Leading industry minds have come together to shape the future of marketing.

Carlos Santiago is a leading researcher and strategist who has focused on growth roadmaps, innovative research, and econometric models to optimize opportunities and solve challenges in implementing multicultural and millennial efforts. As Chief Strategist of SSG over the last 18 years, he has guided Fortune 100 clients such as AARP, AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CVS Health, Gatorade, Health Net, Home Depot, Humana, J&J, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Sparkling Ice, Target, Ulta Beauty, Verizon, and Walmart. Prior to SSG, he founded and built  Bell Atlantic-Verizon’s Multicultural and Premium Markets unit to $3 billion in annual revenues from Hispanic, African-American, Asian, LGBTQ, and People with Disabilities segments. He also directed Pacific Bell’s-Southwestern Bell’s Ethnic Business Unit, and earlier, he held corporate relations positions for Michelob and Anheuser-Busch focused on Hispanic and Asian segments.  Mr. Santiago served as chair of AHAA’s Research Committee, leading industry breakthrough studies like Resource Allocation Impact on Revenue Growth, Cultural Duality, Upscale Hispanics, Defining Effective Total Market Approach, and Measuring Return on Multicultural Investment. He has served on the boards of Hispanic Federation, United Way of New York, DIFFA, Latino Children’s Institute, and Commercial Closet.

Lisette Arsuaga is the co-president of and chief operating officer  at Dávila Multicultural Insights (DMI) and Co-Founder of AIMM.  She has provided strategic guidance for companies including Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg, Proactiv, Gatorade, Dunkin’ Brands, Marriott, New York Life, Aetna, Warner Pictures, A&E, Ulta Beauty, and SeaWorld.  Throughout her career, she has created strategic alliances and programs with media/communication companies (Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures), government entities (FBI, ICE, Los Angeles, New York City ), and celebrities to effectively reach multicultural groups in a culturally relevant way.   She has created campaigns in both Spanish and English and executed programs that effectively target both acculturated and non-acculturated Latinos.  

As a strong advocate for venture philanthropy, Ms. Arsuaga has forged partnerships that have provided corporations a greater affinity with their targeted markets while generating new revenue for non-profit groups and multicultural communities throughout the country.

Gilbert Dávila is co-president of Dávila Multicultural Insights (DMI) and Co-Founder of AIMM.  He is one of the most sought-after experts on diversity and multicultural marketing in the United States today.  He spent 25 years working as a senior corporate marketing executive and multicultural market expert at Procter & Gamble; Coca-Cola USA; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and The Walt Disney Company, where he served as the head of multicultural marketing and global diversity.  

Mr. Dávila’s comprehensive experience in marketing, brand management, strategic planning, sales promotions, sponsorships, diversity, inclusion, and customer relationship management helped companies for which he worked to increase their revenue by targeting new and growing demographics. As the Co-President of and CEO at DMI, he has provided strategic guidance and mentorship for executives looking to enter and/or expand their role in corporate America’s multiculturalmarket, and recommendations on organizational structure and go-to-market programs to reach diverse consumers.

Karla Lucia is a senior consultant and executive director at the ANA’s Alliance for Multicultural Marketing (AIMM), bringing together senior leaders from over 160 corporations, agencies, media, research companies, and trade organizations to advance multicultural and inclusive marketing.

She has over three decades of experience in the study, growth, and evolution of multicultural marketing communications in America. She is an innovative, strategic thought leader who has developed winning multicultural programs and campaigns for some of America’s largest and most iconic brands, including The Walt Disney Company, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Kraft Foods, Harley Davidson, Binney & Smith (Crayola), Sears, XM Satellite Radio, SeaWorld, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Macerich Malls, Ulta Beauty, among others.

Ms. Lucia worked with world-class talent in top global advertising agencies before successfully establishing and managing LatinSphere Advertising, one of the leading boutique advertising agencies in the nation. Her latest entrepreneurial endeavor is the licensing and creation of Ulta Beauty’s first Hispanic-centered beauty line, the Frida Kahlo Collection, which surpassed performance expectations and reached over $5 million in retail sales.