“Diversity and inclusion are not just business initiatives — they are values,” says Pinnacle Group Founder, Chairman and CEO Nina Vaca. “When something is a value, people make it a priority.”
Vaca’s DE&I journey began as soon as she graduated from Texas State University and wanted to express her gratitude for that opportunity. “I started my advocacy career by raising money for Hispanic students to go to college,” Vaca says. “College made such a difference in my life; I wanted others to have that opportunity.”
Vaca founded Pinnacle Group in 1996; now it is one of the largest staffing firms in the US, with minority and female representation exceeding industry averages for internal and external employees.
“For the work I do both internally and externally, I focus on connecting people with opportunities,” Vaca says, “whether it’s helping and inspiring women to serve on corporate boards, inspiring students who look like me to get an education or encouraging entrepreneurs to start a business.”
Her proudest recent accomplishment is her work with the Pathways to Technology for Early College and High School (DISD/Dallas College P-TECH) program, which helps first-time college hopefuls earn a high school degree and an associate’s degree with a technology track simultaneously. Vaca was the first entrepreneur to join industry leaders as sponsors and stakeholders of the program. “Since its inception over six years ago, the number of students who are graduating is in the thousands this year. It’s a win for students and a win for corporations who want talent.”
Outside Pinnacle, Vaca works to improve DE&I with organizations around the world. “DE&I sounds daunting, but if we all just do a little bit, do our part, we can create true impact, not through our words but through our actions,” she says. As an inaugural member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) program, to which she was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014, she has provided support and inspiration to entrepreneurs in nine countries across five continents.
In 2016–2017, Vaca founded the Nina Vaca Foundation as a resource for women entrepreneurs and business leaders. In 2019, she was elected as a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a prestigious group of respected leaders who engage in nonpartisan foreign policy analysis.
2023 DE&I Influencers List