Hispanicize 2013 will kick off with 1st Annual Diversity Tech Leaders and Social Media Entrepreneurs Summit presented by Sprint

Internet & Technology
March, 25, 2013 – 05:17 PM / ET
Hispanicize 2013 will kick off with 1st Annual Diversity Tech Leaders and Social Media Entrepreneurs Summit presented by Sprint
– A national video contest for $1,000 is being launched for Latino tech and social media entrepreneurs
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Hispanicize 2013 will kick off with 1st Annual Diversity Tech Leaders and Social Media Entrepreneurs Summit presented by Sprint. (PRNewsFoto/Hispanicize 2013)

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., March 25, 2013 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A consortium of leading Latino and African American tech leaders and organizations are banding together for the launch of the first annual Diversity Tech Leaders and Social Media Entrepreneurs Summit presented by Sprint at Hispanicize 2013 (http://www.HispanicizeEvent.com ), the fourth annual Latino trends event set for April 9-13 at the Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130325/CL82388 )

Slated for April 9th, the first day of Hispanicize 2013, the Diversity Tech Leaders Summit is presented by Sprint and being organized in partnership with the Latinos in Science and Technology Association (LISTA), the Latino Start Up Alliance and Silicon Valley Latino. Part TedX and part “Shark Tank” the summit will highlight some of the lesser-known business stories of diverse tech and social media entrepreneurs who are making their marks in digital media, apps and more.

“Sprint is honored to partner with Hispanicize in supporting diverse and emerging leaders who are harnessing technology to move industries and communities forward,” said Hector Galvan, Sprint Hispanic Corporate Media Relations Manager.

“Silicon Valley lacks diversity but through this summit powered by Sprint we’re going to demonstrate that when given the platform and opportunity there are plenty of Latino and African American entrepreneurs who are dedicated to building technology, web and social media-based ventures,” said Manny Ruiz (@MannyRuiz) (http://twitter.com/mannyruiz ), founder and creative director of Hispanicize 2013. “Given that Hispanicize is already a magnate for tech and social media entrepreneurs this is the natural meeting place to showcase the diverse stories developing outside Silicon Valley in places like Chicago, New York or even Miami Beach. This is going to be a fun, engaging program for entrepreneurs, bloggers and even journalists that are themselves considering the plunge into social media entrepreneurship.”

SUMMIT SCHEDULE OVERVIEW

The summit will launch with a keynote address by one of the most respected Hispanic tech leaders today, Rafael Urbina, CEO of Batanga Network. Urbina will present a talk about the hard earned lessons that he and his company have learned since launching in 1999, a 14-year span of innovation that has included raising capital, creating technologies, merging companies and ultimately acquiring other businesses.

Urbina’s address will be followed by a round robin of entrepreneur stories and inspirational talks of 10 minutes each on themes like creativity, finding the right investors, learning from failures and more topics that that are part and parcel of being in business in an increasingly digital-minded world.

Sharing their stories of tech successes and failures will also be Felicia Hatcher, author of How to Start a Business on a Ramen Noodle Budget and the Chief Popsicle of Feverish Ice Cream & Gourmet Pops, Jesse Martinez, founder of the Latino Start Up Alliance founder, Laura Gomez, former lead of Twitter’s Latino outreach, Lamar Tyler of Tyler New Media and Black and Married with Kids, Jose Marquez, executive director of Latinos in Science and Technology Association (LISTA), Jewel Figueras of Jewel’s Fab Life, among others.

HISPANICIZE DISRUPT COMPETITION

The summit will culminate with a “Shark Tank”-style Web video competition for $1,000 called Hispanicize Disrupt.
Between now and April 6 Hispanicize 2013 is seeking videos with an “elevator pitch” (3 minutes or less) that provides a compelling overview of a business idea, product, or expansion. The videos should be no longer than 3 minutes and no fancy editing is required – just your 1-3 minute business pitch. Board members from the Diversity Tech Summit team will select the top 10 submissions to take part in the live competition and only contestants that will be at Hispanicize 2013 on April 9 will qualify to be a finalist.

The Hispanicize Disrupt contest is for entrepreneurs who want to expand their businesses into new arenas, launch new products, or fund new technology. Whether you’re an established company looking to rapidly expand, an early-stage start-up seeking to get off the ground, or a blogger looking to scale up, this is your chance to not only win critical seed funding but also invaluable publicity on the largest stage in Hispanic new media.

The 10 finalists will give a live elevator pitch to an all-star panel of investor judges that include Andy Unanue, Managing Partner/Founder of AUA Private Equity and Jorge Consuegra of The Fearless Group. These judges will critique each contestant, ask questions and then select the Top 3 finalists. A mobile phone text vote from the audience will decide the winner. The winner will be awarded $1,000 by Sprint and will be prominently showcased during Hispanicize 2013.

To enter the contest:

1. Fill out the online form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gbdi6zkSFsRJahJVweNsNuNYLqeu-3yrOySsom-5Y2s/viewform
2. Shoot your short video (no more than 3 minutes, please)
3. Tweet it with the two hashtags #Hispz13 #Disrupt.
4. Fancy video editing is not necessary as the entry will be judged for content.
5. ONLY participants who are physically present at Hispanicize 2013 on April 9 qualify for the grand prize.

Sponsorship and Registration Information

The title sponsor of the event is Procter & Gamble. As of today, confirmed sponsors include: Sprint, Target, Tide, Charmin, Coca-Cola, Pandora, MundoFox, Sherwin-Williams, Ford, McDonald’s, The Clorox Company, Maseca, ViSalus, Swiffer, Fender, Radio Shack, Transitions, NBC Latino, The Axis Agency, JeffreyGroup, NBCUniversal, Lanugo, Visit Orlando, Lowe’s, ESPN Deportes, Fox News Latino, Business Wire, Sensis Agency, Avocados of Mexico, UnitedHealthcare, PR Newswire, The Zocalo Group, Yo Soy Segundo, El Sentinel, The American Latino Museum, Marketwire, The St. Augustine Visitor’s Bureau, Collective Bias and several more brands who will shortly be disclosed. Media partners include Latin Heat Media, Getty Images Hispanic, Media Moves, PRODU and Hispanic Market Weekly.

Sponsorship information is available by contacting sponsorship@hispanicizeevent.com or calling 203.364.4779. To reserve a hotel room visit https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=14723119

About Hispanicize 2013

Now in its fourth year, Hispanicize 2013 (http://www.HispanicizeEvent.com ) (#Hispz13) is the iconic, largest annual event for Latino trendsetters and newsmakers in social media, journalism, advertising, PR, film, music and innovation.

Hispanicize 2013 brings brands, media, marketers, celebrities, filmmakers, innovators and bloggers together in a unique creative environment focused on ideas and best practices. The event is a launch pad for creative endeavors, new products, technologies, marketing campaigns, films, books and more targeting Latinos.

Hispanicize 2013, a partnership of the Hispanic Public Relations Association (HPRA) (http://www.hpra-usa.org ), Hispanicize and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) (http://www.prsa.org ), will be held at the Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach, April 9-13, 2013.

SOURCE Hispanicize 2013