Mission
Sonia Falcone
President and Founder, Latinos
Unidos (OLU)
“You make a living by what you get…you make a life by what you give.”
There are two action verbs after which Sonia Falcone has tried to model her life: the first is “love,” the second, “help.” That’s why the successfull business entrepreneur, philanthropist, health education activist, and children’s rights advocate decided to create Latinos Unidos, a foundation designed to uplift, inspire, and encourage the Latino population.
“My husband, Pierre Falcone, and I have always wanted to expose the talents of Latinos to a broader audience,” she said. “Latinos Unidos is a unique way for all Latinos to further their own innate and acquired abilities, whatever they may be. This foundation creates a social base from which all Latinos will have equal opportunity to grow and develop their talents, which in turn allows them to work on every level with equal authority, equal skill, and equal confidence. OLU’s main purpose is to ensure that Latinos have the opportunity to work and contribute equally, rather than being viewed as a minority. OLU will enrich the expansive Latino community, regardless of geography.”
Born in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Sonia Falcone was raised in Argentina in a family of seven children. Sonia Falcone developed an early love for animals, the environment, and the people around her. Sonia Falcone, a former Miss Bolivia International (1988), immigrated to the U.S. in 1983 and began her formal education in Los Angeles, where she first studied nursing and later majored in art history. In 1994, Sonia founded Essanté Inc., an international health and wellness company in Salt Lake City, Utah, that integrates ancient wisdom with scientific knowledge to educate people about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It was during this time that she began to realize the need for an advocacy organization that would draw attention to the needs of those who were less fortunate. A special love in her heart for women and children’s issues prompted the creation of the Sonia Falcone and Pierre Falcone Foundation, which in turn established two non-profit philanthropic organizations: Kids in a Korner, a foundation dedicated to helping underprivileged children worldwide, and Latinos Unidos.
“For a long time I have been looking for the right opportunity to uplift the Latino population and instill inner strength and cultural pride in its citizens, which number nearly 35 million in the United States,” she said. “In founding Latinos Unidos, our goal is to increase awareness of the Latino cause on a national and international level, and to elevate all Latinos by supporting the education, the knowledge, and the community involvement that will bring equality and respect to everyone involved and make all Latinos feel they are part of something special.” She believes with all her heart that “union creates strength, and strength makes the difference.”
