My Journey: Allison Runes
Allison is passionate about creating genuine connections with consumers and telling compelling stories to establish brand affinity and long-term relationships. She’s fascinated by trends and the power of authenticity. Allison joins us to talk about her personal journey from her parents immigrating from thr Philippines and her career growth from working at Red Bull to now being The Associate Director of Content at The Content Collective.
Allison preaches the importance of seeking mentors who will hold you accountable while empowering you. Nourishing these relationships and being a role model for her community inspires Allison to be the social media wizard that she is today. Allison educates us on the power of social media and how brands are utilizing it to organically connect with their audience.
My Journey: Christopher Sherman IV
Christopher Sherman IV was never shy about using his voice to be a leader. He founded an organization in college, The Distinguished Gentlemen, that promoted diversity on campus and sought-after changing the misconceptions about young minorities. Today, the organization is helping inner-city children continue their education.
Chris has continued carrying the torch of leadership in the corporate world through his roles at General Electric, Jet Blue and now Bank of America but also in his community where he mentors several underrepresented minorities who play youth football.
He joins us to share the ups and downs of growing up in the Bronx after his parents migrated from Jamaica. Chris stresses the biggest lessons he learned working in Corporate America, lessons that weren’t taught in college.
My Journey: Jerry Fortuna
Jerry Fortuna is making a name for himself as a leader in the Big3, a professional basketball league founded by Ice Cube. Jerry breaks down his journey growing up in a Latin household in LA to climbing up the ladder in the entertainment industry. Jerry shares how his humility and authenticity have helped him develop relationships with influential people like the Dallas Mavericks governor, Mark Cuban.
Jerry has worn multiple hats in the entertainment industry, from contributing to several tours including reggaeton artists and Ice Cube, to pitching shows to Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith to being the Players Relations and Game Day Operations Manager for the Big3.
My Journey: Elvin Colón
Elvin Colón from American Express joins us to talk about his current role as the Director of Mergers and Acquisitions / Corporate Development. Before this leadership role, Elvin worked at several other financial institutions, learning the ins and outs of the industry. Elvin shares about how he found the confidence as a Latino to advocate for himself and use his voice in competitive, professional environment. Elvin recommends some of the tools people of color can utilize to overcome the many challenges that minorities face during the recruitment process and within the walls of the companies they work for.
