The addition of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics –which just announced its Presidential Advisory Commission last week– adds a deeper educational component to the full-day summit’s agenda. “LATISM is extremely honored for the opportunity to work with the White House Hispanic Initiative to develop the Latino Education track at Latino2,” said Ana Roca Castro, LATISM’s Founder and Chair. “As the first of a series of activities to be held in collaboration with the Initiative, this will be an unprecedented, not-to-be-missed opportunity for LATISM members to help shape the course of action to be taken on Latino education as we consolidate our position as America’s largest minority.”

“Hispanic students have graduated at lower rates than the rest of the population for years, making America’s progress impossible if they continue to lag behind,” said Juan Sepúlveda, Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. “Strengthening and improving educational excellence in this community isn’t just a Hispanic problem. It’s a challenge for our entire country.”

As partner in this initiative, the LATISM organization will play an important role locally and nationally in these efforts by organizing national blog tours, local tweetups, additional online chats, providing the Initiative with forum space as part of LATISM’s national conferences and other activities.

The LATISM Latino2 Conference will take place at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley on June 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Its already stellar lineup includes industry thought leaders and high-level executives such as Mark Lopez from Google, Brian Solis from Altimeter Group, Liza Cuevas from Citrix and other corporations who will share case studies, best practices, and career information of interest to Latinos in all segments of the technology and marketing industries.

•  The full Latino2 Conference agenda can be found at http://blog.latism.org/final-agenda-for-latino2-conference/

•  Registration for the LATISM Latino2 Conference is open at http://conference.latism.org/latino2-series/latino2-registration/

•  For information about all LATISM events, visit http://conference.latism.org/

•  For exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Giovanni Rodriguez at giovanni@latism.org

ABOUT LATISM

Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community. LATISM also helps to raise awareness among corporate brands, NGOs and government entities about using social media to reach Latinos. Our partnership initatives include research, event sponsorships, and leadership training. A pioneering social media organization, LATISM has been hailed as the most influential online movement in the new multicultural Web. Visit http://latism.org/beta

MEDIA CONTACT
Elianne Ramos
Vice-Chair, Communications and PR
elianne@latism.org
646.932.7752

SILICON VALLEY, CA –May 12th, 2011 –Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is proud to announce an open call for nominees for its prestigious 2011 Tech Awards, to be held during LATISM’s Latino2 Conference at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley on June 11, 2011. The first-ever LATISM Tech Awards will recognize individuals and organizations for their innovation, dedication and outstanding service to the Latinos in technology community, the inspiring people behind the fascinating next wave of innovations that will change the world in profound and positive ways.

The awards ceremony will recognize Latinos in Tech in four categories:

Best Latino Innovator
Best Latino in Technology
Best Latino Tech Startup
Best Latino in Technology – People’s Choice

Nominee entry forms and additional nomination information is available here.

Nominees will need to demonstrate forward-thinking innovation in the fields of technology as well as a proven ability to grow, adapt and thrive in today’s business climate. A select group of industry analysts will judge the entries based on innovation, functionality, technological importance, implementation and overall “wow” factor. All award Finalists in each Category will be announced on May 30th, 2011.

For the special award category, “Best Latino in Technology – People’s Choice”, members of the LATISM online community will have a chance to vote between May 30th and June 5th, 2011. The entry with the most online votes will receive the “Best Latino in Technology – People’s Choice” award.

“The first LATISM Tech Award Celebration is truly that — a celebration of the amazing strides Latinos have and will continue to take in the tech field and the community at large,” said Giovanni Rodriguez, Vice Chair of Strategic Programs for LATISM. “LATISM will continue to support initiatives and contributions that help our community reach much needed visibility in this field while opening doors to the next generation of Latinos in technology.”

There will be opportunities for the Media and the public to meet The LATISM Tech Awards winners during and after the conference.

ABOUT THE LATISM TECHNOLOGY AWARDS:
The LATISM Technology Awards will be held annually by Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) and are judged by leading names in the technology industry. The awards will recognize individuals and organizations for their innovation, dedication and outstanding service to the Latinos in technology community.

ABOUT LATISM
Latinos in Social Media (LATISM) is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community. LATISM also helps to raise awareness among corporate brands, NGOs and government entities about using social media to reach Latinos. Our partnership initatives include research, event sponsorships, and leadership training. A pioneering social media organization, LATISM has been hailed as the most influential online movement in the new multicultural Web. Visit http://latism.org/beta

CONTACT
Elianne Ramos
Vice-Chair of Communications and PR
elianne@latism.org
646-932-7752

The deadline for submissions will be Friday, May 6th. All sessions will be carefully reviewed by the LATISM Board of Directors, the LATISM Advisory Board and the LATISM-CA Chapter. The LATINO2 Sessions will be announced on Tuesday, May 10th.
The summit will feature keynotes by leaders in technology, as well as workshops, round-tables, and networking breakouts.

Ideal proposals will include:

* The size and scope of the Latino digital market
* Best practices in social-media engagement
* New platforms and businesses aimed at engaging Latinos
[contact-form]

LATISM Conferences are the first in the country to bring together a bilingual, multi-industry, multi-disciplinary overview of social media and its direct impact for Latinos.

Washington, DC — Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization for Latino professionals engaged in social media, is thrilled to announce its 2011 lineup of conferences, following successful conferences in New York, NY, Orlando, FL, Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA.

This year’s LATISM’s signature events will include over 100 workshops, keynotes by renowed thought leaders – including the Head of US Hispanic Operations for Google, Mark López – and bring together organizations representing the business, marketing, technology, healthcare and non-profit sectors. The three events, scheduled at locations around the country, will include over 100 conference sessions, top keynotes by renowed speakers, as well as workshop and mentor sessions.

“We are hoping this line-up of conferences inspires Latinos to see this challenging moment in history as an opportunity to come together and transform ourselves, our community and our world as agents of change,” said Giovanni Rodriguez, LATISM’s Vice-Chair of Strategy and Programs. “Our amazing lineup combines the world’s most authentic and influential voices in discussions about the issues that matter most Latinos.”
LATISM 2011 Latino 2 Series — Silicon Valley, CA – June 11, 2011
A full-day summit on the future of Latino digital influence at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley

This second edition of Latino2, Latinos in Social Media’s ongoing event series on the future of Latino digital influence will be held at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley. The summit will feature keynotes by leaders in technology, as well as workshops, roundtables, and networking breakouts covering:

The size and scope of the Latino digital market

Best practices in social-media marketing and engagement

New platforms and businesses aimed at engaging Latinos

The summit will also host the first annual LATISM TECH AWARDS, a competition for technology startups dedicated to engaging Latinos.  Stay tuned for more information on both the summit and the awards.

LATISM #cause2012 — Central CA – October 29, 2011

Social Change Through Social Media

On October 29, 2011 on the California Central Coast — the home of the historic farm-labor movement — Latinos in Social Media will host a full-day training summit for emerging leaders in the non-profit arena.  Held on the beautiful Allan Hancock College campus in Santa Maria, #cause2012 is a unique opportunity for experts in the digital and community organizing worlds to network, share best practices, and organize for work in 2012 and beyond.  Through a dynamic mix of formats including lecture, workshops and roundtables, the summit will cover topics such as:

Using social media as an instrument for organizational capacity building

Learning how to use social media to enhance existing networks

How to ignite mobilization, amplify support, and increase engagement

Tying online communications to organizational goals/objectives and funding development plans

LATISM Annual National Conference – Chicago – November 10 to 12, 2011

For its centerpiece event of the year, LATISM has chosen the City of Chicago: a city pulsing with Latino flavor, representing almost a third of the city’s population. The national event –to be held at the beautiful Navy Pier, one of the city’s world class landmarks –will consolidate LATISM’s mission and audience of health providers, government officials, educators, community and thought leaders with three tracks focusing on empowering Latinos:

Public Service: Amplifying our impact through Latino Health, Educational and Civic initiatives

Business Leadership: Learning from the brands who have pioneered social media in the Latino Market

Personal Influence and Community: Empowering our Bloggers and Entrepreneurs

Other events

In addition to these signature events, LATISM will bring our full community experience to local networking events, lead by our team of Chapter Directors throughout the country. Additional information about these events will be available via separate communications throughout the year.

ABOUT LATISM

Latinos in Social Media (LATISM), the largest organization for Latino and Latina professionals engaged in social media, is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing the social, civic and economic status of the Latino community. LATISM is also dedicated to raising awareness among corporate brands, NGOs and government entities about using social media to reach the latino community. A pioneering social media organization, LATISM has been hailed as the most influential online movement in the new multicultural Web. For more information, go to http://latism.org/beta