On behalf of the VCLATINX Conference committee, we welcome you to the 2023 edition of the VCLATINX Conference.

In this session, Deb Dietz, CEO of SMB Digital Education and co-chair of VCLATINX will explain our vision, mission and the objectives for this cycle of conferences.

As an entrepreneur, it can be difficult to maintain your cultural identity in the face of a rapidly changing business landscape. In this keynote presentation, we will explore how entrepreneurs can leverage their unique cultural backgrounds and experiences to create lasting impact in their businesses. We will discuss strategies for staying rooted in one's culture while also adapting to new opportunities, technologies, and trends that come with running a successful business. By sharing her own story of being an entrepreneur, Elizabeth will share how she leveraged her cultural identity despite challenging circumstances that lead to her creating a seven-figure business

What do you say about yourself, your work, and the value you offer? How do people perceive you while you say it? They’re making up their minds about you in seconds, so you need to set the stage for success. Catherine Johns offers you a practical path to making a stronger impression when you speak in a meeting, at a conference, or on a virtual platform. Catherine is a communication ninja with a wealth of experience in radio, stage, and other public speaking environments. Her expertise is helping professionals enhance their personal presence and transform the way they communicate so they achieve their goals.

When setting-up new companies, founders and managers are typically overwhelmed by a myriad of must-do activities. No wonder that a sound analysis of competitors might not be their highest priority. However ignorance about your competitive landscape might turn out to bear many risk of failure.

In this session we’ll discuss the basics of Competitive Intelligence – the art of learning about and understanding of competitors.

I wish to talk to you about the FEELn festival a brand new perhaps revolutionary Music, art, film and culture festival that is going to change the paradigm of how music, culture, expression and art and sport can be more positively used to change the world one community at a time focusing on the children and youth who represent the future of humanity.

Have you ever felt like a fraud? Are there times you believe others are more intelligent than you? Do you lack confidence in your own abilities? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it's possible you struggle with Impostor Syndrome. Join our discussion to learn four strategies to overcome it and move in the world with confidence and joy.

In this session Dr. Calof (UNESCO co-Chair in Anticipatory Systems for Innovation and New Venture Creation at University of Ottawa), author of Gaining Market Insights from Events, brings anticipatory systems tools to help your startup become successful. He will help you answer a few questions: What must you anticipate to create a good business plan and can you stress test your plan during this event? Can you test your strategy? How can events help you create a better business plan, and ultimately, one that attracts investors’ attention?

This session is designed to help you discover the transformative value of coaching. Presented by Al Wynant, CEO and Co-Founder of the Ingomu Coaching App, you will gain insights on how you can use coaching to help you set and achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and develop the skills and mindset needed to succeed. This session is sure to inspire and empower you to take your life and career to the next level.

We now live in a world filled with robots, artificial intelligence, electric cars and handheld devices that can connect us with anyone, anytime!  Can you imagine how much wealth you would have created if you knew about these things 20 years ago? Truth be told, Arthur C. Clarke, Walter Cronkite, and even the cartoon Jetson's foretold this over 50 years ago! Learn why having the knowledge of what is coming is only 20% of the battle to create massive growth for your business and career.

Join us for an enlightening journey as we explore the transformative elements that can help you build and run a business without sacrificing your personal well-being. In this powerful course inspired by the work of “Start Grow Manage” we explore "3 Elements to Build and Run a Business That Doesn't Suck All the Life Out of Life." 

We dive deep into purpose, systems, and what it takes to build a business machine. Discover how to infuse purpose into every aspect of your business, design efficient systems for increased productivity, and prioritize building the machine to nurture your overall growth and well-being. Learn the secrets to creating a thriving business that not only brings financial success but also allows you to live a fulfilled and balanced life. Don't miss this opportunity to embrace a new paradigm of entrepreneurship and build a business that truly aligns with your values and aspirations.   You will actually start your plan during this session, and we can't wait to see you there!

Startups fail for many reasons. Post-mortem of hundreds of failed startups show that the most frequent cause for the failure is: "Run of Cash or Failed to Raise New Capital", but money is not the only reason. Although the lack of cash is a startup killer, this situation may ultimately be the symptom of a deeper root cause which ultimately led the investors to “run away”, including the lack of clarity about the purpose of the company. In addition, the reasons why a startup fails can be Internal or External. The reports show a total of 12 specific causes which can be blamed for killing a small new venture. This class will cover all 12 causes of failure and will provide clear guidelines to prevent every one of them effectively and efficiently.

We all know people who seem to operate with ease and abundance, as if good fortune finds them.  Have you ever wondered what it is about these people who attract success? In this presentation, you will learn how to embolden yourself with skill sets that cultivate empowerment, awaken your power through mindset mastery, top of mind relationship building, self-love and Intuition.  Learn how relationship skills, universal laws and your innate intuitive guidance, are the transformative tools needed to create limitless impact and abundance. Techniques in this presentation include neuro linguistic programming, intentional gratitude, positive body language, self-compassion, emotional freedom techniques, and thought management. Without giving you more to do, these techniques will enhance your state of being. Become a magnet for success by empowering your mind! 

Have you ever felt that you are doing well, but you could be even more impactful? Or have you ever thought about why you don't get along with someone no matter what you do?  Have you been judged because of your age, workstyle, communication style, education, or outlook on life? Have you ever pre-judged others because of their hair color, length of their hair, tattoos, attire, where they live, if they're vaccinated or not, or how they speak? Have you ever asked yourself where these thoughts come from and what you can do about them? During this session, we will discuss where these thoughts come from, how these thoughts can lead to limiting behaviors, and how we can circumvent these limitations. It takes more than lip service. It takes intention. We will discuss how to be intentional about recognizing and challenging our limiting thoughts and behaviors.

On behalf of the organizing committee of the VC LatinX Conference, it is a great pleasure to welcome Chella Diaz. Chella has been good with money since she was 9 years old. She purchased her first car at 17. She worked in corporate and has been on her entrepreneurial journey for over 10 years. Chella will be presenting at the conference on, “Identify and Release Money Drama”. Her online course is “Time to Charge Your Value”. In Chella’s course, you will learn how the money conversation you listened to as a child has an impact on your current financial picture. You’ll get tips and tools and shift your money relationship.

 Join us for VC LatinX and Joyce Gioia’s presentation and course, “Experience Rules for Start-Ups”.  Joyce is a best-selling author, Certified Speaking Professional, and Certified Management Consultant. She has helped thousands of clients envision and create better futures. Joyce will share how to ensure your success as a start-up, delivering positive experiences to all of your stakeholders. You’ll learn what you must do to get to market faster and she’ll share her step-by-step action plan for every aspect of your business.

Deb’s presentation and online course, “Strategic Planning”, instructs on her proven, step-by-step business planning process which will transform and propel your business towards growth and profitability. Her methodology is a pragmatic way of business planning, driven by performance management, resulting in cohesiveness and alignment across the organization. Deb’s planning process is unlike any other, proven after many years developing and implementing her step-by-step process working in Fortune-ranked corporations, non-profits and small to mid-sized businesses. Her process is proven to drive positive change, and she teaches it in a step-by-step manner, teaching you the skills but also presenting the rationale behind the steps. You complete her course with your Strategic Plan and Performance Scorecard in hand. And you’ll know exactly what steps to take to get clarity on the path forward for your business.

Brian Richardson (he/him) serves as CEO of StartOut, where he leads the national organization's work to ensure LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs have the resources, networks and information needed to transform their ideas to reality. A veteran of the public, private, and non-profit sectors, Brian most recently led Lambda Legal's Midwest Regional Office. Other previous roles include Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, Communications and Policy Manager for Google, Press Secretary in the U.S. Senate, Specialty Media Director for the Democratic National Committee and high school teacher. Brian earned his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley and his bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago. He is based in Chicago, where he raises his nine-year-old child, Nico. 

Please welcome Brian Richardson, keynote on May 26th 8:05AM PAC.

The truth is that many of us are underestimated and expected to just follow the rules.  However, it's time to add a Plot Twist!  It's time for us to Flip the Script on expectations and lead from our own zones of genius.  We were all created for a unique purpose and many of us forgot that!

There are ways to gain funding for your business through pitch competitions, gaining earned media attention and going where you are celebrated and not tolerated.  When I started my first business, I had no money but I was a talented, dynamic speaker and used that to my advantage to create my own lane in pitching and went on to dominate this niche.  Without an Ivy League degree, without looking like Hollywood, and having no connections in the beginning.  I used creativity to get into spaces where we usually are not and by talent blew people away.  This led to media exposure, the clients and customers of my dreams and a never ending rolodex of opportunities!  Now, it's your time to look at your prospects' challenges and problems and find a creative and innovative approach to solve them, create genius messaging and execute! 

Katarina has been studying and researching Purpose and how we clarify, create and fulfill our Purpose. She’s been delivering Entrepreneurial Business Blueprint consultations and trainings for the past 20 years. Her online course and presentation will address “Your Business Blueprint for Success”, helping you discover the 5 pillars of success in your entrepreneurial business.

In this session we will discuss how foresight is a powerful tool for startups. We will explore three futures tools- storytelling, futures wheels and scenario planning. We will also understand how they can answer three important questions: How to find business opportunities, how to show angel investors we thoroughly thought about the business environment, and how to put together narratives for your upcoming pitch.

Vanessa presents what it really takes to turn your followers into clients and your likes into sales. You’ll discover the real reason why consistency counts and how to create crave-worthy content that will leave your audience wanting more.

Cybersecurity is comprised of many topics and most business owners don’t understand what they need to keep their business, clients and employees safe. We will break down the must-have protective layers and get business owners on the path to cybersecurity.

What information - and presentation skills - serve you well when you pitch to VCs (or anyone from whom you seek investments in your business)? While there may be specific requirements for each pitch you give, there are common components that most should include. Additionally, the professionalism of your online or in-person presentations creates the impression that you are serious about your business. Sylvia will share her collective knowledge and experience, garnered through professional speaking and facilitating a community of pitch coaches for the Piranha Tank series of pitch events, to move you to present your pitches with IMPACT to be the best they - and you - can be.

The story of this serial entrepreneur begins in the mid-1970s when she was just starting out in her career. She had always been interested in entrepreneurship and had a burning desire to start her own business. However, she didn’t have much in the way of capital, so she decided to bootstrap her way to success. Carolyn will share her story about her first business where she was turned down for a loan due to her lack of collateral and credit history. Her second business was as one of the first women to trade their own money on the floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE). By then, she was more experienced and was able to purchase her seat on the Exchange. She now owns her third business, DyMynd, a software company that developed a cutting-edge product for the Financial Services industry. She took everything she has learned as a trader about people’s feelings about risk to develop her own product. Carolyn became a champion of other women’s dreams, and continues to work to help them achieve their goals.

Always build optionality into your startup’s financing strategy. In the spirit of growing adaptive resilience while dealing with disruptive forces, we invite you to join Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center's Executive Director, Nicola Corzine for an in-depth interactive look into identifying and charting the right funding strategy for you as an entrepreneur including:

• How do I define my fundraising roadmap?
• What paths of fundraising should I consider?
• Who are my target “investors” and how do I meet them?
• What are the practices that can unlock the most impact when fundraising in any climate?

The streets of Silicon Valley are littered with investor pitches and dozens of guidelines/best practices on what to prepare for pitching investors. Before spending hours on deck revisions, let’s start by getting you on the right path with your fundraising goals. This practical guide will help you gain clarity on the right fundraising strategy for you based on your specific needs.

Silicon Valley has a certain mystique and a reputation as the place to build a technology company into a global leader. Over the past 50 years, the region’s entrepreneurs have refined the art of company building into a science. What are some of the invisible attitudes, beliefs, and guidelines that keep Silicon Valley on track? How do attitudes towards risk, failure, and ambiguity affect innovation?  This engaging presentation helps you better understand and appreciate the uniqueness of Silicon Valley. You will understand the rules that can, and should be broken, the value of experimentation until you find success, or run out of time and money, and fail.

: Entrepreneurs embark on their startup journey in different ways and are driven by unique goals. Understanding their goals is key to drafting a roadmap to success. Entrepreneurs who start because they see a gap or need in the market should understand the unique challenges in introducing a new idea or concept to the market. Entrepreneurs who are starting a business because they seek a certain lifestyle will face a different timeline and other challenges that when addressed early on won’t become barriers. In this presentation, Dr. Greif will describe each of these paths, outlining the benefits and challenges of each, so that entrepreneurs can prepare for their journey and have a higher probability of success. 

On behalf of the organizing committee of the VC LatinX Conference, it is a great pleasure to welcome Max Lambright. Max is a 7-time CEO, who is ‘too old to hire and too young to retire’!  Max is now focused on mentoring CEOs  and entrepreneurs who are committed to creating and growing world class organizations, people, and themselves. Max’s presentation and course is, “The CEO’s Roadmap to Creating a World Class Organization”. You’ll learn how anyone can create and lead a world class organization, focusing on organic growth, creating a culture of excellence, and practicing visionary leadership.

We live in a time in which credit scoring, specifically FICO scoring, means everything. Your score determines when and if you can purchase a home, when and if you can obtain a credit card, and at what interest rate, where you rent or where you live, how much your transportation will cost you, what type of employment you have and how much you pay for insurance. It is virtually impossible not to have your credit score affect you. You would literally have to be living off the grid for credit scoring to not affect you.  Join me as I share insights about credit and credit scoring, especially the FICO method. I believe the truth will open your eyes. Even if you have great credit and a great credit score, you will benefit, sometimes immensely. Just by applying some of my principles, you could see y our credit score go up significantly.

Jen Nash is a heart-centered financial wellness advocate who promotes and creates financial capability resources that anyone can use to make money decisions easier. Jen is an expert in hardwired human behavior and her unique approach to finances helps people drop information from their heads into their hearts, where real and lasting change happens. Join us as Jen shares her expertise with her presentation and online course “How To Use Your Personal Finances to Secure Your Successful Business”.

In this session, we provide information to guide us through a reflection about the conference, and hear all about next steps for the upcoming conferences.

Bill Haase,  CEO / MetaEd will deliver an inspiring message to close the conference.