Negocios Now, a national award-winning publication focused on Hispanic business, announces its list of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Chicago for 2020.
The list includes top Hispanic executives in business, nonprofits, government, healthcare, and other areas where Latinos are making a clear difference in this country.
“We think this is one of the most powerful selections of Latino leaders in Chicago since we started Negocios Now in 2007,” said Publisher Clemente Nicado. “It’s a privilege for our publication to have them in this edition.”
Selecting Latino talent is always a challenge, he said. There are so many outstanding people, and each list draws more and more nominations. We are happy to have the support to celebrate the achievement of our community, said Nicado. We live in challenging times, but challenges are always necessary for our quest to grow as entrepreneurs and a minority, he added.
Since it’s founding 14 years ago, Negocios Now has been a unique resource for understanding Hispanic businesses in the Chicago area, and it has served as a bridge between the Latino business community and corporations, government entities, and nonprofits.
“I want to say thank you to all of the award winners, and to our sponsors, for making this edition possible. They are a beacon of hope for our community as it struggles to move forward in one of the most difficult times of our lives,” said Nicado.
Founded by Nicado, a former international correspondent and former journalist at the Chicago Tribune, Negocios Now has received more than 20 national awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications and received a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club in 2012 for general excellence. In 2018, Nicado was selected the Latino Publisher of the Year by NAHP.
Negocios Now is the creator and host of Who’s Who in Hispanic Chicago and Latinos 40 Under 40 Special editions and events to recognize the young generations of Latinos in Chicago and New York City.
Below is the list of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in 2020
1-Joe Almeida
Chairman, President & CEO
Baxter International
2- Arabel Alva Rosales
President and CEO
AAR Tech
3- Juan Andrade Jr.
President
United States Hispanic Leadership Institute
4- Martin Cabrera Jr.
Founder & CEO
Cabrera Capital Partners, Cabrera Capital Markets
5- Olga Camargo
Founder & CEO
FARO Associates
6- Gloria Castillo
Director
Together We Rise
7- Rubén Castillo
Litigator
Akerman
8- Adela Cepeda
Finance specialist
9- Ramón “Ray” Cepeda
Senior Managing Director
The Northern Trust
10- Elizabeth Colón
President & Founder
Metaphrasis Language and Cultural Solutions
11- Pedro DeJesus
Executive Vice President
Tampico Beverages Inc.
12- Marcelo De Santis
Executive advisor
ThoughtWorks
13- Dr. Marina Del Rios
Director of Social Emergency Medicine, Associate Professor
University of Illinois at Chicago
14- Jaime di Paulo
President and CEO
Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
15- Joseph Dominguez
CEO
ComEd
16- Omar Duque
President
HITEC
17- Rosa Escareño
Commissioner
Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
18- Ricardo (Ric) Estrada
President and CEO
Metropolitan Family Services
19- Sol Flores
Deputy Governor
State of Illinois
20- Jesus “Chuy” Garcia
Representative
U.S. Congress
21- Rodrigo Garcia
Deputy State Treasurer
State of Illinois
22- Alicia Gonzalez
Executive Director
Cubs Charities
23- Francisco Gonzalez Pulido
Founder
FGP Atelier
24- Rey B. Gonzalez
President and CEO
El Valor
25- Richard A. Gonzalez
Chairman & CEO
AbbVie
26- Julieta LaMalfa
Director
Stout | Wintrust board
27- Susana A. Mendoza
Comptroller
State of Illinois
28- Juan Gabriel Moreno
President
JGMA
29- Patricia Mota
President & CEO
Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement
30– Oscar Munoz
Executive Chairman
United Airlines Holdings Inc.
31- David Olivencia
Managing Director
Accenture
32- Gregg Ontiveros
CEO
Group O
33- David Ortiz
Credit Executive
BMO Financial Corp.
34- Patricio Miguel
CEO
The Kraft Heinz Co.
35- Jorge Perez
Executive Director
Hispanic American Construction Industry Association
36- Jose Luis Prado
Executive Advisor Partner
Wind Point Partners
37- Maria de J. Prado
Partner, Co-founder, President
Prado & Renteria CPAs
38- Sylvia Puente
President and CEO
Latino Policy Forum
39- Raul I. Raymundo
Founder
The Resurrection Project
40- Jesse G. Reyes
Justice
Illinois Appellate Court
41- Emma Rodriguez-Ayala
General Counsel
LGIM America
42- Robert Rodriguez
President
DRR Advisors
43- Celena Roldán
CEO
American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois
44- Hipolito (Paul) Roldan
CEO
Hispanic Housing Development Corp.
45- Jesse Ruiz
Deputy Governor
State of Illinois
46- Juan Salgado
Chancellor
City Colleges of Chicago
47- José R. Sánchez
President & CEO
Humboldt Park Health
48- Carmen Solano-De Carrier
Owner-operator
McDonald’s
49- Neli Vazquez Rowland
Co-founder
A Safe Haven
50- Lizette Williams
Global marketing head
