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Six months of sweeping reorganizations have left many Latino employee resource groups (ERGs) wondering whether they still matter. Budgets are lean or nonexistent. Executive sponsors are juggling new mandates. And with Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) less than three months away, Latino ERG leaders are asking: What’s “allowed”? How loudly can we celebrate who we are?
Look closer, and you’ll see a quiet revolution—still small but game-changing. At several Fortune 500 companies I work with, Latino ERGs have already begun expanding beyond cultural celebration to become powerful engines of career advancement and innovation.
They’ve moved from one-day celebrations to year-round programming that tackles the real barriers we face—visibility, sponsorship, and strategic influence—while tying every initiative to business outcomes.
To understand how, I interviewed leaders behind some of the most successful efforts. What follows is a blueprint to help your Latino ERG not just survive this season but also lead into the future.
3 Gaps that Hold ERGs Back—and How Trailblazing Groups Are Closing Them
Gap #1: Limited Understanding of Cultural Barriers Among Non-Latino Executives
Many senior leaders still assume that generic leadership programs are enough. But as I discuss in my book Unbeatable Latinas, subtle cultural headwinds—like family-taught humility, deference to hierarchy, and anxiety around self-promotion—often keep Latino talent from stepping into visibility.
The biggest mistake non-Latino executives can make? Treating these behaviors as fixed traits instead of cultural patterns that can be reworked.
Leading ERGs are naming these barriers and addressing them head-on through strategic self-advocacy labs, brand-building workshops, and sponsorship accelerators. By framing this work as critical to address cultural barriers and unlock untapped talent, they secure the backing of decision-makers.
Gap #2: An Undefined Business Case—Despite Abundant Data
“When you talk culture, they nod. When you show numbers, they sign,” a Latino ERG chair at a global tech company told me. She’s right. Data is our ally, but it’s often underused.
Consider this: Latinos will account for 78 percent of all net new US workers between 2020 and 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Already, 25 percent of Gen Z is Latino, a cohort that within five years will comprise nearly 30 percent of the entire workforce. These are only a few of the multiple datapoints that can build a strong business case for Latinos.
Trailblazing ERGs use these trends—alongside internal data like promotion rates and attrition gaps—to frame Latino talent acquisition and Latino development initiatives as a strategic necessity, not a “nice to have.”
It’s not just about inclusion. It’s about preparing the business for the very near future.
Gap #3: Lack of Champions Properly Equipped to Mobilize Executives
ERG leadership is often unpaid, after-hours work. But thriving ERGs recruit bold champions—professionals who believe in the mission, speak the language of ROI, and push for visibility and investment.
Champions can often face the same internalized barriers they’re working to dismantle:
- Fear of self-advocacy. Years of “just work hard” messaging can collide with the corporate truth: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Successful champions push through their fears and ask for the budgets and resources they need.
- Over-respect for hierarchy. Waiting for someone at the top to notice or act on the ERG’s needs can mean missed windows of opportunity. Successful champions reach out, even when it’s uncomfortable.
- A quiet sense of unworthiness. Being the “first” or “only” can make it hard to believe your work deserves backing. Successful champions feel the fear and advocate anyway for both themselves and the entire community.
Thriving ERGs create culturally safe spaces to practice boldness. Members learn to move from humility as silence to humility as empowered, collaborative leadership—with allies at the center.
From Cultural Showcases to Legacy-Building Programs
With HHM approaching, many ERGs feel the pull of tradition—celebrating with music, storytelling, or cultural trivia. These moments matter. But the ERGs creating lasting impact are also using this season as a launchpad for year-round development and career growth.
Even if you’re unsure how loudly you’re “allowed” to show up this year, remember: Cultural celebration and career acceleration aren’t mutually exclusive. They can coexist and amplify one another.
Here’s what high-impact ERGs have been doing in the last years:
1. Diagnose the Current State
Start by asking:
- What career barrier or business challenge can HHM programming address?
- Who can champion visibility and budget? (Think business leaders, not just HR.)
- How can we turn one month of momentum into sustained action?
Answering these questions lays the groundwork for transformation. For example: Could a fireside chat with a Latino VP launch a six-month mentorship circle? Could a cultural fair become a recruitment ground for a sponsorship accelerator?
2. Design High-Leverage Interventions
Switch from one-size-fits-all, to building programs that shift outcomes:
- Cultural fluency workshops for both Latino professionals and their managers, fostering stronger career guidance.
- Sponsorship accelerators connecting mid-career Latino talent with budget-holding leaders.
- Cross-ERG collaborations that address shared career barriers and expand everyone’s social capital.
3. Measure and Broadcast Results
Track what matters—promotions, retention, engagement, innovation—and share those wins through quarterly dashboards. Visibility earns credibility. Credibility unlocks resources.
Still unsure how your HHM plans will land this year? Start small. Pilot a single high-impact initiative. Share early data. Spark conversations with executives. And if this isn’t the year for big moves, that’s OK too. Start by planting the vision. Legacy-building often begins long before the budget shows up.
Final Word: ERGs as Engines of Change
Latino ERGs have always led with community, corazón, and celebration. What’s emerging now is a deeper clarity of purpose and a boldness in execution. When cultural authenticity is paired with strategic program design, the impact extends far beyond a single month: stronger pipelines and higher retention.
Let this be the year your ERG reclaims its future—not as an optional extra, but as an essential force in shaping tomorrow’s workforce. That workforce is increasingly Latino.
Investing strategically today ensures Latino professionals aren’t just present in the workforce of tomorrow. They’re prepared to lead it.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Hispanic Executive or Guerrero Media.
Valeria Aloe is a speaker, award-winning author of Uncolonized Latinas and Unbeatable Latinas, and the founder of Rising Together. In recent years, she has led high-impact Latino talent development initiatives across the US and Latin America, with a focus on dismantling cultural barriers, building confidence, and cultivating strategic self-advocacy.
With over two decades of experience in brand management, business development, and finance, Valeria has held leadership roles at global firms including Procter & Gamble, Citibank, Reckitt Benckiser, TIAA, and PwC. In 2018, she founded Rising Together, a leadership development and speaking firm committed to unlocking the full potential of Latino professionals.
Aloe’s contributions have been widely recognized. She was awarded the 2024 Trailblazer Award by Latina Style, named one of the Top 100 Latinas in the US by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2023, and honored as one of New Jersey’s Top 50 Women in Business in 2020.
She holds degrees in business administration and finance from Universidad Católica Argentina, an MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, and a master’s and a doctorate in Spiritual Sciences.
