The Hudson County Latin American Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the contributions of trailblazing women leaders in business, technology, health, and public service at its 2026 Elevating Leadership, Legacy and Advocacy (ELLA) Awards next week.
The event, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4 at the Riverside Ballroom in Cliffside Park, includes breakfast, high-level networking opportunities and a thought-provoking program about AI, leadership, and economic influence.
The guest speaker is Grace Thomson, Director of the AI Policy Clinic at the Center for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), a nonprofit, research think tank in Washington, D.C.
The event also features two panel discussions: “Power, Economy & Sustainable Leadership” followed by “AI Is the Present: Generations & Redefining Power.”
During the recognition ceremony, awards will be given to:
- Maria Cardona, a CNN political commentator and principal at the Dewey Square Group, a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm. Carona will receive the Global Leadership & Public Influence Award.
- Patricia Campos-Medina, a New Jersey political leader and executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. Campos-Medina will receive the Public Policy & Economic Justice Leadership Award.
- Claudio Romo Edelman, founder and executive chair of We Are All Human Foundation in New York City and its flagship initiative Hispanic Star. Edelman will receive the Global Impact and Ethical Leadership Award.
- Rosita Romero, the emeritus executive director of the Dominican Women’s Development Center in New York City, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Maria Rios, president & CEO of Nation Waste Inc., a waste removal company based in Houston, will receive the Future-Driven Leadership Award.
- Maria Trusa, CEO of Formé Medical Center & Urgent Care in New York City, will receive the Leadership and Public Influence Award.
- Nancy Aleman, Director of Community Outreach at Hoboken Family Planning Inc., will receive the Community Health and Resilience Award.
Tickets are required to attend and can be reserved online here. Registration closes at 6 p.m. on March 3, the day before the event.
