The Next Generation of
Latinx Leaders at the
LATINA Style 50 Conference
By Carla Zanoni
Director of Audience Development, TED
The LATINA Style 50 conference
marked a significant change in
my professional experience.
For most of my life I was told
explicitly or implicitly that it was best to
assimilate, to make use of my pale skin
and light eyes. Is my last name Italian?
Yes, yes it is. Nevermind the Lopez and
Rodriguez and Bouzas who came before
that, and my birth certificate from Buenos
Aires. And if someone learned about my
Argentinian background? Focus on the
European heritage of 87 percent of the
population there.
Hearing from trailblazing Latinas
about their career paths at the LATINA
Style 50 conference in Virginia earlier this
year was inspiring and educational, with
Latinx leaders discussing how they lead
in their respective organizations and
bring along the next generation through
formalized mentorship and sponsorship
programs.
But the top thrill was looking out at
an audience of faces who I knew shared a
common life experience to mine: being
Hispanic in the U.S. workforce. I felt
grateful for the chance to speak to the
women and men about The Wall Street
Journal’s commitment to diversity and
inclusion. I also took copious notes when
others shared their experiences doing the
same important work in their corners of
the world.
Some of the standout lessons I took
away included a reminder from Prudential
Financial’s Claudia Vasquez that “it is never too
late to become the person you want to be,” and
AT&T’s Maria T. Lensing assuring us that “if you
Carla Zanoni is an expert in audience
engagement and development, digital
strategy and emerging media. At the
time of the conference Carla was at the
Wall Street Journal, serving as its first
global Audience & Analytics Editor.
want to change the environment you’re in, it has
to start with you.” Their words reminded me that
if I want to lead then I need to show up in the
fullness of who I am each and every day. The
conference not only gave me permission,
but reminded me of my responsibility to
do so.
Each time we share our own
experiences, whether one-on-one or on
stage to a group of hundreds, we have
the opportunity to inspire someone to
make a change or take a step forward in
their life. It is a privilege and responsibility
to share our struggles and successes and
build new language, understanding and
networks to move us forward toward a
common good of uplifting new voices in
media and business.
I saw that spark of inspiration and
positive change when a young woman
approached me after my esteemed
panelists and I spoke about being a
“change agent.” She told me she was
excited to see me on stage – a Latina in
a leadership role at her favorite newspaper.
She thanked me for “showing up,”
because it meant The Wall Street Journal
cares about her, too.
My focus at the Journal has always
been to expand our reach and engagement
to diverse audiences, particularly women
and immigrants, who are uniquely
positioned to create positive change and
momentum in this world.
At the LATINA Style 50 conference, I
felt one step closer to achieving that goal,
and hopeful the Latinx who come after
me will shine at work and in the world,
and continue to bring about positive
change. Nothing inspires me more than that.
LS
¡Punto Final!
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48 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle Vol. 25, No. 2, 2019
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