Angélica Fuentes, Omnilife CEO, Talks ABC Foundation, Latinas And The Changing Face Of Millennials

The abc* Foundation is celebrating its fourth annual Continuity Forum, which serves as the foundation’s preeminent event to connect social entrepreneurs, business people and thought leaders. The mission statement of the foundation is clear, abc* works to support high-impact innovative initiatives and leaders throughout the Americas. abc* which is short for American Business Council pursues long-term solutions for promoting peace, sustainability and prosperity. This necessary and essential foundation is co-chaired by Angélica Fuentes, who also serves as the President and CEO of Grupo Omnilife.

The Mexico-native, in an exclusive interview with Latin Times, shared what abc* Foundation is doing for the Americas, and what new ideas they have seen at this year’s forum. Our interview, which was inspiring as it was educational, continued with her discussing a recent article she wrote for Fortune Magazine, where the successful female entrepreneur took on the topic of feminism and the difficulties for women of Latin America in both personal and private sectors. After listening to Fuentes speak for only a few minutes, you know that she changes the outlook of every person she comes in contact with, that is why to me, the end of our interview was the most impactful. Fuentes spoke to Latin Times about the changing generation of millennials and what the young people of the world will do for the future and in the future. Check out the interview with Angélica Fuentes and prepare to be truly inspired.

Latin Times: The abc* Foundation describes itself as a “think-do” tank, what does that mean to you and to the foundation as a whole?

Angélica Fuentes: Yes, the abc* Foundation identifies and supports high impact initiatives, we also discover leaders within the Americas, who strive to promote, peace, sustainability and prosperity. To us those are the three things we really need to focus on in the Americas. Our mission is to identify, to replicate, to find discover the boldest solutions to environmental and social challenges that we face.

LT: The 2014 abc* Continuity Forum has begun, how does it work?

AF: Today at the first day of the Continuity Forum there have been a lot of social entrepreneurs and they each present the different projects that they have been working on. The foundation then chooses three of them per year to aide their plans and provides support. We give them a chance to earn $100,000 each through a two year collaborative partnership with abc* Foundation.

LT: What was the most inspiring initiative you encountered during the presentations?

AF: All of them are so incredible, so groundbreaking and so passionate about what they want to do that it is very hard to choose. One project presented today I absolutely love, personally, because it actually provides people the chance to actually get ahead. The project is called ILUMÉXICO and it provides very remote locations and communities the ability to have light. In very remote communities in Mexico, a lot of candles and a lot of diesel fuel are still used as a main source of light and energy, which is not only dangerous but also bad for the environment. ILUMÉXICO provides lights and energy, which in addition to lighting homes, provides heat, power to refrigerate food, and also gives inhabitants of these rural communities the ability to connect to other regions, people and the world via technology and energy.

LT: Why does this affect you so personally?

AF: I believe that the ones, at the end of the day, who are left behind in these rural communities are women and young girls. By providing energy and electricity, women and girls now have the opportunity to connect to a world other than their own.

LT: I was reading your Fortune article, and you stated that you are an outlier and that the proverbial ‘iron ceiling’ is denser for women in Latin America, how can women combat that and tap into your outlier perspective?

AF: I don't know if Latin America has an ‘iron ceiling’ that is denser than others, instead I think Latin America has a ‘glass ceiling.’ But I think the more that we speak about the issue, and we address women’s issues, the more it become part of people’s agendas not just politically, but also socially and in the corporate world. Personally, I have struggled all my life to be where I am, but it has also given me strength and has provided me the opportunity to help women who simply need to reminded of their inner strength, of their inner calling, of their talents and of who they really are.

LT: Is there a difference between women of Latin America and women of other nations and cultures?

AF: For Latin America I think a lot of it has to do with women themselves and how we are raising up both daughters and sons in different ways. As women we seem to forget once a child is born, that they born with the same rights, meaning that we should be brought up with the same opportunities. And women are the ones, sadly, who keep on only educating males, and keep on perpetrating this machismo philosophy. This something that I talk to a lot of women about, these preconceived notions that both men and women have about women need to be eradicated in order to change society.

LT: Women have a tendency to be as critical, if not more critical than men are, how do we as a sex combat that?

AF: To really move on with a transformation to society, to be better as a society, not just for women but also for all, we need to change the way we think. I think as women, we still have an “iron ceiling” in our own heads because it tougher for women to move up any type of ladder, whether it’s political, economic or social in Latin America. I think a lot of it has to do with how we see and perceive ourselves that makes us not move further and faster.

LT: I am only 23-years-old, and if I could give advice to my 18-year-old before college, I would say a lot. If you could advice to your younger self, what would you say?

AF: I would tell myself that it’s ok to take risks, measured risks…and to always believe in myself. To trust me, and to have confidence in me and to understand that if I want anything changed it would have to start with me. I cannot change other’s feelings or beliefs, but I can change mine. I would tell my younger self, that I have everything I need in me, to wake me up, to keep moving forward, and to only worry about changing myself. I have belief that when I change, the whole world changes, because after that change the world can not perceive me in the same light as they once did, even if that change is very small.

LT: I want to ask you about millennials, I talk to my friends and sisters a lot about jobs and careers, and I think we are striving to do more but being left deeply unsatisfied by career options, what are you thoughts on this?

AF: I hope that millennials want to be more instead of just doing more. I hope millennials start really asking for corporations, for society and for government to design any type of project or policy making to fit both men and women. I hope that millennials want to be more, because the generation is going to want a truer balance between public and private life, between family and work and by striving to be more they will end up doing more both personally and societally. A lot of women ask me do women have it all but on the same token how come we don’t ask mean if men have it all.

At this point during our interview the engaging and thought-provoking question was turned to me, and Angelica prompted me to answer if men have it all? After stuttering for only a moment, I answered, “I personally don’t think that men have it all, they work from 7am to 7 pm and they don’t take much joy in their work and the only pride comes form taking home a paycheck. As a millennials I hope that we can be more, instead of only doing more.”

To which the truly inspiring Angélica Fuentes answered simply but strongly, “You will.”