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Maria Cardona is a renowned public policy advocate and political strategist with over two decades of experience in government, politics, public relations, and community affairs. She is a Principal at the Dewey Square Group (DSG), where she leads the Multicultural and Public Affairs practices. In 2005, Maria founded DSG's Latino Strategies practice, "Latinovations," focusing on Latino issues, coalition building, and multicultural campaigns. Recognized as one of the nation's top 100 most influential Latinos, Maria is a political contributor for CNN and CNN en Español, having previously appeared on MSNBC, FOX, Univision, and Telemundo.

Maria served as a Senior Advisor and spokesperson for the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign during the 2008 Democratic primary, contributing to Hispanic outreach. She was also a key surrogate for the Obama campaign in both the 2008 and 2012 elections. Before joining DSG, Maria was a senior vice president at the New Democrat Network, leading Hispanic outreach. Her government roles included director of communications for the Immigration and Naturalization Service and communications strategist for the passage of NAFTA at the Department of Commerce. She also served as communications director for the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2003. Maria is actively involved with organizations focused on Latino issues and youth, serving on several boards. Originally from Colombia, she resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.

Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez is an Afro-Puerto Rican writer, teacher, and scholar from Hoboken, NJ. She serves as a Professor in the department of Africana, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies at CUNY Hunter and is the Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO). Her work focuses on Afro-Atlantic literature and diaspora studies, and she is the author of the award-winning book "Decolonizing Diasporas: Radical Mappings of Afro-Atlantic Literature," published by Northwestern University Press in 2020 and translated by Editora Educación Emergente in 2023. Her scholarship is widely recognized and has been published in esteemed academic journals such as Hypatia, Decolonization, CENTRO Journal, Small Axe, Frontiers Journal, Hispanofilia, Contemporânea, Diálogos, and Feminist Formations.

Her forthcoming book, "The Survival of a People," is under contract with Duke University Press and is highly anticipated for its exploration of Afro-Atlantic history and culture. Through her academic work, Figueroa-Vásquez continues to contribute significantly to discussions on decolonization, identity, and diaspora. Her role at CUNY Hunter and CENTRO allows her to influence and expand the discourse in Africana, Puerto Rican, and Latino studies, making her an influential figure in her field.

Lauren M. Zyriek Enriquez is the Assistant Secretary of State in New Jersey. She previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Tahesha Way. Before joining the Secretary’s office in 2018, Dr. Zyriek Enriquez was the Deputy Clerk for the Office of the Bergen County Clerk where she had the distinction of being the first Latina in her position, she was an advisor to the Guatemalan United Nations Mission, and a Specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau.

Her education, along with her community involvement, have always been geared towards government, politics, and how they affect society. She always strives to be part of the decision-making process to advance ideas and guarantee that forthcoming policies are mindful of the demographics they serve.

Dr. Zyriek Enriquez earned her Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore, her master’s in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and she holds a Bachelor’s and associate in political science. Additionally, she has Executive Education Certificates in Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is also a New Jersey Registered Municipal Clerk and a Board Member of the NJ American Society for Public Administration. Currently Dr. Zyriek Enriquez is serving as the NJ Department of State Assistant Secretary of State.