On Thursday, Oct. 3, ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) hosted the 50 Most Powerful Latinas Summit in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

This was the third annual year of the event, focused on highlighting and honoring the achievements of senior Latina executives in business - from those who run Fortune 500 companies, departments, and large private firms, to those who are entrepreneurs leading global companies. 

There is an estimated 2 million Latina-owned firms in the United States. The number of Latina entrepreneurs grew 137 percent between 2007 and 2016. The numbers speak for themselves as it pertains to the impact and significance that Latina women have in business, making this annual celebration a critical one to have. 

Hosted by Goldman Sachs, some of the women who were honored at the event included Claudia Romo Edelman, Founder and Special Adviser for We Are All Human Foundation; Nina Vaca, Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group; Myrna Soto, chief operating officer and partner at Digital Hands, LLC; Maria Martinez, executive vice president & chief customer experience officer at Cisco Systems, Inc., and Grace Puma, executive vice president of global operations and transformation at PepsiCo. 

This years’ summit was focused primarily on building legacies and fostering the next generation of Latina leaders. 

Some of the topics that were discussed throughout the event included the state of Latina leadership in Corporate America and how to increase Latinas on corporate boards. In addition, there were breakout sessions that addressed topics, such as, the impact of gender equity and parity on the corporate landscape, how to achieve financial acumen, risk management and activism, and mindfulness and wellness.

This event sprang from the Women of ALPFA, which is dedicated to the professional success of Latina women. 

Women of ALPFA was launched in 2002, with the initiative of providing unique development and networking opportunities for ALPFA’s Latina members and the companies that want to reach them. 

The list of the 50 women who would be honored was officially announced on Aug. 5 and can be found here.