ART: Capturing The Latino Spirit

By Rachel Matos

As an actor and artist living in Los Angeles, I have been to my fair share of networking events. Some great and some not. I started getting very selective and ended up simply not attending any of them. However, last year, I received an invitation to attend a networking event hosted by Latinos for Latinos called SOL. I thought it looked pretty interesting and figured I would give it a go. Shortly after, the organization put out a call for artists, whose work captures the Latino spirit. I immediately thought about the portrait I did of a woman from Otavalo, Ecuador … my symbol of strength and determination. I submitted my work and just a few days later I was asked to be a featured artist.

The night of the event was great fun. It was the first time since living in L.A. that I had the opportunity to meet so many up and coming and established Latino professionals in one room. The best part is that the exchanges lasted well after the event and many of us continue to support each other’s charity events, art shows, and businesses.

With such a strong Latino presence in Los Angeles, I feel events such as these are needed. It builds community. It unifies and makes us stronger. I commend co-creator Alain Romero for putting together such an amazing organization and I am looking forward to the next gathering on Thursday, October 28. I asked Mr. Romero to please share a little about SOL with us …

Alain, the Sol-Professional events have been very successful and so much fun. For our readers who have not heard of the organization ... What is SOL?

Rachel, thank you so much for this opportunity. I love sharing the origin and purpose of the organization. The Society of Latino Professionals was founded at the end of 2009.

Who are we? SOL is a networking organization that offers Latino Professionals the opportunity to exchange ideas, build a strong cohesive network, experience unique business and social events, and meet other like-minded Professionals from all industries.

Our Purpose is to propel the success of Latin@ Professionals through education, mentorship/guidance and career opportunities.

Our Vision is to create an environment for Latin@ Professionals that inspires, enriches intellectually, and serves Society.

What inspired the creation of SOL?

What inspired SOL is a two part answer. Edgar Mejia from CONEXION and I had been talking for years of starting a concept like this, last year I told him I would do it with or without him. With that driving commitment we worked on the mission, the vision and the creation of a logo. After that, I took the reins of the organization and created our launch event in January. The result was the event in Pasadena that you attended.

The second part of the answer is more personal. What gave me the determination to give birth to SOL was that I found myself/my spirit, last year. Over the years I had been "searching for myself", but I had been looking in all the wrong places. I had looked everywhere but in me. Finding me sounded something like this: For days we have walked the mountains, swam in the most treacherous oceans, fought wars, and built empires - just to find you. And there you were the spirit within us. And you had been there all along awaiting our arrival!

One day last year, it dawned on me, and I say dawned on me, because it went beyond an understanding or a rationalization that life is truly finite. I looked at the days, there are 365 days in the year, I did the math; 10 years is 3650 days. Then I calculated that a “productive life” if started at the age of 20 and ending at the age of seventy represents 50 years of productive life. The ultimate conclusion is not that a productive life on average represents a little over eighteen thousand days, but that each day is precious.

As I contemplated this, I also realized that if life is this precious yet so finite, we must leave it with a purpose. From this I began to craft my purpose in life: My definite purpose in life is to spend, as much time as I can with those I love, those that enrich me, and above all those I can enrich.

With these realizations in hand, was that I decided to move SOL forward. Today, I feel that my biggest contribution will be the development and implementation of a mentorship program for Latino Professionals. Beyond a monetary contribution, mentorship is the biggest gift any one can give to a young person. Mentorship is the single biggest gift we can give towards the attainment of an individual’s growth and the development of his/her talents and aspirations.

SOL Professionals is about providing mentorship and access to our growing population of Latino Professionals. Our networking events bring together emerging professionals with seasoned professionals in an atmosphere of culture, art and literature. The thinkers, the artists the business people, under one roof come together to exchange, socialize and grow with one purpose, to propel each other’s success.


I had the privilege of not only attending, but being a featured artist, at your first event. I met a wealth of Latino artists from different countries and areas throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. I really felt the pulse of what Latinos are doing creatively. Everyone was extremely warm and generous about sharing opportunities. Can you tell us about some of your experiences?

Rachel, what you experienced at that event is a departure from any other business or networking event in town. First and foremost, those that like you collaborate in the development of the organization are selected not only for their past and present accomplishments but for their inner qualities as individuals. SOL partners have the communities’ best interest at hand. We are individuals with an unbreakable spirit, a spirit that is made from the intangible, yet it is stronger than the strongest titanium, and is eternal. I think that is what you experienced at that event.

I am so honored to be the arts chair for the next event. Could you please let our readers know more about it and where can they obtain more information?

We have an art exhibit at all our networking events, art by 5 Latino artists with pieces that depict the Latino spirit. You have been entrusted with bringing together this talent and as I mentioned before, the job goes beyond the art itself, we are looking at the spirit of the artists themselves. Their work is an extension of who they are. All our guest artists are participants in the networking. What better element to infuse into a networking event than a core of spirited artists, authors and other professionals that share a common purpose.

For more information on the SOL Professionals please email: Alain Romero at alainromero@yahoo.comor please visit http://www.solprofessionals.org


Ciao!
Rachel Matos

Meet Rachel Matos TH, October 28th at SOL Networking, Author and Art Exhibit.http://ping.fm/ONX4u