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Latin American Association for Insurance Agencies

@the_laaia

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The Latin American Association of Insurance Agents was founded in 1969. “The Voice of Independent Insurance Agents”. Register to become a member now!

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🎉 What an unforgettable 56th Annual LAAIA Convention! 🎉

To everyone who joined us—THANK YOU for making this year's convention one for the books.

From inspiring keynote speakers and powerful educational sessions to meaningful networking, incredible exhibitors, and unforgettable celebrations, the energy throughout the event was nothing short of extraordinary. It was amazing to see insurance professionals from across the country come together to learn, connect, grow, and celebrate our industry.

This convention wasn't just about the sessions—it was about the relationships built, the ideas shared, and the memories created that will continue to inspire us long after we return home.

Now it's time to relive some of our favorite moments! 🎥✨ Check out this highlight reel featuring just a few of the incredible memories from an amazing few days together.

To our attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, volunteers, board members, and everyone who helped make this event a success—thank you for being part of the LAAIA family and helping make the 56th Annual Convention such an incredible experience.

Until next year... the best is yet to come! 💙 taken in JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort by @the_laaia

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2 months ago

LAAIA continues to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. This time, it was on the road at Heritage Insurance Company. A wonderful conversation with CEO Ernie Garateix, about his Cuban upbringing in Hialeah Florida and the cultural lessons his family instilled in him.

Then, a Cuban sandwich taste test ( Miami vs Tampa) to prove the Miami Cuban Sandwich remains the winner!

Lunch and an office tour included, followed by cafecito.
The perfect day!

Thank you Ernie Garateix, Elena Cabrera, Diana Mendez and the entire Heritage team for your generous hospitality! by @the_laaia

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2 days ago

🚨 TOMORROW! LAST CALL TO REGISTER! 🚨

ONE HERITAGE. MANY IDENTITIES. ONE CONVERSATION YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS.

What does it really mean to be Latino? And why do we experience and express our cultural identity so differently?

As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, LAAIA National invites you to a thought-provoking webinar that goes beyond celebrating our heritage to exploring what makes each of our identities unique.

🌎 LATINO HERITAGE, MANY IDENTITIES
Understanding How Others Choose Their Sense of Identity

🎤 Moderated by Dr. Robert Rodriguez, this interactive conversation explores four Latino identity archetypes:
🔹 The Invisible Latino
🔹 The Equivocal Latino
🔹 The Retro-Latino
🔹 The Unapologetic Latino

From family traditions to workplace experiences, discover how our backgrounds shape who we are, how we connect, and how we see one another.

📅 TOMORROW — Wednesday, October 14!
⏰ 1:00 PM Eastern | 12:00 PM Central
💻 Live Webinar

✨ There is no single “right” way to express your Latinidad.
Whether you're a business leader, insurance professional, or simply passionate about our culture, this is a conversation worth being part of.

🚨 DON'T MISS IT! REGISTER TODAY AND JOIN US TOMORROW! Visit our events tab on our website!

Let's close Hispanic Heritage Month with a conversation that celebrates the diversity within our own community. by @the_laaia

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3 days ago

🌎 HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!

Every great journey begins with the courage to explore what lies beyond the horizon.

This Columbus Day, LAAIA National celebrates the spirit of ambition, perseverance, and the pursuit of new opportunities—values that continue to inspire entrepreneurs and independent insurance professionals across the country.

⛵ FUN FACT: When Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic in 1492, his expedition included three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. The Santa María was the largest of the three!

Here's to charting new courses, breaking barriers, and building a stronger future together.

Happy Columbus Day from LAAIA National! 🇺🇸 by @the_laaia

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5 days ago

🌟 TRAILBLAZERS IN INSURANCE | Progressive Insurance SPOTLIGHT 🌟

This Hispanic Heritage Month, LAAIA is proud to recognize two exceptional professionals from Progressive Insurance — Tai Macias and Paula Higa — whose leadership, mentorship, and commitment to building stronger relationships are making an impact across our industry.

⭐ Tai Macias | Senior Account Sales Representative, Progressive Insurance
With more than 20 years of insurance experience, Tai has become a trusted resource to agency partners and colleagues throughout the South Florida market. A mentor at heart, she shares her expertise through coaching, bilingual sales training, and collaboration across Progressive teams. Tai is also a longtime supporter of LAAIA and currently serves on the New Member Committee, continuing her commitment to strengthening our insurance community.

⭐ Paula H. | Account Sales Representative, Progressive Insurance
Since joining Progressive in 2024, Paula has quickly distinguished herself through her strategic thinking, relationship-building, and dedication to helping agency partners succeed. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, she is a passionate advocate for Spanish-speaking agents and actively supports the Latino insurance community through LAAIA and other industry organizations.
Her commitment to mentorship, inclusion, and professional growth reflects the qualities of an emerging industry leader.

Together, Tai and Paula demonstrate how experience, connection, advocacy, and a willingness to lift others can create lasting impact.

👏 LAAIA is proud to celebrate these Progressive Trailblazers and the contributions they continue to make to their colleagues, agency partners, and the Latino insurance community.

Hispanic Roots. Stronger Together. by @the_laaia

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10 days ago

🔥 LATINO HERITAGE. MANY IDENTITIES. ONE IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, LAAIA National invites you to go beyond celebration and join a conversation about the many ways Latino identity is experienced, expressed, and understood.

On October 14, join us for “Latino Heritage, Many Identities: Understanding How Others Choose Their Sense of Identity,” an interactive webinar moderated by Dr. Robert Rodriguez.

Together, we’ll explore how family, community, workplace dynamics, and life experiences can shape identity — including four distinct Latino identity archetypes:
The Invisible Latino • The Equivocal Latino • The Retro-Latino • The Unapologetic Latino

Because there is no single experience, perspective, or “right” way to express one’s Latinidad.

📅 October 14
⏰ 1:00 PM EST | 12:00 PM Central
💻 Virtual Webinar

This Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s celebrate our heritage while also making room for the conversations that help us better understand one another.

🔥 REGISTER TODAY & JOIN THE CONVERSATION: SEE LINK IN BIO! by @the_laaia

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11 days ago

LAAIA NATIONAL — THE TORCH IS HERE 🔥

The wait is over! The October 2026 edition of The Torch Newsletter is ready to read — bringing together the people, chapters, accomplishments, and stories that continue to move LAAIA forward.

Created in conjunction with our Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Central Florida, and South Florida Chapters, this issue is a look at what’s happening across our growing LAAIA community.

From chapter highlights and industry insights to the people making an impact, there’s a lot happening within LAAIA — and The Torch brings it all together.
🔥 The Torch is lit. Don’t just scroll past the cover — open it and see what your LAAIA community has been up to!

See link in bio to start reading! by @the_laaia

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11 days ago

🌟 TRAILBLAZERS IN INSURANCE | Aon SPOTLIGHT 🌟
This Hispanic Heritage Month, LAAIA is proud to recognize four outstanding professionals from Aon whose talent, leadership, and commitment to others are helping shape the future of our industry.

⭐ Manuel Pita-Ruiz | Associate Broker, Middle Market Practice
A rising professional committed to learning, client service, and growth, Manny also supports Aon’s Latino Professional Network Atlanta Chapter, helping strengthen connection and representation within the industry.

⭐ Veronica Rodriguez, MBA | Account Executive/Broker II, Aon Specialty, Surety
An accomplished insurance leader and advocate, Veronica brings extensive surety expertise while championing professional development and belonging. Her leadership with Aon’s Latino Professional Network, LAAIA, and other colleague networks continues to create opportunities for others.

⭐ Gabriel Garcia | Account Executive, Commercial Risk
Gabriel represents an exciting new generation of insurance professionals through his client focus, curiosity, and collaborative approach. His involvement with Aon’s Latino Professional Network Atlanta Chapter further reflects his commitment to community and professional growth.

⭐ Sabrina Jimenez | Casualty Facultative Reinsurance Broker, Aon Re
Combining expertise in broking, actuarial analysis, and complex risk, Sabrina is equally passionate about developing others. Through mentorship and her participation in the LAAIA-Aon Next Gen Cohort Education Series, she is helping emerging professionals better understand the opportunities within our industry.

Together, Manny, Veronica, Gabriel, and Sabrina demonstrate the impact Latino professionals are making across insurance today — from emerging talent to established leadership, from client service to mentorship and community engagement.

👏 LAAIA is proud to celebrate these Aon Trailblazers and the many ways they are leading people, building opportunity, and creating stronger tomorrows.

Hispanic Roots. Stronger Together. by @the_laaia

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12 days ago

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month | Trailblazers in Insurance Spotlight Series

Today, LAAIA proudly recognizes Clara Cruden, Regional Operations & Service Leader, Western & Southern U.S. at Brown & Brown — a leader whose remarkable career is a testament to resilience, perseverance and the power of opportunity.

Clara came to the United States from Cuba as a child and went on to build a career spanning more than four decades in employee benefits, client service leadership, pharmacy and benefits administration. Along the way, she has educated thousands of professionals, led teams and initiatives for major organizations, and helped advance operational excellence throughout our industry.

Her impact, however, reaches far beyond the workplace. Clara has dedicated her time and leadership to organizations including the Latin Chamber of Commerce, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Catholic Charities and Southern Hills Hospital—reflecting a lifelong commitment to serving others and strengthening her community.

Her professional accomplishments have also earned recognition from publications including Who’s Who Las Vegas and In Business Magazine’s Most Influential Business Women.

🇨🇺 Clara’s journey from a young Cuban immigrant to an accomplished insurance executive represents so much of what we celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month: the courage to begin again, the determination to keep growing and the responsibility to open doors for those who follow.

👏 Please join LAAIA in celebrating Clara Cruden for more than four decades of leadership, service and meaningful impact on our industry and our communities.

Leadership. Service. A Stronger Tomorrow. by @the_laaia

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15 days ago

This October, we stand together in pink.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a reminder of the strength found in community—the strength to support, to encourage, to remember and to keep moving forward.

LAAIA National stands with everyone facing breast cancer, celebrates those who have overcome incredible challenges, honors the lives and legacies of those we have lost, and recognizes the families, caregivers and friends who walk beside them.

May this month inspire us to check on one another, advocate for our health and never underestimate the power of showing up for someone who needs us.

Together, we are stronger. Together, we carry hope forward. 💗 by @the_laaia

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16 days ago

🌟 TRAILBLAZERS IN INSURANCE | HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH SPOTLIGHT 🌟

As we continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, LAAIA is proud to recognize Katrina Santiago, Learning Consultant, Instructional Design at The Hartford, as part of our Trailblazers in Insurance Spotlight Series.

Katrina’s work is centered on something that moves our entire industry forward: developing people. At The Hartford, she creates learning experiences that help employees strengthen critical skills, improve performance, embrace emerging technologies, and prepare for what’s next.

Her impact extends well beyond her professional role. As a founding board member of LAAIA Chicago, Katrina has helped build a community focused on connection, professional development, and creating opportunities for Latino insurance professionals, allies, and supporters. This October, she will take the next step in that leadership journey when she is installed as Vice President of LAAIA Chicago.

Katrina also recently helped strengthen the partnership between LAAIA Chicago and The Hartford by coordinating, promoting, and moderating an AI in Insurance event that brought industry professionals together around innovation, learning, and the future of insurance.

Through mentorship, education, community leadership, and a genuine commitment to helping others grow, Katrina embodies the spirit behind this series:
Leading people. Building opportunity. Creating stronger tomorrows.

👏 Join us in celebrating Katrina Santiago and the next generation of Latino leaders making their mark on our industry.

Hispanic Roots. Stronger Together. by @the_laaia

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17 days ago

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month | Trailblazers in Insurance Spotlight Series

Today, LAAIA proudly recognizes Iris (Barrios) Rolon, Salesforce Business Analyst at Marsh McLennan Agency, a rising Latina leader using technology, continuous learning and community to create meaningful change.

At MMA, Iris transforms business needs into scalable solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen user adoption and support growth. In just a few years with the organization, her talent and commitment have already earned her a promotion—and she continues investing in her own development through additional professional certifications.

But Iris’s impact extends far beyond technology. 🌟
As Co-Chair of MMA’s COLORES colleague resource group, Iris helps create opportunity, visibility and connection for Hispanic and Latin American colleagues and allies. Under her leadership, COLORES launched its inaugural mentorship program this year—giving some participants their very first opportunity to work with a mentor and build relationships that can have a lasting impact on their careers.

Her leadership has earned the trust of colleagues across MMA, including Chief Inclusion & Impact Officer Kira Kimball, who describes Iris as an invaluable partner whose confidence and influence continue to grow.

👏 During Hispanic Heritage Month, please join LAAIA in celebrating Iris Rolon—a rising Latina star who is creating solutions, opening doors and helping others see what’s possible.

Solutions. People. Opportunity. by @the_laaia

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18 days ago