The Future of Work is Diverse, Inclusive, Just and Equitable
GlobalMindED closes the equity gap by creating a capable, diverse talent pipeline through connections to role models, mentors, internships for low-income students, returning adults, First Gen to college and inclusive leaders who teach them, work with them and hire them.
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First Gen to College Grad Finds Passion Starting His Own Business: Meet Jose Herrera
What is your personal story?
My name is Jose Herrera, and I am the owner and CEO of New Era Roofing and Solar. I am 27 years old and started my business when I was 23. I graduated from the University of Texas in 2017 as a First Generation student and moved back to Colorado to be with my family. When I came back to Colorado, I struggled to find a career that I was passionate about. It wasn't until I started my own business that I truly felt accomplished.
When I first started New Era I was working for another company whose values did not align with mine. I grew up in a Hispanic household and for me, that meant putting value in my family and my home. Building a company was not an easy task. I had to find mentors willing to teach me the ins and outs of a business because unfortunately, my parents were not able to provide me with that insight. I began attending conferences and building my connections. Slowly, my portfolio grew and I was able to start my company with only $2,000. Now, New Era is valued at over a million dollars and that is all thanks to the hard work and dedication of my team and family.
How did you come to be in your present career?
I came in into my present career while working as an accountant for a roofing company straight out of college. I quickly realized that accounting was not my passion and that I wanted to become a business owner. My dream was to give back to the community that helped raise me and I couldn’t think of a better way to do it. I have been working on many projects including giving my community access to clean energy. The start of New Era was not an easy one. I encountered many obstacles but with the help of great community leaders and mentors New Era is now a top company within Colorado and its bordering states.
What advice do you have for our First Gen students/students?
The biggest and most sincere advice for any student is to not feel discouraged to explore new fields of study. College is the best time to find out who you truly are and what you are passionate about. During my experience, I was so set on making everyone around me proud that I did not step back and analyze what was best for me. I encourage you to do this because regardless of the career choices that you make, your family and friends will be proud of you. Don’t sell yourself short, college is hard, but make the most of your experience, network and follow your dreams.
What long-term impact would you like to have throughout your career?
During my life and career, I have had a lot of mentors helping me every step of the way. Now, I focus a lot of my time on helping others that are going through similar situations as I was. I attend many conferences and panels where I focus on extending an invitation to those who would like to learn about being a business owner. The impact I want to have is to help my community grow in a better and more efficient way through solar and clean power as well as my mentoring.
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Join us in Denver June 7-9 for GlobalMindED 2023 |
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Early Bird Registration Open Now
To get a feel for the conference experience, please see this brief video by The PhD Project from the 2022 GlobalMindED Conference
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Join us for the conversation
Social Justice and Equity:
A constant evolution but we still haven’t hit the mark!
Tuesday January 24th 4:00 EST
Some of the original social justice conversations began in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution to promote more egalitarian societies and reduce the exploitation of certain marginalized groups due great disparities between the rich and poor. Today, social justice has shifted towards a stronger emphasis on human rights and improving the lives of disadvantaged and marginalized groups that have historically faced discrimination in society. We continue to see and experience discrimination based on race, sex, age, wealth, ethnicity, heritage, social status, religion, and others.
Social justice and equity work is still all too common and very necessary. Even in the context of a pandemic, after the murder of George Floyd people spilled into the streets to protest police violence, racial discrimination, and the scourge of white supremacy. The United States recorded its largest protests in the history of the country’s existence. Join Equity and Social Justice leaders to discuss where we are, what has changed, and where we should be going to realize country where thriving is a right and not a privilege.
Led by Dr. Ryan Ross with Emily Shamsid-Deen; Principal, ESD Consulting, Keith Station; Deputy Chief of Staff—Diversity, Equity & Inclusion City of Omaha Mayor’s Office, Lana Hailemariam; Chief Executive Officer, StandUP, LLC, Reiland Rabaka; Founder and Director, Center for African and African American Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, and Dr. Roberto Montoya; Chief Educational Equity Officer Colorado Department of Higher Education.
See bios below
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The GlobalMindED Inclusive Success NetworkTM had another banner year of growth, impact, and outcomes for First Generation, poverty-affected and minoritized students. Here are some of the highlights:
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Return of in-person GlobalMindED conference with record attendance and the largest First Gen Leadership Class ever of 122 student leaders. See PhD Project brief video of the event.
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Our fourth annual Inclusive Leader Awards recognized 15 DEIB leaders across sectors.
- Almost all our 100+ panels and sessions of 2022 featured a student.
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Of the 300+ speakers, 73% were diverse leaders sharing their thoughts.
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We held our first Industry Marketplace Career Exploration Arena at GlobalMindED 2022 with 40 companies, giving K-12, college students, educators, and leaders a way to learn about emerging fields and careers. Join us for the next one at GlobalMindED 2023.
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Our first satellite event at Georgia Institute of Tech was livestreamed via the Atlanta PBS affiliate.
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We became an official initiative of the Foundation for the Support the United Nations (FSUN) and will hold our first UN event on March 22, 2023.
- ·We served ten colleges with the GlobalMindED Success Collaborative connecting students at each HBCU, MSI, HIS and Tribal College with role models, mentors, internships, and jobs.
- We had partners/volunteers from Microsoft, Salesforce, Rubrik, HP, Stanford MBA and more.
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We spoke at the White House Initiative for HBCUs with sponsor Hewlett Packard.
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Our team, Board, Colorado Board and Executive Leadership Council are all majority diverse serving a majority diverse population of emerging leaders.
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We continued to publish our daily newsletter and conduct monthly virtual Equity events, led by people of color with majority diverse panelists and students. These are the role models for our students.
- Our annual operating budget increased by 67% emerging COVID strong.
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We doubled our staff from four to eight as we grow to scale our impact.
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Our Young Professionals grew to 40 strong, with a ten-person leadership cabinet made up of, but not limited to, graduates of our programs who are now working professionals.
- Since 2015, we have successfully connected 1,200+ students to internships and jobs.
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Our founder, Carol Carter, was recognized as one of the Most Powerful Women in Denver by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and one of the Most Admired CEOs by the Denver Business Journal.
We are grateful for the support, inclusive leadership, and financial contributions of our community and sponsors who work tirelessly to open doors for the students we serve, the institutions who support them, and the businesses and non-profits who are committed to hiring a capable, diverse talent pipeline. We look forward to seeing all of you June 7-9 at our best event yet, GlobalMindED 2023 - Transforming Boundaries: Creating Systemic Access and Equity. The Inclusive Leaders Awards Dinner is June 7, followed by the conference June 8- 9 at the Denver Downtown Sheraton.
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