Three Doctoras breaking down barriers and disrupting leadership development and organizational advancement in this multicultural workplace

Vibrant and colorful as a beautiful glass mosaic, the Founders of El Puente Institute are dedicated to helping organizations create inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplaces that promote growth, innovation, and success. All from different Latino backgrounds and with different lived experiences, these three Doctoras are ready to take leadership development and organizational advancement to a new level by raising their voices and pride in their Latino culture and roots. 

Latinas with doctorate degrees make up 2% of the Latino population. Yet, these Doctoras are paving paths for Latinas and all Women of Color to strive to obtain the highest level of education and become influential leaders. With more than 30,000 hours of research on the Hispanic/Latino professional workforce, over 3,000 training and strategy sessions on employee engagement, cross-cultural understandings, and leadership development, 60 combined years of experience in organizational development, leadership development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting and a Doctoral level of expertise, rigor, and grit there is nothing that is going to stop them.  

These educated, professional, and powerful women are the Founders of El Puente Institute; Dr. Patricia Delgado is Founder and CEO, Dr. Alejandra Rodríguez Mielke is Co-Founder and Senior Advisor & Coach, and Dr. Patricia Conde-Brooks is Co-Founder and Researcher & Senior Advisor. 

El Puente Institute supports organizations with culturally relevant, applicable Hispanic/Latino Leadership Development strategies. In addition, El Puente Institute conducts research and delivers professional development centered around the influence of Hispanic/Latino cultural drivers from psychological and behavioral perspectives. The Institute recognizes cultural drivers’ impact and influence on the success of the Hispanic/Latino community and workforce and is focused on discovering and sharing this power of knowledge.

Unfortunately, over half of Latino professionals believe companies are not taking action on diversity, and over 40 percent complain of discrimination. Also, less than 5 percent of board seats in Fortune 500 companies and C-suite positions are occupied by Latinos.

El Puente Institute proudly announces its specialized professional development initiatives to support organizations in their Hispanic/Latino recruitment, retention, and leadership development strategies. The Institute is dedicated to empowering the Hispanic/Latino workforce and communities by fostering the development of critical leadership skills through enhancing self-awareness, cultural relevance, and cultural intelligence.

The Ascender leadership development programs at El Puente Institute focus on leveraging Hispanic/Latino identity and cultural drivers as an integral part of leader development. Emerging and Executive leaders learn how these cultural drivers can positively and adversely influence behavior and workplace interactions. The program includes various elements and learning approaches, allowing participants to apply their knowledge.

El Puente Institute is committed to advancing the Hispanic/Latino workforce and communities by addressing challenges and barriers and developing optimal solutions for upward mobility and advancement. El Puente Institute looks forward to making a meaningful impact in the beautiful mosaic of countries, races, and values that make up our beautiful Latino community. 

Dr. Delgado is an Industrial Organizational Psychologist with over 20 years of experience in organizational and business development, management and leadership, employee-employer interdependency, and employee behavioral psychology. She is the Owner/Founder & CEO of The Bridgify Group and is passionate about inspiring leaders and individuals to exceed their own expectations through the translation of research into practice.

Dr. Mielke is a bilingual DEI coach and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in leadership development and more than 10,000 hours leading training, technical assistance, and research projects in institutions of higher education, non-profits, and mid-size tech organizations. As an Intercultural and DEI Consultant & Leadership Coach, Dr. Mielke works with organizations to develop and implement creative cross-cultural solutions to better attract, engage and retain diverse talent.

Dr. Conde-Brooks is a culture/people leader with a proven track record of helping individuals, teams, and organizations build & maintain diverse, culturally competent teams. Her organizational development focus is on the simultaneity of race, ethnicity, gender, and class and the opportunities and challenges these differences create in organizations.