About Latinas & Power Symposium
About Latinas & Power Symposium®
In its 17th year, the Latinas & Power Symposium brings marketplace and career opportunities together with the Latina market. Our goal is to help Latinas succeed. We offer professional development sessions on building wealth, personal growth, entrepreneurship, technology and career building. In addition to our adult sessions, we offer a youth track for high school students designed to help them identify their skills and motivate them to continue their education. We anchor the event by presenting powerful Latina inspirational speakers and celebrities from across the U.S. who share their personal stories and how they overcame challenges, barriers and the glass ceilings, floors and walls. We believe that sharing strategies for success is a responsibility that each of us can share in our own style.
The exceptional networking opportunities unite women in a spirit of camaraderie enabling us to attract Latinas who are often difficult to reach through traditional channels.
The event, incubated in Hartford, Connecticut in 2004, is the largest of its kind in New England and has reached upwards of 10,000+ women since its inception. The ability to have personal interaction with attendees is an attractive draw for sponsors and exhibitors.
Mission
Our mission is to inspire, motivate, encourage and enable Latinas to succeed and become leaders.
About Marilyn Alverio, MBA
Hello!
Having grown up in an urban neighborhood Marilyn learned early on about the impact of giving back to the community, volunteerism and paying it forward. Her parents migrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico in the early 1950’s and instilled the importance of “la Familia,” culture, our language and being involved in “La Communidad.”
She earned her B.A from the University of CT. in Storrs, CT and later an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. Marilyn has worked in the corporate arena for more than twenty years where she has held numerous management positions within the airlines, pharmaceutical, education, financial and health insurance industries. As an entrepreneur, she led Ethnic Marketing Solutions for 9 years, an agency that focused on strategic marketing for companies interested in learning about and tapping into multicultural markets.
As a recognized multicultural marketing professional, Marilyn has led numerous companies and businesses through strategic marketing and branding strategies that help grow the business.
Board of Directors
Marilynn Cruz-Aponte
Board Chair
Marilynn is a recently retired, Connecticut Government Leader and Executive Public Administrator with in-depth experience in strategic program planning, government services restructuring, municipal financial management, human resource leadership, communications, and public labor relations. During her 30-year career she has held public works leadership positions in Hartford, East Hartford and New Britain, Connecticut specializing in environmental and solid waste planning, labor-management relations with a focus on organizational analyses and procedural and program improvements.
Erandi Reiland
Board Treasurer
Erandi Reiland is an attorney at BBB Attorneys, LLC. Originally from Mexico, moving to the United States at an early age gave Erandi a fierce drive to succeed and a strong sense of compassion. This is what drives her efforts with every client she works with. Erandi is committed to guiding clients through some of the biggest decisions of their lives.
After immigrating to the United States, she spent her formative years in California, later living in cities across the country, Europe, and Asia, before landing in Connecticut. Relocating frequently gave her a firm understanding how arduous a language barrier can be. She strives to see through complexities and make difficult legal concepts easy to understand. She is also proud to work with Spanish speaking clients, helping them navigate the complexity of their cases in their own language.
She is a music enthusiast, and enjoys reading, painting, and traveling. She lives in New Haven with her guitar-obsessed husband Zach.
Norma I. Villanueva
Secretary
Senior Technical Program Manager with 25 years of delivering on strategic objectives for a Fortune 100 organization. A Trusted leader and thought partner who has helped clients transform ideas into tangible business value, including working as a business consultant in NYC, where I assisted Hispanic entrepreneurs develop business plans and stand-up, their start-ups.
My faith has taught me, ‘To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48)’; therefore, I volunteer and serve on several boards, with a focus on education, mentoring, and empowering the next generation of Hispanic leaders.
Irma I. Reyes
Board Member
Carmen Sierra
Board Member
As a Latina working in finance—and the first and only Latina serving as City Treasurer in New England—Carmen knows how critical it is to have diverse voices represented.
Every decision she makes as Treasurer is made with those needs in mind, and to maintain accountability and transparency when allocating taxpayer funds.
Isabel Bogdan DNP, WHNP-BC
Board Member
Dr. Isabel Bogdan, DNP, WHNP-BC, is a highly accomplished Doctor of Nursing Practice and successful entrepreneur specializing in women’s health. With a focus on research, patient care, and teaching, she has made significant contributions to the field. As the Founder and Owner of belev, a virtual women’s health platform, she provides individualized wellness programs and evidence-based health education. Dr. Bogdan’s passion for education and patient empowerment sets her apart as a leading figure in the industry.