From esteemed journalists and nonprofit leaders to policy advocates and educators, our team embodies the values of collaboration, innovation, and impact.
Leadership & Staff
Leadership & Staff
At the heart of the Latino Media Collaborative (LMC) is a team of visionary leaders and changemakers dedicated to amplifying Latino voices and advancing equity in media. Our board of directors brings diverse expertise from journalism, advocacy, public policy, education, and community development, united by a shared commitment to uplifting Latino communities.
Together, they guide LMC in its mission to reshape the media landscape, elevate underrepresented voices, and create lasting change for generations to come.
Meet the Team
Arturo Carmona
President
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arturo@latinomedia.org
Arturo Carmona serves as the Managing Partner of Tzunu Strategies and heads the Latino Media Collaborative. He has appeared in in media outlets such as MSNBC, ABC, CNN, Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Univision, Telemundo, USA Today, NPR, La Opinion, and many others. Hispanic Magazine honored him with the Hispanic Achievement Award. He is the current Sr. Strategy Advisor to ImpreMedia and served as a Digital Media and Strategic Communications Advisor to the Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for President campaign (Mexico) and the Deputy Political Director for the Bernie Sanders for President campaign. He was the Executive Director of Presente.org and as the founding Executive Director of the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM).
Esperanza Guevara
Managing Director
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Earlier this year, Esperanza joined LMC as its Managing Director. In this role, she oversees the organization's operations, fundraising, and program development. Previously, Esperanza served as Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). She has also worked for the offices of U.S. Congressman Jimmy Gomez, Tony Cárdenas, and worked on various electoral campaigns. Esperanza received a B.A. from Stanford University in Science, Technology, and Society and is also a 2012-2013 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange fellowship recipient.
Sharon Guevara
Operations Manager
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Sharon Guevara is the Operations & Special Projects Manager at the Latino Media Collaborative. With Ecuadorian roots, she brings diversity to the team along with over a decade of experience managing multi-million dollar projects in operations, and strategic planning. Throughout her career, as a government contracting specialist, she has led teams, streamlined processes, and optimized intricate large-scale operations.
Joining LMC fulfills a long-time aspiration to work in the nonprofit sector, where she can apply her expertise to initiatives that uplift and empower the Latino community. Passionate about advocacy and social impact, Sharon is committed to strengthening LMC’s operational foundation to expand its reach and effectiveness.
Program Manager
stephanie reyes
Martin Albornoz
General Manager, CALÓ News
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Martin Albornoz was most recently General Manager of Brehm Communications, where he managed over 20 newspapers and websites across the Southwest. He was also publisher of several wine tourism magazines in Napa, Sonoma and the Central Coast. He has worked on the digital teams at the Orange County Register, Las Vegas Review Journal and Southland Publishing. He helped launch L.A. Forward, a pioneering public media website and was the co-founder and publisher of L.A. Alternative and the groundbreaking Frontera Magazine. Born in East L.A., raised in Southeast L.A. and learned punk rock in Hollywood.
gabriel lerner
Board of Directors
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Gabriel Lerner
Gabriel Lerner is the former Editor-in-Chief of the daily La Opinion in Los Angeles and continues to write editorials as editor emeritus in his column, Gente de Los Angeles. He is also the founder and editor of HispanicLA – www.hispanicla.com, a collective Spanish blog which started in January 2009. Gabriel has also written four books and is the proud father of four boys.
Cynthia moreno
Board of Directors
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Cynthia Moreno
Cynthia Moreno is an award-winning journalist and communications leader. A first-generation Mexican-American and UC Berkeley graduate, she double-majored in Legal Studies and Religious Studies. Currently the Press Secretary for California State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, she is the first Latina to hold the position in two decades. Previously, she served as Communications Officer at Sierra Health Foundation, promoting health equity, and worked with Visit Sacramento on multicultural strategies. Cynthia was also appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California DMV, where she led communications efforts for the REAL ID campaign and COVID-19 safety messaging. Before her appointment, she spent 15 years in journalism as Capitol Political Correspondent for Vida en el Valle, a bilingual publication, and hosted a public affairs show on Azteca America. Cynthia has been recognized as a Sacramento Bee Top 20 Latino Change Maker and was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Sacramento Business Journal. She is also the recipient of multiple journalism awards and is a powerful advocate for Latino representation in policy, communications, and government.
benjamin torres
Board of Directors
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Benjamin Torres
Benjamin Torres is the President and CEO of the Community Development Technologies Center (CDTech), where his work addresses issues of community and economic development in low-income areas of Los Angeles through a social justice lens that empowers residents and communities to rebuild them. Benjamin is recognized as a major social justice leader both locally and nationally through his extensive background and work in developing grassroots and youth leadership, school and community partnerships as well as shaping community benefits agreements.
Jessica gonzalez
Board of Directors
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Jessica Gonzalez
An attorney and racial-justice advocate, Jessica advances Free Press’ mission of building media and technology that serve truth and justice. A former Lifeline recipient, Jessica has helped fend off grave Trump-administration cuts to the program, which subsidizes phone-and-internet access for low-income people. She was part of the legal team that overturned a Trump-FCC decision blessing runaway media consolidation. Jessica is a leader in the fight to push tech companies to crack down on hate and disinformation. She co-founded Change the Terms, a coalition of more than 60 civil- and digital-rights groups that works to disrupt online hate, helped lead the Stop Hate for Profit campaign’s Facebook advertising boycott and sits on the Real Facebook Oversight Board. Previously, Jessica was the executive vice president and general counsel at the National Hispanic Media Coalition, where she led the policy shop and coordinated campaigns against racist and xenophobic media programming. Prior to that she was a staff attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation. Jessica has testified before Congress on multiple occasions on issues including Net Neutrality, media-ownership diversity and affordable internet access.
armando gudino
Board of Directors
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Armando Gudino
LAWCN Executive Director Armando Gudino is a public policy professional with more than 20 years of experience focused on public policy and strategic voter engagement. Armando has worked on more than 30+ legislative bills and statewide initiatives including criminal justice reform, harm reduction, immigration, international relations, and drug policy reform. His work history includes extensive experience in media and communications, such as playing a key role in the launching of the first Bilingual Latino Television network in the US and serving as the first Latino Program Director for public radio KPFK Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles, where he was instrumental in expanding Spanish Language public radio in Southern California. Armando’s managed multiple public affairs and newsroom operations over the last 10 years and has worked in various countries as a consultant and advisor, including places like Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Most recently, Armando focused on legislative reform at the state and local level including issues of Latino voter engagement and drug policy where he played a key role in the passage of the landmark Proposition 64 Regulating Cannabis for adults 21 and over. He’s an avid photographer and an amateur astronomer.
efrain escobedo
Board of Directors
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Efrain Escobedo
Efrain Escobedo is a dynamic organizational leader and strategist. For nearly two decades, he has worked within the philanthropic, government, and nonprofit sectors to advance his professional mission. Escobedo currently serves as the president & CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Management. Previously, he served as vice president of public policy and civic engagement at The California Community Foundation.
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matt@latinomedia.org
As a seasoned Research Analyst, Matt Morris has extensive experience handling complex datasets and providing strategic analysis in support of fast-moving campaigns for labor unions and nonprofit organizations. With expertise in corporate research, data processing, and policy analysis, he specializes in leveraging data to inform decision-making and drive social change.Before joining the Latino Media Collaborative, Matt worked as a consultant, providing strategic research and analysis for labor unions and nonprofits across diverse campaigns. Prior to that, he served as a Research Analyst at SEIU-United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW), where he developed research strategies and tactics to support service workers in their fight for fair wages and respect. He led efforts to push municipalities to adopt higher standards for procurement, successfully reducing the hiring of irresponsible contractors and strengthening protections for subcontracted workers at cities across California. Additionally, he worked directly with clients who subcontracted for janitorial services and public officials to ensure that state laws protecting workers from sexual harassment, misclassification, and wage theft were thoroughly enforced.
Matt holds an M.A. in U.S. History from San Francisco State University and completed the AFL-CIO Strategic Corporate Research Summer Program at Cornell University. Passionate about data-driven advocacy, Matt remains dedicated to advancing equity, social justice, and workers' rights through strategic research and analysis.
Research & Development Specialist
Matt Morris
Financial sustainability
Investing in Latino Voices for Lasting Impact and Representation.
Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. and the largest ethnic group in much of the Southwest, yet Latino media and journalism lack the funding, representation, and sustainability needed to serve this population. According to CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism's research, as of 2019 states like California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada had around 100 Latino media outlets, primarily small, independent publications owned by Latinos, which also play a crucial role in civic engagement. However, these outlets often operate with limited staff and financial resources as advertising dollars have not fully transitioned online, facing challenges exacerbated by the shift from print to digital platforms.
Financial sustainability is a pressing issue and it is essential for philanthropy, the private sector, and government to adopt policies and investments that ensure long-term support for Latino media. Compounding this issue is the shortage of bilingual, bicultural journalists who understand Latino communities and the need to address changing demographics and generational divides within the Latino population.
[Footnote 1] CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, 2019, The State of Latino News Media, https://thelatinomediareport.journalism.cuny.edu/appendix/
LAtino representation in U.S. Newsrooms
Latino Share of
News Workforce
7%
Latino Share of
National U.S. Population
19%
Latino US population: 65.2 million
Nationwide, Latino/a/x represent just 7 percent of the news workforce, according to a 2019 American Society of Newspaper Editors survey of 428 newsrooms, despite being 19% of the country.
As more news sites continue to exchange owners and downsize, critical coverage takes a backseat and communities lose their voice. In the LA region, this reality has impacted Latino/a/x disproportionately, leaving large swaths of our communities with no local news coverage.
Many sites that once featured local voices now depend on austere financial models, relying on content from outside communities.
Los Angeles County–which has the most Latino/a/x of any U.S. county and region–needs more Latino/a/x stories, and more Latino/a/x journalists to tell those stories. The Los Angeles region’s media sector is not keeping up with changing population needs, which is why LMC/CALÓ NEWS has stepped forward: to ensure communities across Los Angeles and California are heard and leaders are held accountable.
Source: American Society of Newspaper Editors survey of 428 newsrooms
RESEARCH
By: Arturo Carmona, Gina Arreola, Natalie Schuman & Daniel Paredes
ESSENTIAL & ON THE BRINK CALIFORNIA’S COMMUNITY MEDIA SECTOR
THE STATE OF COMMUNITY & ETHNIC MEDIA IN CALIFORNIA
Impact, Resource Gaps, and Opportunities
