Published on November 1st 2022
In continued celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, TAIQ had the pleasure of hosting a panel discussion moderated by Co-Founder Betty Ng with panelists Javier Rivero, Robert Barea, and Yai Vargas
On October 20th, TAIQ hosted our fourth-panel discussion. We invited three thought leaders and trailblazers to discuss their perspectives and experiences on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) as related to the Latinx/e Hispanic Diaspora.
They shared perspectives and solutions related to "One Size Does Not Fit All".
"We’ve never tried to find just one term that encompasses the diversity of 62 million people here in the U.S..
It always depends on the individual. The idea really is making sure that we respect one another."
"If we continue to ask more questions and the right questions of one another, we'll start to learn a lot more about our very diverse communities. Keep an open mind."
-Yai Vargas,
Vice President Strategic Engagement &
Initiatives at HACR (Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility) and
Founder of The Latinista
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"I always say a company with a bad culture is a short-lived memory because culture drives everything."
"At Insigneo, the majority of our staff is of Latin descent, and over 99% of them are Spanish speakers. To bring people from different backgrounds, we partner with different organizations to get a wider range of talent pool for both employees and clients."
-Javier Rivero, President & COO at Insigneo
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"Hispanics/ Latinx had to assimilate in order to accelerate. We had to cover and couldn't bring our authentic selves at work every day. I think that's another challenge..."
"You have to actively seek out difference and then embrace it."
-Robert Barea, Vice President, Culture, Diversity &
Engagement Inclusive Solutions at Prudential
Javier and Rob also shared their experiences with TAIQ
"We partnered with TAIQ and had tremendous participation. It opened some eyes as to how there are certain things that (participants) do that are maybe not so inclusive and accepting. TAIQ helped us advance and I know that we're going to be doing more with TAIQ."
-Javier Rivero, President & COO at Insigneo
My [score] was fortunately high in "Think", somewhat high in "Act", and a mixed bag on the "Interact". The TAIQ assessment told me I need to focus more on the "Interact" piece."
-Robert Barea, Vice President, Culture, Diversity &
Engagement Inclusive Solutions at Prudential