The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Andre Del Valle, 27, will be one of the 40 honorees. He is a Politician and was recently a Candidiate for State Representative of Pennsylvania's175th District. 

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Andre Del Valle’s responses:

The biggest challenge in my professional journey was taking a leap of faith to run for office for the first time, to bring what I believed was a better vision for the City of Philadelphia hoping to bring more Latinx representation to government all during COVID. Unfortunately, we did not get the results we wanted however this was an experience that I am incredibly thankful for as we continue to lift the voice of Latinxs across our city and Commonwealth.

My proudest achievement was when I served as a Legislative Aide in City Council and drafted and implemented the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Bill giving workplace protections from sexual harassment, fair scheduling, and paid time off to one of our most unappreciated and unregulated sectors.  This sector is predominantly led by women of color who did not have any protections here in Philadelphia. The bill became the most progressive and innovative piece of legislation in the country.

Inclusivity doesn’t mean having just a seat at the table but having diverse leaders lead those tables. We need to hold our corporations, non-profits, and government accountable to ensure that we are surpassing the recommended D&I numbers in all aspects with women, members of our LGBTQ community, and people of color in leadership positions. We need to stop telling future leaders to “wait their turn” as now more than ever we need innovative and fearless leaders ready to bring change.

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to alliyahm@aldianews.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact martina@aldianews.com.