Hecho With Corazón Profiles No. 5 — CARMEN BAEZ
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.
Carmen Baez is a doer. She is the founder of PRxPR – a private, non-partisan, no overhead fund purposefully created to help rebuild Puerto Rico. Before devoting her work full time to PRxPR, she was President, DAS Latin America for Omnicom Group. Baez, a native of San Juan, PR, has over 30 years of experience in advertising and marketing communications having worked with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Walt Disney, Anheuser Busch, and ATT among others. She has served as a trustee and advisor to the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust, Pro-Mujer, Simmons College and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Connors Center. Baez holds a BA and Honorary Degree from Simmons College and is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
WHAT DRIVES YOU TO GET OUT OF BED AND DO WHAT YOU DO EVERY MORNING?
There is not just one thing that drives me out of bed every day. Its many. And a lot of them are small things. I would say its life. I have been extremely lucky to have had a good life, so I enjoy the opportunities and experiences that every day brings. Looking forward those everyday experiences brings up the true joy of this journey. And they don’t need to be big things – like nailing a big donation for my PRxPR Fund or taking a vacation. They are mostly the “little things” that bring immense happiness – like when the little plant I brought up from Puerto Rico grows a new leaf. It’s that simple.
WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOUR TRUE PASSION AND PURPOSE?
I have had many true passions in my life. Different times and different stages have brought me different passions. And different purpose. For example, earlier in my life, my career was one of my biggest passions. I loved what I did, the people I worked with and the many connections and friends I made because of it. That went away when I retired. But life brought me a new purpose in the form of Hurricane Maria which destroyed my homeland back in 2017. Launching the PRxPR Fund at that time, with the objective of helping rebuild Puerto Rico, is now my biggest passion. The best advise I ever got was from a friend who said to me: “Let life happen to you.’ Passions and purpose have a way of finding you.
WHAT IS YOUR HOPE FOR THE NEXT LATINO GENERATION?
I hope the next Latino generation gets to live its dreams, whatever they might be, without ever forgetting our culture and where we came from. I hope they have good lives, productive and happy lives. I hope their journey is fulfilling while they honor and respect all those who came before us and who taught us well.
Carmen, the work you’re doing for Puerto Rico is commendable, respectable and much needed. Thank you for sharing your passion, energy and the heart you put into this important social and economical rebuilding project. You truly are #hechowithcorazon.
