Latino Thought Makers Presents a Conversation with Latinas in Hollywood

3801 S Central Ave,Cicero IL 60804

20 October, 2022

Description

Hi Morton College Community! We are excited to bring to you Latino ThoughtMakers Live Interview Series Featuring Latino Innovators in Media and Entertainment moderated and hosted by award-winning writer, producer, author and comedian Rick Najera. We invite you to join the conversation and listen to the insights, stories, and perspectives on issues facing the Latino community! As a continuation of the Latino ThoughtMakers series, we invite you to join us on Thursday, October 20th, for our live discussion with award-winning actress & philanthropist, Alex Meneses and award-winning actress, writer, producer & social activist Yareli Arizmendi at 6:30 pm. You don’t want to miss us for a powerful and inspirational interview series! Register today! Yareli Arizmendi is an award-winning actress, writer, and producer, as well as a social activist. She is best known for her performances as Rosaura in Like Water for Chocolate and as Lila Rodriguez in A Day Without a Mexican, a movie she co-wrote and co-produced. With more than twenty-five years of a solid professional career (www.imdb.me/yareli), she has appeared in multiple television programs and films. Starting with Like Water for Chocolate (1996), she has narrated a wide array of audiobooks including Isabel Allende’s Violeta, Maria Hinojosa’s Una Vez Fui Tu, Reyna Grande’s The Ballad of Love and Glory, and The Distance Between Us, and Jeannine Cummins’ American Dirt amongst many more (www.Audible.com). Her TEDx Talk: Making the Invisible Visible, is a declaration of both personal and professional intents. Now a member of The Academy/Oscars (AMPAS), she earned a B.A. in Political Science and an MFA in Theater from the University of California, San Diego (www.Yareli.com). Alex Meneses can currently be seen in CW’s hit show, WALKER. Alex recently starred opposite Jackson Rathbone and Esai Morales in the independent film THE WALL OF MEXICO, which premiered at SXSW in 2019. She filmed the independent pilot UNORGANIZED CRIME, directed by Academy-Award winner Nick Valleglonga. She recently guest-starred on CBS ALL ACCESS hit series WHY WOMEN KILL for Marc Cherry. Alex recurred on CW’s critically-acclaimed series JANE THE VIRGIN. She also starred on NBC’s comedy Series TELENOVELA, opposite Eva Longoria. Alex received an Imagen Award nomination for her performance. Alex first became embraced by audiences playing Teresa Morales in DR. QUINN, MEDICINE WOMAN. Her role EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND earned her ALMA Award and American Comedy Award nominations. Other TV credits include FRIENDS, THE GOLDBERGS, CSI, CSI MIAMI, PRISON BREAK, NCIS, PSYCH, AUSTIN & ALLY, AND THE CLEVELAND SHOW. Rick Najera is an award-winning screenwriter, actor, director, producer, sketch comedian, author, playwright, coach and national speaker with an expansive portfolio of credits in all forms of entertainment. He has received numerous industry awards for his work. From starring in films with Sidney Poitier, George Clooney and most recently Mario Lopez, to writing sketch comedy for Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx, Najera is best known for starring on Broadway in his award-winning, self-penned stageplay, Latinologues, directed by comedy legend Cheech Marin. Najera is only one of three Latinos to ever write and star in their own play on Broadway. As a screenwriter, Najera has written dozens of scripts for TV, film and the stage, starting out in the industry as a staff writer on the groundbreaking urban comedy series, In Living Color, for which he wrote more than( 30 episodes). Najera went on to write for Townsend TV (10 episodes), MAD TV (47 episodes), East Los High – a Hulu original (21 episodes) and numerous TV pilots and more. He penned the feature film Nothing Like the Holidays starring Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, John Leguizamo and Luis Guzman, which won him an ALMA Award. And was nominated by Congressman Joaquin Castro to be placed in the permanent Congressional record. Najera learned from great writers like Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Scorsese to “write what you know’ and has been a pioneer in Hollywood telling his American experience, from a Latino perspective. Most recently, Rick Najera co-authored an Amazon top-seller book titled “Ignite the Fire Within: Master Your Speaking and Writing” with Harvard Professor Sanjiv Chopra. Najera has a Masters of Fine Arts at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, whose alumni ranks include Elizabeth Banks, Annette Bening, Benjamin Bratt and Denzel Washington. We have a great line-up for you: Live sit-down interviews with interactive Q&A moderated by award-winning writer, producer, author and comedian Rick Najera. Meet and hear from trailblazing Latino leaders in Media and Entertainment and raises the bar on the positive image of Latinos and diversity in AmericaJoin engaging and candid conversations about critical issues facing Latinos, with a comedic twistHear inspirational stories from influential Latino artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionalsDiscuss important issues to the Latino community including the current state of Latinos in the Media, Immigration, Social Justice, Career & Life Choices and Inspirational Success StoriesAbout Latino ThoughtMakersLatino ThoughtMakers inspires the future leaders of America through this positive, powerfully uplifting and motivational platform. The Latino Thought Makers builds bridges of understanding in cultural diversity through personal and comedic dialogue and showcases critical thinking as it relates to entertainment and education and provides the audience an opportunity to be a part of a greater dialogue and motivational story-telling experience. It is an unscripted interview series highlighting prominent Latinx personalities through organic conversations with Najera’s network of industry friends and community leaders. Educational. Engaging. Entertaining.For more information on Latino Thought Makers, please visit www.morton.edu/latino-thought-makers/. Follow Morton College’s Facebook page for the announcement of future guests and shows.We ask that you follow us on social media and use hashtags: #WeareMC #SomosMC #LTM22 #orgullolatino