2026 HACE Summit, our cohost, Alex Garza, sat down with Ashleigh Lyons Marable, VP of Inclusion Strategies at Fifth Third Bank.

From recognizing early gaps in workplace inclusion to building a career across industries dedicated to driving change, Ashleigh shares a powerful perspective on what it means to break barriers, focusing not just on identity, but on pushing past whatever ceiling is in front of you.

A short but impactful conversation about leading with courage, knowing when to say yes, and when to say no, and why having a voice at the table only matters if you use it to create real impact.

Bienvenidos to Cafecito con HACE, hosted by The Chingona Chair.

At HACE's Annual Summit, our co-host Diana Leza Sheehan sat down with Natasha Miller Williams, VP of Talent Management, Culture, and Learning at Ferrera, for a candid conversation on career growth, visibility, and the evolving definition of leadership.

In this conversation, Natasha reflects on her journey from data analyst to senior HR leader, sharing how her perspective on growth has shifted from chasing titles to intentionally deepening skills and expertise. She explores why this mindset shift is especially critical as AI and digitalization continue to reshape the future of work.

From the power of access and visibility to the distinct, and often misunderstood, roles of mentorship and sponsorship, Natasha offers an honest look at the systemic barriers that can hold talented people back, and what leaders can do to dismantle them. She also challenges organizations to move beyond subjective signals like "gravitas" and focus on the concrete capabilities that actually drive success.

A thought-provoking conversation about leading from wherever you are, building the muscle of influence, and why the best leaders are unafraid to tell someone they're ready, even before that person believes it themselves.

Bienvenidos to Cafecito con HACE, hosted by The Chingona Chair.

At HACE’s Annual Summit, our host Alex Garza sat down with Holly Sales-Milanese, Director of Consumer Banking Talent & Development at Ally Financial, for an inspiring conversation on career growth, courage, and authenticity.

In this conversation, Holly shares her non-linear career journey across multiple industries and reflects on the pivotal moments that challenged her to embrace change, even when it meant walking away from long-held plans. She explores how the definition of talent is evolving, highlighting the growing importance of agility, continuous learning, and openness to new experiences in today’s workplace.

From redefining cultural expectations around success to the importance of vulnerability in leadership, Holly offers a deeply personal perspective on what it takes to grow with intention. She also shares practical advice for early-career professionals on building meaningful relationships, finding mentors and sponsors, and knowing when to say “no” in order to stay aligned with your purpose.

A powerful conversation about leaning into your authenticity, embracing discomfort as part of growth, and why community and connection are essential to unlocking your full potential.