A Republican thought leader and cofounder of the Lincoln Project, Mike Madrid leverages his unique Latino perspective to provide commentary on a country in the midst of an enormous cultural transformation. He knows that as Armerica’s complexion continues to change, the political party that properly addresses the education divide in the Latino community and invests in what he describes as “an aspirational agenda for a multiracial working class” will be of best service to the country.

As a child, Carolina Ceballos stood witness to her mother’s determination and fearlessness in the face of unprecedented familial stress. Today, as deputy chief compliance officer at Facebook Payments, Ceballos carries on the lessons of her youth. Whether she’s navigating issues of money laundering or fraud or human trafficking, she works tirelessly to ensure that the transactions in the global financial world bring people together instead of causing them harm.

Inherited from his father, Jorge Plasencia’s entrepreneurial spirit is affirmed through his creative marketing agency, Republica Havas. There, Plasencia echoes the multicultural makeup of Miami, where Republica Havas is based, while spotlighting the unique perspective of the American Latino. Because he knows that if you’re not investing in the Latino community today, you’re likely be obsolete in 20 years.

As CHRO and partner at TPG and a board member at Upwork, Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri proudly carries the torch for her maternal grandmother, a mentor and analytical thinker who was one of the first women to go to a university in Puerto Rico. In her current roles, Vazquez-Ubarri focuses on data to emphasize the gaps in diverse representation in corporate America while messaging the need for the Latino community to collectively “run to the fire,” as she puts it, and take advantage of its numbers.

As chief communications officer at National Public Radio (NPR), Isabel Lara ensures there’s a unified brand voice at the trusted news institution—one that acknowledges all voices, all accents, and all experiences. A Venezuelan immigrant who came to the United States 20 years ago, Lara has already spent considerable time walking the halls of media companies and museums. What’s been made crystal clear during her journey is that “the Latino story is part of the American story.”

For Alicia Menendez, introducing mainstream media to the Latino community brings with it a deep sense of responsibility. An MSNBC anchor and the host of the Latina to Latina podcast, Menendez understands the value of context when shaping media narratives, and with her “heart of service,” she promotes the message that if you want to break down silos, you need to be clear about the why and be willing to ask for help.

For Dr. Cristina Mora, the greatest challenge faced by Latinos is being seen as American. The community’s collective consciousness may have developed as a result of never being accepted, but every new generation brings with it an added layer of dynamism and a welcome discourse about the identity of America. Today, as a professor of sociology at UC Berkeley and author of Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Constructed a New American, Dr. Mora insists on the nuance of Latinidad and calls for Latinos to work together towards a project of justice.

Samara Mejia Hernandez discovered early on that math acted as a universal language when she was challenged by a fifth-grade teacher to pursue accelerated courses. Later, when an older sister pushed her towards an engineering program, Hernandez began to recognize the value of investing in potential.   Today, the Chingona Ventures’ founding partner carries that insight into her investment strategies, embracing the totality of her life experience to benefit the founders in whom she sees potential.

The first-generation son of a Cuban mother and Peruvian father, Mike Roggero never saw anything on television growing up that represented who he was. Today, as chairman and CEO of Fuse Media, Roggero has a goal to make the voice of the underserved stretch out across the entire media ecosystem—so that the Fuse brand becomes ubiquitous and, in turn, showcases the right representation of a blended America.