Latino Strategies Selected by Latino Film Institute to Revamp all LFI Properties

Posted on 05/11/2021 @ 01:40 PM

Including LFI, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Youth Cinema Project, and LatinX in Animation

Latino Strategies, a Latino-owned full-service creative and design agency, has been selected by the Latino Film Institute (LFI) to update all LFI websites, including LatinoFilm.org, LALIFF.org, YouthCinemaProject.org, and to build a website for LatinX in Animation (LXiA).

The Latino Film Institute showcases, strengthens, and celebrates the richness of Latino lives by providing a pipeline, platform, and launching pad from their community into the entertainment industry. LFI houses three signature programs: The Youth Cinema Project (YCP), the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), and LXiA.

Latino Strategies will redesign the websites of LFI’s three flagship programs to reflect the latest in design and usability trends. These updates will include new, attractive design as well as persuasive copy – elements intended to draw and engage visitors, influence ticket sales, and increase membership and online fundraising. Latino Strategies will also see to many of the LFI’s technical requirements, by implementing its cloud based platform, including online fundraising, registration system, direct response email, SMS, donor management, advocacy, and content management, and much more.

In addition to a full suite of online management tools, Latino Strategies will help build out LALIFF’s online fundraising campaign. With years of success leading online fundraising campaigns for nonprofit organizations, Latino Strategies is optimistic about helping LALIFF achieve their fiscal goals.

“We are excited to partner with Edward James Olmos and the Latino Film Institute to raise awareness of the contributions of Latinos to the film industry,” said Juan Proaño, Latino Strategies’ co-founder and CEO. “Latino Strategies’ commitment to the Latino community and diverse representation for all Latinos in the entertainment industry is an opportunity to build long-term capacity for LFI in its fight for equity.”

LFI is the brainchild of actor, producer, and humanitarian Edward James Olmos. Its Board of Directors includes artists, entertainment industry insiders, and experienced professionals of all stripes – all of whom wish to see an increased representation of Latino artists and filmmakers throughout the industry.

“Latino Strategies is the industry leader for online technology consulting,” said Rafael Agustín, Executive Director of LALIFF. “As the Latino Film Institute continues to grow and paves the way for the entertainment industry’s multicultural future, Latino Strategies will help us build out our virtual footprint, along with our online fundraising capabilities.”

To learn more about LFI, visit LatinoFilm.org

A New Era: The 2021 LATINXT Presidential Inaugural Day of Service

Posted on 01/25/2021 @ 12:13 PM

Latino Strategies had the extraordinary privilege of producing the 2021 LATINXT Presidential Inaugural Day of Service.

Some of our country’s Latino leaders sought to honor the diverse accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration, as well as the record number of Latinos and communities of color who participated in the 2021 presidential election, by hosting a virtual event that would unite political figures, civil rights icons, actors, and entertainers, all in the pursuit of celebration and gratitude.

Latino Strategies designed all creative and marketing material for the Latino Inaugural 2021 website, as well as produced the event itself, which included luminaries such as YWCA’s CEO Alejandra Castillo, LULAC National President Domingo Garcia, Former Secretary Julian Castro, and Edward James Olmos.

It was also an enormous joy to honor civil rights icon Dolores Huerta and to welcome Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both of whom spoke eloquently about the challenges we face and how to overcome them. We were inspired by their presence.

The 2021 LATINXT Latino Inaugural was an incredibly special moment in time: welcoming the Biden-Harris administration. The inaugural featured a roundtable discussion of Latina leaders about the challenges and opportunities for Latinos across the country; hosting the conversation in the wake of electing our first woman of color vice president added a special emphasis to the occasion.

Latino Strategies has invested widely in the development of the Latin American community, and as such our involvement in the LATINXT virtual event was a no-brainer. We were proud to assist them in this endeavor and proud of the work we did in producing this powerful, successful virtual event.

To watch an encore presentation of the 2021 LATINXT Latino Inaugural, press play:

For other events that Latino Strategies produced, check out our work on a YWCA town hall and the LULAC Virtual Summit.

Felicidades to the National Museum of the American Latino

Posted on 12/22/2020 @ 12:39 PM

Latino Strategies would like to extend a hearty congratulations to the National Museum of the American Latino, a longtime client of ours and a true leader in the Latino American community.

The American Latino Museum has long been striving to build a museum in Washington D.C. that will educate, inspire, and sow respect and understanding of the richness and diversity of the American Latino experience. And thanks to the recently authorized $2.3-trillion spending bill, that goal is becoming reality.

The museum, which will be located on the National Mall or thereabouts, will fill a void that has existed in American museum culture for too long. Indeed, the campaign for an American Latino museum in D.C. began all the way back in 1994 when a report found that the Smithsonian “displays a pattern of willful neglect” towards Latino Americans.

Latino Strategies was honored to work with the ALM in designing their website, and are thrilled that they use our content management and member management tools to advance their mission and fundraise.

We also had the distinct pleasure of working with former Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the distinguished members of the National Museum of the American Latino Commission to develop its social media strategy, which grew to over 170,000 Twitter followers and 140,000 Facebook followers. We are especially proud of the work we do within the Latino American community — this is no exception.

Though it will be many years before the American Latino Museum officially opens its doors, we see no reason to delay the celebration. We are proud to call the ALM friends, proud of the fast-approaching day when the National Museum of the American Latino opens its doors on a sea of beaming, expectant American faces eager to learn more about one of America’s proudest and most impressive communities.

Felicidades!

Artificial Intelligence, Communities of Color, and You

Posted on 12/22/2020 @ 12:34 PM

Latino Strategies recently began a partnership with a dear friend of ours to help build an organization whose aim is to foster a more inclusive and empathetic artificial intelligence ecosystem. Susan Gonzales is a former Facebook executive who serves as a leader in AI and LatinX spheres. She is the Founder and CEO of AIandYou, and we are thrilled to be working with her on this worthy endeavor.

AIandYou seeks to create a global dialogue between AI leaders and diverse communities in order to prepare for AI’s impact at the local level, strengthen our local communities through the use of AI, and identify solutions that minimize bias. As a technology company, Latino Strategies isn’t that far removed from advances in artificial intelligence; we were attracted by the idea of working in this world and excited to join Susan’s team in a jack-of-all-trades capacity.

For AIandYou, Latino Strategies handles design, content, video, and marketing, and we keep track of content and members with our own proprietary management systems. For branding, we work with our friend Sergio Alcocer at Rest of the World.

At its heart, AIandYou serves as a compendium for artificial intelligence news and information. One of our primary contributions comes in the form of content, in which we comb the web for pertinent news about AI and translate it into digestible, comprehensible synopses. We also produce a series of videos called Community Conversations, which feature recorded conversations between leaders in the AI community.

Engagement with AI and AI-related issues is largely absent in the communities where it’s needed most: places where automation and other AI-related tools are laying waste to employment opportunities and local economies. Part of what we AIandYou does is partner with leaders in the AI community to help mitigate the fear that communities. It also solicits advice from its team of advisors, as well as its impressive board of directors which is comprised of the attorney Nicole DeLeon, City Councilwoman Alicia C. Aguirre, and actress and philanthropist Eva Longoria.

And while AI is big issue with big ramifications, it’s not all bad. AIandYou also spends time illustrating the ways in which AI can be used for good: using algorithms to make combating climate change easier or improving the accuracy of diagnoses in medical settings.

We are proud to be along for the ride with Susan and the rest of the team at AIandYou — and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

Latino Strategies Produces LULAC Virtual Summit

Posted on 08/17/2020 @ 02:07 PM

Latino Strategies and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) joined forces to present LULAC’s first large multiday virtual event during the COVID-19 crisis. “All for One, One for All: United in Action to Transform America” ran from August 13-15, 2020 and drew the largest continuous online audience in LULAC’s history. Spread over nearly 30 hours of programming from over 80 content experts, speakers, and elected officials, the Virtual Summit brought together hundreds of thousands of people from across the country interested in hearing directly from business, government, and civic-sector leaders about issues important to the wellbeing, safety, and security of the Latino community.

Latinos are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 with the highest infection and morbidity rates; they are also suffering from devastatingly high unemployment numbers and inadequate unemployment compensation. Latino small businesses failed to receive sufficient PPP funding, and many are struggling to stay in business. As a result, Latino net worth has seen all of the gains over the last decade of prosperity wiped out in a matter of months. It could take a decade or more for Latinos to regain their financial standing in society as a result of the dual impact of COVID-19 and economic depression.

Since its inception 18 years ago, Latino Strategies has invested widely in the development of the Latin American community, making their involvement in the LULAC Virtual Summit a perfect fit. And at a time when that very community is so thoroughly jeopardized, it was more important than ever that we have a secure, reliable, and efficient platform through which people from the world over could come together to learn, discuss, and strategize.

We are seeing our youngest and most vulnerable Latino community members fall further into risk. Latino parents face major uncertainty about sending their kids back to school. The accessibility gap is greater than ever, with most low-income households lacking adequate Internet connectivity and technology equipment for distance learning.

Latino essential workers have also been losing their lives at a staggering rate. LULAC has been on the frontlines fighting for Latino essential workers in the meat processing industry to guarantee that appropriate steps are being taken to ensure social distancing, PPE, and testing. Many essential workers are undocumented immigrants living in mixed-status households. Many lack health insurance or are afraid to seek medical care because they are at risk of being deported.

In addition to production duties, Latino Strategies facilitated fundraising, social media, and direct email marketing campaigns, and designed a website specifically catered to LULAC’s needs. The website was built from the ground up—no templates were used in development, assuring total flexibility in design and implementation. In addition, the summit included a virtual job fair, allowing for the inclusion of 60 rooms of online employers.

Latino Strategies was proud to partner with LULAC in this worthy and necessary endeavor. They have long admired LULAC’s commitment to advancing the station of Latin Americans in the United States and Puerto Rico—and as a majority Latino-owned company itself, it was thrilled to be involved on the ground floor of real change for the Latin American community.

To see an encore presentation of the 2020 LULAC Virtual Summit, click here.

Latino Strategies Works with Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance

Posted on 07/24/2020 @ 01:59 PM

When the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance (HVLA) approached us to build them a better website—to help them amplify their voices and create real change in America—we knew it was a worthy endeavor. The HVLA, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization consisting of leaders both military and civilian, is committed to changing the egregious discrepancy between the color of the faces in the military and the color of the faces of their superiors. They needed a website that could clearly communicate the problem: that there is lack of Hispanic representation among the senior ranks of the Department of Defense.

The new HVLA website needed a beautiful and intuitive design that would foreground the statistical narrative of Hispanic representation in the military. The argument is in the numbers: only 1% of all General and Admiral ranks are Hispanic; only 3.3% of Senior Executive Service Civilians are Hispanic; and only 8% of all military officers are Hispanic. This is especially unacceptable given that Hispanics constitute 18% of the U.S. population, and 7% of all current military members.

In addition to painting a picture with numbers, HVLA needed a way to engage potential members and advocates. They had devised a campaign strategy consisting of four parts: congressional outreach, national Latino organization engagement, media engagement, and Department of Defense engagement. As we know, the appearance of an organization’s website is crucial in establishing credibility. For HVLA’s campaign to take off, they needed a website that was professional, easy to navigate, and interactive. We made sure they had a design reflective of the gravity of their mission.

Latino Strategies approach to website building is a listen-first, act-second approach. We sat down (virtually) with Colonel Edward Cabrera of the U.S. Air Force (Retired), one of HVLA’s seven distinguished leaders, to discuss a path forward for the website. Colonel Cabrera told us what he envisioned for HVLA. We took notes, and then we went to work. Before long, we presented Colonel Cabrera with a composite image—a mockup—of our proposed website design. He gave us feedback and the process was repeated until HVLA was satisfied with our design.

Our work with HVLA is far from done. Once Latino Strategies has built a website for a client, we are available for all ongoing needs and requests. We’re not just a pretty face: our reliable online platform can host virtual town halls and rallies, engage millions of potential clients through marketing, and raise millions of dollars in funds—or more. We can help nonprofits strategize, too. We were thrilled for the opportunity to work with HVLA and are emboldened by their mission: to have our military leaders mirror the many faces of America.

How We Did It: Unity Rally Against Racism

Posted on 07/21/2020 @ 05:43 AM

Latino Strategies teamed up with the NAACP, the League of United American Citizens (LULAC), and the Urban League of Houston to host the Virtual Unity Rally Against Racism on Thursday July 2, 2020, the anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The virtual rally brought together people from across our nation to revisit this profound and ever-relevant piece of legislation, and to learn from our leaders how we can strengthen the Civil Rights Act, updating it for the unique challenges that face us today. By the end of the night, over 50,000 viewers had tuned in.

Featuring 22 speakers, including honorary chairs LULAC National President Domingo Garcia, NFL Hall of Fame Inductee Emmitt J. Smith, and Texas State Senator the Honorary Royce West, the Virtual Unity Rally Against Racism was an extraordinary gathering of some of the brightest and most passionate minds currently working for justice. These distinguished guests engaged eligible and registered voters while reminding them that actionable steps are required to make real progress. And the impact statements and soaring testimonies delivered by our religious leaders filled us with hope for a fairer tomorrow.

Our nation is crying out for change, turning desperately to our leadership for help and guidance. The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others have brought into stark contrast the need for immediate reform throughout all strata of society. We hope that rallies like this provide foundations for tangible change.

At this pivotal juncture in American history, when we are all confined to our homes, it is critical that we have access to reliable virtual platforms to discuss and streamline our efforts in the fight against racism. Latino Strategies was honored to produce this virtual event and thrilled at its success. We are proud that our platform can be used to make the world a better and more accepting place.