September 20th 2024

10:00 am - 01:00 pm PST




About the Event

Join HACE to kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration 2024! Gain an overview on Latinos in Entertainment. According to a recent McKinsey study, Latinos are avid consumers of Hollywood’s narratives, US Latinos account for 24 percent of box office ticket sales and 24 percent of streaming subscribers. To put this into even sharper contrast, US Latinos see films 3.3 times a year, per capita, compared with 2.9 for Asian-Americans and 2.3 for White Americans. Yet Latinos hold less than 5 percent of leading on-screen, off-screen, and executive leadership roles in US media, according to our research. Half of large media companies’ boardrooms include no Latino representation, and overall there is limited progress toward parity. As a result, the many facets of the Latino identity, from the United States and around the world, continue to be unseen or misrepresented on screens. Join this discussion with Latinos in Entertainment about what is needed to imagine a world in which Latino audiences begin to see themselves depicted in multiple facets of entertainment.

Source: Latinos in Hollywood (McKinsey, 2024)

Our Sponsors

Meet
Our Speakers


Danny Pino

Actor and Director

Danny Pino is a versatile actor and director who has enjoyed success in television, film, and theater. He currently stars as the tormented organized crime boss ‘Miguel Galindo’ in FX’s smash-hit show MAYANS M.C. and made his episodic directorial debut in the fourth season. Recently, Danny played opposite Amy Adams in Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Danny portrayed the charmingly streetwise police detective ‘Nick Amaro’ in four seasons of LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. Recently, Danny guest starred in the critically acclaimed Paramount + series THE GOOD FIGHT. He also starred in Robert and Michelle King’s CBS series BRAINDEAD, opposite Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tony Shalhoub. In Shonda Rhimes’ hit ABC series SCANDAL, Danny played the major recurring role of ‘Alex Vargas’. Danny guest starred on USA Network’s long running series BURN NOTICE, portrayed the sociopath ‘Armadillo Quintero’ on FX’s THE SHIELD, and is perhaps best known for his seven seasons starring as the laconic ‘Detective Scotty Valens’ on the Warner Brothers series COLD CASE.

Danny graced the silver screen as ‘Carter Heywood’ in the thriller FATALE with Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy. He portrayed ‘Gabriel Garza’ in the indie feature ACROSS THE LINE: THE EXODUS OF CHARLIE WRIGHT, opposite Aidan Quinn and Andy Garcia. He also appeared in Guillermo Arriaga’s directorial debut THE BURNING PLAIN, an ensemble drama featuring Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, and Jennifer Lawrence and as a Wyoming horse-wrangler in the feature film FLICKA, with Tim McGraw and Maria Bello. He starred in the independent thriller ACROSS THE HALL and played the iconic ‘Desi Arnaz’ in LUCY, a biopic about Lucille Ball.

Danny’s theater credits include THE WINTER’S TALE and MEASURE FOR MEASURE for The Public Theater at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, the dark comedy UP FOR GRABS on London’s West End with Madonna and, most recently, the suspenseful KEY LARGO at the Geffen Playhouse with Andy Garcia. Danny also recently completed the short film, UNIÓN DE REYES (Union of Kings), which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in.

Ruby Mateo

Head of Development and Production

Ruby Mateo Head of Development and Production, Hudlin Entertainment Emmy-nominated producer Ruby Mateo is currently the Head of Development and Production at Hudlin Entertainment. She began her career in sports, producing for ESPN and the Olympics before pivoting to narrative filmmaking after graduating from the American Film Institute. Ruby went on to work for AGBO and Netflix, contributing to the development and production of films like CHERRY, MOSUL, EXTRACTION, SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, and most recently, CANDY CANE LANE.

Robert Santini

SVP Brand Partnerships, Warner Records

Robert Santini is a cultural brand strategist and marketer with nearly 20 years of agency and in-house experience focused at the intersection of music, sports, technology, gaming and entertainment. Currently serving as the Senior Vice President of Global Brand Partnerships and Commercial Sync at Warner Records, Robert and his team are responsible for pairing the label’s roster of artists with global brands such as Xbox, Apple, Anheuser-Busch, NBA 2K, McDonalds, Redbull, Samsung, PepsiCo and more. Robert also secures larger label partnerships.

In his role, he deftly facilitated a series of award-winning campaigns. Under his watch, Warner Records joined forces with Roblox and the NFL for the first-of-its-kind Virtual Super Bowl Halftime Performance headlined by multiplatinum superstar Saweetie within the Metaverse. The latter notably received a CLIO Award and a Webby Award. 

Among other highlights, he also cemented the collaboration between Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Meta for the launch of the Oculus 3 VR headset, and as part of a campaign with the San Francisco 49ers, Saweetie and P-Lo delivered a playoff anthem for the team entitled “Do It For The Bay.” Plus, he oversaw an all-encompassing strategic alliance with NBA2K for new music and content. 

In recognition of his impact and successful track record, Billboard touted him on its 2024 Top Ballers List, citing him among “The Most Influential Execs, Athletes And Artists Melding Music And Sports.”

Omar Ruiz

News Anchor/Reporter

Omar Ruiz began his career at NFL Network during the 2012 season. Over the years, Ruiz has served a variety of roles for the network including his current role as a national reporter. Ruiz can also be seen regularly on NFL Total Access, NFL Now and Good Morning Football. Before joining NFL Network, Ruiz hosted NHL Tonight and On the Fly at NHL Network and worked as a play-by-play announcer for some of UCLA's Olympic sports, including men's water polo, women's soccer and women's volleyball. Ruiz began his broadcasting career in Syracuse, New York (WSTM) where he was a morning news reporter, as well as fill-in sports anchor. From there, Ruiz went on to work as a sports reporter and anchor in Northern California (KION/KCBA) and then Columbus, Ohio (WCMH), where he covered an Ohio State beat, including two BCS National Championship football games and a Final Four NCAA Basketball Tournament appearance.

Ruiz's impressive track record expands to covering the NHL draft & playoffs, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and MLB and NBA playoffs. Interestingly, one of Ruiz's first jobs, as a game day security guard for the San Francisco 49ers in Candlestick Park, had a major influence on where he is today. For a season when he was a teenager, Ruiz gained an up-close view of the NFL world escorting the referees to and from the field. Watching the action from the sidelines and talking to players and coaches turned a lifelong passion for football into a full-fledged career aspiration.

Omar Ruiz earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from San Diego State University and a master's degree from Syracuse University in broadcast journalism. When not at work, Omar enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife and two young daughters. A California native, Ruiz is also an avid beach volleyball player, a die-hard Dodgers fan and loves March Madness.

Patricia Mota

CEO, HACE

Patricia Mota is an innovative trailblazer, start-up entrepreneur, author, connector, public speaker, and compassionate leader with a particular strength that exemplifies the mission of the Hispanic Alliance of Career Enhancement (HACE) to positively impact the workforce by cultivating the pipeline of Latinx/a/o and underrepresented talent and providing insight, access, and support to their careers. Patricia serves as the President & CEO for HACE, leading strategy, fundraising & development, leadership programs, and expanding organizational reach on a national and international scale.

When she was asked to step in as the interim CEO in 2014, her mission was clear: maintain the programs, lead by example, and create a new path for the future CEO. She built the strategic plan and deployed it that same year. Less than 1 year after accepting the interim CEO opportunity, she was the likely choice as she identified with the members, learned from colleagues, was creative at turnaround and assumed the role as CEO. In her first year, she grew new partnerships by $1.5M, increased membership by 67%, expanded the Mujeres de HACE women’s leadership program from one to eight cities, broadened the spectrum of the El Futuro High School program, and kickstarted a pilot of the HACE Leadership Academy – Nonprofit Series, impacting the lives of over 25,000 students and professionals.

In 2021, Patricia added Co-Founder to her list of accolades, collaborating to build SHENIX™, a FinTech startup that is leading the development of a financial tool to help close the wealth gap by providing culturally relevant financial education, career development tools, and resources to the underserved, the underbanked or unbanked, starting with Latinas.

Patricia has a strong history of serving in capacities that garner access to education, meaningful jobs, and advancement, also reflected by her service on various boards and accolades; serving on the Associated Colleges of Illinois, Indiana University’s O’Neil School of Public Affairs Distinguished Alumni Council, Chicago Theological Seminary Board of Trustee, Illinois Treasurer Charitable Trust Board and most recently awarded the SHERO award by the Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW) in 2021, the Nonprofit HR Top Leaders to Watch in 2020, and Crain’s Chicago Business Top 20 Most Powerful Latinos in Chicago in 2019.

Agenda


10:00 am - 01:00 pm (PST)

HACE 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

  • 10:00am – 11:00am Networking
  • 11:00am – 11:15am Welcome & Introduction of Guest Speakers
  • 11:15am – 11:50am Questions/Panel Discussion
  • 11:50am – 12:15pm Q&A & Wrap-up
  • 12:15pm - 01:00pm Networking

10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

HACE 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff

  • 10:30am – 11:00am Networking (30 minutes)
  • 11:00am – 11:15am Welcome & Introduction of Guest Speakers (15 minutes)
  • 11:15am – 11:40am Questions/Panel Discussion (35 minutes)
  • 11:40am – 12:00pm Q&A & Wrap-up (20 minutes)
  • 12:00pm – 12:30pm Networking (30 minutes)

08:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

HACE 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff

  • 08:30am – 09:00am Networking (30 minutes)
  • 09:00am – 09:15am Welcome & Introduction of Guest Speakers (15 minutes)
  • 09:15am – 09:40am Questions/Panel Discussion (35 minutes)
  • 09:40am – 10:00am Q&A & Wrap-up (20 minutes)
  • 10:00am – 10:30am Networking (30 minutes)

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

HACE 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Kickoff

1 Hour

Coming Soon

According to a report released by UnidosUS this summer, “in August 2021, 17.2% of Latino adults 18 years and older who had household members planning to take postsecondary classes in Fall 2021 reported canceling their plans at a higher rate than White adults (14.5%).” One of the top reasons for these changes included financial challenges. Supporting our students is more important now than ever!

Help us continue making an impact on our community and make a contribution today! Make a tax-deductible donation. Every donation, of any amount, helps our students realize their potential.

The Dr. Ervin “Vinny” Caraballo Scholarship

DONATE

The HACE UIC LARES Olga Camargo Scholarship

DONATE

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions


Yes, you’ll need to fill out our registration form to gain access to the event. Please fill in the registration form with some basic information to get started.
The information you provide upon registration will only be used to establish you as a user on the platform and to create your login credentials. It will not be used for any other purposes.
Yes, the vFairs platform is compatible with any computer or mobile device and any browser.
Yes, this event is completely free to attend. We encourage you to login and have a look around at your convenience.
The event will be on demand for 30 days, however we may make updates and changes to the platform periodically. Make sure to keep checking back in to see our newest features in action!