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Meet John Moreno-Escobar: How Celebrating & Honoring His Culture Led to Him Being the Director of Growth for Latin America at the National Society of Leadership and Success
 

Today we hear from the positive, ambitious John Moreno-Escobar. He currently serves as the Director of Growth for Latin America at the National Society of Leadership and Success. Here he is able to connect his work with his home country of Colombia everyday. We are honored to share his words and advice with you all today!

John, what is your personal narrative? What key moments in your life led you to where you are?

My passion is helping others and connecting people!

My name is John Moreno-Escobar. I was born and raised in Colombia. I came to the United States at 18 and came to study (for me, education was the real American dream). I learned English via the closed captions on the TV and in the movies. I joined the City University of New York back in the early 2000’s - First - LaGuardia Community College, where I graduated in less than 2 years with an Associates Degree in Business and a minor in Latin American Studies; after that, I attended Baruch College, where I earned a bachelors degree in Public Affairs with a minor in Latin American politics and also got a Masters degree in Public Administration (MPA). During my early college years, I worked in many industries, but the most impactful for me was the restaurant industry. I was a busboy, a waiter, and even a bartender, but I worked every single job you can imagine. I share that because this industry taught me how to talk to people, how to serve well and take care of my clients, but also how to receive criticism, and how to deal with conflict and racism.

I also met many mentors along the way; one of the biggest ones is the director of the center for international business at Baruch - Dr. Terrence Martell - He helped me during my college years; he showed me different ways of thinking and the most important thing, he believed in me. I think he still does. Mentors are critical and, I have to say, are transformational when you are a minority in this country.
 
Thanks to all those experiences and my determination to succeed and become the best version of myself, I'm here now. The same determination I saw in John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, America Ferrera, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Cesar Chavez, Dr. Martin Luther King, and many others.
 

How have you continued to stay connected to your Latinx culture and heritage throughout your life?
 
One of the things I shared during my presentations or with mentees is that you CAN NOT forget where you came from. I still, until this morning, woke up and checked the Colombian news. I participate in Colombian and Latino organizations as a donor, advisor, volunteer, and more. I didn’t work on canceling my accent, and I keep family traditions at home. For me, our culture/heritage is the big differentiator in the job market; for example, being able to speak another language or understanding the Latino market for marketing campaigns or political elections is powerful - like a friend of mine says, a Super Power!

Therefore, I encourage everyone reading this interview to engage with your community, support, elevate and empower local organizations, and create ERG groups in your own companies.
 

What goals and hopes do you have as the Director of Growth for Latin America at The National Society of Leadership and Success? How do you hope to continue cultivating a diverse workforce?
 
The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is the biggest leadership organization in the US; we work with more than 700 Colleges and universities and have almost 2 million members. We provide our members with the tools to become effective global leaders to upskill the world. The NSLS brought me on board to expand this incredible success to Latin America, specifically Colombia. The main goal is to help transform this country by equipping its future leaders with the skills and habits they need to become leaders for life and have an immediate impact locally.
 
As I continue this journey and we keep expanding to more countries in Latin America, I want to make sure our LATAM team is learning from the American team and vice versa; we already have a diverse, intelligent, and proactive Colombia team (more than 10 people) and our main job has been to empower then to believe in their potential and also to understand they are human beings that also need to spend time with family, take a break from work, eat and rest well and to be recognized.
 

What advice would you give to future Inclusive Inspirational Leaders?

I will say - Diversity is a gift we have in this country. Our diversity makes us stronger and more vibrant and enriches our organizations. Please let your staff explore diversity and encourage inclusive hiring practices.

Follow John through his social media channels:
Join college presidents, college leaders, faculty, advisors, business leaders and college students at the GlobalMindED Resolve to Solve Series, sponsored by Georgia Tech. You can join us live for $295 (breakfast and lunch included) and $195 for students. Anyone who cannot join live are eligible to livestream the event for free anywhere in the U.S. thanks to our partner and PBS affiliate, WABE. Sign up through the QR code and join us level the Higher ED hierarchy as we co-create solutions with students at the table.

Join us in Atlanta on November 4 at Georgia Institute of Technology.
In case you missed them, here are links to this week's Equity Events in STEM, K-12, and Higher Education:
  • Watch "Barrier Breaking to Engineering and STEM for Diverse Students"
  • Watch "Safe from the Gate: Empowering Kids to Make Better Decisions Online"
  • Watch "What is Hispanic Heritage Month? And What Does it Mean for Equity, Justice, Opportunity, and Culture?"
Details and Links below
Barrier Breaking to Engineering and STEM for Diverse Students
Dr. Steve Efe Asst. Professor, Civil Engineering Morgan State University leads the discussion with guests:
Dr. Janne Hall Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Engineering Texas Southern University
Janelle Mason Graduate Student, Computer Science North Carolina A&T State University
Tiresius Johnson Student Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
Kimera Peterson Civil Engineering student Morgan State University
Safe from the Gate Empowering Kids to Make Better Decisions Online
Erika Twani CEO & Co-Founder Learning One to One leads the discussion with guests:
Paul Castro Superintendent, A+UP Charter School
Dr. Liz Sweigart Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Safe Kids AI
Amr Yehia Operations Director, The Digital School
Kristie Adams Chief Learning Officer, Family Scholar House
What is Hispanic Heritage Month? And What Does it Mean for Equity, Justice, Opportunity, and Culture?
Dr. Ryan Ross; Student Affairs Equity and Inclusion for CCCS, CEO Urban Leadership Foundation of CO leads the discussion with:
Mariana Del Hierro; Executive Director Re:Vision
Crestina Martinez; Long Term Recovery & Major Initiatives Director Adams County Government
Rachel Garcia; CEO Colectiva 
Dr. Roberto Montoya; Chief Educational Equity Officer Colorado Department of Higher Education
SAVE the DATE 2023: June 7 Inclusive Leader Awards Dinner
First Gen Leadership Program
June 8, 9 GlobalMindED Conference
2023 Denver, Colorado

CALL FOR PROPOSALS IS OPEN
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the complete program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
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