MEX talks is an annual speaker showcase created by Latinos Progresando to give Mexican and Mexican American leaders the platform to reflect on a shared identity and tell stories to inspire positive change.

This unique, highly-anticipated forum convenes a range of voices, including entrepreneurs, lawyers, students, teachers, and nearly everything in between. And just as the stage has been given to our most established community figures, MEX talks has expressly sought to elevate emerging leaders, whose stories haven’t yet been told.

This year Latinos Progresando celebrates the 11th annual MEX talks by declaring ¡Yo Soy! a proclamation that is open to the many complexities of Mexican identity. The event is an opportunity to own our identity, our indigenous roots, our histories, our evolving culture, all the spaces we occupy, our victories, and more!

Latinos Progresando is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization with the mission to deliver high-quality information and resources for people to build secure, healthy, and productive lives. With more than 20 years of service, Latinos Progresando specializes in immigration legal services and organizational capacity building, convening local providers around the issues of health, education, and peace.

Please visit latinospro.org and follow @latinospro on social media, where Latinos Progresando regularly shares information about the organization and its impact.

Emma Carrasco is the senior vice president of corporate affairs for the NBCUniversal News Group, which is comprised of NBC News, MSNBC and CNBC. In this role she partners with leaders throughout the organization to drive internal collaboration. Prior to NBCUniversal News Group, she led efforts at National Geographic Society and NPR. The recipient of numerous recognitions over the years, Carrasco was recently named to the Most Powerful Latinas list by the Association of Latino Professional Professionals for America and was named a 2023 Rising Star by Latino Leaders magazine.

Felix Contreras has been a journalist for over 45 years and has been with NPR since 2001. He is the co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR’s pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010. In addition to his post behind the mic, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and hosts the annual A Jazz Piano Christmas in front of a live audience in the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater every December. “Tio Felix” also performs as a drummer/percussionist around the DC area with his Latin Beatles cover band, Los Day Trippers.

Julia Ramirez is a restorative justice practitioner, social worker, and community organizer born and raised in Brighton Park, and earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Northeastern Illinois University. Growing up on the southwest side, her lived experiences and her 14 years as an organizer and non-profit leader in our communities prepared Julia for the challenges ahead. In 2023, she was sworn in as the new 12th Ward alderwoman.

Juan Díes is an active musician and co-founder of Sones de México Ensemble, a two-time GRAMMY® nominated performing arts organization established in 1994 to perform, record, teach and promote Mexico’s rich heritage of folk music and dance traditions. He has recorded 6 albums and performed over two-thousand of concerts. In 2015, he founded The Mexican Music School as a subdivision of Sones de México Ensemble.

Reyna Ortiz is a proud Trans/Two spirit woman who was born and raised in Chicago. Her experiences navigating through this society openly as a Trans woman for almost thirty years has given her a great understanding of the needs in her community. Reyna Ortiz is an advocate, activist and author fighting for the rights of the trans and gender non-conforming community. Reyna works hands-on with her community through TaskForce Chicago.

Sones de México Ensemble is the country’s premier folk music organization specializing in Mexican ‘son’, including the regional styles of huapango, gustos, chilenas, son jarocho, and more. Their mission is to promote greater appreciation of Mexican folk and traditional music and culture through innovative performance, education, and dissemination.

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Tags: Chicago, Emma Carrasco, Felix Contreras, Harris Theater, Juan Díes, Julia Ramirez, Latinos Progresando, Loop, MEX talks, Reyna Ortiz