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Are you ambitious about your own development? Are you curious about what you’re capable of, how to unlock your potential, and how to become an exceptional Latino leader? That’s who Refugio Atilano wants to connect with. By day, he’s the director of cultural competency at a top-10 global pharmaceutical company, but in every part of his life, Atilano is driven to bring the best out in people and help them reach their maximum potential.
“If there’s one thing that excites me about the future, it’s that the world is ready for the next generation of leaders,” Atilano says. “We all have a role to play, whether for ourselves, our community, or humanity as a whole.”
The leader’s book, The Latino Leadership Playbook, is a synthesis of what it’s taken Atilano a career to learn. It’s designed as a bridge, offering Latinos the tools, knowledge, and confidence to accelerate their own careers. But the leader emphasizes that his approach isn’t just about following a narrative of his own instructions, it’s about building an ecosystem where the community contributes, learns, and advances together.
That’s when Atilano realized that a book just wasn’t enough.
“When I wrote the book, I don’t think I was thinking seriously enough about the different ways that people learn,” the director explains. “I learned that people want to engage differently, and that’s why I created the Latino Leadership Club (LLC); a powerful development ‘experience’ aimed at building your confidence and impact.”
Atilano has gone all-out on everything but the price point. The Latino Leadership Club is a direct extension of his playbook’s principles, spread out over five months. The length of time is intentional because real development requires serious study, serious application, and time for those ideas to percolate. Each cohort meets monthly in live virtual sessions with the aim of creating a shared community, a shared sense of accountability, and true transformation over time.
“What inspires me most is the idea of developing leaders who nobody knows about today.”
Refugio Atilano
The creator has seen the change in real time.
“Participants have started off so hesitant, with their cameras off, and speaking very quietly,” Atilano explains. “By the end of the program, there’s this remarkable shift. Everyone is on point. Everyone is professional. It’s a collection of Super Latino Performers, and that, to me, is a win-win for all of us and our community!”
The leader knows that the demands of family and jobs can make monthly meetups challenging, and that’s why he has no built the LLC On-demand program, which is being launched on August 8, 2025. The format offers more flexibility, allowing participants to learn at their own pace while still having access to the same kind of high-quality content and insights based on The Latino Leadership Playbook and with the career growth insights from some of the nation’s top business leaders. Atilano is really excited about this program and feels “for the first time ever, our community finally has access to a solution that will help to take their careers and earning potential to the next level.”
The cost is important to Refugio. At $199, Atilano says there should be as limited a barrier to entry as possible, and no excuses for ambitious Latino professionals to take their lives and careers to the next level. If people are serious about transforming their careers, two hundred bucks is an investment most people can find a way to make.
“I want everyone to have access to great leadership training that’s built for Latinos by Latinos,” the creator says. “My commitment to advancing our community means elevating as many people as possible—both professionals and students.”
The vision behind all of this is more than Atilano establishing a brand. It’s more than growing into some kind of leadership guru. There’s a very real sense that the director wants to be part of a broader change in the world.
“What inspires me most is the idea of developing leaders who nobody knows about today,” Atilano says. “I want to help those leaders sprout, I want the world to know about them, and I want us all to burst into the world like gangbusters.”
The leader Atilano has become is a reflection of the father who raised him. Atilano grew up in a family with strong Latino family values, one where his father acted as caretaker and defender for those he loved dearly. Atilano says the gratitude and appreciation he was granted have instilled a deep desire in him to give back to the world in whatever capacity makes most sense. Right now, that means creating more Latino leaders and helping to give self-confidence and vision to those struggling to find it.
The more you talk to Atilano, the deeper you realize his ability to convene and lead. He’s always been a connector, a uniter, and one who could find common ground among disparate ideologies.
Right now, Atilano’s focus is on developing Latino leaders, excelling in his professional role, leading his employee resource group, and adding unique value in as many parts of his life as possible. Down the line, he’s considered working to solve big problems on a wider scale. “I think about this planet whose shelf life seems to be getting shorter by the day. I think about all of the divisions in this country. And I think about the conversations I have with others,” Atilano says. “I can talk to Latinos and Democrats all day, but what I really enjoy is being able to connect with those who have difference views than me. What’s special is that regardless who I talk to, I always walk away feeling like we’ve connected, even though we may not see eye to eye on every issue. It gives me hope, and a belief that maybe my own tools could be put to use for the greater good in a different capacity someday.”
Whether that means a national political run, or even something bigger someday, Atilano says it’d all be purely speculative at this point. He’s focused on making his immediate world the best he can, for now.
The one thing to know for certain is Atilano believes in doing his part to elevate his beloved Latino community, and in helping to uplift that growing demographic to be their best selves in every capacity. Refugio Atilano is creating a whole generation of powerful leaders.
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