Griselda Aldrete
President and chief executive officer
Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Industry: Business organization
hpgm.org
Employees: 4
“The best advice I ever received was from a mentor of mine years ago, and she said, ‘Success is a responsibility.’
“That’s why I love mentoring (and) the work that we’re doing to help college students find the right major or career path. I don’t think I knew what I was doing because I was the first person in my family to go to college. You have to give back in a different way. Never forget where you came from, but once you reach a pinnacle of success, it’s your responsibility to help other people achieve that.
“I want to make sure that there’s more Griseldas, if you will, coming out of the state and we need to create that leadership that the city craves.
“Instead of poaching employees from one company to the next, we’re helping to bring talent forward and getting them to stay here.”
Age: 37
Professional experience: Aldrete earned a bachelor’s in criminology and law studies and Spanish from Marquette University; a master’s in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha; and a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University Law School. She was previously the executive director of the Cream City Foundation, as well as program manager and then executive director at HPGM. Aldrete is currently an adjunct instructor in criminal justice at Marquette.
In the news: HPGM is undergoing a rebranding, which will include changing the 18-year-old organization’s name to better reflect its current mission and statewide reach. HPGM works with corporations and professionals on talent attraction and career development, and also with universities and Hispanic students on creating a career path. It has 11 student chapters in Wisconsin. The organization hopes to launch the rebrand by August.
