Peter Bailey

As President of the Pouty Project, Peter Bailey specializes in engaging business leaders and teams in transformational experiences which enhance their skills, systems, and processes for working better together.  He is a multi-faceted experiential designer and facilitator who has delivered over 30 years of education-based adventure and innovative training to executives and management teams in the fields of high-technology, telecom, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and customer service.

  • Peter designs and facilitates programs which integrate strategic planning, creativity, and innovation with cross-cultural communication skills for companies eager to help their people work better around the world.  He has traveled and worked and lived in over 48 countries around the world.

     Peter joined the Prouty Project team in May of 2008.  Prior to joining, he served for nine years as a Global Performance Consultant with Wilson Learning Worldwide, where he was a writer, designer, and lead facilitator for programs focusing on global effectiveness, customer service and principled negotiation, virtual teams, and executive coaching.

 

Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto, Ph.D.

Victoria received her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University during which time she was a National Science Foundation Fellow. She is currently a Professor at the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas where she was selected as one of the University’s Game Changing faculty. Named one of the top 12 scholars in the country by Diverse magazine Victoria previously taught at Northwestern University and Rutgers. Victoria also holds an honorary Doctoral degree from Northeastern Illinois University where she was privileged to serve as commencement speaker.

  • Victoria is a contributor to MSNBC and NBCNews.com as well as a regular political analyst for Telemundo. She has previously provided on-air analysis for CNN, Fox, PBS, Univision, NPR and has appeared on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. Most recently Victoria was a featured expert in the PBS documentary of the Civil Rights Trailblazer, Willie Velasquez in, Your Vote is Your Voice. Victoria is also published in both academic and popular outlets such as POLITICO and Talking Points Memo. Through these different outlets, Victoria translates social science research into a more relatable form of information for a wide variety of audiences.

    Victoria bridges her academic expertise of public policy, political psychology and her media experience by training leaders from various sectors to formulate and strategically employ communications strategies. She has worked with professional organizations and businesses such as Latino Decisions, The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, Public Radio International, Pzifer, and the National Conference of Political Involvement Professionals to provide practical political analysis and media training that enhance the effectiveness of communications campaigns.Beyond her classroom, media, and consulting work, Victoria is an active public speaker. Some of her featured speaking engagements include Harvard’s Latino Law, Policy, and Business Conference, YWCA National Conference, Chicago’s Standard Club Lecture Series, and the U.S. State Department’s Public Diplomacy Program where Victoria spoke across the United Kingdom about the American electoral system.

    Victoria is a native of Southern Arizona and is a diehard Arizona Wildcats basketball fan. She is of Italian-Jewish-Mexican heritage and lives in beautiful Austin, Texas with her husband Neftali Garcia and their children. To learn more about Victoria or contact her please visit DrVMDS.com.

 

Angel Gomez

Angel partners with executives of world-leading companies to help their teams, leaders and organizations perform better.

He believes that the best individual and collective performance is driven by doing work that is meaningful and worthwhile. This belief, and his unique, collaborative approach, shaped by more than 25 years of diverse professional experiences, have made him a trusted partner to some of the world’s leading companies, who count on him to develop better employees, better leaders and better organizations.

  • Through his workshops, consulting, leadership coaching, speeches and social media channels, he has helped thousands of people and global brands like Facebook, Walmart and Kraft to strategically approach key initiatives through accelerated performance.

    Before launching his practice in 2008, Angel served as the Vice President of Human Resources for the Midwest Division of Walmart Stores, Inc. In that capacity, Angel developed strategies, processes and practices that enabled the $55 billion business unit to achieve their objectives by leveraging its talented workforce.

    Angel joined Walmart Stores, Inc. in 2004, after a successful legal career in private practice and the organized bar. He was a partner at several large law firms in Chicago, and served as the President of the Hispanic National Bar Association, representing the interests of more than 25,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors and law students throughout the United States.

    Angel has been recognized by several organizations, including iConexión, which presented him with the Game Changer Award in 2018, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement with their Maestro Award in 2014, and Hispanic Business Magazine, who in 2002 named him one of the Most Influential Hispanics in the United States.

    Angel received his Juris Doctor and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating with honors and distinction for his academic, research and speaking achievements.

 

Marlene González

Marlene is the Founder and President of Life Coaching Group LLC. She is a leader in the cutting edge industry of executive coaching and training. She is a Licensed Practitioner for Insights North America, a global learning and development company working with leading organizations around the world. She partners with organizations to inspire and transform individuals and team’s most common challenges into success.

  • She co-authored the book “Latinization and the Latino Leader”; How to value, develop and advance talented professionals. Former, Career Coach columnist for Latina Magazine. Contributing Blogger and coach for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, HACE. She serves in multiple boards and non-profit organizations. González held many executive corporate positions in the US, Europe and Latin America. She is the former Senior Director of Global Training, Learning and Development for McDonald’s Corporation. González holds BS, an Executive MBA/PAG, and a graduate diploma on managerial Issues in the global enterprise from Thunderbird University. She has been a recipient of many awards. She resides in Ohio with her husband Carlos. They enjoy traveling and gourmet cooking.

    As a published author, prominent speaker and trainer. Marlene has been speaking and teaching Insights strategies to Fortune 500, Government, Non Profit organizations globally for over a decade. She conducts dynamic workshops and delivers keynote in the following themes:

    • Personal Effectiveness; How to thrive in a competitive world.

    • Leadership a Game Changer; Inspire your leaders to lead with vision, passion and integrity.

    • The Making of a Team; Uncover the real collective dynamics of your team spirit.

    • Coaching Yourself to Success; Finding purpose and happiness at work.

    • The Power of Mentoring; How to be a great Mentor and find mentors.

    • Be Brilliant, Move Ahead; How to Break behavior patterns that hold you back in the work place.

    • Assertive Communication for Women in Business; Speak out with confidence—while getting the respect you deserve.

    • Latinization and the Latino Leader; How to value, develop and advance talented professionals of color.

 

Janet Padilla

Janet helps individuals and organizations achieve their vision and strengthen their leadership. She has always felt a personal calling to help Latinx students and professionals from all different fields take their leadership to the next level by sharing the expertise and experience she has gained over the last 17 years.

For the past two decades Janet has served as a coach, board member, leader, advisor, and facilitator for multiple organizations and individuals including private and public sectors, entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders.

  • Janet is experienced and trained in leadership, strategic planning, design and facilitation. She has provided consulting in all the areas mentioned above for organizations with a social impact purpose and individual leaders who are seeking to elevate their practice and increase their impact to help others.

    Padilla also currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL), a Ford Motor Company Fund education and workforce solutions initiative with a network of over 24 communities. Ford NGL helps communities and partners advance success for each and every student and cultivate extraordinary diverse talent for communities using a proven framework. During her time with Ford NGL, she has transformed the culture of the organization, created training and certification for several groups of leaders and helped develop a sustainable social impact business model. Janet leads the organizational strategy, culture, finance and leadership development.

    Padilla’s leadership experience dates back as early as high school, which earned her a six-year full scholarship to attend the University of Michigan for her bachelors and Masters, where she was instrumental in starting various initiatives including the United States Hispanic Leadership’s CLDP. Upon returning to Chicago she was part of the founding group for the Mujeres Latinas en Accion Young Professional Advisory Council and served as the first chair of the group for two consecutive terms. She also served as the Governance Chair on the Board of Directors for Mujeres Latinas en Accion.

    Janet was the first in her family of over 150 first cousins to graduate from college and obtain a master’s degree in public policy on a full scholarship. She currently lives in Chicago with her daughters, Talia and Alessia, and her entrepreneur husband, Andrew.

 

Eve Rodriguez Montoya

Eve Rodriguez Montoya is the President & CEO of Rodriguez Media Communications Inc., a bilingual MBE/WBE firm established to assist clients looking to elevate and expand their brand, product, mission, or service in the fastest growing market.

Eve brings over twenty years of experience and expertise in communications and public affairs from within the public and private sectors. She has worked directly for two mayoral administrations in Chicago, serving as Deputy Press Secretary, as well as managing press for major city departments including, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) and the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). While working in the private sector she managed corporate and private communications work in New York City and Chicago.

  • Eve has been recognized nationally as demonstrated by her feature in Google + Thrive magazine which focuses on highlighting women entrepreneurs who use Google platforms to grow their business and drive economic impact; was named Negocio’s Now Latinos 40 under 40; received the 2017 Hispanic Women’s Corporation (HWC) Leadership Award; the 2018 FOLIO: Top Women in Media Up and Comer Award honoring women on the rise, making their mark. In addition, Eve was selected to participate in the 2018 HOPE Nonpartisan & Binational Public Service Fellowship to build awareness and capacity among high-potential Latinas in the United States and Mexico. Its curriculum—designed by the Woodrow Wilson Center and Aspen Institute Mexico, covers critical issues from cybersecurity to trade. In 2019, Eve was recognized for her work as a community builder by Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia and as an Emerging Woman Leader by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In 2021, Eve was invited by the White House to meet with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden to discuss the value and importance of biculturalism and bilingualism.

    Eve is also sought after to deliver high profile keynote addresses, including the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) at the United States’ Capitol in Washington, D.C., and has participated in panels for the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and Illinois Governor Pritzker’s Unity Day.

    Eve’s tireless dedication to service continues as she is currently the Vice President of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Board of Directors for Saturday Place, is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and was appointed to the Choose Chicago Board by Governor Pritzker. Eve’s strong record of personal and professional achievement is highlighted by her master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.