CEO's Corner - May Reflection

April was a powerful reminder of what it means to show up and just how much momentum our community is building across the country. Over the course of the month, I had the opportunity to engage with leaders, partners, and members in multiple cities, starting in Chicago where I spoke at College Board’s Prepárate Conference. There, I focused on something core to our mission: the pipeline required to increase Latino representation in executive leadership. That pipeline doesn’t start at the MBA level. It starts much earlier. Programs like College Board’s AP Business and Personal Finance course play a critical role in exposing students to business concepts, financial literacy, and career pathways at a formative stage, helping build the foundation for future leaders long before they step into a boardroom. From there, I continued to San Francisco for our CEO Tour, where we hosted an incredible fireside chat with Ivonne Valdes, connected with investors at an Angeles Investors gathering hosted at BMO, and spent time with students and alumni at UC Berkeley through the Diversity Mixer and Haas Alumni Conference.

I closed out the month back in Chicago at the HACE Summit, including participating in a Latino Leaders Roundtable led by HACE CEO Patricia Mota and Refugio Atilano. It was an energizing conversation about the future of Latino leadership, the recent barriers to our joint missions, and how to overcome to enhance our economic influence. What stood out to me across every stop was this: our community is not just participating in these spaces, we are helping shape them. Whether it’s influencing how companies think about talent, how capital is deployed, or how future leaders are developed, Latinx professionals are increasingly at the center of those conversations. As we move forward, my focus remains on continuing to strengthen that pipeline from early exposure to leadership development so that we don’t just open doors, but expand what’s possible for the next generation. Thank you to everyone who I had the chance to meet along the way, and I look forward to continuing this journey together. 

With gratitude,

Richard Velazquez, CEO

Latinx MBA Association