To celebrate and amplify visionary Latino creatives and culture changemakers in media and entertainment, TikTok recently hosted the second installment of their Visionary Voices Salon series in New York City.

Sofia Hernandez, Jorge Alvarez, Julissa Prado, Kenneth Pabon

Hosted by TikTok’s Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing, and Shavone Charles, Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications, the intimate event brought together the Latino creator community and Latino-owned SMBs in celebration of industry changemakers across the diaspora, inclusive of authentic cuisine, interactive art installations, music and more.

Sonni

Event highlights included an interactive art installation by Argentinian artist, Sonni, special music performances by Brazilian musician, Mu Bispo, and Orlando-based artist Dj GallixC, and takeaway gifts from Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez.

Mu Bispo

There was also a dynamic discussion on driving culture and creativity in the Latinx community moderated by Hernandez featuring Julissa Prado, Founder of Rizos Curls, TikTok Latinx Creatives Grant recipient, Jorge Alvarez and 2021 TikTok LGBTQ+ Trailblazer, Kenneth Pabon.

Another special feature was a #Foodtok culinary experience featuring food and drinks from some of TikTok’s most-inspiring local Latinx-owned small businesses including:

• • Mocktails from Anima Mundi: Founded by Costa Rican born herbalist, medicine maker and educator Adriana Ayales, Anima Mundi is a medicinal herb brand that integrates native traditions and ancient formulations for the modern world.
  • Arepas from Vayalo Cocina: A Venezuelan restaurant at Brooklyn’s popular Smorgasburg food market.
  • Empanadas from Love, Nelly: A Brooklyn based Colombian restaurant owned by Stephanie Gallardo, who bases her recipes off memories eating at friend’s empanada bakeries in Queens and childhood vacations in Cartagena, Colombia.
  • Sweets from Elisa’s Love Bites: A gluten-free bakery in the East Village by Panamanian-born pastry chef, Elisa Lyew.
  • 3-Course Dinner from Comparti Restaurant Group: Chef Felipe Donnelly and sommelier Tamy Rofe are the husband-wife duo behind three Latin American-inspired restaurants – James Beard award-nominated Colonia Verde in Fort Greene, Disco Tacos in Williamsburg, and Comodo in Flatiron – and a full-service catering company, Comparti, which specializes in chef-driven culinary experiences and events.

Through the event TikTok proudly supports the local Hispanic community, bringing together vendors, creators and SMBs representing over 10 Latin American countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, El Savador, Puerto Rico & Argentina.

The Visionary Voices Co-Hosts are essential to TikTok’s strong support of the Hispanic community.

Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing at TikTok

As Global Head of Business Marketing at TikTok, Sofia Hernandez helps brands around the world tap into the power of TikTok by challenging them to build innovative marketing strategies that drive culture on and off the platform.

Prior to TikTok, Hernandez was the Chief Client Officer at consumer insights platform Suzy where she was responsible for driving revenue retention and growth, informing the product roadmap, and ensuring the entire company was rooted in a ‘customer first’ approach. With over 18 years leading some of the most iconic global marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies including P&G, J&J, Netflix and Spotify, her passion for people and what makes them tick continues to fuel her keen understanding of how to drive successful connections between brands and the people that love them.

Hernandez is an activist at her core, recognizing her role as part of the 1% of Latina Executives in Tech, and committed to fostering inclusion in the tech industry by incorporating DEI into everything she touches–from a company’s hiring practices to its advertising. She is a passionate advocate for social justice and co-founded a unique apparel line, Black on Black BK, that’s dedicated to spreading messages of equality and empowerment.

Shavone Charles, Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications at TikTok

As head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications at TikTok, Shavone Charles oversees all global diversity and inclusion communications initiatives, in collaboration with media and diverse creators. Recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Marketing & Advertising list, Charles is a multi-hyphenate creative and force in music, fashion and tech who continues to disrupt the norm as a classically-trained musician and change-maker in tech.

Prior to TikTok, Charles spent her career championing underrepresented creators and inclusion as an advocate and trailblazing pioneer in tech and music. Her influence in fashion, tech and music has been profiled in outlets like Billboard, Coveteur,  DAZED, Complex UK, Hypebeast, PAPER, ELLE, and EBONY, noting her history-making moves as the first African-American woman to create roles held at Twitter and Instagram. She is also an author and the founder of her own creative collectives Future of Creatives and Magic In Her Melanin which amplify women of color and underrepresented creatives.

The Visionary Voices Panel Speakers included:

Julissa Prado

@julissa_prado Founder of Rizos Curls, a self-funded clean hair care line aimed at embracing and celebrating the beauty of curls, coils, and waves.  With a tenacity for doing business her way, Prado is a leading force in the beauty industry. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 by Beauty Independent and part of Cosmopolitan’s 2021 The New C-Suite. She also proudly organizes curated events and resources centered on entrepreneurship, including the Rizos Curls Small Business Summit and JEFACON in collaboration with Smashbox. Rizos Curls is sold in thousands of retailers including Target, ULTA Beauty, Sally Beauty Mexico and more.

Jorge Alvarez

@ijorgealvarez, TikTok Latinx Creatives Grant recipient
Jorge Alvarez is a creator, advocate, and strategist who destigmatizes mental health and encourages challenging conversations on TikTok by creating content that cultivates space for collective reflection, unlearning limiting beliefs, and breaking generational cycles. Through sharing his lived experiences as a Latinx man, he sparks dialogue that is both vulnerable and thought-provoking.

Kenneth Pabon

@kennethpabon, NYC-based content creator
Pabon is emblematic of a generation that embraces exactly who they are. He is strong in his beliefs, confident in his style, and unabashedly himself. His videos will make you laugh, all while giving you the tools and confidence to be an icon yourself.