• by Alice Gomez , Richie and Lucia Matthews , July 29, 2010

More businesses are incorporating online communities and social networks within their corporate strategy. As these domains increasingly become a fundamental component for professional success, organizations should look to experts on the forefront of this industry to understand the extent of the benefits Web 2.0 tactics have to offer.

The growing impact of the Hispanic community online is another area requiring enhanced corporate attention. This consumer segment's purchasing power is expecting to reach $1 trillion this year in the U.S. alone. That is a number worth targeting. The considerably young, up-and-coming Hispanic population has been dubbed media mavens for their avid technology and internet usage and thus can be successfully reached through online strategies.

Entrepreneurs such as Fernando Espuelas have been aware of the vitality of communicating with Latinos through technology for years. Espuelas has built his career around empowering people through media, technology, and information particularly among Hispanics. Recognized as one of the Internet's pioneers by the New York Times, Harvard University and media across the world, Espuelas has been at the forefront of online communities and social networks.

With a professional portfolio that boasts a number of lucrative tech savvy ventures, Espuelas offers a lot of insight to the intricacies of this developing field. His endeavors include serving as the host and managing editor of Café Espuelas, the number 1 rated Spanish language AM station in Los Angeles, part of the Univision Radio Network.

Espuelas also founded StarMedia, the first multi-platform digital media company for Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking people worldwide. StarMedia transcended national barriers, becoming the most recognized pan-Latin new media brand, eventually serving 25 million people per month.

The rise of the company was chronicled in the Harvard University Business School case called "StarMedia: Launching a Latin American Revolution." StarMedia's market capitalization reached $3.8 billion dollars and is today France Telecom's market leading Internet operation in the Spanish-speaking world.

Espuelas' pioneering development of the Latin Internet earned him worldwide recognition. Time magazine honored him as one of the "Leaders of the Millennium," and he was named a "2000 All-Star" business leader by Crain's New York Business magazine. The World Economic Forum includes him among its "Global Leaders of Tomorrow," and he was also a recipient of Latin Trade Magazine's Bravo award for CEO of the Year. In 2007, he was named a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

Espuelas will be the keynote speaker for the upcoming Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce's 2010 Hispanic Business Showcase to be held at the San Diego Convention Center Sept. 10-11. The Hispanic Business Showcase will provide a venue for businesses to enhance their relationships, research the market for leading products and services and learn about the latest best business practices. Espuelas' expertise will provide attendees with increased competencies for the tapping into the vast potential that exists in communicating with Hispanics through technological innovation.

Hispanics will continue to be an important part of the economic system. Their affinity for technologies that ease communicating across geographic boundaries, allow interaction, build communities for like-minded individuals and provide entertainment will affect the way organizations approach business. Experts with established working models for communicating with Hispanics through technologies can guide the corporate world over the threshold into the new age of technological advancements.