Life & Work with Yuri Cunza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuri Cunza.

Hi Yuri, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My journey is one of exploration and discovery and circumstance. I left Lima, Peru, to study medicine at the University of the Northeast (UNNE) in Corrientes, Argentina, soon after completing high school. Growing up, I was involved in performing arts, media, and audio-visual content creation, which I continue even today. I trained in acting at the International Theater Institute (ITI-UNESCO) and Peruvian Theater Center (CPT) in Lima, Peru. At age 13, I earned a scholarship to continue my studies under the guidance of veteran theater director and educator Eduardo Navarro. When I moved to Nashville in the early ’90s, my medical school credits wouldn’t transfer. So, I decided to start from scratch and pursue my passion for the arts. I enrolled in the inaugural film program at Watkins College of Art, where I earned my B.F.A in Film Directing. My broadcast professional experience during this transition between South America and the U.S. includes some theater, acting training, the television series Mujeres Sin Fronteras (Women without Frontiers) for CVC- Argentina and Hispanos de Hoy (Hispanics Today), a weekly bilingual television segment, serving as co-host thanks to veteran television personality Teresa Hannah for the local NBC affiliate WSMV-Channel 4 Nashville.

This sudden visibility led to frequent invitations to serve on numerous prominent non-profit boards—an opportunity I embraced to represent my community. Nashville was growing, and the Hispanic population with it. Our voices needed to be heard, which has been and continues to be challenging for many, given the controversial nature of the growth. My perspectives on diversity issues have been influenced by living in different Latin-American countries, shaping my work: ‘rich in powerful messages of strong social content,’ as once described by one media outlet. Under the Skin, a documentary I wrote, directed, and produced in 2001, takes a profound look into the dynamics of racial diversity in human relations -representing accurately America’s multicultural dimension. The official selection of the Nashville Independent Film Festival in 2002 and the 2003 International Film Forum, Under the Skin, premiered on WSMV Ch-4 Nashville on July 8, 2001.

In 2003, I launched La Noticia newspaper in Nashville, a Spanish language publication where I continue serving as Editor-in-Chief and co-publisher. Most notable, La Noticia Nashville appears as part of the published content of The Contributor via a strategic partnership resulting from challenges experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic; the Contributor is a non-profit social enterprise in Nashville, Tennessee, that creates economic opportunity with dignity by investing in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and poverty. It prints a street newspaper that provides over 300 individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty with a pathway to earn income through the sale of The Contributor. Vendors purchase each paper sold for $0.75 and sell it to their customers on the streets for $2.00. I became a U.S. citizen on September 22, 2006, at a citizenship ceremony by United States federal judge Robert Echols at The Hermitage, home of U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
In addition, from 2010-17, I completed executive education programs at Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame through the Non-Profit Executive Programs offered by the University of Notre Dame in partnership with the U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In 2012, I completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program on Creating Collaborative Solutions, focusing on Innovations in Governance, Principled Negotiation, Adaptive Leadership, Executive Core Qualification, and Public Sector Innovation.

Around mid-2003, I was invited to join the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board of directors, being elected to serve a term as board chair the following year until December 2006. Due to our unprecedented growth and prominence, I recall the board of directors proposing that I become their first CEO once my term ended. At that time, the organization was still small in financial resources but big enough to impact Music City positively. So, I continued supporting the organization as a volunteer Executive Director until 2009, when the board officially created the position I hold today as President and CEO.

On October 2, 2017, joined by our Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce delegation, I received the Chamber of The Year Award from the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). The USHCC recognizes the Chamber of the Year from more than 200 Hispanic Chambers of Commerce nationwide. An independent panel of judges selects award recipients based on their contributions to their commercial ecosystems, outstanding accomplishments, quality of service, innovation of programs, leadership, and commitment to the Hispanic business community.

In September 2018, I was honored to be selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This achievement is not only a personal honor but also a shared accomplishment with our Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber and its members. As the largest Hispanic business organization in the United States, the USHCC, through our representation, now includes Nashville and Tennessee in its board. The USHCC was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Washington, DC. The chamber promotes the economic growth and development of entrepreneurs. It represents the interests of more than 5 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. that contribute more than $800 billion to the American economy.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a multimedia creative. Non-profit management professional. Social entrepreneur, media professional, journalist, actor, visual artist, business leader, and community advocate.

Image Credits
All images belong to Yuri Cunza / Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce