Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable: Industry Leaders Reflect on Culture, Representation, and Inclusion (VIDEO)

The panel included the insights of:

• Vanessa Sandoval, Head of Engagement & Belonging, Hearst Magazines
• Yvette M. Del Valle, Director, Learner Community & Experience; Talent, Equity & Learning Solutions, The 4A’s
• Stephen Paez, Executive Vice President, Cultural Investment, and Innovation, Publicis Media
• Tina Rodriguez, Sr. Director, Content Strategy & Acquisition, aspireTV
• Shirley Flores, Director, Media Operations; and ERG Lead of Mindshare’s Black Diamond Group

When it comes to early memories of representation, the group’s answers varied from Latin music stars Gloria Estefan and Selena Quintanilla and Academy Award winner Rita Moreno, Oscar nominee America Ferrera to Latino-centered films like In the Heights and West Side Story. Flores and Sandoval highlighted growing up watching Spanish-language networks like Univision and Telemundo and seeing themselves represented on screen. “We were everywhere!” Sandoval said as a South Texas native. “I grew up seeing novellas on television and everyone was predominantly Latino in my area, so I wasn’t aware there was a representation issue. It seemed normal to think that we could be in the media space.”

Paez echoed the sentiment of having grown up in Miami, sharing that having that representation in the workplace set him up for success. “I didn’t realize that this wasn’t the norm until I moved to Chicago. I started in an advertising agency that was multicultural, but we also did the general market. That really helped me prepare and go explore and know that we’re not all the same and gave me the confidence that if they were able to do this, then I could succeed.”

“It would have allowed me to see that it was possible,” Rodriguez added, speaking on the impact of seeing someone like her in a leadership role during her early career days. “What I’ve tried to do since then is to be a person for others to talk to and be that model for them. I would’ve come along a little faster if I had someone, but I’m glad that I can do that now for someone.”

“One of my mentors was a direct supervisor of mine, Stacey Abreu and she really created an environment where I truly felt safe, seen and heard,” Del Valle shared. “She provided me guidance but also allowed me to gain confidence in my abilities and that helped me grow both professionally and personally.”

Recently published findings from The Myers Report’s 2024 Inclusion, Belonging, Knowledge and Relationships Study revealed key insights into the potential of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in the industry, including that culture-based ERGs are the most sought after by employees, and that those within the first two years of their time at a company show an vested interest in joining an ERG compared to those with a longer tenure.

As the ERG Lead of Mindshare’s Black Diamond Group, Flores shared her own insights and the benefits of having ERGs that help foster community in the workplace. “It allows the opportunity for diverse casts of employees to have a safe space and feel included and is one of the most important pieces of being in a large organization. We do a lot of community-building, reaching out within our team, and reminding people to be culturally aware, like bringing Hispanic Heritage Month through shared experiences. It’s about advocating for yourselves and the ones coming into this industry.”

Sandoval pointed out how drastically ERGs evolved when comparing them from before the pandemic to when remote work began in 2020. “In addition to this sense of community, we’ve also made sure to focus on other ways to ‘show up’ at work and make an impact. We call it the Four C’s framework: Careers, Community, Culture and Commerce. We ask [ERG leads] to consider in these spaces, whether it’s an in-person event, an activation or a panel, that it serves one of those four pillars. We have a lot of new joiners and they’re looking for a tribe, for a pack, a group to call their friends at work.”

The 4A’s Learning Institute offers programs such as the Workplace Enlightenment Certification and Campaign Enlightenment Program that “help agencies move toward the highest standards of equity and inclusion and work with their clients to create authentic, impactful, bias-free campaigns.”

The 4A’s Foundation is “committed to identifying, developing, empowering and ensuring the most diverse talent enters and succeeds in the marketing industry. Our robust initiatives and programs aimed at discovering and cultivating talent across their educational and professional career journey include the Multicultural Advertising Intern Program (MAIP), Vanguard and other education programs. We have provided over $4 million dollars in awards, grants, and scholarships to deserving students studying advertising, marketing, media, creative arts, and public relations. The MAIP Alumni Association with more than 4,400+ professionals is the largest diverse community in the industry. Our high school education programs have prepared more than 1,000 diverse high school students for careers in Marketing.”

In closing, each panelist shared words of wisdom for the incoming workforce, particularly those who spent most, if not all, of their college careers learning remotely during the pandemic, and missed out on essential in-person networking events. The group also emphasized the importance of continuous learning, active involvement in industry communities, and the power of language skills and diversity in building a successful career.

This conversation served as an inspiring reminder of the diversity and richness of Hispanic identities, providing essential guidance for the next generation of leaders in media and marketing.

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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.org/MyersBizNet.