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February 15, 2023 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Join us on February 15th for Harrisburg Young Professionals’ 25th Annual Meeting and Awards Night at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate the year that was and the year that will be with a special message from this year’s president, Olivia Edwards-Rindfuss and keynote speaker, George Fernandez.

At eight years old, George Fernandez emigrated from the Dominican Republic to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with his single mother, a survivor of domestic violence who spoke no English. George had to quickly adapt to American language and culture to help his family navigate and survive this life-changing and future-shaping transition. At the age when most kids can live a carefree life, George was the male leader in his family, learning how to break through the societal barriers that made daily living a constant struggle. He had to translate and communicate for his family to advocate for their basic needs, all while facing the climaxing challenges of a broken “system” where his family never qualified for social assistance programs.

Fortunately for George, his family, and those who continue to be impacted by his good work, this was only the beginning of his story. Today, George M. Fernandez is a highly accomplished and respected visionary and leader in the multicultural community. He is the President & CEO of Color & Culture which is an integrated family of brands and changemakers that provide culturally relevant, human-centered strategies to solve ever-evolving challenges. As the brainpower and visionary within Color & Culture, George is focused on helping organizations transform lives and communities by embracing all cultural identities.

“My personal and professional passion is to ensure marginalized populations never experience what my family did and always have adequate access to social assistance programs, education, and resources which are the backbone of the services we offer today.” – GF

The culmination of initiatives under George’s leadership have reached millions of individuals within multicultural markets. His work has helped hundreds of organizations maximize their reach and protect their core operations. Clients include billion-dollar, private sector businesses, government agencies, community health partners, and nonprofits. George’s innovative approach to the modern healthcare concept remains the nucleus of inspiration for all Latino Connection’s efforts and outreach. To effectively reach critically underserved populations, we must meet people where they are, break down all barriers that stand in the way, and maintain an authentic and trustworthy approach. These concepts, which are radically different from the current healthcare landscape, are changing the world of healthcare for our diverse communities, one event and one initiative at a time.

To this day, George has never forgotten his roots and the community who shaped his drive, dedication, and passion to become the servant leader he is today. In addition to representing the Latino community, George proudly represents LGBTQ communities, where he not only recognizes the unique challenges the members of these communities face, but proactively seeks ways to elevate their voices so they are heard, included, and given a seat at the table.

As a rising leader and visionary within the Latino community, George has been recognized with many unique opportunities and prestigious honors including the Jefferson Award, the Harrisburg Chamber’s Business Diversity & Inclusion Champion, and multiple honors from the Central Penn Business Journal including Forty Under 40, Healthcare Hero, and Game Changers Award for the most-loved CEO.

Light appetizers will be provided prior to the meeting starting at 6:15pm. The event is open to members and non-members. While there is no cost to attend, we welcome donations to HYP to help fund our events, programming and further our mission. Please visit our PayPal page to make a donation.

We will be presenting awards for Business of the Year, Project of the Year, and Community Engagement. Additionally, we will award our Female & Male Athlete and Member of the Year.

Registration is required to attend the event. Please click HERE to RSVP.

Thank you to our Program and Reception Sponsor, Harrisburg University, for your support of this event and HYP!

Details

Date:
February 15, 2023
Time:
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Venue

PA Farm Show Complex
2300 N. Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA United States
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