Today, I was lucky enough to join Silvana Diaz, publisher and co-owner of Noticia, as she was named the Business Owner of the Year at the Seventh Annual Latina Hat Luncheon, an event hosted by the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Silvana, just 26 years old, earned the honor based on her work with Noticia, a Spanish-language newspaper founded by her parents in 1991, but passed along to Silvana and her sister three years ago.
Right to left: Silvana Diaz; Jenny Jorge, Compare Foods; Cania Infante, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, and Nancy Colella of Pegalis & Erickson, LLC.
Silvana’s work goes beyond the newspaper business. Last year, she co-founded Long Island Young Latino Professionals, a networking group that meets monthly for everything from political talk to dancing. She’s also known for her commitment to social issues, and has collaborated with Long Island Wins and the Long Island Civic Engagement Table to organize a series of debates and forums focused on strengthening diverse communities.
Silvana came to Long Island from Peru with her family in 1989, as her parents, both working in the media, fled death threats. She grew up in Baldwin and currently resides in Levittown with her 3-year-old son.
Among the other honorees at the event were Gladys Serrano, the executive director of the Hispanic Counseling Center; Aleida Frederico, senior vice president of government banking at TD Bank; and Maritza del Toro, president of the U.S. Global Hispanic Association of Chambers of Commerce. The keynote speaker Jacqueline Rosa of JPMorgan Chase.
Here are some photos from the event:
On behalf of Long Island Wins, congratulations, Silvana!
