A curated reception, leadership forum, and awards experience designed to recognize those shaping business, community, and culture.

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Event Overview

Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Blanco Urban Venue – 12 N San Pedro St, San Jose, CA 95110

Event Schedule

5:00 PM
Registration • Networking Reception • Hosted Refreshments

5:30 PM
Welcome Remarks

5:45 PM
Leadership Forum
A conversation featuring industry leaders discussing leadership, influence, innovation, and community impact.

6:30 PM
Milestone Recognition Ceremony
Honoring individuals and organizations whose leadership and accomplishments have helped shape Silicon Valley and beyond.

Partial Listing of the evening honorees (click on the names for their profiles)

7:00 PM
Networking Reception

7:30 PM
Program Concludes

Attire: Business Casual

* Program subject to change without notice

A Curated Reception

Each Milestone Series event begins with a private, curated reception that brings together a select group of professionals, decision-makers, and community leaders.

This is a space designed for intentional connection where conversations are meaningful, relationships are strengthened, and the people in the room reflect a shared commitment to leadership and progress.

A Leadership Forum with Market Insights

At the core of the experience is a leadership forum focused on timely conversations shaping today’s business and community landscape.

Discussions may include:

Generational wealth and economic opportunity
Real estate and housing market insights
Business leadership and growth strategies
Community influence and long-term impact
Regional trends unique to each host market

These conversations are designed to provide perspective, clarity, and insight connecting ideas with real world experience.

VENUE ADDRESS

Blanco Urban Venue – 12 N San Pedro St, San Jose, CA 95110

PARKING ADDRESS

45 N Market St, San Jose, CA 95113

FUNDING PARTNER

HL | Culture & Influence is proud to announce Wells Fargo as a Funding Partner of the HL | Milestone Series “an invitation-only” leadership experience recognizing individuals and organizations shaping business, community, and culture.

As part of this collaboration, Wells Fargo will support the Milestone Series across three key markets in 2026: Orange County, New York, and Silicon Valley.

“We are proud to collaborate with Wells Fargo as a Funding Partner of the Milestone Series,” said Richard Sandoval, Storyteller | Producer | Connector, HL | Culture & Influence. “Their support allows us to elevate conversations, recognize leadership, and create spaces where relationships and ideas can move forward with purpose.”

MILESTONE HONOREES

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Jazmin Diaz

Growth • Purpose • Impact When Jazmin Diaz founded Flourish Learning & Development, she transformed a lifetime of personal resilience, professional achievement, and leadership experience into a mission dedicated to helping others grow with intention, confidence,...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Paleta Planeta

Family • Vision • Impact Some businesses begin with a business plan. Others begin with family. For brothers Luis Salazar, Mauricio Salazar, and Gabriel Salazar, the journey that would become Paleta Planeta started during one of the most uncertain periods in recent...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Hilda Ramirez

Leadership • Opportunity • Impact For Hilda Ramirez, leadership has never been defined solely by transactions or titles. It has been measured by the opportunities she creates for others, the professionals she mentors, and the families she helps move closer to...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Rocio Medina van Nierop

Purpose • Influence • Courage When Rocio Medina van Nierop co-founded Latinas in Tech in 2014, she set out to create opportunities for Latina professionals in an industry where representation at leadership levels remained limited. What began as a vision to support and...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors OSI Engineering

Leadership, Innovation & Community Impact Some companies are built to generate revenue. Others are built to create opportunity. OSI Engineering has accomplished both. In Silicon Valley, success is often measured by innovation, growth, and market influence. Yet the...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Gloria Mirazo Gregor

Leadership, Influence & Legacy Throughout her career, Gloria Mirazo Gregor has helped families achieve one of life's most important milestones homeownership. As a respected mortgage banking executive and community leader, her influence extends beyond lending,...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Dr. Marilyn Flores

Breaking Barriers. Expanding Opportunity. Transforming Lives. When Dr. Marilyn Flores was appointed President of San José City College, she became the first Latina president in the institution's more than 100-year history a milestone that reflects decades of...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Julian Cañete

Culture • Influence • Legacy Some leaders advocate for business. Others dedicate their careers to creating opportunities that allow businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities to thrive. Julian Cañete has spent more than two decades doing exactly that. As President and...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Frank Carbajal

Culture • Influence • Legacy Some leaders build companies. Others dedicate their lives to building people, strengthening communities, and creating pathways for future generations to lead. Frank Carbajal has spent his career doing exactly that. Frank began his...

HL | Milestone Series – Honors Esperanza (Escobar) Teasdale, ACC

Culture • Influence • Legacy Some careers are defined by the brands they help build. Others are defined by the people they inspire and the legacy they create. Esperanza Teasdale has done both. With more than three decades of leadership at PepsiCo and Unilever,...