by: Juan Guillen
Looking back, this award has come a long way since its inception, when I was the publisher of
a magazine known as Dominican Times in 2001. The magazine then became DTM in 2005,
before our final destination (rebranding) to LatinTRENDS in 2010. Our mission is simple, but
there is power in simplicity: to produce cutting edge, lifestyle content that highlights impactful
people and innovations that inform, entertain and inspire the forward thinking Latino in
America; and to be the number one source for Latinos seeking “Pop Culture with a Latin Twist” in the U.S.
All along, since our inception, we have acknowledged talent & success, along with the inspiration that the awardees bring us all — especially to our youth, who in today’s world can benefit from seeing and knowing that there are people within their reach and visibility that have and are opening the doors of creativity, possibility and prosperity, not just financially, but of the mind, body and spirit as well. Most importantly, they are influencing trends and decisions in their respective industries. This is why they are trendsetters…in the game of life, let’s call them game influencers.
Past Honorees include Latin music legend Willie Colon, philanthropist Laura Posada, Bronx borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Pulitzer Prize winning author & professor Junot Diaz, and the late Bill Gallo, legendary Daily News journalist & cartoonist. Some of this year’s trendsetters include journalists Joe Torres & Tom Llamas, actor & activist April Hernandez, educator Henry Rubio, entrepreneurs Sergio Fernandez de Cordova & David Corona, Dr. Luz Adriana Matiz & many others. For full bios and interviews on all of our 2011 awardees, go to meet the trendsetters, beginning on page 18. For more information on this event, its history and photos & videos, visit: www.latinotrendsetter.com
In closing, I will share some quotes, that hopefully will hit a nerve with some of you and cause you to get up off that seat of comfort, fear, or laziness, which you have been sitting on for the past who knows how long…you know what I mean, that inner voice, that whispers: should I start this business? I can’t call that person… they owe me an apology!.. I can’t find a job…I hate my job…I can’t get ahead… I’m too busy; life in New York is hectic… I’m always working; I have no time to do things… whatever your inner voice is saying: pump up the volume, if it will empower you and simply kill the noise if not. I hope you enjoy this issue and these quotes… as always our mission is to inform, entertain and inspire…hasta la vista!
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive”
— Howard Thurman
“Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain, but we can avoid joy”
— Tim Hansel
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
