Last night I had the opportunity to network with more than 700 professionals in Central Florida at the Orlando Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Awards celebration. It was an incredible honor to be named a finalist in the 'Women to Watch' category. Maritza Martinez, assistant vice president of community relations at the University of Central [...]
The energy was incredibly positive at the University of Florida's Women in Entrepreneurship Summit today! It was such an honor to be invited to speak at the event. I loved re-connecting with my entrepreneurship professor Bill Rossi, networking with other entrepreneurs and meeting all of the talented students! UF Women Entrepreneurship Summit program We spoke [...]
Betty Lugo was hunched over her Philosophy of Law textbook, and kept reading the same line over and over. She looked up and noticed that her study partner, Carmen Pacheco, had put down her book and was doodling in her notebook. The students were in Pacheco's mother's kitchen. "I asker Carmen what she was doing," says [...]
Knowledge Conquers Fear: October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month You may remember my Oct. 11 post about my pal, Laurita Tellado, the amazing blogger who is bringing attention to Spina Bifida, a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. Laurita is currently raising awareness (and funds) for a team she is [...]
Today, Hispanics are online more than ever. As natural communicators, teachers and communicators of new ideas, Latinas are at the forefront of this trend-leveraging the possibilities presented by the internet to launch blogs, create communities, engage in social and mobile media, and more. Numbers Attract Attention from White House and Corporations According to the Latinos in [...]
It was such an honor to attend the Girls Scouts of Citrus Council’s Women of Distinction Awards this past July 29. Aretha and I pointing at our names on the list of nominees The annual program celebrates outstanding contributions that women make to improve the quality of life in the community. Within three minutes of [...]
For the past several months, my friends and I have been raising money to help Roxanne Martinez, a 30-year-old new mother who beat cancer and job loss while pregnant. Supporters in more than 20 cities hosted fundraisers to benefit Roxy’s cancer treatment fund. Roxy’s younger brothers called the movement, Team Roxy. When my pal, Yanira Robinson, [...]
Building Bridges Across The World Born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Velasco’s parents moved the family to Paramus, New Jersey when she was 13 years old so that her father could pursue a post-graduate degree at New York University. Moving to a new place can be difficult on any child, but leaving her [...]
When Tampa resident Tamara Dihann Bradley, 25, entered the Miss Black Florida 2010 pageant, she had no question that she would win. Conceit? Not even close. Sure, Bradley did what most pageant contestants do. She prepared for her interview questions, practiced her talent, carefully selected her gown and made arrangements to ensure that her hair and [...]
Central Florida business executives, professionals and city leaders convened at the Citrus Club this morning to celebrate women’s leadership. The women’s breakfast, “Lighting the Path – Women Shaping Orlando,” was sponsored by Akerman Senterfit and Grant Thornton. Attendees enjoyed a continental breakfast and networking segment followed by an hour-long panel presentation. Panel members included Linda Chapin, [...]
