Yvonne Martin was the first person in her large Puerto Rican family to earn a master’s degree, but she probably won’t be the last. As chairperson of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Martin enthusiastically encourages fellow Hispanics, including those in her own family, to embrace the value of an advanced degree.
NSHMBA — which members pronounce “nashimba” — is a 24-year-old nonprofit organization with a mission to increase the number of Hispanic’s holding master of business administration degrees and enhance business and career development opportunities for them. With more than 16,600 members spanning 37 chapters throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, NSHMBA offers networking opportunities for members who want to share their experiences and help each other advance in both education and business.
“We really try to not only create value for our membership, but also enhance the community we live in,” Martin said. “Our membership and especially our chapter leaders clearly want to raise awareness and visibility, and they do that by connecting through as many individuals and organizations as possible. All of us are very active in the community.”
Martin became involved with the organization 15 years ago when her employer, Otis Elevator, asked her to attend NSHMBA’s annual career expo as part of the recruiting team for its parent company, United Technologies. Martin already had an MBA at the time — from Northeastern University — but she “liked what they did in terms of promoting education and promoting the development of leadership within the Hispanic business community,” she said. Then living in New York City, she became involved with the local chapter there, and after relocating to Hartford, she began working closely with the Connecticut chapter, eventually becoming its president.
As she rose through the ranks at UTC, where she now serves as Otis’ director for strategic accounts, she also advanced in NSHMBA, becoming president of the Connecticut chapter and being elected chair of the national board earlier this year.
“Yvonne brings a real passion for promoting our mission among Latinos,” said Nelson J. Rodriguez, the Connecticut chapter’s current president. “She’s very actively involved with all the chapters and wants to help in any way she can. Other Latinos in the community really look up to her as a role model.”
The organization is becoming increasingly relevant as Hispanics continue to play a broader role in American society, Martin said.
“The Hispanic community is very significant right now in terms of economic implications, multicultural implications and certainly the significance of the Hispanic vote, so everything we’re doing is very relevant right now.”
Among the group’s activities is a robust scholarship program that provides financial support for Hispanic students seeking an MBA. NSHMBA has awarded $8.7 million in scholarships to more than 2,500 students since the program began in 1989.
“I’m especially proud that between our university partners and ourselves, we’ve been able to increase our scholarship giving every year,” Martin said.
The organization also provides a number of professional development and networking opportunities for its members, including an annual Employee Resource Group Summit hosted by the Connecticut chapter. The event brings together more than 30 companies from throughout the state to share best practices and improve their ability to recruit, retain and develop employees from diverse backgrounds.
As Martin rose through the ranks of NSHMBA, she also steadily advanced at her day job. After joining Otis Elevator Co. in 1988 as a financial planning analyst, she subsequently held positions in product strategy, branch management, sales, field operations and finance in the U.S. and Spain.
“My career has been focused primarily on customer relations and developing strategic relationships with our customers,” Martin said.
She has also brought NSHMBA’s principles into her own organization, forming the UTC Hispanic Leadership Forum to support the recruitment and development of Hispanic employees throughout the company.
“We try to provide resources to help our members get connected to individuals who can give them insights on how they can advance both their education and their career,” Martin said. “For some individuals, it’s about looking for financial support, but for others it’s about how to manage your life when you’re balancing work, life and education. That’s where the true value of NSHMBA lies — in the face-to-face, personal relationships.”
Rodriguez found the organization to be a valuable resource as he began to pursue his own advanced degree. “I’d just started on my MBA when I moved to Hartford in 2005 and I met a representative from NSHMBA at an event. It was really beneficial to connect with like-minded individuals as I went through that process,” he said.
