2012 NSHMBA Austin MBA Experience: Leverage Your Heritage

Submitted by: Marcela Andrés

Email: Education@nshmba.austin.org

NSHMBA AUSTIN: Hispanic leaders shared successful strategies to Leverage your Heritage as a Hispanic Professional in Corporate America during this year’s MBA Experience.

Over 45 attendees listened to an inspiring panel comprised of Austin’s very own Hispanic Leaders who have impacted the local and national community at the Seton Administration Building. The evening was kicked off by our Corporate Sponsor, Seton’s Vice President of Diversity and Community Outreach, Geronimo Rodriguez. Among his inspiring and prominent comments, Mr. Rodriguez highlighted that 8 out of every 10 births at Brackenridge hospital are attributed to Latina women. The notable fact of the Hispanic population growth was a perfect orifice to the evening’s panel.

The panel was moderated by Eli Mercer, Owner of Genesis Consulting and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

Panelist shared their common values, lessons learned and show cased how building confidence and developing a strong sense of community promotes leveraging your heritage.

The panelists were:

Nora Comstock, CEO and Founder of Las Comadres Para Las Americas, a national and international network of Latinas who celebrate the Latino culture and share professional, social and culture connections.

Tom Ramsey, President and CEO of Snappy Snacks, a Mobile Catering Incorporation that works with individuals wishing to own and operate their own Mobile Catering business.

Juan A. Martinez, Entrepreneur and Owner of Yellow Cheetah, FIVE55 Series, and Tri It Wear companies, all companies he started by leveraging his diverse background in business, sales, marketing, and technology with his passion for sports.

Juan Tornoe, Partner at CMO Cultural Strategies and Owner of Hispanic Trending, the leading marketing and advertising blog in the Hispanic Community. Mr. Tornoe who has a passion for serving the Hispanic Community, has been featured in several renowned industry media channels.

It was inspiring and attractive to hear how the panelist’s comments were orchestrated around helping each other out, i.e. community.

"Nadie nacio corriendo,”which means no one was born running is a cliché remark shared by panelist Tom Ramsey, but his following message was nothing short of profound and impactful. Mr. Ramsey along with the other panelist pointed out that whatever you do, let it be what your heart desires and become an expert at it. If in your chosen field you can up your game by obtaining an MBA, then set goals for yourself and obtain one. Local universities including, St. Edward’s, Baylor, UT of Austin, University of Phoenix, Texas A&M, and Concordia were present showcasing their graduate programs and answering questions regarding the MBA process. In addition Kaplan was also present and showcased its exam preparation material in addition to making a generous donation for the evening’s raffle.