Leading voices for 2026.
Dr. Judith Arrieta
A career diplomat and Minister of the Mexican Foreign Service since 2014, Dr. Arrieta has served in Mexico's missions in India, Argentina, the United Nations in New York, the European Union in Brussels, and international organizations in Geneva. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and has published on international affairs, including feminist foreign policy.
Diplomatic Panel
Jesús Alejandro Cano Sánchez
Currently serving as Acting Consul, he has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 2010 and has served at the Embassy of Mexico in Saudi Arabia and the Consulate of Mexico in Calgary, Canada, before his appointment in McAllen in April 2025.
Diplomatic Panel
Dr. María Elena Orantes
A former Senator for the State of Chiapas and longtime advocate for women's rights, her legislative work helped advance Mexico's General Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence. She is the bestselling author of Ser mujer y punto.
Diplomatic Panel
Gloria Rosado
Mexican-Canadian leader from Campeche who emigrated to Canada at 17 as a student and returned a decade later as a professional. As Vice President of Fusión Québec, she secured the first free French-language agreement between Mexico and Canada. She also supports migrant women through seminars and initiatives to prevent domestic violence. She opened chapters in Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary, was the first woman to lead tourism policy for the City of Campeche, and ran as the first migrant candidate in Canada for the Mexican Congress in 2024. She holds a Master's in Human Rights.
Diplomatic Panel
Grace Lingow
Leading the Northeast Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico (AmCham) since 2021, she previously led the Nuevo León Agribusiness Cluster and teaches global trade, marketing, and negotiation at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She is a member of the G100 of the Women Economic Forum and serves on the board of ANDAMOS México.
Business Panel
Mario Reyna
A U.S. Air Force veteran, Mario Reyna has built a career dedicated to regional competitiveness and economic growth along the Texas–Mexico border. He serves as Executive Director of both RioPlex, the binational initiative uniting the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas under a single economic brand to attract investment and new companies, and the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, a county-wide effort to expand opportunity for Valley families. He previously served as Dean of Business at South Texas College, shaping the region's next generation of business leaders.
Business Panel
Yolanda Ruiz
She helped found Mujeres del Mezcal y Maguey de México two decades ago to increase women's visibility and leadership in an industry historically dominated by men. Under her leadership the association has grown to include sotol, raicilla, tequila, bacanora, and pulque producers, with members now exporting to Europe and the United States.
Business Panel
Elizabeth Suárez
She leads the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation under a unified structure. A public servant with 25 years of experience in McAllen, she served as the city's first Transit Manager and later as Director of Aviation, overseeing a $26 million expansion of McAllen International Airport. She was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 2023 for building the region's ground and air connectivity for domestic and international commerce.
Business Panel
Roberto González
He established the league in 2008 in partnership with Fundación Carlos Slim and Fundación Telmex Telcel — the only youth basketball league in the world free of cost, reaching children across all 32 Mexican states. A standout at Michigan State University, he became the first Mexican American basketball player to win an NCAA championship in 1979. He also leads Plataforma 360, an agency managing brand partnerships for professional athletes.
Academia & Youth Panel
Vero Marcos
Psychologist, neuropsychologist, and Ph.D. in Leadership and Human Development. Author of five books and a TEDx speaker with a following of more than 170,000, she is the founder of Terapia Insight®, an integrative therapeutic method addressing mind, body, and emotion. Her most recent book, Mi Momento, la bienvenida regresó a mí, was presented at the FIL Guadalajara 2025.
Academia & Youth Panel
Mónica Noguera
One of Mexico's best-known television hosts, with more than 25 years of experience in Mexican and U.S. media. She began her career at Telehit, later worked at Televisa, and spent a decade at Telemundo in Miami, where she was an official host of the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games. She has covered World Cups, Miss Universe pageants, and major entertainment awards, and has also worked with Imagen Televisión. A diver and mountain climber, she uses her platform to advocate for women's rights, a life free of violence, and the protection of children.
Dr. Mariana Guedea
An international leader and businesswoman committed to advancing global cooperation, economic development, and strategic alliances across borders. USA Country Chair for G100 Mission Million, CEO & Founder of MERAKI, and President of the 50+1 McAllen Chapter, she is a TEDx speaker recognized by Grupo Expansión as one of Mexico's "30 Promises" and recipient of the TEC Women Award.
Host Committee & Panelist
Glenn Hamer
A nationally recognized business advocate with more than 30 years of experience in policy development, coalition building, and trade and economic development across North America. He served as President & CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2006 to 2021, where he was a leading voice in the modernization of NAFTA into the USMCA and sat on the board of the Arizona Mexico Commission. He was later named CEO of the Texas Association of Business.
Business Panel
Skyler Howell
Public servant and civic content creator in the Rio Grande Valley. A founding member of the Hidalgo County Youth Future Leaders Council, he is one of the leading voices behind the county's prosperity initiatives, actively communicating their strategic progress and collaborating closely with the County's programs.
Academia & Youth Panel
Amy De la Hoz
She supports entrepreneurs and small businesses across the Rio Grande Valley. She is the founder of Kaiza Mexican Products, a cross-border e-commerce brand celebrating Mexican culture, and previously worked with the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center. A member of the inaugural Hidalgo County Future Leaders Council, she also leads Startup McAllen and serves on the organizing committees for the Mujeres Líderes Binacionales Summit and TEDxMcAllen.
Academia & Youth Panel