Julio Colmenares, Owner, CGR Creative
Julio began his career as a graphic designer in Caracas, Venezuela where he worked for an agency for L’Oreal Cosmetics.
He earned a degree in graphic design from Instituto de Diseño de Caracas. Soon after arriving in Charlotte, NC, he found opportunities as a designer and creative director for bi-lingual newspapers and magazines, providing him with a unique experience and understanding of the Latino community in the area.

Edith Valladares McElroy, Central Piedmont Community College
Edith Valladares McElroy, born in Caracas, Venezuela, is Dean for the Levine Campus at Central Piedmont Community College. This appointment includes management responsibility for the Business, English, Foreign Languages/ Academic English as a Second Language, and Behavioral/ Social Sciences areas. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and a master’s degree in English as a Second Language from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Manuel Castro, Bank of America
Manuel Castro has been working for Bank of America since August 2001 in the Finance area holding positions in GCIB, Regulatory Reporting, Consumer Real Estate, and most recently in Finance Risk Management leading the Corporate Reg W Finance group.

Joaquin Soria, Nutrac Global, President
Joaquin Soria assumed in January of 2011 the role of President and Managing Partner of the firm. He was Vice President and Managing Partner of Nutrac from March 2009 until December 2010. Prior to that, he was Vice President Finance – U.S. Operations for Sirona Dental Systems, Inc. Joaquin spent thirteen years with DaimlerChrysler, where he held various global assignments, as Treasurer, Controller, and Vice President of Finance for various operations for the group.

Rocio Gonzalez, Allen Tate Realty
Rocio Gonzalez has always been involved in providing service to the Latin Community, from her Human Services, County Case worker job in Pennsylvania, to her Real Estate Career in Charlotte. Rocio moved to the Charlotte area in 1999 and began her Real Estate Career with Allen Tate Company. Most of her clientele were Latinos wanting to acquire the American dream.

Jorge De La Jara, Compass Group
Jorge De La Jara is a native of Lima, Peru. In his early 20s, he moved to San Francisco, California and began working in the Silicone Valley. His experience includes several years as a Project Manager in International Business for Oracle Corporation.

Bill Garcia, Food Lion
Since June 2010, Bill Garcia serves as the Community Relations manager for Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group. He is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive and strategic community relations program for the Food Lion family of banners and Bottom Dollar Food, and leverages best practices with other Delhaize America banners across the company’s sixteen state footprint.  From 2008 to 2010, Bill worked as an independent management consultant serving local non-profit organizations.   From 2007 to 2008, Bill worked as Executive Director of the International House, a Charlotte-based non-profit organization that promotes international diversity, citizen diplomacy and immigrant advocacy.

Edgar Saucedo, Norsan Multimedia
Edgar Saucedo is the Market Manager for Norsan Multimedia, part of Norsan Group. Norsan was founded in 1987 as a group of companies that includes Restaurant and Catering Division with various concepts; Frontera Mex-Mex Grills, Frontera Catering Company, Pampas Argentinean Steakhouse, and Luciano’s Ristorantes Italianos.

Luis Tochiki, Neighboring Concepts
Luis, a native of Lima-Perú, is a graduate of Ricardo Palma Private University. After practicing architecture for three years in Lima-Peru moved to Charlotte with his wife Pilar in 1983. Since that time, Luis has diversified and broadened his design expertise through work on civic, recreational, higher education, transportation, healthcare, correctional, commercial, mixed-use, and multifamily projects.