The first-generation son of Cuban immigrants. The first in his family to earn college degrees, a bachelor's degree at Brown University and then a JD from Rutgers Law School. Andrés Acebo could have gone on to bigger and greater opportunities in new cities, new countries.

But he chose to return to the New Jersey community where he grew up, where he serves as the youngest university president in the state.

His lived experience empowers his service to the students of New Jersey City University, which he's successfully brought from fiscal emergency to positive recovery.

It's a privilege that Acebo doesn't take for granted, and he sees the impact of his work reflected back at him on campus every day.

Fernando De Leon counts himself as one of the luckiest guys in the world.

The Mexican American billionaire grew up in Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Mexico, graduated cum laude from Harvard, and began his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs before launching Leon Capital Group.

The humble real estate company in Texas has grown into a powerhouse with businesses across financial services, healthcare, and real estate. Along the way, De Leon hit billionaire status and receiving a self-made score of 10 from Forbes—putting him in the ranks with twenty other people with the same score, including Oprah.

De Leon is deeply committed to giving back through his family foundation, which focuses on tackling poverty in South Texas and northern Mexico, and through the De Leon Scholars Program, which invests in the next generation of changemakers across the state to Texas.

In a special live taping of The Latino Majority podcast held at The Alumni Society's Leadership Summit in Chicago, De Leon shares his story of resilience and success from humble beginnings to becoming one of the few Mexican American billionaires.

Everyone knows famed Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz as Big Papi.

He made a name for himself in the batter's box as a designated hitter, winning seven Silver Slugger awards, joining the 500 Home Run Club, and helping the Red Sox break its 86-year World Series drought—and win two more World Series before his retirement in 2016.

But his work didn't end when he stepped off the field for the final time. Big Papi transformed into a philanthropist and entrepreneur, drawing on his dedication for family, community, and the Dominican Republic.

His foundation, the David Ortiz Children's Fund, helps provide critical pediatric services to children in New England and the Dominican Republic. And his latest entrepreneurial venture, Ozama Rum, is crafted entirely in his home country, from sugar cane to bottle.

It all comes down to dedication, hard work, and proving people wrong.

If anyone knows the power behind convening Latinos to make an impact, it's Ricardo Anzaldua.

His impulse to organize and bring Latinos together began early while growing up in New Mexico and South Texas. In high school as the Chicano movement gained traction, he became a strong advocate for Mexican American civil rights and a community organizer.

He took that passion to elite institutions like his alma mater, Brown University where he advocated for diversifying student admissions and increased support for students of color.

While earning his law degree at Harvard, he helped lead an all-Latino summit of students from all Ivy League schools to discuss breaking barriers for future generations.

For many, it became a semblance of home—a space to share stories, pride, and culture-bending experiences with peers from far-flung corners of the country.

Decades later, inspired by those energizing student gatherings, Ricardo cofounded The Alumni Society in 2015 to once again bring together like-minded Latinos this time to show corporations the thousands of successful, ambitious Latino leaders poised to make a difference at the highest level in corporate America.

The Alumni Society's tenth anniversary is on the horizon, and the work is far from over. Ricardo sees more opportunities than ever to empower the Latino community at all levels and become a force of change.

We are shaped by those who came before us and, in turn, we help shape the lives of those who come after us.

Nationwide's Juan José (JJ) Pérez knows this all too well.

He grew up watching his father attend law school at night while working two jobs, making sacrifices while Perez and his siblings were young to not only better provide for their family in the long term but also be an example of what they could achieve.

Those lessons continue to resonate with Perez today, both as president for Nationwide Financial's Corporate Solutions and as a mentor for Latino youth in the Columbus community. He's a fierce advocate for educational opportunity and empowering young Latinos to view education as a tool for leadership and advancement.

Education changed the trajectory of his father's life, and Perez knows it will be a catalyst for the Latino community in Ohio and beyond.

Forty years ago, Alex López Negrete saw an opportunity to represent the Hispanic market and provide strategic direction to some of the biggest names in corporate America.

The Houston-based Lopez Negrete Communications, cofounded with his wife Cathy, is now the largest independently owned and operated Hispanic advertising firm in the country. López Negrete has been recognized over the years for his leadership in the space. Most recently, he was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Advertising Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

His work is far from over. Latinos are the fastest-growing segment with undeniable economic power. Yet there is still a need to educate corporate America on how to reach the community.

López Negrete, ever optimistic, looks toward growth. Reaching Latinos is not about checking a box. Marketers seek growth, and López Negrete knows the Latino community is opportunity they need to fully embrace.

Felida Villarreal understands firsthand the cultural and familial expectations of the Rio Grande Valley residents.

The powerhouse nonprofit leader grew up in the region, earned her degrees at the local university, and continues to empower residents to achieve their own success right in the valley through VIDA and its training programs.

Villarreal stepped into the president and CEO role before the age of thirty and has made significant strides for an already strong regional nonprofit in the past three years. She's grown VIDA's budget, staff, and program participants. She secured federal funding in partnership with other local organizations to address the nursing labor shortage.

And she's not slowing down. Villarreal found her own success and purpose in the Rio Grande Valley, and through VIDA, she's creating paths for others to do the same.

From the very beginning, words have been important to Marie Arana.

The Peruvian American's childhood was filled with music and literature, which formed her passion for storytelling and books as she navigated growing up in a bicultural household. Having an American mother, Arana learned to provide a counter narrative to Peruvian perceptions of Americans.

Her love of books and writing grew into a literary career: books editor for the Washington Post, the inaugural literary director of the Library of Congress, literary director for the National Book Festival, and champion for editors and writers alike.

And today, her counter narrative is focused on sharing the history and stories of who Latinos are through books like Silver, Sword, and Stone, and the recently released LatinoLand.

Arana knows that to reach the hearts and minds of all audiences, all you need is a good story.

Growing up in the '80s with two working parents, Javiera Balmaceda Pascal often found herself at the movie theater with her younger brother Pedro Pascal. The siblings, raised in Texas and California by parents who had fled Chile, found comfort in the stories they saw on the screen.

Where her brother chose to step in front of the camera, Balmaceda pursued shaping narratives instead—with a focus on Latin American storytelling.

For the past two decades, the Chilean native has helped major production companies like HBO Latin America and now Amazon Prime develop successful series and films for Hispanic and international audiences.

With each project she produces—News of a Kidnapping, Oscar-nominated Argentina, 1985, or the upcoming House of the Spirits—Balmaceda shows that there is a desire from all audiences for Latino storytelling.

Carla Vernón imagines a future that isn't here yet.

Her power of imagination has been her guide since childhood, allowing her to see beyond the information available to make decisions with both her head and her heart.

The Princeton alum built her brand and leadership expertise at General Mills for almost twenty-two years, brought her vision to Amazon—and then became one of the first Afro-Latina CEOs of a US publicly traded company when she joined the Honest Company in 2023. She saw an opportunity to turnaround the personal care brand while transforming into the leader she was always meant to be.

Vernón has stepped into her own not only as an executive but also an Afro-Latina leader. She's unfolded her wings to fully be herself among her fellow Latinos, particularly on the board for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino.

She imagines a museum that inspires us to move forward and welcomes the rich complexities of what it means to be Latino.