SVL Founder Alex Ontiveros receives "Unsung Hero" Award

April 21, 2023

Last week, Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency received the spotlight as its founder, Alex Ontiveros received a special award. Alex was presented with the “Unsung Hero” award by Assembly Member for California’s 24th District, Alex Lee.

This honor was bestowed to Alex for decades of community service and dedication towards leading key initiatives that empower under represented communities, especially the Latino community. In his acceptance remarks, Alex highlighted the fact that all of his achievements would not have been possible without the continued support of numerous allies, collaborators, friends and Cultura Ambassadors as well as his teams at Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency. “It is because of my teams’ support and collaboration that for over a decade we have been able to highlight, promote and publish numerous positive stories about the Latino community through our SVL platforms as well as lead our social impact initiatives like “Creo En Ti” and ultimately empower the next generation of Latino leaders in the Bay Area and beyond”.

Since September of 2011, Alex and the SVL team have worked tirelessly to create opportunities to feature Latinos in Silicon Valley and beyond. Organically, SVL has built a powerful community (Cultura Ambassadors) of professionals, students, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who are thriving and driving change on a daily basis.

Through the SVL Agency (an award-winning full service creative agency, 2015), a division of Silicon Valley Latino, they provide a wide range of services that help companies, both large and small, tell their stories in an engaging and compelling manner. From marketing and branding to content creation and social media campaign management. The agency has become a go-to resource for tech companies, corporations, educational institutions, start-ups, small businesses and nonprofits and even government agencies. “One of our most fulfilling projects to date, has been a passion project that we endeavored to produce during the pandemic, CAMPESINOS: America’s Unsung Heroes. We are delighted to share that it has received numerous awards. We believe that it was a story that needed to be told and our director, Joe Poni’s cinematic genius elevated it to the highest level.”

In accepting the award Alex reaffirmed his and his teams’ commitment to empowering Latinos and creating a more inclusive and equitable community for all while continuing to utilize their platforms to control and share their narratives.

Overall, Alex and his team at Silicon Valley Latino and The SVL Agency are making a real difference in the lives of Latinos in Silicon Valley as well as helping the larger ecosystem with effective brand positioning. Their work is an inspiration to us all, and we look forward to seeing how they will continue to elevate the playing field for the Latino community.

Watch the acceptance speech video below.