Verizon to grant $61K to Latino-serving orgs, host STEM forum, offer free headshots at Boston event

BOSTON – From 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, Verizon will host the next event in the company's “Connected by Culture” series at Boston’s Downtown Crossing store (340 Washington St.). In addition to providing the Boston community with career and networking opportunities, the event will celebrate Verizon’s $61,000 in new donations to local Latino-serving organizations that boost STEM education, digital inclusion, youth empowerment, and small businesses.

Following “Connected By Culture” celebrations in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City, the latest event in this series highlighting the Latino community will feature top Boston leaders discussing STEM education and innovation; encourage attendees to discuss open positions with an on-site Verizon recruiter and pose for free professional headshots; foster networking opportunities; and highlight ongoing Verizon initiatives that bolster the community.

Starting at 4:30 p.m., a STEM speaker series will feature insights from influential leaders in the Latino community, including Santi Garces, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Boston; Karen Chacón, Executive Director for Latino STEM Alliance; Carolina Lopez-Treviño, Catering Engineering Lead for Toast; and Sgardy Pena, Electrical Engineer at Signify and an alumna of Sociedad Latina.

“The Latino STEM Alliance is committed to inspiring and empowering underserved youth to pursue academic and career success in STEM fields by providing meaningful and engaging STEM learning opportunities,” said Karen Chacón, Executive Director of the Latino STEM Alliance. “Through our partnership with Verizon, we are able to reach more youth, particularly early education learners, engaging them in STEM programs from the start of their academic careers, to ultimately propel them into a STEM profession and diversify the STEM industry.”

“The Latino community is underrepresented in STEM, but this event is an opportunity to highlight several prominent Boston Latino Community STEM leaders,” said Cathleen Finn Municipal and Community Engagement Director for Verizon. “It’s our pleasure to highlight the contributions of our community partners, particularly Latino STEM Alliance and Sociedad Latina, as they work to build a more inclusive STEM talent pipeline.”

Verizon’s $61,000 in combined donations renew or establish partnerships with 9 Latino-serving organizations in the Boston area: Amplify Latinx; the Boston Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA); Casa de la Cultura Dominicana en Boston / Dominican Festival Boston; Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA); La Colaborativa; Latino STEM Alliance; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Sociedad Latina and the Verónica Robles Cultural Center.

Verizon is deeply committed to the Boston community, serving more than 3,000 small businesses in the Boston area with Verizon's free Small Business Digital Ready platform, which features access to more than 50 courses, expert-led workshops, in-person and virtual networking, and incentives – including grants.

Aligning with the company’s Citizen Verizon responsible-business plan, the Connected By Culture series highlights Verizon’s continuing commitment to workforce development, such as the Verizon Skill Forward program, which provides access to free skills building online courses. With no prior experience or college degree required, Verizon Skill Forward participants can access self-paced, expert-led free online courses designed by universities and industry experts for one year, including dedicated courses in Spanish.