4th annual LTX Fest succeeds in enlivening Latinx voting bloc and buying power online
by: Gabriela Luz Sierra
Over 7,000 people came together to practice professional and civic engagement in real time at the fourth-annual LTX Fest which was hosted online for the first-time ever this past week.
Themed #Unitedwerise, this past week’s programming showed the power of unity amongst the Latinx community across the U.S. who embraced with boldness the collective power to drive change across key issues including digital divide, voting, representation in tech, culturally relevant & responsible tech. This unity is even more critical these next few weeks as Latinx can determine the outcome of one of the most defining elections of a generation given Latinx account for the largest voting bloc for the first time in the United States.
Additionally, the fact that Latinx have the greatest buying power in comparison to any other ethnic group in the country shined through the four days of highly impactful and inspiring programming. The collective resilience to surpass the economic injustices Covid19 is unleashing creativity and innovation as showcased at this year’s LTX Fest programming.
Put together in part by presenting sponsors the Kapor Center, Comcast, and NBC Universal, Latinx from all over the nation and parts of LATAM and Europe coalesced to to celebrate their place in entrepreneurship, tech, innovation, advocacy and community building.
“Some say we cannot be what we can’t see but for many of us we’ve had to be that FIRST. So LTX Fest will UPLIFT NARRATIVES of the LATINX community as Innovators, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Scientists, Public Leaders, Educators, and so much more.
We are shaping the FUTURE and now we can do it on a larger scale — 5x growth from last year,” Carla Perez-Vera, LTX Fest Lead, said.
The future was indeed shaped at this unprecedented gathering where different daily themes were tackled through a series of panel talks and conversations: Day 1 honored our intersectional, rich cultures, day 2 spoke to transforming the tech sector, day 3 unpacked how to build generational wealth through entrepreneurship and financing, and day 4 spoke to cross sector change in action.
Representation was a major touchstone at the Fest. Major findings from the conference include the fact that instilling diversity and inclusion values into companies and start-ups as core features yields greater returns and success than if it is not implemented.
“Latinx make up only 8% of the Technology industry, despite being the country’s largest ethnic community,” said Carolina Huaranca Mendoza, Board of Directors, Latinas in Tech.
This information forged a few major calls to action throughout the fest which were to increase representation and get out and vote, uniting attendees through #Unitedwerise and #Yovoyavotar.
Presenters were outspoken about the need to come together to create systemic change in the country. Dolores Huerta said that “We need to take advantage of this moment to create the change that we have needed for so long.”
Backed by the energy of everyone at the gathering, a powerful panel on the importance of intersectionality in this work was hosted by journalist and contributor at Telemundo, Paola Ramos.
“We need to claim our power and make our voices heard,” James Loduca said. “We’ve created a rally cry at Twitter and it is #untilweallbelong, we have been on this journey, the way we think about it at Twitter is that our work is not done.”
The last day of programming emphasized how the Latinx can flex its muscle to forge the necessary change at the ballot box.
Overall the programming and festival experience was incomparable and outstanding. Plus, it was all hosted online without borders, creating a safe space for attendees to meet, network, and thrive together.
“The challenge was the opportunity realized,’’ said Lili Gangas, Chief Technology Community Officer at Kapor Center and co-founder of LTX Fest. Lili went on to say that “In this accelerated digital first world due to COVID, we leveraged our understanding and access of technologies to scale up LTX Fest 5.5x from last year by going virtual and brought in 8 experience partners with an additional 24 community partners across the US. Together we intentionally realized the opportunity to enter thousands of homes of those who most need to understand, own their power, and lead this new innovation economy forward.”
This is more than just about technology, this was about generational change. If you missed this year, stay tuned for the next as this is a gathering you don’t want to miss out on. #Yovoyavotar y tu!?
