The 19th annual ADCOLOR Conference & Awards at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort just wrapped and I’m reflecting on The Power Of Our Magic: a 45-minute breakout session that centered on how Latinx influence in creativity, entertainment, and sports is redefining the future. 

Moderated by Jason Rosario (Founder & CEO, The Lives Of Men), the esteemed panel included Gerardo Ortiz (Group Creative Director, 72andSunny), Anahit Kirakosian (Music Influencer, Need Pastel), and José Alvarado (Curator, Music + Social Impact, THE OFFICE performing arts + film).

From the jump, the panel made it clear:

“Latinos have always been creative powerhouses.”

For generations, our people have been doers, makers, and shifters. The sweat of our families has stitched the clothes we wear, grown the food we eat, and created the art the world consumes. We’ve been designers, botanists, musicians, architects, athletes, and engineers, long before each of these industries gave us credit.

But something is shifting now.

The world isn’t just consuming our work — they’re asking to be let in.

This past summer, Bad Bunny showed us the power of our magic when he opened up his doors to the entire world for a 31-date residency en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. He invited the world to be part of our story, turning his album into a historic movement that would go on to inject over $400M into Puerto Rico’s economy. That moment wasn’t about concerts. It was about embrace, openness, and showing the world that Latinx culture is undeniably leading the surge in global demand and dollars.

Latinos are doing that more and more. 
We’re saying, “Bienvenidos. Welcome to the party.”

But here’s the part that we must never forget:

Even the best parties have rules.

And so, the panel broke them down one by one. Guardrails to keep the vibe right. Boundaries that ensure el futuro de nuestra cultura is protected.

Our stories aren’t up for grabs

Latinos give generously. It’s in our DNA. Ideas, food, favors, support — we offer them freely. But the panel challenged us to recognize that our intellectual property is a currency, and it deserves spaces where it is owned, shared, and protected by us.

If our community is the house, then our ideas are the family photos on the wall, la greca de cafe on the stove, and the recipes passed down from the hands that fed us. You don’t walk into someone’s home and take those things.

You honor them.
You ask permission.
You treat them like they’re sacred, because they are.

Involve us at every level of the project

The room cheered when moderator Jason Rosario mentioned the ‘SNL’ ‘El Chavo del Ocho’ skit that was released earlier this fall. Why did it land? Because the entire thing was a case study on what happens when the right people are involved in a project. The skit featured Marcello Hernández as El Chavo and Bad Bunny as Quico. Together, they paid homage to a show that has been a touchstone for humor and connection among Latinx families since the early 1970s.

Authenticity is not measured by aesthetics.
Those things can be imitated. They can be borrowed. They can be styled.

Authenticity comes from presence. If Latinos aren’t the thought leaders involved in strategy, development, and every step from production to approvals, it shows, and the world can feel it.

Make space for someone new on the dance floor

Invest in emerging talent

Every panelist agreed: the magic multiplies when we invest in the emerging creators. The ones remixing culture and identity in ways that feel fresh. 

They’re not asking for permission to build. They’re asking for space and opportunity.

Our job? To open the door wider. To say, “Come in. The table is yours too.”

On October 8th, Remezcla partnered with Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY, for a relaunch of their free concert and editorial series Nuevo Noise Live, featuring rising stars Chavi Leons,Mijita, Bendi La Bendición, and Riobamba. Known for being the go-to platform for what’s new and next in Latinx culture, the platform is a masterclass on what happens when you center and celebrate the discovery of emerging talent. 

That’s what we need more of.

Only enter where you’re invited

Our traditions are not centerpieces.
They’re not props, punchlines, or limited-edition merch.

They’re the songs our grandparents danced to, the cultural regalia that bring out the best in us, and the stories that have survived across borders and oceans. Before you incorporate them into a campaign or concept, ask us.

Let us be the ones to tell you.

Some things belong only to the people who lived them.
Some things are meant to be protected, not monetized.

A good guest at a party knows what rooms are open, and which ones are private.