Freesi Bonilla

Centro de Apoyo Familiar

Freesi Bonilla is currently the Chief Program Officer at Centro de Apoyo Familiar. She manages and directs various Asset Building projects and grants and also leads various education workshops. Freesi is a HUD Certified Housing Counselor, with more than 5 years experience and her specialty is in Foreclosure prevention intervention. Freesi has extensive experience in management and community services. She has always involved herself in her community and serves with passion. Freesi is bilingual and was born in Central America, she is married and has 2 daughters.

Sunilda Patricia Frias

Centro de Apoyo Familiar

Sunilda Frias is a Policy and Resource Development Specialist at Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) and a PhD candidate in Plant Sciences at Virginia Tech, specializing in plant breeding and environmental adaptation. Her academic path was planted at CAF, where she first served as an Eco-Promoter in the organization’s inaugural environmental stewardship program, teaching recycling and sustainability in the City of Lawrence.

Today, Sunilda leads grant development and community-based initiatives that strengthen families, expand environmental justice, and build resilient faith-based networks across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. As both a CAF staff member and a product of CAF’s own “harvest,” she embodies the organization’s belief that when faith plants the seed, communities flourish spiritually, environmentally, and generationally.

Grey Jiménez

Galeas Insurance Advisors

Grey Jiménez-Galeez, originally from the Dominican Republic, immigrated to the United States in 2006, where, with discipline and God’s grace, she built a life marked by service and resilience. She is a wife, mother of two exceptional young adults, author, and writing mentor.

With a deep calling to build lives, Grey has served as a leader in children’s and women’s ministries and has participated as a speaker at various events. Today, alongside her husband, she works in the insurance industry, supporting families within her community. Grey is living a full season, combining her spiritual calling, her business ventures, and her mission to inspire others through her story. Her greatest joy is her faith in Christ, the source of purpose and direction in every stage of her life.

Speaker Walkiria Pool

Centro de Apoyo Familiar

Walkiria Pool’s professional career includes over 25 years in community development and the housing service industry with a focus on affordable housing and asset development. She earned her MA Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University and a graduate certificate in Women and Politics and Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. As an undergraduate Ms. Pool earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in Boston, majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Mrs. Pool was responsible for developing and implementing the Project “Más a ti” for the National Council of La Raza, the first community-based financial institution for low-income families in the nation. Mrs. Pool also served as Youth Program Director in the family Asset Building division of Lawrence Community Works and as an AmeriCorps Vista member at the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation. She has served on several boards of directors and advisory committees of community-based organizations.

Svetlana Reyes

Educator, Community Liaison, Defensores De La Cuenca

Educator, Community Liaison, defensores de la cuenca
A passionate admirer of nature and defender of the right to education of constant preparation, with fifteen years of teaching experience in her beloved Guatemala. Svetlana seeks to share experiences with the Latino community, learn together and hopes that her cross knowledge is transformed into value, into awareness for the care of the watershed, of the life cycle that is gestated, coexists and develops around a healthy watershed.

Ramón Palencia Calvo

Senior Director, Chispa Maryland

He joined Maryland LCV in 2014 and quickly launched Chispa Maryland, a Latino outreach and organizing program empowering Maryland’s Latino families and community leaders to protect air, land, water, public health, and the future. Originally from Spain, Ramón has led research, outreach, and partnerships with Latino organizations on educational and social issues. Inspired by his travels throughout Latin America, where he witnessed the connection between environmental degradation and human development, he earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and has since worked in sustainability, climate, and energy. Most recently, he was a fellow at the Worldwatch Institute, advancing renewable energy and low-carbon development in Central America.

Speaker Margaret Franklin

Woodbridge District Supervisor

Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin was elected to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in 2019, becoming one of the first African American women to serve in this role. She has held key leadership positions, including Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of VRE Operations, PRTC/OmniRide, and the Virginia Association of Counties’ Economic and Workforce Development Committee. She previously served as Legislative Director for Congressman Al Lawson and as Senior Legislative Assistant to Congresswoman Alma Adams and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Currently, she is leading major efforts on affordable housing, sustainability, child advocacy, and transformative community development initiatives in Prince William County.

Victor Burrola

Executive Director, Senior Lead Community Impact and Sustainability Specialist

Over 15 years’ experience as an Executive Leader facilitating a culture of innovation, inclusiveness, and communication to help corporations, nonprofits, and civil rights organizations to meet their mission, values, and goals, and effectively serve their constituents. A collaborator who successfully manages partnerships by building strong relationships and building consensus. Social impact strategist experienced in developing and deploying local and national initiatives.

Experienced government relations and policy advocate in Housing (housing counseling and affordable housing), Community Development (neighborhood revitalization and small business development), and Financial Capability, advocating for issues important to African American, Latinx, and Low-Income communities at local, state, and federal level.

Frank M. Curbeira

Virginia Housing

Strategic Housing Officer, Virginia Housing
Frank M. Curbeira is a Strategic Housing Officer committed to developing strong, innovative partnerships that enhance stability and long-term success for families across Virginia. With a focus on collaboration, strategic planning, and community impact, he works closely with local organizations, public agencies, and stakeholders to expand housing opportunities and strengthen support systems. Known for his dedication to service and results-driven leadership, Mr. Curbeira strives to create lasting, positive change for the communities he serves.

Steven Álvarez

Wealth Associate AT THE BRINDA GROUP

Steven Alvarez brings 8 years of experience to The Bindra Group. Growing up first generation Latino American, he was the eldest child born to a household of immigrants from El Salvador. He credits this for allowing him to learn humility, integrity, and hard work. He was their first translator, their first retirement planner, and they were his first clients before he began his financial services career. His family remains the driving force behind his passion as he aims to help his clients with their retirement goals after they have spent a lifetime caring for their children and working.

Steven attended George Mason University where he received his degree in Management. He also holds through LPL his Series 6, 7, 66, and SIE licenses. Rooted in the Virginia community, Steven and his wife Luisa, a nurse practitioner, actively volunteer at their church every weekend. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and playing with his dog.

Marisol Madrid

Agent, New York Life Insurance Company, MMI Insurance

Marisol Madrid, Salvadoran by birth and a citizen of the world by vocation, receives her Forbes recognition with deep humility and honor as a Latina woman. She lives her life’s purpose with joy by helping create transformative financial change for Latino families, supported by a highly skilled team that delivers personalized solutions for families, businesses, and their people. Her mission comes before any commission each life insured is a victory. Marisol is committed to building generational wealth by protecting, growing, and distributing money to maximize gains and minimize taxes, always prioritizing strategies that bring the greatest value.

Ranked #25 among the Top Best-in-State Financial Security Professionals (2025) and honored with the Executive Council, MDRT Court of the Table, Life Impact Award, and Greater Washington Top 10 Financial Professional distinctions, she specializes in helping business owners create, build, and preserve wealth. Helping clients understand their options and achieve their goals is what makes her work so rewarding, and she believes every client is unique together, she develops personalized approaches that meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s as well.

Kelly Andreae

NOVA Region Senior Director at the Capital Area Food Bank

Kelly has 20 years of leadership experience building strategic, data-driven programs with a strong concentration in homeless services. Her creative and analytical skills enable her to successfully implement processes that strengthen program initiatives and generate significant organizational growth opportunities. She is a strong collaborator who builds unique alliances across partners. She also brings a distinctive eye for mission alignment, impact, cost-effectiveness, and change management. Her passion for social impact and community building makes her a high-performing agent of change within the community.

Ruth Henriquez Campos

CEO and Co-Founder Campos International Group – Exp. Realty

Born in El Salvador and raised in the U.S. since age one, Ruth Henriquez Campos embodies dedication, persistence, and commitment. She entered real estate at 19, funding her Business Administration degree from Marymount University through her own success. With a 20-year career as a passionate associate broker, she is known for building long-lasting client relationships and guiding buyers and sellers through every step of the process with care, excellence, and a client-first approach.

Ruth is the co-founder and CEO of Campos International Group, brokered by eXp Realty, where she leads with hard work, integrity, and exceptional service. Her team has earned multiple accolades including NAHREP TOP 250, Northern Virginia Magazine, and The Washingtonian and is ranked #25 in the United States for outstanding performance. Nationally recognized as an industry expert, Ruth is a sought-after speaker and has been featured by NBC, Channel 4, NPR Radio, and in Marquis Who’s Who in Real Estate. She also served as President of the NAHREP Metro DC Chapter, continually advocating for and elevating the Hispanic community in real estate.

Verónica Cool

CEO & Hispanic Strategist for Cool & Associates LLC

Veronica Cool, CEO & Hispanic Strategist for Cool & Associates LLC and Founder of the Latino Innovators Pitch, has been named among the 2017 Innovators of the Year by The Daily Record. The Innovator of the Year recognizes Marylanders and Maryland-based companies for their innovative spirit for creating new products, new programs, new services or new processes that have helped their companies, industries or communities.

“As one of the first Latinas to be recognized as an Innovator,” said Veronica Cool, “it is very humbling to have our work acknowledged. Our team proudly builds bridges to address the cultural and linguistic gaps between the Hispanic & Mainstream cultures. The impact is tremendous, immediately impacting the economy and the community. And being able to share the evening with my son was very special! ”

“Innovators are constantly creating, improving and creating again. They make a huge difference in people’s lives, in the economy and in the success of our region,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of The Daily Record. “The Daily Record is pleased to recognize Veronica amongst this year’s Innovators of the Year; it is their passion, creativity and drive that result in new products and processes that have a positive impact on Maryland and beyond.”

Honorees included Comcast, Carefirst BlueCross Blue Shield , City Garage, Goucher College, Harford County Public Library, Karen Pecora- Barbour, National Aquarium, Thread and Volunteering Untapped.