Latino Thought Makers is and leadership series created and hosted by comedian and award-winning writer-director-author-speaker Rick Najera.
Latino Thought Makers builds bridges of understanding in cultural diversity through personal and comedic dialogue and showcases critical thinking as it relates to entertainment and education and provides the audience an opportunity to be a part of a greater dialogue.
The show features a live, sit-down interview and personal conversation on stage with Rick Najera and his diverse network of influential Latinos in Hollywood including Edward James Olmos, Dolores Huerta, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Luis Guzman, Esai Morales, the Cesar Chavez family, the cast of Hulu’s East Los High, Grammy award-winning musicians Quetzal, and many more. The series also features diverse community leaders and heroes.
Our Team
Rick Najera – Host and Executive Producer
Rick Najera is an award-winning screenwriter, with a very versatile career background that includes acting, directing, producing, being a sketch comedian, being a published author, writing plays, coaching, and public speaking. He’s worked with some of the best in film, and wrote dozens of scripts for TV. As for being a speaker and coach, Rick is passionate about talking on themes like diversity, the entertainment industry, motivation, Hispanic market, politics, writing, and even comedy.
Najera is well-known for many of his works, amongst some of them are: Cheech Marin directed Latinologues, writing more than 30 episodes of In Living Color, East Los High on Hulu, Nothing like the Holidays, and much more!
Aside from being an award-winning screenwriter, Rick is also an award-winning author of four books: Latins Anonymous, Pain of the Macho, Latinologues on Broadway and and Almost White: Forced Confessions of a Latino in Hollywood.
You can read more about Rick at his website – RickNajera.com.
Monica Lopez – Executive Producer and Director of Equity and Inclusion
Monica Lopez has a 15-year career background in human resources, as well as organizational development. She’s worked with industries such as architecture, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, tech, and more. Some of Lopez’s notable positions are:
- National ambassador and strategic partner chairperson on the board of directors for the Association of Latino Professionals for America
- Councilwoman for Women Employed
- Executive board council member for Northeastern Illinois University’s College of Business and Technology
Monica is passionate about being diversity and being inclusive, especially in helping women in all communities. Currently, she is the Director of Talent Acquisition for Northwestern Mutual at Chicagoland, and recently became a recipient of the Negocios Now Latinos 40 Under 40, which is to recognize young Latinos in leadership roles.
VIEW PRESENTATION
VIEW PRESS CLIPS
Latino Thought Makers Official Site: www.latinothoughtmakers.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/latinothoughtmakers
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LAThoughtMakers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Latinothoughtmakers/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/latinothoughtmakers
