The push for diversity, inclusion and workplace equity isn't a fad; it's a sea change that all businesses need to be a part of. It's not enough for companies to use social media or websites to embrace Black Lives Matter, gender equality and similar causes. What matters is weaving diversity and inclusion seamlessly into the company culture.

HR executives can play a crucial role by implementing initiatives and leading the C-suite and managers away from unconscious bias or inadvertent racism or bigotry. READ MORE AT SMART BRIEF

In light of recent unsettling events throughout the country surrounding racial injustice, the topics of diversity and inclusion have sparked a discussion not only in communities, but also in the workplace. While the topic can quickly become heated, it’s challenged everyone to examine their own beliefs and actions – including employers. READ MORE AT WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL

Hispanic or Latina women account for nearly 50 percent of COVID-19 cases among pregnant women, further indicating the devastating effects of the pandemic on the minority community, CDC data shows.

Per CDC data collected from Jan. 22 through Aug. 11, there have been 16,798 pregnant women with COVID-19 in the U.S. A little over 14,100 pregnant women provided information about race and ethnicity, of which 6,447 were Hispanic or Latina. In contrast, nearly 3,000 were Black and about 3,600 were white. READ MORE AT BECKER'S HOSPITAL REVIEW

Google is launching a professional certification program allowing people to earn the equivalent of a four-year degree in six months.

Google is launching new certificates that offer a way for people to fast-track their career toward digital jobs in high-demand fields.

Google Career Certificates can be earned through completing six-month courses. To start, the programs being offered include: READ MORE AT SEARCH ENGINE JOURNAL

Read biographies of featured guests for tomorrow's Real Estate Industry Networking event to be held at the rooftop terrace of The Dawson in Chicago. 

FEATURED GUESTS

Karla Mina, Real Estate Broker, Compass Realty

Karla Mina, an agent associated with the Compass Residential Brokerage, Lincoln Park, is a triple threat within the local real estate industry. In addition to her recognition as a successful agent, Karla is highly active in local real estate organizations, and has cemented herself as a go-to authority on local industry analysis. She was named a member of the Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society in 2013 and earned the agency’s top residential real estate sales producer designation in the Lakeview office for 2014.

She has further asserted her status as a poster child for real estate, through a number of on-air news/lifestyle programs, and publications, including Chicago Agent Magazine, HGTV’s “Designed to Sell” and “House Hunters,” in addition to ABC News, LXTV’s “Open House”, and host of WGN’s "Market Overdrive." Mina is also deeply rooted in the local community and industry, serving and Founder of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Global Warriors Advisory Board and most recently named, Volunteer of the Year.

Lidia Felix, Senior Loan Officer, Bay Equity Home Loans

Lidia is a Senior Loan Officer at Bay Equity Home Loans. She is a graduate of DePaul University and has nine years of experience in the mortgage industry.

Lidia, has a diverse set of skills that she has learned over the years. She started as a loan processor and worked herself up to Senior Loan Officer. She uses her depth of knowledge in the mortgage industry to help her clients achieve the dream of homeownership.

She works closely with under served communities to help them overcome challenges of obtaining a mortgage. She reaches out to the community by hosting free homebuyer seminars. She is dedicated to providing the best quality service to help her clients every step of the way.

Sharon Aguilera, Owner/Attorney, Genitum Law Group

Sharon is the owner of Gentium Law Group LLC and Gentium Properties LLC. She advises clients leasing, acquiring and financing residential and commercial real estate. From her interest in architecture she was able to see that real estate, like law, is primarily about deal making and client relationships.

Sharon has prior experience with representing clients in naturalization, permanent residence, nonimmigration visas and deportation proceedings among others. Sharon is actively involved with the Women’s Council of Realtors and The Chicago Association of Realtors, where she is a part of the 77 Diversity Committee representing the Near West Side. She is a Board member of The Spanish Coalition for Housing and The State Legislative Contact for State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez.

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Hispanics are experiencing the largest homeownership gains of any ethnic group in the U.S., a turnaround for the population hardest hit by the housing bust that could help buoy the market for years.

The homeownership rate for Hispanics has increased more during the past several years than any race or ethnic group, including whites. The rate, which hit a 50-year low in 2015, has risen 3.3 percentage points since then, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. READ MORE AT THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

While the lure of new Netflix shows may be tempting to help pass the hours spent at home, why not invest in yourself during this downtime and sign up for an online course? Whether you're looking to learn skills to further your career, or just pick up a new hobby, there are countless resources out there.

Here, we round up 10 online learning platforms which offer a range of courses and classes on everything from business and finance, computer science and tech, to photography, design, cooking and more. READ MORE AT TATLER

The challenges brought about by Covid-19 are also the opportunities to upskill, unlearn, and upgrade so that we equip ourselves with renewed skill, hope, and optimism to navigate through the steep terrain in front of us. READ MORE AT MY REPUBLICA

Over the past decade, Hispanics have accounted for more than half of the homeownership growth
in the U.S., adding more than 1.9 million new homeowners. For the last five years, in fact, we’ve seen year-over-year growth in the Hispanic homeownership rate, as Latinos are forming new households faster than any other demographic. The math is simple—as more household formations form, more will become homeowners and raise the rate of homeowner- ship. Hispanics’ work ethic and affinity for homeownership is pretty remarkable. READ MORE AT MREPORT

Though nearly a quarter of U.S. Hispanics have heard of the gender neutral, pan-ethnic label “Latinx,” almost none of them use it to refer to themselves.

The Pew Research Center released a poll on Tuesday showing that 3% of Hispanic people in the United States identify as “Latinx,” despite its use in academia, government, and the news. READ MORE AT THE DAILY WIRE

Every year, from September 15 through October 15, Americans take the dedicated time to thoughtfully honor, celebrate, and thank prominent Hispanic Americans for their many contributions to the country and culture of the United States. But this year, in the midst of a global pandemic and a relentless news cycle, Hispanic Heritage Month 2020 takes on a whole new meaning. READ MORE AT WOMAN'S DAY

Even as the dust settles from the housing crisis, black and Hispanic prospective home buyers are having a tougher time getting approved for a mortgage at major banks compared to other ethnic groups. READ MORE AT MONEY.com

Read biographies of featured guests for "Personal Branding in the Age of COVID-19" Webinar to be held on Wednesday, August 10.

Jazmin Garcia, Business Resource Manager, ChibizHub at World Business Chicago

Jazmin Garcia is a queer, first-generation, Mexican-American woman. Her experience growing up across borders in San Diego and Tijuana Baja, California inspired a curious leader and prompted her passion for public service and social impact. After four years in policy and programs in Washington D.C. she moved to Chicago to learn of equitable grant-making and philanthropy at the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. She currently serves as a Business Resource Manager at World Business Chicago working towards improving economic mobility for women and people of color. Jazmin is a Social Impact Leader at Loyola University’s Quinlan School of Business, Emerging Leader with the Chicago Women in Philanthropy, served as UpKey’s VIP Mentorship Co-Chair and former Public Policy Fellow with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of San Diego.

Viviana Romero de Perez, Information Designer, Rockwell Automation

Viviana is an experienced Information Designer with a demonstrated history of working in the industrial automation industry. Skilled in Microsoft Power BI, Systems Thinking, Business Intelligence, Business Process Improvement, and Creative Problem Solving.

Viviana is a strong media and communications professional pursuing a Master's of Science focused in Business Analytics from Bellevue University. Viviana graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee with a Bachelor's of Arts in Global Management. 

Karina Mendez, Learning and Development Senior Consultant, Allstate

As the Leadership Development Program (LDP) manager, Karina aims to develop the pipeline of versatile leaders for Allstate, by designing and executing a rotational experience for early career professionals. She is dedicated to propelling their professional careers by creating an experience that exposes them to the meaningful tools, resources and leaders that enable them to seize successful futures. Karina has been with Allstate for six years and has always been a champion for Diversity and Inclusion. Karina is actively involved in Allstate’s Professional Latino Allstate Network, is a Posse Scholar, Mujeres de HACE candidate, and sits on the advisory board of the HighSight foundation. Her purpose in life is to inspire and enable other to chase after their dreams and live into their highest potential - personally, and professionally.

Jorge Cabrera Jr., President, Rutgers University Business School Alumni Association

Jorge Cabrera is the President of Rutgers Business School Alumni Association, a not for profit organization which serves over 40,000 members worldwide.  Jorge is a Marketing Analyst who has worked at corporations such as Party City, Prudential, and Gucci.  He graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in Finance and Economics, and is currently pursuing his M.B.A at Rutgers Business School.  He is also an Elected Democratic County Committee Member in Bloomfield, NJ, serving the 3-10 district.

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Latinos are using social media, mobile apps and other digital platforms at higher rates than the general U.S. population amid social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released Thursday by Nielsen.

For Latinos, bridging the social distancing gap means finding new ways to preserve their already-established trusted community networks, which often times serve as lifelines to families during times of crisis, by substituting those in-person interactions with virtual ones. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

Women are beautiful creatures with an incredible ability to heal and transform. It is only a couple of the superpowers our gender shares that transcend cultures.

Being a Latina is a superpower in itself for many reasons. We are known for our spirited soul and high powered energy. Some people describe us as passionate or having a zest for life that is incomparable. READ MORE AT BELATINA

Great mentors along the way can put a high-potential person’s career on a rocket ship to their full potential. Poor mentors can slow a high-potential’s progress and stunt their growth. That’s why senior leaders select and assign mentors who are among the most talented people in the organization.

They are very knowledgeable about the business, have a professional demeanor, excellent communications skills and set a great example of what success looks and acts like. READ MORE AT INDUSTRY WEEK

A lot of pandemic-related news is dark. Well, most of it. But there are bright spots, particularly when it comes to founders whose smart ideas and gutsy pivots have defied the Covid-19 curse. Remember the mantra "change is good"? These entrepreneurs are living it. They're making moves that not only boost revenues today but also set them up to prosper tomorrow. READ MORE AT INC.

In response to calls for more diversity among corporate leaders in America, Assemblymembers Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) and Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) have co-sponsored AB 979.

The legislation requires publicly held corporations headquartered in California to have at least one member on their board of directors from an under-represented community by the end of 2021. READ MORE AT BLACK VOICES NEWS

Developing a personal brand is vital now as people will continue to use the Internet to organise events, work, shop, conduct meetings and even recruit people remotely even after the pandemic. This means it is more likely people will hear about you online before they meet you in person.

Recruiters, potential clients, and even new friends often resort to search engines to learn more about you and what you do. READ MORE AT NBUSINESS

For more than a third of U.S. small-business owners, keeping their ventures alive during the coronavirus pandemic is coming at a high personal cost.

More than half of respondents say they won't survive long past the new year without additional support. READ MORE AT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE