SIX NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SIX NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino (FRIENDS) announced six new additions to its Board of Directors: award-winning journalist and media founder Mariana Atencio, culinary game-changer and humanitarian activist Chef Grace Ramirez, Founder and President of BIENVENIDO USA Abraham Enriquez, business leader and former SBA appointee Mark Madrid, and business executives and leaders Ryan Morfin and Daniel Sanchez.
“As we arrive at the final stretch of this almost 20 year campaign for the FRIENDS organization, we are moved by the enthusiasm and interest from community and business leaders who remain energized by the opportunity to support our work,” stated Estuardo V. Rodriguez, President and CEO, FRIENDS. “The support of these six amazing and accomplished individuals arrives at a key moment in our journey. For the generations to come, we must secure the National Mall as the future home of both the National Museum of the American Latino, as well as the American Women’s History Museum.”
“We are honored to welcome these outstanding new members to the FRIENDS Board as we continue our critical work to establish the National Museum of the American Latino on the National Mall. This museum will secure a rightful place for the diverse contributions of American Latinos spanning over 500 years. With strong bipartisan support, we remain committed to ensuring this vision becomes a reality,” says Lili Gil Valletta, Chairwoman of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino and CEO of Culture+ Group.
These members join during a critical time for our campaign. In 2020, the National Museum of the American Latino Act was signed into law, establishing the museum within the Smithsonian Institution. However, the future location of the museum remained unresolved. Our work is focused on educating and advocating for additional legislation that would grant the Smithsonian the authority to build the museum on the National Mall, shoulder to shoulder with other iconic museums.
Learn more about the new board members below:
Mariana Atencio
Mariana Atencio is a Peabody-Award winning journalist, best-selling author, viral speaker, executive producer, and media founder.
Originally from Venezuela, Mariana had one dream growing up: to shed light on the stories that didn’t make the headlines. While studying at Universidad Católica in Caracas, she was part of the student movement for democracy and came to the United States on a scholarship to study journalism at Columbia University.
As an anchor at Univision and a national correspondent at NBC News, Mariana dedicated her career to covering the Latino community in two languages. For her work, she has been honored with a Peabody Award, a Gracie Award, three national Emmy nominations, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Presidential Award.
In 2020, she founded Go Like Media, an award-winning, female-led content media house focused on authentic storytelling for a global audience of seekers, leaders, and game changers. Go Like Media has partnered with industry leaders such as Microsoft, Accenture, and NBC/Telemundo to craft narratives and co-create multi-platform experiences that address the challenges of the 21st century. Highlights include Microsoft’s ‘Envision’, a digital show offering business insights, and ‘Lost in Panama’, a true crime series that solved the case of two missing female tourists and ranked in Apple Podcasts’ top 10. “At Go Like Media, our mission is to produce powerful, thought-provoking storytelling that bridges cultures, connects people, and inspires meaningful change,” said Atencio. “That’s what the National Museum of the American Latino is all about”.
Abraham Enriquez
Abraham Enriquez, Founder and President of BIENVENIDO USA, embodies a passionate commitment to empowering Hispanics in America through the advocacy of individual liberty, free enterprise, and sound policy.
In just five years, Abraham has transformed BIENVENIDO into a formidable force with a presence in key states such as Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, positioning it as one of the nation’s premier organizations for conservative Hispanic outreach. His leadership was instrumental in forging strategic alliances with the White House in 2019, catalyzing impactful policies and strategic messaging that uplifted the Hispanic community during the Trump administration.
During the pivotal 2020 elections, Abraham spearheaded an unparalleled voter outreach initiative, orchestrating a robust coalition of grassroots leaders and organizations to amplify Hispanic voices and significantly increase voter turnout nationwide. His visionary efforts earned him recognition as the RNC’s Rising Star Award.
Mark Madrid
Mark L. Madrid, CEO and founder of Breakthrough Mavens, LLC, serves corporate America, small business owners, senior executives, boards, and nonprofits in a collaborative and energizing setting. As an in-demand, dynamic keynote speaker and new author, he also appeals to large audiences at the corporate level.
Currently, Mark is Entrepreneur-In-Residence at the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). He serves on the Board of Advisors at Trez.co, the Board of Directors for the Emmett and Miriam Texas State University McCoy College of Business Administration Development Foundation, the Advisory Council of the Hispanic Wealth Project and the Board of Directors of FRIENDS, Friends of the American Latino Museum, a national advocacy campaign striving for the creation of a Smithsonian National American Latino Museum.
Mark is author of his first book, Energy, 21 Uncomplicated & Easy Tips to Start Your Day Energized, the first in a book series, Self-Fueling Excellence, Mark’s unique story and experiences resonate with many. He attributes his success to energy, discipline, grit, perseverance, and hope—cornerstones he relies on and encourages his clients to utilize through his business, offering fractional C-Suite services and cyber/AI consulting services.
Ryan Morfin
Ryan Morfin is the CEO of Lowndes Square (“LSQ”), an asset management firm investing on behalf of several family offices in non-correlated asset classes such as: commercial real estate, private equity and venture capital. Throughout his career, he has held several executive management roles, including at U.S. and international portfolio companies owned by clients of well-known PE firms and family offices.
Immediately prior to his LSQ role, Mr. Morfin was the founder and CEO of Wentworth Management Services, a holding company that acquired 10 wealth management businesses over a 5-year period creating the 20th largest independent US wealth management firm by revenues. Under his leadership, Wentworth grew revenues by 20x to over $200mm in five years and the platform had over 2,200 financial advisors that managed over $300Bn of AUM. In July 2022, the business was sold to a strategic investor at an all-time high valuation for broker dealer businesses delivering a 15x to his initial investors.
He is currently the host of the Non-Beta Alpha podcast, where he has insightful conversations with thought leaders like Jocko Willink, Dr. Oz, General Flynn and General McChrystal among many other asset management and wealth management CEOs. Ryan does national and local media speaking about economics and capital markets issues.
Chef Grace Ramirez
A chef, dedicated humanitarian, educator, author and TV personality, Chef Grace Ramirez has become a world leader who brings her Latin American heritage and charisma to the vast audiences of Oceania and the Americas. A blend of celebrity power and rooted knowledge of the culinary complexity of Latin American tradition, Grace has made a life of her own design. She is committed to shaping the future with authentic vibrancy and sustained care for nourishment.
Grace’s passion for education and community led to her appointment to NYC’s Chefs Council by Mayor Adams, where she develops culturally appropriate, plant-based recipes for the NYC Department of Education. Committed to social advocacy and supporting underserved communities, she collaborates with Aid for Life in workforce development initiatives and supporting those around her.
Last year, Grace was part of the production team behind the first-of-its-kind Day of the Dead celebration in Times Square and was awarded the “Excellence in Philanthropy” recognition at the Grace Awards 2023 by St. Anne’s Corner of Harm Reduction. Grace was also featured by CherryBombe’s 100 Most Influential Women in Hospitality, named one of People En Español’s Most Powerful Latinas, recognized as a Covid-19 Hero by the City of New York, and honored by the Puerto Rican Bar Association with the Distinguished Latina Star Award for her volunteer efforts with World Central Kitchen. For more information, please visit chefgraceramirez.com.
Daniel Sanchez
Mr. Sanchez has been a director of Liberty Global since March 2022, and a director of Liberty Latin America since December 2019, where he chairs the Nominating and Governance Committee. He was a director of Starz from January 2013 until December 2016, when it merged with Lionsgate Entertainment Corp. He continued on the Lionsgate board and its Audit Committee until 2021. He was a common stock director of Discovery from May 2017 to April 2022, where he served on the Finance Committee.
Since December 2022, Mr. Sanchez has been a director of Rocketship Public Schools, a multi-state operator of public charter schools, where he also serves on the Business Committee. In 2024, he became a director of Ensemble Learning, which seeks to improve educational outcomes for non-English learners, where he also serves on the Strategy Committee. He was a 2022 Fellow of Latinos for Education. In June 2024, he became a director of the Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation.
He holds a B.A. in art history and philosophy; a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in law; and a Master of Laws (L.L.M.) degree in federal taxation. In 2020, he retired from the private practice of law.