Leading by Example

Jose Luis Prado: UnidosUS is Key to Leading Our Community on a Path to Success

Jose Luis Prado has been a champion of UnidosUS’s work since the mid-2000s when he met Raul Yzaguirre, then-NCLR’s president and CEO and a member of PepsiCo-North America’s Latino advisory board. At that time, Jose was leading the company’s Gamesa brand in his native Mexico. He subsequently landed in Chicago 12 years ago to head up the company’s Quaker brand, the first Mexican to lead a major PepsiCo business in North America. Jose retired from the company in 2014 after a career spanning 30 years, six countries and two continents.

Getting to know Janet while still with PepsiCo Jose explained, “I’m inspired by [her] passion and fearless character. Janet is one of the smartest, toughest Latina leaders around.” This was one of the reasons Jose became a President’s Council donor in 2014. And he’s been a donor ever since.

Jose also believes deeply in UnidosUS’s mission and its real, tangible impact on communities and individuals.  “UnidosUS’s community-based efforts to help Latinos navigate systems to improve their quality of life is extremely valuable, for example providing financial education to learn how to buy a house or guidance on getting into college,” he said, adding that the organization’s policy work in education and other areas, is always critical but especially now given the current political climate.

In addition to being a philanthropist, Jose is an advocate and visionary with a keen big-picture view of the exponentially growing and integral role the Latino community plays in the country. He sees UnidosUS, along with other organizations, as key to leading our community on a path to success which benefits all Americans. “The number of Hispanics will double…by 2050…and one in three Latinos is marrying a non-Hispanic…[meaning] 50% of the U.S. population will either be Hispanic or Hispanic-influenced,” according to Jose. “This is about how the next version of America will be composed. Latinos will have to fill jobs vacated by 72 million baby boomers who will retire in the next 10 to 15 years,” he explained.

Policy makers, thus, need to invest in Latinos so they are prepared to fill these job gaps, according to Jose. “For Latinos, this is a tremendous opportunity and responsibility. We must be a driving force in the next America. We must get down to business. That’s why UnidosUS’s work is so important. But we need to do more. We need more donors and leaders to come to the table and take decisive action to prepare everybody for this new world that’s on the horizon,” he concluded.

To learn more about the impact made possible by our donors visit www.unidosus.org/individual-giving