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Written by Cecilia Boscole | 07 November 2010

2012 Keynote Speaker
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch

Born and raised along the border in a small barrio in Laredo, Texas, Consuelo Kickbusch overcame poverty, discrimination and illiteracy to become the successful community leader she is today. Although she grew up without material wealth, Consuelo was taught by her immigrant parents that she was rich in culture, tradition, values and faith.

The values Consuelo learned during childhood were reinforced throughout her career in the United States military. After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, she entered the U.S. Army as an officer and served for two decades. While in the military, she broke barriers and set records to become the highest ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the U.S. Army. In 1996, she was selected out of 26,000 candidates to assume a command post, which would put her on track for the rank of general officer. She respectfully declined the honor and retired as a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Army to fulfill her for her to return to her roots and become a community leader. In realizing her dream, she founded Educational Achievement Services, Inc. with a mission to prepare tomorrow's leaders.

Consuelo currently shares her story with people of all ages and creeds. She is doing exactly what she preaches - living a legacy. She maintains a strong dedication to saving the youth of America by mentoring students and parents across the United States.

In addition to her work with American youth, Consuelo reaches audiences in the corporate, professional, nonprofit, and multi-cultural markets.

Consuelo is the proud mother of five daughters and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband, David.


2011 Keynote Speaker
Lalo Alcaraz

Lalo Alcaraz is one of the most prolific Chicano artists in the nation. He has been busy for over two decades, chronicling the political ascendancy of Latinos in America and vigorously pushing the boundaries of Chicano art in the Post-Chicano Art Era. He is the creator of the first nationally syndicated, politically themed Latino daily comic strip, "La Cucaracha," which is distributed along with other such famous comics as "Doonesbury" and "The Boondocks" by the Universal Press Syndicate. Lalo has produced editorial cartoons for The LA Weekly since 1992 and has also created editorial cartoons in English and Spanish for Universal. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, The L.A. Times, Variety, Smithsonian Magazine, Hispanic Magazine, Latina Magazine, Mexico's La Jornada, Germany's BUNTE and many other publications. Alcaraz and his work have been featured on Mi Ciudad Magazine, which named him "Best Latino Cartoonist in Los Angeles," and Lalo has also been featured by Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Magazine, Editor & Publisher and The Comics Journal.

More recently, Lalo penned a comic book on the 2010 Census for MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund, which was distributed nationally in an edition of 120,000 copies. Aside from comics, Lalo co-hosts KPFK Radio's popular satirical talk show, "The Pocho Hour of Power," heard Fridays at 4 pm in L.A. on 90.7 FM. He also co-founded both the seminal Chicano humor 'zine, POCHO Magazine and the political satire comedy group Chicano Secret Service. Mr. Alcaraz has received numerous awards and honors for his comics and his contributions to the Latino community. These awards include the "The Latino Spirit Award" from the California Legislature and the Office of the Lt. Governor, as well as the Los Angeles Community Coalition Ruben Salazar Award. His efforts have also been recognized by the Los Angeles City Council, The California Chicano News Media Association, the UC Berkeley Chicano Latino Alumni Association, the United Farm Workers of America, California Rural Legal Assistance, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

Alcaraz is a 1987 graduate of San Diego State University, where he received his bachelor's degree "With Distinction" in Art and Environmental Design. In 1991, Alcaraz earned his master's degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Alcaraz was born in 1964 in San Diego, California and grew up on the US/Mexico border. Currently, he is working on adapting his work for a possible animated TV show pilot.

2010 Keynote Speaker
Edward James Olmos

Known as the “Olivier of the Latino world,” Edward James Olmos is an individual flowing with talent and creativity. The multi-talented actor, producer, director, and community activist was born and raised in East Los Angeles, and spent many years in theatrical roles until his most mesmerizing performance in the musical play Zoot Suit, which led to a Tony Award nomination. He later recreated the role for film, and went on to star in such films as Wolfen and Blade Runner. He then scored a personal success with his role as a Mexican cowboy in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, directed by Robert M. Young, who also directed Olmos in Saving Grace, Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, and Caught. Currently Olmos can be seen in current role as Commander Adama on the Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica.

In April 1999, Olmos launched a nationwide multimedia project called Americanos: Latino Life in the United States, a celebration of Latino culture through photography, film, music, and the printed word. The project was co-sponsored by Time Warner Inc., and designed to inspire Latino pride, and to build bridges among Latinos and others. Americanos included a five-year traveling photography exhibition organized by the Smithsonian Institution; a music CD featuring Latino artists; a documentary that aired on HBO; and a book co-edited by Olmos of essays, photos, and commentary by today’s most notable figures in the Hispanic community.

2009 Keynote Speaker
Carlos Ojeda Jr.


Carlos Ojeda Jr. received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a Minor in Marketing and a Minor in Law from Bloomsburg University, his Master’s in Business Administration with a focus in business development, entrepreneurship and organization development from Kutztown University. He is a member of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. He has served on the Board of Directors for ASPIRA, Inc of Philadelphia, Board of Director for the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition and Board of Director of Raices, Inc. He is the founder and president of Distinct Communications and Carlos Ojeda Jr.,Inc, yet still finds time to be a devoted husband to his wife, dedicated father to his son and committed to his family and community.

More recently he took on the role of Assistant Director of Admissions, Latino School and Community Liaison for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and helped increase the enrollment of students of color from 4.6% to 16% in three years and then went on to become the youngest, first and only Latino business professor in the history of the University’s College of Business. He currently serves as project coordinator of the Kutztown University AREYTO Project and is the Director of the Latino Business Resource Center.

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Our Mission

"To instill in our Latino(a) youth the value of education, which nurtures mind, body and spirit in order to develop a social consciousness that empowers them as leaders for social justice and civic responsibility in the greater community."