Clay Deanhardt

After graduating from East Carolina University and Harvard Law School , Clay Deanhardt began a career in law and entrepreneurial businesses in San Francisco . By the mid-90s Clay had focused on high technology law, focusing on firms and businesses in California ’s Silicon Valley . In 2001, Clay launched his first business as President, General Counsel and a member of the Board of Directors for Epidemic Networks, a start-up networking company founded in Santa Barbara . He subsequently started his own successful legal and business consulting firm, Deanhardt Consulting, until being asked to return to Covad Communications Company as Assistant General Counsel.

Among his accomplishments, Clay led a telecommunications industry team that combined legal and operational strategies to develop and deploy disruptive technologies that made broadband services more available and affordable for individuals.

Clay now operates the Law Office of Clay Deanhardt, providing high-quality, low-cost services focused on achieving concrete business results. He advises individual entrepreneurs, small and large businesses on legal strategies designed to bring them business success.

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Dick Gonzales

Dick Gonzales currently is lead principal for Finepoint Associates, a firm specializing in Human Capital Management issues during mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to establishing Finepoint, Dick was the Senior Vice President-Human Resources for Safeway Inc. a $46 Billion, 203,000 employee food retailer operating 1,738 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada. In that position Dick was responsible for all Human Resource activities throughout the Corporation. While in this role Dick was chief strategist for several innovative human resource initiatives that provided the many core business units with organizational infrastructures that lead to improved employee competencies and skill levels. These achievements provided consistent gains in productivity, performance, quality and service. His leadership as the architect of a distinctive diversity initiative culminated in Safeway receiving Fortune magazine’s award for 50 Best Companies for Minorities (2003, 2004 & 2005) and Women (2005). He was also responsible for Safeway being recognized by Forbes magazine as a Leading Company for a Diverse Workforce (2006) and receiving the prestigious Catalyst Award for the Advancement of Women in the Workplace (2006).

Prior to Safeway Dick held senior positions with Group Health of Puget Sound, (an HMO), with Burlington Northern, Inc.(a Holding Company), Burlington Northern Railroad Company (Rail Operations), and IBM (Manufacturing). Dick holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Colorado - Boulder and an MBA from the Drucker Center, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA.

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Ysabel Duron

Ysabel Duron is an award-winning journalist now in her 38th year in television broadcasting. Duron is the senior anchor of the Weekend Morning News on KRON TV4 in San Francisco and has occupied that chair for 18 years. In 2005, Duron was named one of the 26 Most Influential Latinos in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco Business Times. Both her broadcasting and non-profit work have been recognized over the years. In 1997 she was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences “Silver Circle” for more than 25 years of meritorious work as a journalist. In June 2006 she received the President’s Award from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for her commitments to journalism and community.

In 1998, her 3 part series on her own winning battle with cancer {Hodgkins Lymphoma}, won an Excellence in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. She’s won two EMMY’s, one for her coverage of the Patricia Hearst Kidnap. The California Teachers Association gave her its highest honor, the John Swett Award, for her 3 part series “Trouble with Teachers.” In 1991 she won first place from the Radio TV News Directors Association for her 3 part series, “The Child I Never Held,” about her personal reunion with the son she gave up for adoption.

The California Chicano News Media Association presented her with its highest honor in 1999 for her commitment to coverage of the Latino community. The Chicana Latina Foundation presented her with a Living Legacy Award in 2002. The year before, the Bay Area Latino Media Association named Duron a Latino Media Pioneer. And finally, in 2006 she was presented with the President’s Award from the National Hispanic Media Association for her distinguished career and service to community.

After her battle with cancer {Hodgkins Lymphoma ‘98 , Ysabel Duron, helped start one non-profit (2000) in San Jose, CA serving Latinas with breast cancer. In 2003 she founded a second, Latinas Contra Cancer, which she continues to run. LCC raises awareness around issues of cancer to reduce mortality and improve the quality of life by increasing access to quality health care. It helps grass roots groups grow capacity to provide service, and devises culturally and linguistically appropriate education tools for the mass Latino market. It’s bilingual website offers cancer resources, and referrals. In July 2008, LCC convened the first of its kind National Latino Cancer Summit bringing together 325 researchers, administrators and community members from 21 states to explore collaboration on issues related to Latinos and cancer.

In San Jose, she was awarded the Girl’s Scouts highest honor, the Juliette Gordon Low award, as well as the Janet Gray Hayes award, named after the first woman mayor of San Jose, both for her community work.

Duron is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum, and a Board member of the International Women’s Media Foundation, empowering and enhancing women journalists globally. In June 2007, she was voted one of the 100 Most Influential Latinos in Silicon Valley. She was also honored with an individual award as the Most Influential Latino in Media. In 2008, Zero Breast Cancer of Marin County presented Duron with the Francine Levien Activist Award in honor of the group’s founder.

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Roberto Medrano

Roberto Medrano is a recognized executive in the field of Internet security. He helped to create the firewall, content security, and security policy segments of the security market. Mr. Medrano was an active member on President Bush’s National Security Advisory Committee, National Cyber Security Summit, The White House National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, and participated in President Clinton’s White House Security Summit.

Mr. Medrano has extensive experience with start-ups and large companies and was the CEO of PoliVec, a leader in security policy. Prior to PoliVec, Inc. Mr. Medrano was one of the top 100 Sr. Executives at Hewlett Packard . At Hewlett-Packard (HP) he was General Manager of the E-Services and Internet Security Divisions. As Division general manager for Hewlett-Packard, Medrano served a vital role as head of HP's key strategic emerging businesses. Some of these efforts included Internet security, middleware, management, web services, CRM, and E-commerce. Under his leadership, Medrano grew several teams from zero to more than $30 Million in a very short time with a combined total of $200 Million. Prior to joining HP, Medrano was president of Finjan, a leading security software firm. He also served as vice president of Milkyway Networks (IPO 1996), a firewall pioneer, and has held executive positions at Avnet Inc. and Sun Microsystems Inc.

Medrano has been selected as one of "The 100 most influential Hispanics in 2001" and is co-founder and CEO for Hispanic-Net, www.hispanic-net.org, a non-profit organization. Mr. Medrano has started at the beginning of 3 industries: Electronic Design Automation, Open Systems and Computer Security. Mr. Medrano is a member of Technet. He is currently on the board of directors for Hispanic-Net (www.hispanic-net.org), Golden Gate and National Hispanic Universities, National Financiera NAFIN and has served on the boards of www.arcot.com , www.bigfix.com , www.netscaler.com , www.pivx.com , www.encentuate.com , www.Clearpathnet.com , www.panaceasoftware.com , www.commendo.com and www.sandhillsecurity.com. Medrano holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of California at Los Angeles , a master of science degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.

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Dr. Robert Rodriguez

Many consider Dr. Robert Rodriguez to be the leading expert on Latino diversity initiatives in corporate America.  He has worked with over 75 corporations on their Latino talent management efforts.  His book, “Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain & Develop Hispanic Professionals,” provides corporations with a framework to leverage Latino professionals as their next great source of intellectual capital.  Dr. Rodriguez is a columnist for Diversity Executive Magazine and he serves on the board of several Latino organizations and associations.  In 2010, Hispanic Business Magazine named Dr. Rodriguez one of the Top 100 Most Influential Latinos in corporate America.  Robert currently serves as the senior vice president at ALPFA (www.alpfa.org), the largest Latino professional non-profit association in the country.

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Rick Najera

Rick Najera is an award-winning actor-writer-director-producer with credits in film, television, theatre and Broadway. He is undeniably one of the most sought after comedic talents in the industry. Honored twice by Hispanic Business Magazine as ‘100 Most Influential Latinos in America’, Najera is also one of the most powerful voices in the Latino world today.

 “Poet and producer, actor and comedian, award-winning TV writer, denizen of the Latin quarter, Hollywood Hills and Great White Way, Rick Najera is the embodiment of diversity.” – Writers Guild of America

 With an extensive range of talent, Najera has enjoyed working in many forms of entertainment, whether performing, writing for television or film to acting. Najera penned the holiday feature film Nothing Like the Holidays starring Debra Messing, Alfred Molina and John Leguizamo which won him a prestigious ALMA Award. He has had two WGA nominations for his work on MAD TV. 

His writing/acting credits also include the critically acclaimed award-winning stage works, LATINOLOGUES™ (Broadway), interactive musical comedy Sweet 15 Quinceañera and Diary of a Dad Man which will premier on the Showtime Network January 20, 2011, directed by Gary Blumsack. This award-winning comedy explores the glamorousHollywood life of bachelorhood to fatherhood, while being from the hood. 

Najera has also written for groundbreaking television comedies such as MAD TV, In Living Color and Culture Clash. He created, wrote and starred in his own sketch comedy show, BBQ Bill, which was featured on CBS’s Innertube, one of the first online comedies for a major network at the time. He has written numerous others pilots and shows. Recently,  he wrote and filmed The B GATE for Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions.

As one of the only three Latinos in history to write and star in his own show on Broadway, Najera made his Broadway debut in 2005 with his self-written and created, award-winning sketch comedy show, LATINOLOGUES™. The show triumphed on Broadway at the historic Helen Hayes Theatre on W. 44^th Street for a four-month run (137 performances with an extension), a historical achievement for a Latino-oriented show. Najera’s show on Broadway was directed by comic legend, Cheech Marin, and paved the way for others to follow such as Tony Award winning, In The Heights.  With more than a 15-year history of performances, Latinologues has toured the nation to sold out houses and standing ovations. Latinologues is the longest running and only showcase of its kind for Latinos inAmerica, and Najera has mentored and directed more than 150 actors in the show. For more info, visit http://www.ricknajera.com.

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Dr. Armando Arias

Dr. Armando Arias has broad experience working with public/private institutions, non-profits, and foundations to renew and enhance their missions and organizational structure. In his consulting roles, he helps stake-holders and project executives identify goals, common visions, and outcome-based initiatives for both small- and large-scale projects.  Currently, Dr. Arias is the Founding Director of SSI’s Street Smart Think Tank™, which is designed to engage management in reflecting on key insights and new ideas recommended by their front-line employees.

In recent years, Dr. Arias provided project leadership for the creation of the three-year-old Big Sur Environment Institute in Big Sur, California.  The Institute brings together world-class thinkers and scientists to develop global environmental solutions on a regular basis.

Dr. Arias also served as a key strategist and member of the transformation and start-up team that created the California State University, Monterey Bay campus on the site of the former Fort Ord military installation.  CSU Monterey Bay serves 4,300 students with 25 degree programs and operates with a budget exceeding $70 million.

In 1985, Dr. Arias was a strategic partner in the formation of BESTNET, an international consortium of 20 corporations and institutions of higher education established at the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute in La Jolla, California (1985–1997).  BESTNET was one of the first business–education technology initiatives to provide access to education opportunities via the Internet.

Dr. Arias was a fellow for the California State University System, the Ford Foundation, and the San Diego Foundation in the 1980s.  In the 1990s he attended Harvard University’s Institute for Education Management and the Service Learning Institute at Stanford University, and in his capacity as the founder of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Program for the Texas A & M University Systems Office, became its first fellow.

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 Yasmin Davidds

Yasmin Davidds, an expert with the world renowned KARRASS negotiation training program in the U.S. andLatin America, has trained and counseled over 2,000 corporate leaders in over 200 blue chip companies throughout 22 countries. Her clients have ranged from senior judges to tribal leaders, from unionized prison guards to accountants, and from railroad officials to diplomatic trainees. Her practical experience includes a wide range of public and private sector efforts inBrazil,Columbia,Argentina,England,France,Spain,South Africa and theU.S. She has helped lead intervention and assistance programs to disputing parties and has advised corporate, non-profit and governmental teams on how to prepare for important negotiations.

Yasmin Davidds is an international best-selling author, women empowerment specialist, television talk-show host, radio personality and self-help guru in both English and Spanish markets within the U.S.and Latin America. Recognized and highlighted as one of the top Leading Latinas by Hispanic Magazine and also as one of the most influential Latinas in the book by acclaimed author Silvia Mendoza “The Book of Latina Women: 149 Vidas of Passion, Strength and Success”; Yasmin delivers through her inspirational speeches a simple but profound message: “People will only treat you the way you allow yourself to be treated. If you want others to respect you, begin by respecting yourself first. That means standing up for yourself and not allowing anyone to mistreat you in any way.”

The groundbreaking Empowering Latinas: Breaking Boundaries, Freeing Lives, Yasmin’s internationally best-selling book, along with her self-help system, The 7 Principles to Self-Love and Personal Freedom, have been dedicated to the empowerment of women and are used as reference books in universities nationwide. To continue cementing Yasmin as an expert in women issues, she signed an agreement with Atria Books (division of Simon and Schuster) to publish “TAKE BACK YOUR POWER: How to Reclaim It, Use It and Keep It To Get What You Deserve” and “YOU GO GIRL: Give Your Daughters the Tools To Be Powerful Women”. Yasmin has served as an empowerment expert and media spokesperson for top tier companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Verizon Wireless, Bayer Pharmaceutical, AOL Latino and Sara Lee. Recently, she received the highest honor of being selected and featured as one of the 150 Most Prominent Latino Writers and Journalists of All Times.

Yasmin broke ground when she hosted her own television talk show, "You Go Girl!" in which she addressed issues and gave powerful solutions to challenges affecting all women. Yasmin has appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows including NBC Evening News and L.A.'s number one radio station, Power 106. She has been featured in numerous magazines and newspaper publications including La Opinión, People en Español and Latina Magazine.

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Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to speak to us about a project, upcoming event or would like more information about our services or contact Frank directly via email, Frank@EsTiempo.com