Our economy is one driven by technology and innovation. New industries are emerging rapidly and traditional industries are changing radically through the application of advanced tech. In order to stay globally competitive in this Innovation Economy, we must develop an economic base of companies that constantly innovates, optimizes the use of technology and leverages diversity of talent.
In a previous column, I pointed out we are not doing so well in the latter area. For too many Americans – inc
Driving along US-411N, flanked by rolling green hills and slow-moving cows, it seems surprising to hear a DJ on the FM dial breathlessly announcing a merengue show in nearby Knoxville - in Spanish.
In fact, Tennessee, like fellow Appalachian states Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, is home to one of the fastest-growing Latino populations in the country, much younger on average than the region's non-Hispanic white and black populations, and with larger families.
This hasn't e
Whether through professional associations, trade groups, conferences or clubs, networking is an excellent way to learn and share important career information. Here's some sage advice:
Look for areas of mutual interest. Consider each person you meet someone with whom you might be able to share information or assistance.
Ask questions and be a good listener to gather interesting information. Remember needs that people mention so you can pass leads on later.
Talk about your strengths. Don't be af
Hispanics are the fastest-growing consumer market in the U.S., and upscale Hispanics are the most influential segment since the baby boomers, so it's important to know how to market to this powerhouse group.
This segment contributes close to 40 percent of Hispanics’ overall $1.5 trillion spending power, according to an AHAA and Nielsen report, “Upscale Latinos 2.0: A Renewed Outlook for High-End Marketers.”
So it's a misconception that “Hispanics are just a group of people who speak Spanish and
Earlier this year, we saw the closure of two major efforts by the mainstream media to connect with Hispanics in the U.S.
CNN launched “CNN Latino” last year. The goal of the cable news network was to build an audience around syndicated news and entertainment shows in Spanish. Broadcast TV stations in several markets with large Hispanic populations – including WDFL in Miami and KBEH in Los Angeles – carried the programming.
Over at NBC, the broadcast network went with an online model called “NBC
Google is planning to release statistics documenting the diversity of its workforce for the first time amid escalating pressure on the technology industry to hire more minorities and women.
The numbers are compiled as part of a report that major U.S. employers must file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Employers, though, aren't required to make the information publicly available.
Google Inc. had resisted previous calls for it to share the diversity data.
David Drummond, an Afri
This week marks the 51st annual National Small Business Week (May 12-16) in the U.S. But who really cares, right? If you're a small business owner, you don't have time to think about stuff like that.
Maybe it's a good time, however, to revisit, just how crucial a role small business plays in the U.S. economy. Despite the rise of mega-retailers and giant conglomerates small businessesare an important source of job creation and healthy economic growth.
Need proof? Here are some thought-provoking
Who you know gets you through the door, but it’s what you know that gets you places. Networking is kind of like the sports playoffs: you need multiple strategies, good teamwork, and above all professionalism to make beneficial connections.
Who you know matters a lot in the startup world. What's your best tip for networking like a pro?
Identify Common Mindsets
"Instead of trying to network with everybody and anybody, identify people who are like you and share the same mindset. Look for people wh
After a decade of working 10-hour days as a manicurist, Patty Paredes decided to take a risk and pursue her dream: to become her own boss.
She wiped out her savings, and with the financial help of her mother, Paredes collected $95,000 to open her own nail salon, Nails & Spa 4U, which she inaugurated in March.
Today Paredes works more days and more hours per week than she did at her previous job—and has other things to worry about as a business owner, such as paying rent for her 900-square-foot
Upscale Latinos are young, digitally connected and represent a growing and important segment for marketers, according to a study released Wednesday by Nielsen and AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing.
Identified as those whose incomes range from $50,000 to $100,000, upscale Latinos contribute $500 billion or 37 percent of the $1.3 trillion spent annually by Latinos in the United States. They represent 29 percent of all Hispanics and are expected to reach 35 million in number by 2050, said Carl
Networking is still one of the most successful avenues for finding a job. and it’s not as scary as it sounds. Start by listing the names of all your friends, colleagues, teachers, relatives, and anyone you can think of who would be willing to talk about or help out with job opportunities.
Call, email, or connect through social media to all the people on your list. Let them know you’re looking for a job and you’d appreciate any advice or leads. If sending emails, attach an electronic version of
The rise in importance of Latina-owned businesses in California is countered on a regular basis with significant barriers to growth here. That was a recurring theme at the recent Los Angeles Latina Roundtable, co-hosted by CA Fwd, which explored the successes and challenges of the community.
“When you take a deep look, you understand that Latinas have always been there and have always been a part of what’s driving the economy,” Salinas Consulting founder Maria Salinas said. “We have real desire
There are so many factors that people worry about when looking for employment that they often lose sight of what truly matters. Some work their whole lives, and even excel at jobs that leave them unfulfilled.
Doing what you love is often overstated, but many don’t think about it as much as they should. You may be wondering what ‘choosing the right career’ entails, and how you’re supposed to feel once you’re doing it. To help you, here are four ways to know you’ve chosen the right job:
You Enjoy
The National Hispanic University was created more than 30 years ago to educate first-generation college students from Latino backgrounds. Next year, the only school of its kind west of the Mississippi will close its doors.
NHU sits in the shadow of the East San Jose foothills in California's Silicon Valley. All the classrooms and faculty offices fit in one modern three-story building in the heart of a working-class Latino neighborhood. But the postwar elementary school right next door used to s
One of the benefits of networking is that it’s a great way of improving your interviewing skills. The logic is simple. If you want to become a better actor, act. To become a better writer, write. And to become better at interviewing, interview. Networking conversations are like low-stress, high-impact, self-initiated interviews. By having lots of these mini-conversations when you aren’t under pressure, you get better at explaining what you want people to know about you. And the more you do it,
U.S. Hispanics who earn $50,000 to $100,000—a.k.a., “upscale Latinos”—spend $500 billion every year, according a study released Wednesday by the Nielsen company and AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing, a national trade marketing organization that focuses on Latinos.
The report, titled “Upscale Latinos 2.0: A Renewed Outlook for High-End Marketers,” follows another publication last July by the same two groups that identified upscale Latinos as the most influential population group in marketing
The Metropolitan Leadership Institute program is geared for individuals who are part of the professional work force and who have lived in the metropolitan Chicago area for more than two years. As part of the MLI interview process, you will be asked to provide UNO with one letter of recommendation, and two references. These should not come from individuals who have graduated from the program.
The Class of 2015 will be required to attend a weekend retreat in early June, 2014. Exact dates and deta
by Olga Camargo & Juan C. Avila
The most recent financial crisis brought tremendous economic pain to our community. The engine of our nation’s job creation, the business community, was brought to its knees and the chain of events that followed left people without jobs and some without homes. The scars in our community are still fresh with empty iconic buildings in Little Village on 26th Street constant reminders of the economic devastation suffered. While we are in the midst of an economic reco
Networking is perhaps one of the most valuable career-building skills a person can develop. When it comes to fleshing out your professional contacts, one of the best ways to improve your network is to introduce them to each other.
As advice blog The Art of Manliness explains, most people tend to network with the idea of building their own contact list and finding opportunities for themselves. By connecting your contacts with each other, everybody wins: READ MORE
Alejandra Castillo is the first Latina to head the Department of Commerce's Minority Development Business Agency. MBDA's aim is to help minority owned businesses gain government contracts, partner with government contractors and gain access to capital.
Castillo said the efforts are not "altruism" but a recognition that the fabric of the country is changing dramatically and that for the U.S. to remain globally competitive, it has to help grow minority businesses. In a meeting with Hispanic media
