What does it mean to be a changemaker? It means stepping up to bat for what you believe in. It’s the willingness to fill leadership roles, promising to advocate for and shedding light on the unrepresented and undervalued. These people are innovators, groundbreakers and resistors. They’re not afraid of change and demonstrate their dedication through years of hard work.
Nobody is doing this better than the following five women. Hailing from all walks of life, these incredible achievers are driven and enterprising. Paving the way in their respective industries, these multihyphenate women are fostering a future for the Latino community and continuing to push boundaries.
Jacqueline Vazquez
Event planner, educator & mentor
Founder and CEO of Lifetime Events, Jacqueline Vazquez is a speaker, educator and mentor, as well as a wellness advocate through her podcast, Inspired by Jacqueline. As her decade-long career in accounting was coming to an end, this seasoned businesswoman and author dreamed of launching a wedding and event planning company. The career shift provided the opportunity to plan events for professionals across various careers while embracing and including cultural representation for her clients. She cultivates her brand, Classy and Inspiring, by collaborating with other planners across the world and has become a coveted industry expert.
Across her roles, Vazquez strives to connect authentically with individuals, cultivating unique connections and using her platforms to support others in transforming their lives. She is also the author of The Creative Life of an Elite Event Planner and co-author of the anthology Becoming an Unstoppable Woman: The Journey Continues. As a changemaker, she believes, “The world needs more people who are really looking to change the reality we live in, for us and for the future.”
Kellie Ann Jurado, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, postdoctoral fellow & principal investigator
Kellie Ann Jurado’s initial scientific spark happened during an undergraduate Intro to Psychology class when she asked her professor for a lab-based volunteer opportunity. This spark turned into a flame when she fell in love with the field and envisioned a career of “continuous curiosity.” After graduating from New Mexico State University, she continued her studies at Harvard University, earning a Ph.D. in virology, and then completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Yale University’s immunobiology department.
She is now the principal investigator at Jurado Lab within the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine’s microbiology department, where she’s opening a research program that will study immune crosstalk in early life and women’s health. As lead scientist, she mentors rising researchers and students, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and core values, while advancing in the field of science. She understands that in research science, progress is slow, but it is incredibly meaningful. Achieving smaller wins to reach larger feats is what makes her proud. “Being a great scientist does not come at the loss of identity, and, in fact, it is my identity—my culture, my values, my community—that makes me a great scientist,” she says.
Amber Ybarra
CEO, author & speaker
Before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey, Amber Ybarra worked as a professional plus-size model, photographer and painter. Now, she is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, business coach and founder of Cityline Fence Co. Her varied vocations and diverse skill set enabled her to pursue her wildest dreams. She has collaborated with high-profile celebrities, participated in art shows and worked behind the scenes as a makeup artist for a popular R&B group.
After deciding to focus on her entrepreneurial career, she partnered with a construction company. When that relationship dissolved, she launched her own construction business. With her venture into entrepreneurship, Ybarra steered herself toward success, earning certifications from Yale University and ranking among the top 10 speakers through Grant Cardone and Pete Vargas’ 10X Stages program.
Ybarra is grateful for her diverse experiences, knowing she wouldn’t have found her path without exploring various fields. Now, she shares her journey and supports entrepreneurs, speaking on stages to spread fellow business owners’ messages and stories. Reflecting on her representation as a Latina, Ybarra states, “Life, people, circumstances … they’ll all push us to think we’ve met the cap of our highest potential—until we realize we are meant to break that status quo.”
Dr. Betty Uribe
Founder, CEO & business and life strategist
Betty Uribe started her entrepreneurial journey as a teenager, shadowing her father on his day-to-day work visiting clients, suppliers and employees. This valuable experience set her up to establish her first company in biomedical engineering and manufacturing. Later, she shifted careers when Wells Fargo approached her for a banker position. As a banker, she excelled at creating lasting relationships, quickly rising through the ranks and successfully managing a couple of internal hostile takeovers. Her expertise and tactical skills led her to handle multibillion-dollar turnovers, with her latest position as managing director at JPMorganChase.
Today, Uribe, who holds a doctorate with honors in organizational leadership, is the founder and CEO of Effectus Enterprises—a company that focuses on value-centered turnarounds and investments; business, corporate, global and executive leadership development; and philanthropy. She believes in being a human leader, fostering people’s passions and values, while challenging the status quo. “I absolutely love being Colombian and North American,” she says. “I get to take the best from both cultures and bring others with me on this amazing journey. I make it a point to recognize and elevate minorities and immigrants, as we are still not well represented. Imagine what would happen if every leader did the same?”
Gaby Natale
Speaker, author & entrepreneur
Equipped with a master’s degree, Gaby Natale entered the Argentine job market in 2001 during one of the country’s worst economic and social crises. Even in dire times, and a challenging job market, she remained undeterred, volunteering at an international marketing conference in Buenos Aires. Unexpectedly, Natale served as a translator for American companies, which led to a job offer from a United States consulting firm a year later.
Then, after working as a news anchor for a few years, she pursued creating content that deviated from mainstream media, launching her own company, AGANAR Media. As a result, she became the first Latina in daytime TV to win three consecutive Emmy Awards. Natale is also a keynote speaker and the bestselling author of The Virtuous Circle: Restore Your Confidence, Bounce Back and Emerge Stronger. Currently, she works as a corporate consultant with Fortune 500 companies, leveraging her speaking skills to advocate for and elevate these companies by establishing and reforming leadership standards. As a Latina entrepreneur and leader, she emphasizes that representation is everything. Being a pioneer championed her to push boundaries. “Every time we choose to pioneer, we move the world forward,” she says.
This article appears in the November/December 2024 issue of SUCCESS Magazine. Photo of Jacqueline Vazquez is courtesy of Jacqueline Vazquez.
