HHF & Nuevo South Launch Partnership!

Nuevo South and Hispanic Heritage Foundation Launch National Effort To Empower Minority Youth to Make an Impact Through Technology and Innovation Through Leaders on Fast Track (loft) Program

 LOS ANGELES – The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and Nuevo South co-hosted a launch party in Los Angeles to launch a national partnership to empower minority youth to impact their communities and America through HHF’s LOFT (Leaders On Fast Track) program.  Through the end of the year, LOFT will host in LA: innovation symposia, coding school, tech startup accelerator, HHF’s 15^th Annual Youth Awards which features STEM categories, and a STEM symposia with the US Army.

LOFT is HHF’s award-winning leadership and workforce development program which identifies, prepares, positions, and places talented underrepresented minorities on career paths with a focus on innovation in competitive fields including STEM (science, techonology, engineering, math), finance and entrepreneurship, education, public policy, and entertainment among others.  As a historically-Latino region, South LA will be the headquarters for LOFT’s Innovation Track.

“Driving the LOFT/Nuevo South collaboration is the deep-seated belief that youth throughout every single one of our communities in Los Angeles and throughout the country deserve to have access to high level technology programs and trainings,” said Emanuel Pleitez, former Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate and Chair of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “LOFT and Nuevo South are thrilled to partner to empower youth from South Los Angeles and throughout the city to acquire the skills necessary to be prepared to be world-class innovators and help build the future of our communities, our city, and the world.”

CA State Assemblymember Ed Chau, District 49, and Chair of Housing and Community Development Committee attended and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, LA City Councilmember Curren Price, and LA Community College Board of Trustees President Miguel Santiago were expected to attend.

The kick-off event will also include the presentation of plans for the South Los 180 Tech Accelerator – a residential technology accelerator program who’s mission is to identify, prepare, and empower  under-represented minority tech startup founders. South Los 180 is a platform for engagement between under-represented minority founders and the growing technology startup ecosystem, i.e. investors, technologists, influencers, consumers, academic institutions and the media. The startup founders in the accelerator will not only enhance their skills and take their companies to the next level but will inspire the next generation of under-represented minority technologists.

“As a life-long resident of South LA, I’m excited to be part of ground-breaking initiatives that are serving our youth and our neighborhoods – giving students the chance to gain the skills they need to pursue professions in design and technology,” said Jorge Nuno, Founder of Nuevo South and Principal of NTS Group. “If our kids want to go on any entrepreneurial adventure, we’ll have the technology to support that. We’ll also have the mentors and entrepreneurial skills to support them as they try to achieve these goals.”

Valet parking service was provided by the LAM Network and food was provided by Domino’s Pizza and RootDown L.A. (http://rootdownla.org/) which works with high school kids to eat their veggies.  Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of LOFT.

About HHF and LOFT

LOFT is HHF’s award-winning, leadership and workforce development program focused on “priority fields.”  HHF believes that through innovation Latinos are the leaders of today, not tomorrow and the key to competing globally as a country.  Tens of thousands of students and young professionals are connected to each other through the LOFT Network; more than 30 trainings, innovation-based symposia, workshops, and informal Charlas are hosted by the LOFT Institute; and hundreds are placed into internships, mentorships, fellowships and full-time positions with Fortune 100 companies and government agencies through LOFT Workforce.

HHF was established by the White House in 1987 and inspires, prepares and positions Latino leaders in the classroom, community and workforce to meet America’s priorities.  HHF also promotes Latino cultural pride, accomplishment, and the great promise of the community through public awareness campaigns seen by millions.  Visit www.HispanicHeritage.org for more background.

About Nuevo South

Nuevo South is a community development organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for South Los Angeles through education by providing youth access to state of the art technology, training opportunities and leadership development.

Contact:     Rigo Amavizca, LOFT
Rigo.Amavizca@loftinstitute.org
323-638-6488