2014 Go Further with Ford Trend Conference #FordMillennials

Last month I was invited by Ford Español to attend the 2014 Go Further with Ford Trend  Conference in Dearborn, Michigan. I was able to document my experience as one of a few #FordMillennials chosen from all around the country!

After accepting the offer to attend, I started thinking about what the conference might entail. Obviously, Ford is an automotive company  so I surely thought that I would be learning everything and anything about cars but to my surprise, Ford dedicated much of its time to discuss global issues which included Sustainability, Females and careers (Female Frontier), Big data, and Design Innovation.

Through a series of sessions with great presenters, attendees were engaged in learning about relevant topics. As a Millennial, I was very intrigued by the platform in which these issues were addressed.

Some key highlights from the sessions I attended were:

FEMALE FRONTIER:

·         More than half of Millennials would work for less money if their company’s values match theirs.

·         67% of Americans are okay with women out earning their husbands

·         Female Millennials are buying cars and roughly 75% feel misunderstood by automotive companies

SUSTAINABILITY

·         The average American uses 400 liters of water daily

·         1 in 9 people do not have access to clean water

·         Los Angeles relies on the Colorado River for water and shares its water source with 7 other states.

DESIGNING INNOVATION

·         81% of global workers are not engaged in the workplace; Gaming=virtual engagement.

·         Women generally play collaborative games rather than competitive.

·         There are over 1.5 million apps. Most of which have replaced something in physical form.

This three day conference also included an exclusive tour of the Ford Truck Plant and Behind the Wheel test drives of their newest models. It’s great to see a global company supporting the conversation of important issues as well as making positive eco-friendly changes.

Being at the conference, I was surrounded by journalists, bloggers and professionals from all over the world which allowed me to hear diverse opinions on global issues. 

*Disclaimer: Travel and lodging was provided by Ford Español.

Latism 2013 Recap!

Now that I am finally settled in to my daily routine I would like to share my experience from this past week at Latism 2013 in NYC! (To be honest, I’m still taking it all in!)

Latism 2013 was AMAZING! It was unlike any other conference I've experienced. From the moment I stepped foot into the Waldorf Astoria I knew I was about to be a part of something huge. The culture, tradition, music, and candela!, as many in attendance described it, definitely made me proud of my Latina roots and of being in attendance. Being in the same room as so many men and women who are truly dedicated to social good has definitely inspired me to continue to work toward social change.

It’s crazy to think that just a few months ago I started my internship with Bloggers of Health and now I was in New York City for one of the biggest Latino Conferences of the year!

The conference concentrated on issues like Literacy, Tech Innovation, Business, Health, Community Outreach, Culture, and Immigration reform. To be surrounded by men and women who are so passionate and full of life was immensely motivating. There is so much love, potential and ganas in the Latino Community and I am very lucky to have been exposed to that.

From left to right: Goldin Martinez, Jackie Gil, Danny Rivero, 

Lupita Riestra (me), Judith Barcelo, Karen Comas 

I feel extremely honored and privileged to have been part of the #FordMillennial panel along with five other individuals who are truly incredible. We were chosen to represent five major cities across the U.S. to share our stories not only as Millennials but as Latinos, who are making a difference in our communities through our work and involvement. I'm looking forward to continue working with my peers and the Ford Millennial movement. 

Gracias Ford en Español for allowing me to experience this amazing conference as a Ford Millennial Ambassador. And a BIG THANK YOU to @NataschaOS, @BlancaMejia, and Albert Collazo (Director of Hispanic Communications for Ford), for all the support and guidance! 

Amazing Team!

One thing that I have taken with me is that we all have been blessed with the power of choice; YOU are the one who decides what to do and that is something no one can ever take away from you. Whatever it may be, make sure that you do it with passion and consciousness.