The National Science Foundation is doling out $45 million to 31 “Hispanic-serving institutions” this year in hopes of increasing the number of Hispanic students in STEM fields.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense."

“With an annual budget of $7.5 billion (FY 2017), we are the funding source for approximately 24 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. READ MORE AT CAMPUS REFORM

In 2013, the company where Ramos worked, American Greetings, closed its LA office. It was a turning point for her as she considered her next steps.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh. What am I going to do?’” she said. Ramos quickly realized that she could rely on her creativity, on which she’d capitalized since she was a young girl.

Ramos began challenging herself. “A friend asked me to illustrate a save-the-date postcard for her wedding, and I said, ‘Okay…’”

Soon after, Ramos’ designs were featured in a wedding magazine, and she opened her Etsy shop. READ MORE AT SIERRA MADRE WEEKLY

The University of Illinois at Chicago is getting $12 million from the National Institute of Health to continue taking part in a national study of health issues facing Hispanics.

UIC says in a news release that the money will allow it to continue to serve as the Chicago field office for a study that began in 2008 with the collection of health information from thousands of Hispanics around the United States. READ MORE AT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Nowadays, being recognized as a leader in your field takes more than social media followers, titles, and credentials after your name. It takes strategy as a well as a commitment to build mutually beneficial relationships not only for you but for others as well. Here are three simple networking tips to position you as a leader. READ MORE AT BLACK ENTERPRISE

If one thing is clear as we start 2019, it's that America is changing. According to a Claritas report (registration required), in the United States today, there are 131 million multicultural Americans, making up 37.5% of the U.S. population, with Hispanics accounting for the largest portion at 19.6%.

Minority groups now represent the majority of the population in more than 400 U.S. counties. There can be no doubt that America is becoming multicultural and that Hispanics are a significant part of this change. READ MORE AT FORBES

The future of real estate will be significantly influenced by women, millennials and Hispanics, according to realtor.com®'s analysis of first names on 2018 home sales deeds.

Single women are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the housing market, according to the data. READ MORE AT CISION

Despite an extended period of recovery since the global financial crisis and Great Recession, working-age households are less prepared for retirement than they were in 2007. The situation is worse for minorities, particularly Hispanics, according to a recent study from the Center for Retirement Research.

A shocking gap exists between the wealth holdings and income of white households on the one hand and black and Hispanic households on the other. The table below shows that while wealth levels for all groups have not recovered from the Great Recession, the disparity between whites and minorities has increased. READ MORE AT MARKETWATCH

Great news: Hispanic employment is booming.

According to the latest job numbers, Hispanic unemployment continues to remain at one of its lowest rates in nearly half a century. The report also showed a near-record high of 27.6 million Hispanics employed and participating in the workforce in January 2019. Just a few months ago, the Census Bureau announced that the median income for Hispanic households grew by 3.7 percent in real terms from 2016 to 2017.

These historic numbers didn’t happen by accident. They are the result of tax and regulatory policies that have increased economic opportunity for all. READ MORE AT WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Have you ever felt stressed at the thought of attending networking events, conferences and even holiday parties? Many people feel insecure, uncomfortable, often nauseated and dizzy before events—almost like stage fright.

Understanding networking fundamentals can ensure you become a better networker. What exactly is networking? To network is to interact with other people to exchange information and develop contacts. READ MORE AT WOMENSMEDIA

Do you need a new job, like, yesterday? Whatever your reasons for needing (or wanting) a new employer as quickly as possible, if you’re looking to kick your job search into overdrive there are a number of things you can do to speed things along.

While you may not have control over the timing on the employer’s side, by taking these steps you can significantly reduce the amount of time you spend on the job market and start enjoying life at your new work home. READ MORE AT BIOSPACE

In the midst of overheated debates about immigration and an ugly upsurge in nativism, it’s worth reminding ourselves that entrepreneurial immigrants make an outsized contribution to new business creation. And new and young companies are the primary source of job creation in the American economy.

The contributions of entrepreneurial immigrants have been well documented:

Immigrants are twice as likely to become entrepreneurs as native-born Americans.
As of 2016, first generation immigrant entrepreneurs represented 30% of all new entrepreneurs in 2016, up substantially from 13% in 1996. READ MORE AT FORBES

The holiday season tends to freeze up the hiring market because employers are more concerned with vacations, travel, and time off than they are about filling open positions. It's frustrating for people on the job hunt when the calls stop coming, and it seems companies that appeared interested have forgotten you entirely.

However, the end of the year also brings a new beginning. The HR department returns to their office, and hiring for open positions takes on new urgency. Now is the time to get back in front of the relevant people and remind them that you're a promising candidate who is still available for work. READ MORE AT MOTLEY FOOL

There is no doubt that the Hispanic market is an important one for any brand to tap into. But the only way for brands to reach Hispanic audiences successfully is to understand them, know who they are, where they spend their time, the platforms they visit most frequently and how they consume their content.

U.S. Hispanics currently have $1.7 trillion in purchasing power, a number that’s sure to rise in the years to come. Here are a few things about the Hispanic market that every brand should know.

1. Hispanics account for almost half of U.S. population growth. READ MORE AT FORBES

Veteran TV news anchor Tom Brokaw recently caused a stir when he admonished Hispanic-Americans to “work harder on assimilation” and to “make sure all their kids are speaking English.” Brokaw backpedaled after the uproar, but many will view his apology as forced. His comments have the unfortunate effect of perpetuating the myth that Hispanics aren’t assimilating into American society. READ MORE AT BLOOMBERG

The Tournament of Roses Association continues to make history by naming the first Latina — and third woman — to lead the organization in its 125-year history.

Laura Farber will lead the tournament for the 2019-2020 parade season and Rose Bowl college football game.

She replaces Gerald Freeny, the association’s first African-American president. READ MORE AT PASADENA WEEKLY

Most people are terrible at networking. Some are shy about asking for help. But more people ask for help inappropriately. If you haven’t seen or spoken to someone for five or ten years and you suddenly bombard that person with requests for help getting a job, that’s not networking! It’s an ambush. READ MORE AT FORBES

In 2017, one in every 10 Hawaii residents was Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While this number may seem small, it doesn’t provide the full picture of the rapid growth of Hawaii’s Latino population.

Standing at an estimated 159,737 in 2018, the Hawaii Latino population has increased over 80 percent since 2000. The bulk of the growth of the individuals of Hispanic or Latino origin took place between 2010 and 2018 as the increase over the 2000-2010 period was “just” 37.79 percent.

But wait, there’s more. That is, more Latinos in Hawaii. READ MORE AT HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT

At its core, networking is making a meaningful and valuable connection at multiple levels, including with the individuals networking and within the greater ecosystem they belong to. In other words, networking isn’t just about you. To see it that way is shortsighted. READ MORE AT FORBES

It seems that Latinos in this country are rediscovering their roots with wines. Taking into account the expected demographic growth, according to research studies by Rabobank, a global agro-industrial bank together with the Wine Institute, by the year 2033 it is expected that Latinos could buy 96.5 million boxes of wine. (The box includes 12 bottles of 750 ml).

The report indicates that this growth driven by Hispanics could represent up to 40% of the total growth in the total consumption of the category during the period between 2013 – 2033. READ MORE AT ABASTO NEWS

Read biographies of feature guests for the 2019 Diversity in Tech Forum being held 01/23 at Linkedin Chicago. 

MODERATOR

Salvador Maldonado, Account Manager, U.S. Hispanic Market, Google

Salvador Maldonado graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor’s degree in History and French. After graduation, he joined Google in Mountain View then shortly moved to Mexico City to join Google’s nascent Hispanic team. For the last 7 years, in Mexico City, then NYC and now Chicago, Salvador has been consulting with agencies and clients on digital strategies to reach multicultural audiences across Google’s platforms.

Outside of work, Salvador enjoys traveling, listening to music, spending time with his family and friends and used to dance ballet folklorico in college (Mexican traditional dances).

DISCUSSION PANELISTS

Jacqueline Rodriguez, Chief of Staff, Groupon

Jackie is the Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer at Groupon. As a Chief of Staff, Jackie works together with the COO on critical global priorities and works closely with leadership team to facilitate their execution. Aside from her role as Chief of Staff, Jackie is the Chair and Co-Founder of Groupon’s Latinx Business Resource Group, Groupon for Latinos. In this role, Jackie and her team have helped facilitate Groupon’s first Super Bowl ad in Spanish and assisted in the execution of Groupon’s Discover Pilsen campaign, where businesses in the Pilsen neighborhood were highlighted for an entire week on email, app, and social media to encourage Chicagoans to support local businesses and communities.

After graduating from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BA and Masters of Accounting Science and before beginning her career at Groupon, Jackie became a Certified Public Accountant and went to on to work as a Senior Auditor at Ernst & Young LLP--a professional services company specializing in auditing, technology and security risk. In her free time, she volunteers as a Wish Granter at Make a Wish Foundation, serves as a Big Sister for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program. Jackie also loves to try new restaurants in the city, travel abroad, and watch social documentaries.

Troy McIntosh, Senior Director, Diversity and Inclusion, U.S. Cellular

Troy joined U.S. Cellular in 2016 to lead the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion practice. He currently leads U.S. Cellular’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Team overseeing strategy development and tactical implementation in the areas of diverse talent management, inclusion, inclusion, associate resource groups, government compliance and supplier diversity initiatives.

Prior to joining U.S. Cellular, Troy led Diversity and Talent Acquisition at Ingredion where he successfully re-designed the organization’s Global Talent Acquisition system and launched the company’s first Diversity & Inclusion strategy. Before joining Ingredion, Troy served as Director, Leader Development at Johnson Controls where he led the company’s global leader development initiative (iLead) aimed at developing the company’s 25,000 leaders. Troy has held various talent roles at Abbott Laboratories, United Airlines and Pactiv Corporation.

Troy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology & Philosophy from the University of Notre Dame as well as a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago.

Samuel Garcia, Enterprise Business Manager, Linkedin

Samuel is an Enterprise Customer Success Manager, where he works with customers to empower their Sales Organizations and take some of their most critical initiatives like Efficient Prospecting, Building Stronger Relationships and Growing New Logo Acquisitions from inception to ROI. With over 10 years of technology experience in the financial, automotive, managed services industries and a focus on retaining and optimizing customers, Samuel has taken his talents to helping architect and on-board customers in the Enterprise SaaS space.

During his time at LinkedIn Chicago, he's become one of the Regional Office Leads for HOLA (Hispanics of LinkedIn Alliance) where he aligns with the mission of uniting LinkedIn employees and the Latino community to increase access to opportunity. Most recently the collective efforts of HOLA have allowed them to be recognized by Latina Style as one of "The 2018 Top 20 Employee Resource Groups of the Year".

A passion of Samuel's is community outreach primarily focused in Chicago's Pilsen, Back of the yards and La Villita neighborhoods. He serves as a Chaplain for the Cook County Department of Corrections where he mentors and advises inmates as they prepare to re-enter society. Other passions include working with his local church where he's served in missions to Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay & Mexico.

Danielle Dumerer, Chief Information Officer, City of Chicago

Danielle is CIO and Commissioner of the City of Chicago's Department of Innovation and Technology, where she is working to improve how residents interact with government by creating more responsive and accessible digital services.

Danielle brings over ten years experience in government tech, having served as the City’s CTO and leading data, digital inclusion, and other strategic initiatives. In 2016, Danielle and her team were recognized by the Chicago chapters of SIM and AITP as the Most Effective IT Team in a large company.

Prior to joining government, Danielle developed educational technology products at the McGraw-Hill Companies. She also worked in the Library and Archives field—serving educational and non-profit organizations to promote equitable access to and preservation of information resources.

Danielle holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.

Oscar Ibarra, Team lead, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook

Oscar is a dynamic, results-driven, sales leader. In his current role he is responsible for driving the strategy of Partner Management North America , consulting clients on Facebook's advertising best practices, and leading a team of dynamic sales professionals for Facebook's Partner Management Agency Business. Oscar is one of the Co-Leads of the Latin@FBCHI group, Facebook's LatinX ERG. Oscar has been in sales over 13 years. He has been in a Sales Leadership Role 5 out of the last 13 years. Prior to Facebook, Oscar was a Sales Leader for CareerBuilder where he was responsible for providing Human Capital Management solutions to his clients.

Oscar is a first generation Mexican American, born in Mexico City and raised on Chicago's Northwest Side. Oscar graduated from Lane Tech High School and went onto College of Dupage and North Park University where he was a student-athlete, he competed 4 years at the collegiate level for baseball. In his free time Oscar is actively involved with the Chicago Mudcats Sport and Social Club as the President of the board, running, working out, and spending time with his family.

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