Advisory Board
Diego Zambrano
Diego Zambrano currently serves as Manager of Federal Government Affairs to the United States at Philip Morris International. He previously served under House Republican leadership on the Committee on House Administration and as Deputy Director and Vice President of Programs at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. A Miami native, he began his career as the Director of Member Services for former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. He holds a bachelor's in Political Science and International Relations from Florida International University and a master's in Public Administration from the University of Miami.
Emily Benavides
Emily Benavides has spent 20 years strategically advising federal and presidential candidates, super PACs, former Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), and nonprofits on how to own their narrative. A seasoned spokesperson, she has hosted a podcast and appeared on both English and Spanish language media across the United States and internationally.
A passionate advocate for the Latino community, Benavides was named one of the 40 under 40: Latinos in American Politics in 2014 by The Huffington Post. They went on call her “one of the Republican Party's top Latina communications operatives.” In 2015, she was recognized by Cosmo for Latinas with a Fun, Fearless award for outstanding contributions in the political arena. In 2021, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute honored Benavides with the Vermillion Congressional Staff Appreciation Award.
Carlos F. Orta
Carlos is a strategist, storyteller, and seasoned leader across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. With executive roles at five global Fortune 500 companies (Anheuser-Busch, Carnival, Ford, Tyson's & Waste Management) and a track record of championing Latino leadership, he currently serves as CEO of The Latino Coalition and formerly led the Hispanic Association on Corporate
Responsibility (HACR).
An award-winning content creator and published author (www.Havana to DC.com), Carlos’ expertise spans nonprofit management, external affairs, communications, philanthropy, and DEI, among others. Carlos is committed to building opportunity and equity through influence, action, and leadership. He holds executive education credentials from Harvard, Cornell, and UCLA.
He is a graduate of Barry University and is pursuing a master’s at Georgetown University.
Jeyben Castro
Jeyben Castro is the Community Outreach and Engagement Director for the Chief Administrative Officer’s House Human Capital Office at the U.S. House of Representatives, where he leads outreach strategies supporting Members, Committees, and House offices. Since being here in the House, he’s helped interns through their careers who are now chiefs. His Capitol Hill experience includes roles with the Committee on House Administration, and the Senate Finance Committee under Senator Orrin Hatch. A Navy veteran and dedicated advocate for civic engagement, Jeyben was born in Nicaragua, raised in Miami, and now lives in Virginia. He serves on the board of the American Latino Veterans Association and is a graduate of George Mason University.