Member Webinar: Hispanic Heritage Month 2024

Refugio Atilano is 2^nd-gen Mexican and native Chicagoan.  He’s a first-generation graduate and business leader with vast experience working in many corporate environments for Fortune 500 companies.

He is a senior business leader for the world’s third largest global pharmaceutical company and is currently the Director, Cultural Competency, where he helps connect with under-served communities.

Ref’s passion is advancing the leadership representation of the Latino community.  He is the Global Chair of the award winning AHORA Latino ERG, is a DEI Champion, Author of The Latino Leadership Playbook, and creator of the top-tier Latino-centric development program, The Latino Leadership Club.

Ref is an influencer for the Latino professional community and uses his network to help drive the collective leadership development of the Latino everywhere.

I’m a proud Cuban American, born in Panama, with a passion for connecting and empowering communities. For the past 12 years, I’ve had the privilege of working at AAA-The Auto Club Group, where I’ve been able to contribute to our mission in meaningful ways. One of my most rewarding accomplishments is being a founding member of our Hispanic/LatinX Employee Resource Group (ERG). This initiative has allowed me to support diversity and inclusion within our organization, creating a platform for cultural exchange and advocacy.

An award-winning entrepreneur and accomplished Wall Street executive, Yesi Morillo is a TEDx speaker, author, business strategist, and power igniter, focusing on helping others reach their fullest potential.

Yesi currently serves as a Senior Vice President at Citi, working as a
Talent & Diversity Advisor, curating and implementing a global strategy for the organization’s Hispanic/Latino population. She also provides expertise, guidance, and support for the Hispanic/Latino Inclusion Network.

Yesi is a prominent voice in shaping the narrative around positioning Citi as an employer of choice, serving as a subject matter expert in the design and deployment of diversity-focused initiatives across the firm; and provides support and guidance in measuring the effectiveness of programs and initiatives both within and external to the firm. In this role she manages multiple stakeholders and takes a consultative approach in informing and developing a global diversity strategy.

Prior to rejoining Citi, Yesi embarked on a sabbatical to focus on recalibrating life, travel, spend time with her sons and redefine self-agency – a practice she teaches others and strongly encourages individuals to pause for. This time afforded Yesi to align her purpose and experience for her next career; and rediscover her passion for creative writing and professional dancing (she won her initial first place award in competitive Salsa in 2021).

Yesi began her career at Citi in 1996 as an administrative assistant, and successfully navigated the space to ultimately become an executive Director in Capital Markets, where she served as the Head of Proposal Management and Investor Relations, managing a trillion-dollar bid proposal portfolio and an institutional investor framework, as well as various key business control and technology initiatives. In 2012, Citi recognized Yesi as one of twenty high potential women, making her a part of the firm’s distinguished Development Talent Program (DTP), which focuses on developing the organization’s future leaders. Her team’s technology proposal of chip/pin for the bank’s cards was implement by the organization in 2013.

Her soul work, outside her career, is as founder of Proud to Be Latina, an organization created to help Latinas banish self-doubt and break self-imposed barriers. A professional leadership and development firm, Proud to Be Latina focuses on helping women navigate the corporate space through impactful, action-driven platforms and programs, including the Latina Empowerment Conference and the coveted EMERGE professional development program, which has been delivered at dozens of Fortune 500 organizations. In its ten years, the firm has touched over 3.2 million women, men, and youth across the globe.

As an empowerment expert and motivational speaker, Yesi has been featured in Latino Leaders magazine, Latina magazine, Working Mother Magazine, New Vision magazine, NBC Latino, The Huffington Post, and has appeared live on New York’s WPIX news, among others. In 2017, the Dominican Day Parade recognized Yesi as a “Business Ambassador”, and LATINO magazine recognized her with a BRAVA award for outstanding leadership in the community in 2016.

In 2015, she was honored by the Association of Latino Professional for America (ALPFA) for “Making An Impact in a Global Society”. El Diario recognized Yesi as A Woman of Distinction in 2013, and in 2014 JWThompson recognized Yesi as a “positive portrayal of the Latino community”.

In April 2016, Yesi shared her story of progress as a TEDx speaker, through her talk: Breaking The Cycle.

In May 2016, Yesi earned her fourth degree, a Master of Science in Writing from New York University. She is currently a doctoral candidate, earning a Ph.D. in Education. She holds an MBA from Touro University and a bachelor’s in finance from Baruch College. A lifetime learner with a love for education, Yesi serves as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University and Baruch College in New York City.

She is the author of the RISE series of books for self-growth and the forthcoming novel Stay (May 2024). She resides in New York City with her two sons and their dog, Luna.

Vanessa Santos Fein is an award-winning entrepreneur, global brand strategist, investor, and heart-centric motivational speaker with success in mindset elevation and personal transformation. A social entrepreneur, Vanessa is a catalyst and thought leader for gender equality, brand amplification, product development, mindset shift, elevating the
voices of BIPOC women and business growth.
Vanessa is co-founder of Bodega Records, where she partners with independent artists to enhance their creative brands and businesses. Vanessa is also a published songwriter
with BMI and a creative partner of recording artist Derik Fein.
Additionally, Vanessa is passionate about advocating for BIPOC women. Her life’s work is to launch women into their power. As a strategic advisor, Vanessa mentors ambitious women of color supporting them to flourish in their lives, careers and entrepreneurial ventures. To further amplify her mission of empowering millions of women, Vanessa serves as Co-CEO & Partner of #WeAllGrow Latina, the most prominent lifestyle and community platform for impactful Latinas and Femme Latines.
Vanessa is a dynamic keynote speaker, and speaks on harnessing the power of your mind, personal branding, small business growth, inclusion in the workplace, and, women’s rights, gender, pay, and investment disparity with the goal of spreading awareness of the value that women bring to the global economy. Vanessa gave the keynote address at Forbes Most Powerful Women in Latin America. She inspires and captivates audiences with her authenticity, humor, and actionable, life-changing advice.

Vanessa lives by pursuing your joy and has been on a mission since leaving the constraints of the corporate world to explore her passions and has tried something new every month. She has since explored getting back to her off-broadway roots, creative writing, dancing, hiking, plant-based cooking, and creating motivational content on TikTok and Instagram.
Vanessa resides in California with her singer-songwriter husband Derik Fein and their two fur babies, Elvis & Teddy.