About

Sotomayor and YLN

YLN with Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor

The Young Latino Network was founded in 2002 by a group of hard working and forward thinking Young Latino professionals. They started this organization to give young professionals in the Latino community the opportunity to come together, network, mentor and volunteer.

We are looking to be the pipeline that bridges the gap between the current leadership and the future leadership in Northeast Ohio’s Latino Community. We want to inspire our community to become involved and to aspire for great things.

This is about Latinos Unidos!

President – Jose Feliciano, Jr.
Jose C. Feliciano Jr. is the current President of the Young Latino Network, a group of young professionals dedicated to fostering leadership development throughout the Greater Cleveland Latino community through mentoring, networking, establishing a forum for current and future leaders to grow, volunteering for community development projects and advocating for active leadership development opportunities.

He works for Bank of America where he is involved with H.O.L.A. (Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership) and L.G.B.T.A. employee resource groups. Jose is actively involved with the Latino community as Co-Chair of the Civic Area Involvement team for Convencion Hispana. He is also currently serving on the Visiting Committee for Levin College at Cleveland State University, the Steering Committee for The Beck Center for Performing Arts, Scholarship Committee for Cleveland Bridge Builders(2008 alumnus) and on the Executive Steering Committee for Cleveland ConneXions.

Jose is also a freelance writer for the online magazine Ohio Authority. As well being an alumnus of LeadDiversity (2010) and he has been recognized as a Cuarenta y Cuarenta selection as one the top 40 Latinos Under 40 in Cleveland (2006) and one of the top 25 movers and shakers in North East Ohio under the age of 35 as selected by the Cleveland 20/30 Professional Club and Inside Business Magazine (2010). In his free time, Jose enjoys cooking, traveling, being active in social media, and watching films with his wife Kelly.

First Vice President – Jessica Gonzalez
Mrs. Jessica Gonzalez is a native Clevelander.  Graduated from Jane Addams Business Career Center with an emphasis in computer science and accounting in 1997.  Received a Bachelor’s of Arts at Bowling Green State University in Communications where she participated in the Latino Student Union (Secretary in 1998), Sigma Lambda Gamma member since 1997, and volunteered with the marketing department of the Obsidian school newspaper.  Working on campus for the Vice Provost as a Student Assistant really motivated her to inspire people to achieve their full potential.  Mrs. Gonzalez is currently pursuing her education at Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel Center.

Mrs. Gonzalez has been working in the non-profit sector for nine years.  Her career started at El Barrio then transitioned to the Spanish American Committee and most recently with Esperanza as the Director of Operations.  She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Eden, Inc.  as Vice President and on the advisory boards of New Tech at Garrett Morgan, the Domestic Violence Center’s Latina Project, ASPIRA/Esperanza and Lutheran Hospital.

Mrs. Gonzalez is a proud wife, mother of 2 boys, sister and daughter.  Family has always been the pillar of her inspiration and motivation to advance the Greater Cleveland area.

Second Vice President – Luis Cabrera
Luis has been described as the “All – in – one creative professional” and his resume backs that up. With a degree in Digital Arts from Bowling Green State University, Luis is well-versed in motion graphics, web design, photo editing, and animation. At BGSU Luis was a member of the President’s Leadership Academy and  Vice President of the Latino Student Union.

As a designer  with the Forest City Communications Group in Cleveland, his efforts have garnered him recognition from The Communicator Awards, American Inhouse Design Awards (Graphic Design USA), and the Telly Awards. He is a member of AIGA-Cleveland, and an active member of the Young Latino Network. In 2010 he was inducted to Kaleidoscope Magazine’s Cuarenta/Cuarenta Club. Luis enjoys films, videogames, and participates in many sports programs with Cleveland Plays.

Treasurer – Luis Cartagena
Luis Cartagena, Treasurer of the Young Latino Network, is currently earning his Master in Business Administration in Financial Planning and Accounting at Ursuline College.

He is a member of the Finance Committee for Esperanza, Inc. and is also a mentor with Esperanza’s ELLOS, a youth mentorship program.

Luis also sits on the Spanish Language Advisory Board for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

As Co-chair of the Civic Area Involvement Team, Luis is actively engaged in the community and empowering Latinos. He is passionate about helping others find success through education or entrepreneurship. Luis believes in the power of developing strong relationships and team building.

He is currently employed as a Staff Accountant with The MetroHealth System.

Secretary – Blanca Figueroa
Blanca Figueroa is a young professional living and working in the city of Cleveland, and has been engaged in non-profit on the Near West Side of Cleveland for 5 years.  She currently serves as the Director of Operations at the May Dugan Center where she oversees building operations, provides assistance on tenant relations, assists with board related activities and co-staffs the building committee, which includes trustees and community volunteers.  Blanca Figueroa also works one-on-one with residents in need, serving as the Coordinator for the Strong Start Program providing resources to young parents in the community.  Blanca Figueroa manages a Case Load for the center, providing Case Management and referral services to members of the Latino community.  Blanca Figueroa manages the Food and Clothing Distribution program held monthly for individuals and families residing on the West Side of Cleveland.  During the Holiday Season Blanca Figueroa manages the Adopt-A-Family project, matching donors with children in the community to ensure every child has a Merry Christmas.  Additionally, she coordinates furniture donations with St. Ignatius High School, and serves as Volunteer Coordinator for the Center.

Prior to joining the Center, Blanca was a Case Manager/Fiscal Assistant at the Hispanic UMADOAP in Cleveland.  Before relocating to Ohio, Blanca spent a year as a training specialist at Countywide Home Loans in Los Angeles, California.  Blanca was also a Senior Program Leader with the Parks and Recreation department in Los Angeles County, and served as an intern at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

She currently serves on Cuyahoga County Board of Elections Spanish Advisory Committee as Chair of the Bilingual Poll Worker Recruitment and Retention subcommittee, is a member of the Young Latino Network, and has been selected as a member of Kaleidoscope Magazine’s Cuarenta/Cuarenta Club.