Congratulations to all our inspiring nominees
CATEGORIES
Arts and Culture
Celso Machado – Brazil
Virtuoso Brazilian guitarist, percussionist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Celso Machado transports his audiences through the richness and diversity of Brazilian music and beyond.
Celso’s remarkably innovative compositions are infused with a rich knowledge of the traditional music of Brazil: samba, chôro, baião, and frêvo.
For forty years he has performed on concert stages throughout Brazil, Western Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. Celso’s music crosses genres; appealing equally to lovers of Brazilian music, classical guitar, jazz, folk, and world.
Drawing on his thorough study of classical music, Celso composes for guitar and ensemble. His
compositions have been recorded by many guitarists worldwide including Andy Summers, ex
guitarist of The Police.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
203 Vote
Diego Kohl – Mexico
Diego Kohl is an experienced Music Teacher and director of Mariachi Tabasko. Skilled in Guitar and piano playing, music Composition, with a degree in classical music and jazz guitar.
Kohl is very active in the latino music community, performing at various venues all over the Lower Mainland, bringing Mambo, Son, Rumba, Cha-cha, Salsa, Cumbia and Merengue to Canadians of all backgrounds. Diego is committed to sharing his passion for latino music with his students, his children, his fellow band members and his audiences. He is passionate, hard working, patient and super committed to bringing the musical sunshine of latino music to cool Vancouver.
“Since my childhood in Mexico it’s been my dream to Play Mariachi. In 2018 I had the blessing of forming Mariachi Tabasko. The Mariachi has been very busy over the years Playing Serenades and events and currently Boasts Brand New Suits and impressive Sombreros. Nothing like heartfelt rancheras and the sound of Trumpets to lift everyone’s spirits. I live and breathe Mariachi daily.”
Learn More MariachiTabasko
Learn More MariachiTabasko
280 Vote
Frankie Hidalgo – El Salvador
Juno Nominee vocalist, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Frankie has been an active member of the Western Canada music community for the last 15 years. He has worked alongside international acts such as Maelo Ruiz, Pastor Lopez, La Sonora Dinamita as a pianist, percussionist, musical director and arranger to name a few. Frankie has been an active member in providing educational initiatives amongst the Latin populations. Frankie has been pivotal in promoting and creating opportunities for young people to perform and maintain Latin heritage in the community. Frankie continues to work these initiatives in the BC Education system by creating Latin based band and drumline programs currently at Collingwood School in West Vancouver. Frankie is currently active as a performer and producer in the Vancouver music scene and is playing alongside big acts such as Juno Nominated Mazacote.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
225 Vote
Gigi Saul Guerrero – Mexico
Gigi Saul Guerrero is a Mexican genre director/filmmaker and actress. She has been praised as one of the top emerging directors in the horror genre by Empire, Dread Central, Fangoria and Bloody Disgusting. She graduated with honors from Vancouver’s Capilano University Bosa Center For Film and Animation and is a current and a favorite Directing instructor at the prestigious Vancouver Film School. Her feature debut Culture Shock for Blumhouse Productions Television won Best Primetime movie at Imagen Awards and it is still 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. She is also an actress and voice over work such as Stella in Netflix Angry Birds, Super Monsters, Marvel Superhero Adventures as Spider-Girl, and Varzia on Warfare video game.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
333 Vote
Jessica Roca Muncaster – Peru
Peruvian folk dance artist Jessica Roca Muncaster is an inspiring and talented leader of her community. She uses her vast stage experience in Peru, including in cultural channels on National Television, to promote the richness found in traditional music from Peru to Vancouver audiences, leaving a bright feeling and delight that only a true artist can do. Specializing in Afro-Peruvian Dances, Jessica as a director, brings people together from different backgrounds and tastes to create Roots Peruvian Folk, a volunteer artistic group settled in New Westminster. Some awards to proudly count are residences with Anvil Centre, Massey Theatre, Hyack International Parade, and a certification as a “Promoter of Cultural Diversity and Artistic Expressions of Peru” by the Consulate General of Peru in Vancouver. Touching many lives and struggles, she continues building a dance community to nurture joy, hopefulness, and most of all, giving with love; this is exactly the kind of energy Jessica is infusing into the Vancouver community.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
815 Vote
Maria Adelaida Escobar – Colombia
Maria Adelaida is a Colombian-Canadian writer, author of the novel Tiempo del Sur (2018) and short stories such as¨Ucluelet¨ published in Relatos Entrecruzados (2020), “Las Mireadas de Outremont” among others.Escobar is also a Spanish lecturer at the University of British Columbia, where she teaches Spanish language and culture. As an educator who completed a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies and has taught literature, culture, and cinema courses. Aside from her teaching work at UBC, she has actively participated as a volunteer in several service activities for the Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies (FHIS) at UBC. Escobar’s passion for equity and diversity has led her to be a mentor and a role model for countless students at McGill and UBC, as well as for young women in Colombia.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
328 Vote
Osvaldo Ramirez Castillo – El Salvador
Osvaldo is an active visual artist and educator from El Salvador who has exhibited across Canada and internationally in venues such as the International Print Center in New York, Halle Saint Pierre in Paris, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Santa Fe Art Institute, and MARTE- Museo de Arte de El Salvador. He was the recipient of the Artist Studio Award program by the City of Vancouver, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and numerous others from the Canada Arts Council. He was also shortlisted for the Pierre-Ayot Prize and is the winner of Victor-Martyn Lynch-Staunton Award in visual arts in Canada for 2011. Castillo now lives and works in Vancouver and teaches as an adjunct professor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. He engages with both local and national Latin American artist diasporas through collaborations, exhibitions, and conversations on the current state and future of Latin American visual arts in Canada.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
35 Vote
Ramon Flores – Nicaragua
Ramon is a musician and radio broadcaster. Founder of Nicaragua’s Ministry of Culture, participating with music groups such as Bruce Cockburn, Los Munequitos de Matanzas. For almost 30 years, Ramón Flores and El Bus de las 7 have showcased music and community information to members of the Latin American family, waking up his audience to better mornings. Ramon has also collaborated with different music groups such as Rumba Calzada, Chango Ache, Xarabanda, Orquesta Maya, among others, and with artists such as Sal Ferreras. He has also been part of different theater plays as well as experimented with the plastic arts and literature. He’s soon to publish his first novel. El Bus de las 7 microphones has always been open to our community. Ramon has encouraged new generations of radio enthusiasts, artists, and the broader Latino population to spread their message through this media outlet, generating a significant impact on community organizations and their members by disseminating relevant information about the Latin American diaspora in BC.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
251 Vote
Yula Vostretsova – Cuba
Yula Vostretsova is a Cuban professional dancer who graduated from the school of performing arts in 2005 and has danced on many stages in La Havana and Varadero, Cuba. After emigrating to Canada, she was part of the Samba Fusion company for three years and participated in many special events. In 2018, she started her own business, Elegancia Cubana, to spread and keep alive the traditional Cuban culture in Vancouver. “I felt that I had a mission and it was to spread and keep alive the traditional Cuban culture, and since then until today I continue to spread my knowledge, culture, and tradition in Vancouver, showing every student that it is never too late to dance and to learn something new”.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
105 Vote
WALDO BRIÑO LOVE MY COMMUNITY
Brissia Rosales – Mexico
Brissia Rosales is a communication specialist with a master in public administration. She have worked in training for more than 15 years convinced that training is the door to people’s success. Rosales is the founder of Mujeres de Exito Mexico, Mujeres de Exito Canada and “Brissia Rosales Empowered Women” a space that supports Latina women in Canada with interviews and various online programs.
“I am currently the founder and president of Successful Women Canada Society, an organization created to strengthen, support and empower entrepreneurial Latina women in Canada, with various dynamics. Together with the great team that accompanies me, we have managed to make the smiles of the women who believe in us constant and that is what has made us grow a strong, solid and above all united community”.
Links brissiarosales
Links brissiarosales
704 Vote
Chio Murillo – Mexico
Chio Murillo is a Mexican business woman and Holistic therapist that immigrated to Canada 18 years ago. One of the things Murrillo loves to do most is help women. Throughout the pandemic, she realized that there are many Latina women in BC, Canada who are dedicated to undertaking certain tasks. They have skills, services or products that they can offer, but they just don’t know how to do it. When Murillo saw this problem, she decided to create House Society, a non-profit organization that support, and encourage women to grow together within the community. “We are united, strong, and empathetic, but above all, we are women!”
More info: emprendedorashousesociety
More info: emprendedorashousesociety
117 Vote
Fernando Aragon – Mexico
Originally from Mexico, Fernando is the President of the Mexican Global Network BC, which despite the challenges of the pandemic, he kept running in order to support new community organizations to succeed. Fernando have supported events like the Mexi-Can Forum with the Red Global MX of BC, Carnaval del Sol, Latin American Heritage Month, Surrey Latin Festival organized by the Canadian Women & Art Society, and the Latino Business Expo at Abbotsford. “Since I met Fernando Aragon on 2016 he’s is being the most reliable person to support any cause, policy or action towards the benefit of improving the Latino Community, he is a champion to support and guide and connect any latino that is pursuing a new business, promoting any Latino organization that needs help to pursue growth and presence in the BC community, he has expand the promotion of Art, Culture and Latino Business outside of the Vancouver mainland.”
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
250 Vote
Omar Garcia – Colombia
Omar Garcia is a journalist and founder-director of the Latino newspaper Sin Fronteras that circulates in Vancouver from 2010 and from which he has been concerned with highlighting the work of people who also work for the Hispanic community in the province of British Columbia and supporting all events in favor of the Latino community. Sin fronteras has been established as one of the main Spanish-language newspapers in Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna in British Columbia.
Omar Garcia has been recognized with the ‘Outstanding Latino Canadian in Media’ award in 2015 from the Latino Canadian Chamber of Commerce. In 2019 Garcia was elected a member of the Colombian Canadian Association of BC and later elected as president of said non-profit entity, whose mission is to strengthen the Colombian community by holding ethnic-cultural events.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
169 Vote
Patricia Ochoa – Venezuela
Patricia Ochoa is a leading force in the Latin American community in Vancouver. She is the founder and administrator of the e-list of Venezuelans in BC, an active volunteer for the Venezuelan Canadian Society of BC, produced and hosted the “Elvia y Pachi” Facebook live show, co-leads Buses of Hope, a humanitarian aid group supporting Venezuelans in vulnerable situations; and is a founding member of Vancouver’s “Los Parranderos” musical group, keeping Venezuelan traditions alive. In addition, she shows her commitment to the Latino community in Vancouver by actively supporting small businesses and maintaining a community Instagram with a billboard of shows and events. She has been recognized with the 2022 “Caring Woman” nomination for the “Mujeres de Éxito Canada Foundation Award.” She is a shining example of how one person can make a significant difference in their community.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
343 Vote
Simone Quessada de Faria Santos – Brazil
“My name is Simone Quessada de Faria Santos, I graduated in Pedagogy, I am a teacher, researcher of bilingualism and heritage language, passionate about children and education. Since 2013, I’ve dedicated myself to bringing Brazil’s artistic and cultural diversity, in addition to our mother tongue, supporting and working as a pedagogical coordinator in the non-profit -Oficina Curumim Parents Society- for almost 10 years. I coordinate and guide the pedagogical team (teachers and volunteers) providing pedagogical support and organizing cultural and artistic events for the families that are part of the non-profit. I also lead literature, arts, and culture activities with the Itinerant Oficina Curumim. I love my land, our cultural diversity, and our language, that’s why I do this work with so much love, and I know how important it is to value and maintain our roots, spreading this feeling of Brazilianness to all the people who carry your brand in their hearts and history”
Links oficinacurumim
Links oficinacurumim
1031 Vote
BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR
Cecilia Aguayo – Mexico
Cecilia Aguayo is the owner of Machete Mexican and Healthy Foods Restaurant in Vancouver, which is dedicated to preserving cultural heritage, promoting healthy eating habits, and building community connections. She uses traditional ingredients, cooking ancestral techniques, and family recipes, and has created a space that not only promotes healthy eating habits and promotes health, but also educates people about the importance of preserving cultural traditions and promoting cultural integration. Aguayo’s commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive space has helped foster a sense of belonging and connection among the local and Latin communities, and she is committed to supporting the growth and development of other Latin entrepreneurs and self-starters in Vancouver.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
378 Vote
Mariana Rivera – Mexico
Mariana Rivera was born in Mexico City and immigrated to Vancouver. She decided to start her own business with the purpose of creating an accessible and relatable entry point to art for the local community. The Art Shop aims to be recognized as an identity in Vancouver that supports artists and welcomes the public in an innovative way. Rivera has organized curated exhibitions around a theme that aims to be an accessible and educational starter point for the public. From a show that highlighted under-represented gender identities in art, to a show that presented artists whose work speaks to the experience of immigration, to current shows that highlight the work and themes of local emerging artists.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
127 Vote
Judith Castillo – Mexico
Judith Castillo is an entrepreneur, author, and business consultant who works in human potential and empowerment. For more than fifteen years, she has owned and operated Profiles Consulting Services, providing coaching and business mentoring in Mexico and Canada. Collaboration has been the key to her success as the founder of Canadian Women Networking and a co-founder of The Chat where she loves to support women. She is also the founder of Divine TV and a TV host with Tri-Cities Community TV Judith has dedicated her life and work to creating openings where people become aware of how to create a sustainable business, career, and enjoy life.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
125 Vote
Pablo Paez – Peru/Mexico
Pablo Paez is an Award Winning Realtor who has been recognized by his industry since 2016. Last month he was awarded by the Real Estate Board with the Master Medallion Award for being 3 years in the Top 10% of All Realtors in Greater Vancouver. Pablo specializes in buying and selling properties for the Latin American community in Vancouver. Pablo has also dedicated himself to creating a group of Latin American professionals (mortgage brokers, lawyers, inspectors, etc) with the purpose of supporting other Latin Americans in their businesses and also providing his customers with a Spanish speaking team to make the process of buying/selling easier for them.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
132 Vote
Rene Blanco – Mexico
Rene Blanco studied at Simon Fraser University and founded Startup LABORA to provide international money transfers for seasonal agricultural workers. He also volunteered as a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee at SFU’s Charles Chang Institute and became a Board Director of the Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-Op. He has a Master’s in Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a BA in Public Administration from El Colegio de México. He was included in the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business’s Changemakers list and was selected as one of the 21 New Founders to Watch by Future of Good.
More info: LABORA
More info: LABORA
22 Vote
Sonia Zebadua – Mexico
“I moved to Vancouver from Mexico in 2008 when I started our first big project, Multiservices Vancouver. To this present day, we have been able to create jobs for our community and offer growth opportunities for our teams. We have been able to sponsor Latin new-comers and have supported them in their growth to open their own businesses.
Later on, my partner and I wanted to bring part of our cultures to North America and increase awareness of Latin America as a whole. Mi Tierra Latina is for and by the community. Our goal is to boost business prospects for members of the immigrant community. With more locations, we are offering more opportunities and spaces for Latin entrepreneurs to showcase their products, We are at four locations and plan to open more so we can handle larger volumes and be able to lower prices”
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
165 Vote
Valentina Pinzon – Colombia
Valentina is the owner of IndiArts Collective, an online store that offers cultural handmade products made by women in Colombia and Mexico with an emphasis on working with indigenous artisans and small independent businesses.
She is motivated to bring positive social and economic changes in the artisans’ communities where she sources her products and seeks support and recognition of artisans and increasing awareness of cultural traditions in the handicrafts industry. She also loves to share Latin American culture with the world through these handmade creations.
Learn more Get more info here
Learn more Get more info here
146 Vote
oNLINE Influencer
Alvaro Salom – Colombia
“My team and I have helped hundreds of families achieve their dreams, as I did with my family. My aim is also, to look for ways for Latinos to give each other a hand and become a stronger community, so that we can unite in order to achieve great things through small details that could start by giving a word of encouragement or advice related to the process of adaptation”
Socials: @alvaroasalom
Socials: @alvaroasalom
307 Vote
Cruz Contreras – Mexico
Since 2017, Cruz has been traveling around Mexico, talking to the youth and inspiring new generations to follow your dreams. He starts his Youtube Channel talking about the experiences and struggles of being a latino living in a different country.
Socials: @cruzencanada
Socials: @cruzencanada
50 Vote
GeorgeSays – Mexico
“I realized how much we needed to unite as a community; that’s why I started my YouTube channel telling the world what is like to live in this beautiful city; I used my Background as a social communicator to be able to talk about many of the things that we were doing as Latinos in Canada”
Socials: @soygeorgesays
Socials: @soygeorgesays
286 Vote
Malu Alburqueque Sanchez – Peru
“My mission is to help people migrate to Canada and offer them complete and updated information about Canadian immigration processes and news about this country. “ At the beginning, it was hard to find information about Canadian immigration processes. That’s why Sanchez opened her YouTube Channel, “Malu en Canada” to teach people who want to study, work, and live in Canada how to do it “Step by step”
Socials: @Estudia, Trabaja y Emigra a Canadá
Socials: @Estudia, Trabaja y Emigra a Canadá
271 Vote
Padres en Canada – Wendy y Christian – Ecuador
“We created this beautiful community to share our experience with the world and show them that starting from scratch as a family is possible if it exits love, unity, and many dreams”
Socials: @padresencanada
Socials: @padresencanada
708 Vote
Non-Latino making an impact
Heather Alicia Knox and Greg Kemp
Heather Alicia Knox and Greg Kemp are the co-founders of the Project Somos Learning Village based in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. Originally from Vancouver, Heather and Greg packed up all their personal belongings and their dog, Tika, and traveled to Guatemala to begin construction of the Project in 2011. This eco-sustainable project provides educational and nutritional programming to Mayan children in a small village near the town of Tecpán. It supports children to stay in school by providing homework support, with a strong focus on literacy. Every day the children are given a hot healthy lunch and a nutritious snack. A specialized girls program has just been launched and is focusing on keeping girls in school, or supporting them to find an alternative path. The Project has provided steady employment to locals, as well as specialized training for some. Since their arrival, they have welcomed over 500 volunteers to the Project. Volunteers provide enhanced programming to the children like English, art, sports and music. Volunteers also help in the organic farm and in the kitchen.
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
31 Vote
Chris Morrissey
“I have lived in a variety of countries including Malaysia, Brunei USA and Chile. I have been a teacher, school principal and community developer. For almost 30 years I was a member of a Roman Catholic group of Franciscans. One of the most important times of my life was the years I spent living in Santiago, Chile during the second half of Pinochet’s dictatorship. There I learned through my involvement in the community that we are all part of many unjust social systems and that working together to bring about change is critical. On returning to Canada with my partner, I learned that as a lesbian, I was not able to sponsor her as my family. I challenged the Minister of Immigration and Canada’s Immigration Laws. A group of us who had similar experiences spent 10 years working to change our Immigration Laws. In the course of this work, we began to receive emails from LGBTQ! People living in many parts of the world who were being persecuted. With what I had learned in Santiago, I brought a group of people together to respond to their needs. That group is now called Rainbow Refugee Society. My ability to speak Spanish enables me to provide information and support to LGBTQI from a variety of Spanish speaking countries to successfully achieve Permanent Residence in Canada”
Links Get more info here
Links Get more info here
118 Vote
Get to know our inspiring judges
Marie-Claire Howard
Born in France, Marie-Claire Howard, MBA, is an active Community Leader and Business person in Vancouver. She works as Vice-President, Finance and Operations for HEL, a boutique employment law firm and has been recently elected as Park Board Commissioner for the City of Vancouver.
Howard has been volunteering as Board Chair for Alliance Francaise and is spearheading the redevelopment of the organization’s property into a cultural centre, complete with a theatre, art gallery, artists studios, restaurant, library and classrooms.
In 2022, she joined the Board of Latincouver with the goal to help the organization find a permanent home in Vancouver. Howard is studying the Spanish language and is fascinated with the history and cultures of Spain and Latin American countries.
MBA
V-P Finance & Operations, HEL
Park Board Commissioner, City of Vancouver
Chair, Alliance Française Vancouver
Director, Latincouver Business & Cultural Services
Juliana Lopes
Juliana is an artist, CEO and founder of The FEM Group, Business Women Magazine Canada and La Vae. She’s a community builder and an advocate for women’s empowerment.
Juliana Lopes, Artist, Startup Founder, Community Builder, Non-Traditional Thinker | Empowering women through branding and marketing solutions
Yuriria Lanza
Yuriria Lanza, was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She studied Pure Mathematics and earned a Computer Science degree as well as a Diploma in Management Technology.
Lanza is a Toastmasters member with two Distinguish Toastmasters (DTM) Public speaking, continuing learning, improving, and volunteering in Toastmasters in leadership positions.
“I have been involved continuously with the Venezuelan Community since 1997. I have reduced my participation in the Venezuelan gathering since 2013. However, I have been helping to volunteer in Latincouver and ILA until 2019, during the last three years attending to personal matter”