XII Annual HHF Investors Forum

Thursday, May 15 in Chicago

RSVP Here!

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation is hosting its 12th Annual Investors Forum, bringing together industry experts and key stakeholders to share insights and provide educational training.

This Forum offers a valuable opportunity to connect with institutional investment staff and leading asset managers.

For speaking and sponsorship opportunities please contact Alexa Diazmunoz at [email protected].

12th HHF Investors Forum

Thursday, May 15, 2025
12th HHF Investors Forum
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Post-Forum Dinner
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Casual dinner with participants and speakers

12th Investors Forum Agenda:

8:00 am – 8:20 am – Registration & Breakfast

8:20am – 8:30am – Welcome Remarks

  • Monika Mantilla, President & CEO of Altura Capital, and Board Member of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
  • Susana A. Mendoza, Illinois State Comptroller & Trustee of the Illinois State Board of Investment

8:30am – 9:00am – Capital Markets Outlook: Strategies & Trends

  • Moderator: Eva De La Rosa, Marketing Executive across Fortune 500 companies and Wall Street
  • Karen Manna, Vice President, Fixed Income Investment Director, Portfolio Manager of Federated Hermes
  • Pablo Barrientos, Senior Credit Analyst of LM Capital Group

9:05am – 9:40am – Maximizing Returns, Managing Risks: Insights from Asset Allocators

  • Moderator: Elizabeth Grier, Most Recently Partner at Halftone Investment Partners; BRITE Energy Innovators & Columbia Technology Ventures – Climate Expert Network
  • Joe Aguilar, Chief Investment Officer of the Illinois State Treasurer
  • Rodney June, Chief Investment Officer of the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS)

9:40am – 9:55am – Coffee Break

9:55am – 10:30am – Trustee Reflections & Next Steps

  • Moderator: Adrian Rodriguez, Executive Director, CORAMA of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
  • Daniel Vasquez, Trustee of the Marin County Employees’ Retirement System
  • Justin Rodriguez, Chairman of the San Antonio Fire & Police Pension Fund
  • Susana A. Mendoza, Illinois State Comptroller & Trustee of the Illinois State Board of Investment

10:35am – 11:00am – Sustainable Investing: From Trust to Proof and its Future

  • Moderator: Ana Moro, Head of Sustainability and Commodities Specialists – Americas of Bloomberg
  • Andrew Siwo, Head of Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions of the New York State Common Retirement Fund

11:00am – 11:20am – Networking Break

11:20am – 12:00pm – Private Market Investments

  • Moderator: Nina Ohiku, Business Development, Strategic Alliances & Investor Relations of Finix
  • Jesse Rodriguez, Vice President of Upwelling Capital Group
  • Monika Mantilla, President & CEO of Altura Capital, and Board Member of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
  • Nate Mejías, Founder of HALO Investment Partners
  • Sháka Rasheed, General Partner of Open Opportunity Fund

12:05pm – 12:45pm – VC Investing

  • Moderator: Donna Yuen, Venture Capital Program Manager, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
  • Adrianna Samaniego, Partner of Cherryrock Capital
  • Marcos Gonzalez, Managing Partner of VamosVentures
  • Samara Hernandez, Founding Partner of Chingona Ventures

12:45pm – 1:35pm – Lunch Break

1:35pm – 2:15pm – Real Estate and Real Assets

  • Moderator: Luis Raúl Solá, COO & CFO of Kingbird Investment Management
  • Alfred Fraijo Jr., Founder & Partner of SOMOS Group
  • Elizabeth Grier, Most Recently Partner at Halftone Investment Partners; BRITE Energy Innovators & Columbia Technology Ventures – Climate Expert Network
  • Rodrigo Gonzalez, CEO & Managing Partner of DEODATE

2:20pm – 3:05pm – Diverse & Emerging Manager Programs

  • Moderator: Qiana Patterson, Managing Partner of Nayah
  • Jose Gonzalez, Senior Investment Officer – Diverse & Emerging Managers of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Illinois
  • Kirk Sims, Managing Director – Head of Emerging Manager Program of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Texas
  • Mike Silva, Associate Investment Manager of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
  • Rosa Perez, Managing Investment Officer II – Diversity Programs & Total Portfolio of the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

3:05pm – 3:20pm – Coffee Break

3:20pm – 4:00pm – Tech Frontiers – Exploring AI, Web3 & Crypto Innovations

  • Moderator: Christian Narvaez, Founder & Managing Partner of Rayo Capital
  • Juan Leon, Senior Investment Strategist of Bitwise Asset Management
  • Lu Zhang, Founder & Managing Partner of Fusion Fund
  • Mauricio Banuelos, Portfolio Manager of the City of Chicago’s Treasury

4:05pm – 4:30pm – Fireside Chat: Investing Across Cycles, Markets & Asset Classes

  • Moderator: Maria Ariza, CEO of BIVA
  • Paulo Passoni, Managing Partner of Valor Capital Group

4:30pm – 4:40pm – Closing Remarks

  • Jaime di Paulo, President & CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
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