Our dedicated team at the Maestro Cares Foundation is committed to changing lives and building brighter futures for children and communities across Latin America and the United States. Our board of directors, advisory team, and staff bring diverse skills and experiences to the table, working collaboratively to implement impactful projects in education, healthcare, and community development. Together, we focus on empowering future generations and fostering sustainable change. Discover the team behind our efforts and the work we do.
Board of Directors
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Henry Cardenas
Marc Anthony
Amalia Gomez- Micone
Amalia Gomez- Micone is a committed, proactive, and creative professional with extensive experience in the nonprofit and business sectors. She has been involved with large scale organizations such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the DREAM Project, the American Heart Association, and World Central Kitchen. As a founding member of the Maestro Cares Foundation, Amalia has been dedicated to supporting underserved youth in the US and Latin America.
Having studied Spanish Literature and Communication at both New York University and the City University of New York, along with postgraduate studies at the Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurship Center at Columbia University, Amalia is a key asset for organizations or businesses looking to expand and market their company. Her entrepreneurial, marketing, and communications background has made her invaluable to the organizations she serves through her targeted outreach and effective communication with donors and investors. Certified in Positive Psychology from Yale University, she incorporates evidence-based techniques and interventions to help organizations, their communities, and donors understand how to lead more fulfilling, purposeful, and meaningful lives.
In addition to her nonprofit work, Amalia serves on the Board of Trustees of the Monterey Museum of Art in Monterey, California. She is also a member of Shack15 and the Shack15 Angel Syndicate with Shack15 Ventures in San Francisco. Amalia's diverse background and commitment to various causes highlight her dedication to making a positive impact on the greater global community.
Bigram Zayas
Bigram Zayas is a partner in Looplabs, a collaborative cloud-based music studio that lets anyone, regardless of technical skills or ability, quickly and easily make professional quality music anywhere, anytime and with anyone.
Felipe Pimiento
Felipe Pimiento is a distinguished Music Entertainment Executive with over 20 years of experience in the Latin music industry. He currently manages the career of multi-Grammy award-winning artist Marc Anthony, a global ambassador of Latin music and culture.
Mr. Pimiento is the Chief Operating Officer at Magnus, a multifaceted entertainment company forging innovative connections between content creation and commerce. Magnus includes an artist management firm, talent booking agency, music publishing company, digital studios, music label, and new business division focused on leveraging the influence of prominent Latino content creators in the U.S. and globally.
His extensive background in live show production, content development, and strategic partnerships has led to collaborations with industry giants such as Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Rihanna, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Paulina Rubio, The Spice Girls, and Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson’s Immortal Tour.
Under Mr. Pimiento’s leadership, Marc Anthony and Magnus have undertaken ventures like creating the E1 Team Miami, an electric boat racing team part of the E1 Champions of the Water series. He was also instrumental in fostering the partnership between Marc Anthony and Bulova, leading to The Marc Anthony Collection, a line of watches designed by Marc Anthony. He also established a strategic partnership between Marc Anthony and Beliv, forming WeBelivMagnus, a joint venture creating Latin-inspired beverages. Their first product, OCA, a plant-based energy drink, launched in 2020 and is now sold in over 4,500 stores nationwide.
Before joining Magnus, Mr. Pimiento was Vice President of King Productions, Inc. He oversaw the production of the successful TV series “Q’Viva The Chosen,” collaborating as an Executive Producer with Simon Fuller, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony. The show was simulcast on both Univision and Fox in the US, fostering unparalleled marketing and media synergy in the entertainment industry.
Mr. Pimiento’s career is marked by his ability to merge artistic talent with strategic business initiatives, making significant contributions to the evolution of Latin music and entertainment on a global scale.
Elena Sotomayor
Elena Sotomayor is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships at Cárdenas Marketing Network. A senior-level brand experience and strategic alliance executive with over 20 years of experience in event, digital, and experiential marketing, Elena is recognized as a leader in the marketing industry with a proven track record of bringing in new business and partnerships, as well as activating national tours and experiential programs for live entertainment and several Fortune 500 brands.
Her keen ability to recognize growth opportunities within the entertainment, experiential, media, and branded content spaces and create experiential and digital synergies has led to her work with many 360-degree platforms and global brands such as Wrigley, Diageo, Anheuser-Busch, Sprint, Toyota, Advanced Auto Parts, U.S. Army, Burger King, Chevy, Johnson & Johnson, AARP, Neutrogena, American Airlines, Electrolit, Old Parr, and T-Mobile, among others.
As an entrepreneurial think tank, she directs and oversees various clients' national experiential and media programs across the country. Elena's specialty in providing high-quality Brand Concierge services and her ability to develop extensive marketing platforms from the ground up for her clients has also led to her success in managing partnerships with multiple Latin artist camps and international and national companies.
For 11 years, Elena has passionately and proudly served on the board of directors at the Maestro Cares Foundation. Her passion for children and combined skills in storytelling and marketing have helped Maestro Cares Foundation extend its reach and araised the visibility of its partners and projects across the globe.
Peter Amaro
Peter Amaro is an experienced operator, entrepreneur, and investor with a diverse background in building and growing businesses across various sectors. Currently, he is the Managing Partner for L’ATTITUDE Ventures, a $100 million venture capital firm investing in businesses led by or driven by trends in the U.S. Latino cohort.
Previously, Peter served as a Partner at Morales Capital Partners, a family office led by Angel Morales, the former Co-Head of Merrill Lynch’s $6 billion private equity business. Peter worked exclusively with the team to evaluate $20-$75 million investments in healthcare, technology, and consumer sectors.
He also co-founded Luminary Media, a media and technology subscription podcast platform, that provided a broad array of award-winning exclusive podcast content. Raising over $100 million in venture funding, Luminary secured exclusive content from influential creators in the areas of sports, music and comedy.
As Vice President and an early member of The Raine Group, a global merchant bank focused on sports, media, and entertainment, Peter helped source, execute and manage a variety of investments across Raine’s more than $1.0 billion investment funds for the firm’s live events and digital media business. Previously, he worked in private equity and investment banking at Morgan Stanley, LaSalle Investment Management, and UBS. He also served on the boards of Wanderlust and HowStuffWorks, overseeing growth and exit strategies.
Peter is dedicated to civil service and philanthropy, serving on the boards of Maestro Cares, the Latino Donor Collaborative, University of California Merced, and St. Ignatius College Prep.
Peter holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Chicago with his wife and son.
Advisory Committee
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David M. Hryck
David M. Hryck is a tax and business advisor and partner at Holland and Knight LLP. He specializes in cross-border investments and licensing, representing a broad range of clients, including celebrities, entertainers, designers, global companies, individuals, and international families. Known for his expertise in global transactions and business, Hryck is a trusted advisor, board member, and mentor to several trusts and global charities.
He serves on the board of directors for the Amy Winehouse Foundation and was a former chair of the Happy Hearts Fund, founded by Petra Nêmcová. Hryck is a World Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award for Excellence Fund, founded by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He advises on international interactions in Third World countries and was a U.S. member of the Duke’s Business Advisory Group, led by Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. He is also a board member of the Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, founded by Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of former Yugoslavia.
Hryck is a board member of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, founded by Vuk Jeremic, president of the United Nations General Assembly for the 67th Session. He co-chairs the board of directors of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, founded by pianist Lang Lang. Hryck is also a board member of Pencils for Promise (POPs), and serves as vice chair of the Asia Practice Committee at the Asian American Bar Association of New York. He joined the honorary board of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and recently joined the board of the Mariano Rivera Foundation, founded by Mariano Rivera.
Hryck was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2022 by the Ellis Island Honors Society.
Martha Korman Zumwalt
Martha Korman Zumwalt is an entrepreneur, mother, and philanthropist with extensive business, nonprofit, and philanthropic experience. She has served on the boards of the Albert Pujols Family Foundation and Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation and is an ambassador for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. More recently, she has dedicated time to Opportunity International, an organization that provides financial solutions and training to empower people living in poverty to transform their lives, their children's futures, and their communities. Since 2015, she has been a key member of the Maestro Cares Foundation Advisory Council, offering strategic and fundraising advice and serving as a founding committee member of the Annual Golf Outing.
Korman Zumwalt is known for her keen ability to develop partnerships and identify growth opportunities for both business and nonprofit organizations. She and her late husband founded National Graphic Imaging (NGI) as a family business, which matured into an employee-owned corporation. NGI started in 1986 with a $50,000 investment and grew annual revenues to over $26 million in 20 years, becoming the largest reprographics firm in the Southeastern United States.
In 2007, Korman Zumwalt sold NGI to American Reprographics Company (ARC), a NYSE-listed $400 million company. As VP of Business Development at ARC, she drove revenue in the Global Solutions Division from $6 million to $73 million in seven years.
Among her accolades, Korman Zumwalt was named Woman Business Owner of the Year in 1988 and received the Tampa Bay Business Journal Women in Business award in 2002.
Today, Korman Zumwalt enjoys spending time with her extended family, including her 13 grandchildren.
Perla Tamez Casasnovas
Advisory Committee Member
A successful business leader and entrepreneur, Perla Tamez is the CEO and founder of Latina Empire, a revolutionary women's growth movement that provides collaborative resources, spaces and growth opportunities for women-led businesses and entrepreneurs via conferences, training, events, and collaborative virtual spaces. Latina Empires’ focus is on empowering women through a unique method that integrates heart, mind, and money, emphasizing accountability and community to foster sustainable change.
Born in Hidalgo, TX, and raised by immigrant parents, Perla learned the values of hard work and dedication early on in her career. At just 21, Tamez founded her first company, setting the stage for a remarkable career as a visionary serial entrepreneur and licensed speech therapist. A successful business leader and entrepreneur, she created over 20 companies across 11 industries.
Combining her business acumen with a deep commitment to philanthropy, Tamez operates pediatric clinics and advocates for children's rights and health policies. In 2020, she collaborated with local leaders and businesses across the U.S. to distribute over $7 million in household products to over 400,000 families.
Driven by her passion for entrepreneurship and helping others, Tamez also launched The Love Soldiers Foundation, a nonprofit, which aims to enhance the efficiency and impact of other nonprofits. As a member of Maestro Cares Foundation’s advisory board, she has been key to raising the visibility of the foundation’s work and connecting Maestro Cares Foundation to individuals and organizations interested in our programs and projects. Perla Tamez's dedication to inspiring others to unleash their true potential has been the hallmark of her career, making her a prominent figure in both business and philanthropy.
Combining her business acumen with a deep commitment to philanthropy, Tamez operates pediatric clinics and advocates for children's rights and health policies. In 2020, she collaborated with local leaders and businesses across the U.S. to distribute over $7 million in household products to over 400,000 families.
Driven by her passion for entrepreneurship and helping others, Tamez also launched The Love Soldiers Foundation, a nonprofit, which aims to enhance the efficiency and impact of other nonprofits. As a member of Maestro Cares Foundation’s advisory board, she has been key to raising the visibility of the foundation’s work and connecting Maestro Cares Foundation to individuals and organizations interested in our programs and projects. Perla Tamez's dedication to inspiring others to unleash their true potential has been the hallmark of her career, making her a prominent figure in both business and philanthropy.
Staff
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Zaidy Cárdenas
Executive Director
Zaidy Cárdenas, a Chicago native, took the reins as the Executive Director at Maestro Cares Foundation, the perfect capstone on a life spent in service. Having volunteered since childhood, it was her volunteer work in the Dominican Republic as a young adult that catalyzed the creation of Maestro Cares. She is a passionate, mission-driven leader that takes a vision and makes it a reality through comprehensive strategy development and organizational management. Cárdenas brings years of expertise in event management and marketing and has earned recognition as a leader in her field, participating as a panelist at the 2016 Odyssey Media Business Retreat.
FUN FACTS
Favorite thing about being part of Maestro Cares Team: "Seeing the direct effect that the organization has on the lives of children."
Favorite quote: "Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So spread your love everywhere you go." - Mother Teresa
Tracey Duer
Director of Operations
Tracey brings over 20 years of experience in Operations and Human Resources to Maestro Cares Foundation. She has a performance history of building strong organizational teams and fostering professional growth and development.
Powerful life lessons, experiences and diligence have taught her to make the most out of every opportunity and situation. These real experiences sculpted her into who she is today. She is a person who loves to see others succeed.
Tracey has dedicated years to public service, focusing on advocating for children with special needs and underprivileged families. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and scrapbooking. When not volunteering, she cultivates her own fruits and vegetables and indulges in the Harry Potter series.
Song that resonated with Tracey is Resilient by Rising Appalachia.
FUN FACTS
Favorite thing about being part of the Maestro Cares Team: “Maestro embraces my personal mission and allows me to use my talents to help improve the lives of others".
Famous quote: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. “ Helen Keller
Rubi Salgado
Events & Development Specialist
Rubi Salgado was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Studies and a minor in Marketing in 2020. Throughout college and in her professional career she has spent several years working at non-profit organizations focusing on development, fundraising, marketing, and events. She is passionate about leading an impactful career in the non-profit sector and serving under-funded and under-represented communities.
FUN FACTS
Favorite thing about being part of Maestro Cares Team: “It’s hard to pick just one, but my favorite thing about being part of the Maestro Cares Foundation team is having the opportunity to work collaboratively with such a mission driven team! Everyone here truly believes in our mission and the lasting impact that Maestro Cares Foundation has on the children and communities that we serve.”
Favorite quote: "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - President Barack Obama
Jesus Ramírez Guerrero
Accountant
Jesus studied at Governors State University where he obtained his degree in accounting. Maestro Cares Foundation caught my eye with its mission of helping the quality of life of disadvantaged children and communities. Jesus has always been driven to help those that need it in any way possible. When it comes to his days outside of work, he enjoys reading a good novel about WWII. Jesus also enjoys traveling the world, one plane ticket at a time. He consider himself an individual that goes for his dreams even when there are obstacles. His parents always told him to go for what he wants and not let anything or anyone stop him.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together “-Vincent Van Gogh
Mariana Morales
Scholarship Program Coordinator
Mariana, armed with a professional background in Business Administration and a minor in Social Psychology from Los Andes University, has acquired experience in Professional Development, People Initiatives, and Human Resources, which have lent her expertise in both corporate and non-profit organizations. In the role as Scholarship Program Coordinator at Maestro Cares Foundation, the heartbeat of her work lies in the belief that education has the power to transform not only the lives of the young recipients but also the trajectories of their families and communities.
FUN FACTS
Favorite thing about being part of Maestro Cares Team: Favorite aspect of working at Maestro Cares is the tangible impact she witnesses daily. This mission is deeply personal, rooted in Mariana's own upbringing, where she witnessed firsthand the myriad needs within her country, Colombia. Through the Maestro Cares Foundation, she is crafting a legacy of empowerment and opportunity, one scholarship at a time.
Favorite Quote: "Education is a gift for life. We must remember that the gift of education is not just about some classrooms or books. It is about an atmosphere of grace."
Mother Teresa
Beatriz Achabal
Marketing Associate
Originally from Spain, Beatriz Achabal is the Marketing Associate at the Maestro Cares Foundation. With a university degree in marketing and a strong foundation in strategic communications, she brings an international perspective and a deep understanding of brand development and digital engagement. Beatriz is passionate about using creative storytelling as a tool to inspire action and connect communities. Her global outlook, combined with her commitment to impactful communication, supports the foundation’s mission.
FUN FACTS
Favorite thing about being part of Maestro Cares Team: “The best thing about being part of a team like the Maestro Cares Foundation is the good working environment created by the people who work here.
It is also very gratifying to know that with your work, you contribute to improving the quality of life of those most in need.”
Favorite quote: "If we can make someone more cheerful and happy, we should do it in any case." - H. Hesse
Changing Lives, Building Dreams.
The Maestro Cares Foundation improves the quality of life of disadvantaged children and communities in Latin America and the United States. We do so by providing housing, educational programming, and the essential resources to support their growth and development. Through our efforts, we’re strengthening communities and helping children become tomorrow’s leaders.