Hecho With Corazón Profiles No. 2 — Ghadeer M. Garcia

The Hecho With Corazón™ Profiles recognizes those who inspire us and exemplify the best of Latino culture. These are real people who put their heart into everything they do.

We celebrate them by sharing their answers to three thought-provoking questions.

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Ghadeer M. Garcia is Executive Director of The BrandLab in Kansas City, whose mission is to change the face and voice of the marketing and advertising industry by introducing, guiding and preparing under-appreciated high school juniors and seniors for creative careers. Ghadeer, or Gigi as she’s affectionately referred to by her loved ones, believes in deliberate and purposeful action to create necessary change which is why she is so passionate about her work. Ghadeer’s strengths lie in making connections across communities and networks to create solutions. Not only is she a serious networker, she’s also a fun-loving theme party thrower and mom to 14 year old Joshua and 12 year old Gabriella. Ghadeer holds a literature degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is in the current Kansas City Tomorrow class.

WHAT DRIVES YOU TO GET OUT OF BED AND DO WHAT YOU DO EVERY MORNING?

One of the greatest drivers for me is that I get to do the work of supporting and caring for the futures of talented young people. It is fun, sobering, and a reminder that we all need each other to be successful. I GET to be part of creating meaningful connections and opportunities not just for students, but for professionals, too.

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOUR TRUE PASSION AND PURPOSE?

I’ll keep this short…I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life both personally and professionally and on my way to a meeting, a light bulb appeared over my head and I realized that I could choose to do anything I wanted to do, so I chose to listen to my heart and my gut. Much of my free time was spent volunteering and finding ways to engage my own children and it brought me so much joy, so I opened my mind to the possibility of marrying my passion to practical needs and here we are!

WHAT IS YOUR HOPE FOR THE NEXT LATINO GENERATION?

My hope for the current and future Latino generations is to feel wholly represented and remember the culture of togetherness. We are a people who thrive on collaboration and recognizing the importance of the simple things in life. My father taught me to always strive for more but never forget to appreciate everything that I have learned, achieved, discovered, and enjoyed on the way. I want all of us to continue to create beauty and joy in ourselves and the world around us.

Thank you Ghadeer for sharing your amazing story with us. You are #hechowithcorazon

Chris Campos