52�SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025�ABASTO.COM By Ramón Portilla | Founder of HumanX Insights J ulissa Arce arrived in the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. She started out cleaning ofces and, just 14 years later, graduated with a degree in fnance from UT Aus- tin, landed a job at Goldman Sachs, and rose to become vice president at Merrill Lynch. Today, she is the co-founder of As- cend Educational Fund and author of several books. With her clear and au- thentic voice, she has shown many of us that speaking loudly is not enough; we must use our voices to inspire a better purpose, whatever feld we work in. As Hispanics, we have an enormous task ahead of us, because here in our country, in the United States, where more than 19% of the population is Hispanic, only 4% of C-suite po- sitions are held by Latinos. Worse still, only 1% of these leaders are Latina women. It’s not a lack of talent. It’s a lack of opportunity, but also—and I say this clearly—it’s time to recognize that it’s also a lack of self-will in how we prepare ourselves and face the great cha- llenge of being leaders. Over the past couple of years, I have taken on the task of understanding more about how retail chains and other service industries are improving the work experience of their emplo- yees. And one of the constants I have observed is this: Hispanic talent is present, but often it is not visibly pre- pared to leap to leadership, not becau- se of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of tools, visibility, and intentional development. How can we help? Mentoring Hispa- nic youth, as many of you do, is essential and relevant. Still, based on our capabi- lities at HumanX Insights, we decided NOW USE IT WITH PURPOSE Do you have a strong voice? Tese numbers may seem worr- ying, but they actually open up a great opportunity: that of training with intention because leadership cannot be improvised. It is cultivated. If, after reading this article, you are already thinking about your teams, I congratulate you and encourage you to continue investing more in your Hispanic employees—by ofering tra- ining, mentoring, visibility, and safe spaces for development—but I also invite you to refect on yourself as a professional. Suppose we want to change the representation fgures. In that case, we have to start by taking our preparation seriously, without ex- cuses, without fear, and without wai- ting for “someone else” to do it for us. Today, more than ever, training His- panic talent cannot be seen as a luxury or a diversity initiative to meet quotas. It is a smart business strategy, a moral imperative, and an act of foresight. At HumanX Insights, we will conti- nue to collect data, share insights, and help companies create environments where Hispanic employees not only work, but grow, lead, and transform. But what if you join this movement? I invite you to be part of the change. Take the assessment. It won’t take more than 5 minutes. Share it. Use it as a starting point. Let’s not just send the kids back to school this season, let’s also start a new phase of learning and leadership for ourselves as adults. 52�SEPTIEMBRE / OCTUBRE 2025�ABASTO.COM that we needed to create a tool to help Hispanic professionals refect on their level of preparedness to grow in the U.S. corporate world. HumanXTM Loud to Lead, the frst assessment designed for our Hispanic community, is inspired by a deep conviction: that the Hispanic voice—frm, authentic, resilient—can and should be a tool for transformative leadership. Being “loud” is not about being noisy; it is about being clear, coura- geous, and true to who we are. And “lead” is not just about directing, it is about leading with purpose, empathy, and vision. Tis set of thoughtful questions as- sesses fve essential dimensions that we have identifed as key to advancing professionally, many of them linked to so-called soft skills: 1. Clarity in communicating our ideas. 2. Empathy with our teams. 3. Confdence in ourselves. 4. Connection to our values, and 5.Te ability to infuence while remai- ning authentic. Te frst results from HumanX Loud to Lead™ are already yielding valuable data. For example: • 1 in 3 Hispanics who responded to the assessment acknowledge that they are not direct when answe- ring specifc questions from their managers. • More than 50% say they are un- sure whether they should incor- porate their identity and cultural roots into their leadership style. FOOD INDUSTRY