How Gloria Constanza’s Bicultural Vision Forged An Industry

Gloria Constanza was only 15 years old when she first arrived in New York City from the Dominican Republic. “It was a challenging age,” she recalls, one made even harder due to feeling like an outsider. “I was too embarrassed to even try to speak,” Constanza says.

But in her Brooklyn Cobble Hill neighborhood, there were “mainly Puerto Ricans, some African Americans, a few Dominicans, and a lot of whites.” At school, she attended bilingual classes with people from Latin America. “I was able to compare cultures and see our common threads, despite some differences,” Constanza says.

These experiences shaped Constanza’s point of view, which evolved into a rare and powerful bicultural vision, allowing her to intuitively connect some of the world’s biggest brands like McDonald’s, AT&T and Pfizer with U.S. Hispanic consumers.

The Challenging Age That Forged a Vision

In the advertising business, the word “pioneer” is often overused. But when applied to Constanza, Chief Contact Strategist at d espósito & partners, the term seems like an extreme understatement. For more four decades, Constanza hasn’t just participated in the growth of the Hispanic market; she helped write the instruction manual, transforming cultural insight into economic certainty. Along the way, she’s been recognized with media awards in the areas of strategic planning and best use of media by the NHAP (National Hispanic Association of Publications), and was honored as Executive Media Planner of the Year by the Hispanic Marketing Council (then known as AHAA.)

Her career is a masterclass in seeing not just the size of the U.S. consumer marketplace, now worth more than $4.1 trillion, but also the strategic, cultural power behind it. From painstakingly convincing skeptical Fortune 500 clients of the market’s value, to building a legendary team that became a family, Constanza’s journey reveals a leadership ethos centered on curiosity, commitment, and a deeply felt bicultural conviction.

An Accident That Became a Lifelong Profession

After studying economics and business administration, Constanza found herself interviewing for secretarial roles, as landing a professional job without direct experience proved nearly impossible.

“I actually came into advertising by accident,” she remembers. The moment of epiphany arrived while waiting at the reception area of Conill Advertising, then the largest Hispanic ad agency. Constanza asked for reading material and was handed an overview of the U.S. Hispanic market.

“In that moment—reading about the size, diversity, and potential of the U.S. Hispanic community—I instantly fell in love with the industry,” she explains. “What began as an accident became my passion and lifelong profession. I felt that I belonged there.”

Constanza coupled her early enthusiasm with her rigorous strategic thinking. Quickly, she identified the biggest gap in the nascent multicultural marketing world. Companies understood the demographics but lacked the insight and roadmaps to take action.

“Clients knew about the market size, but they didn’t know how to leverage it,” she stresses. “The key was showing them the cultural mindset and strategic value. For a client like AT&T, it wasn’t just about selling phones, but about connecting families, which is a deeper cultural value.”

The Unwavering Commitment of a Selfless Leader

As Constanza ascended the ranks, her focus never wavered from demonstrating value through precision, measurement, and commitment. She and her teams were at the forefront of research and media-mix modeling, consistently pushing the boundaries to prove that the growth opportunity was real.

Isabella Sanchez, Zubi Advertising VP of Media Activations, worked for Constanza at The Bravo Group for 12 years. During that time, Sanchez says, “She continuously taught me, and others, that the growth opportunity for clients was going to be even bigger than analysts were predicting. She was right!”

But beyond the strategic victories, Constanza’s greatest legacy lies in the family she built at work. For over 30 years, she has worked with the same core team, first at The Bravo Group and now at d expósito & Partners, fostering a culture of trust, confidence, and selflessness.

Daisy Expósito-Ulloa, CEO of her eponymous advertising agency and another giant in the industry, describes their decades-long collaboration by emphasizing Constanza’s intellectual rigor. “Gloria is absolutely brilliant and possesses a laser focus on results,” Expósito-Ulloa says, adding “she always came prepared with data and a deep cultural insight that was truly unique and invaluable.”

This combination of brilliance and mentorship created a powerful incubator for talent. Luis Romero, EVP of Sales at Canela Media, worked directly under Constanza at The Bravo Group. “I recall a moment when we were trying to increase a client’s media budget and were seeking a singular, compelling fact about their business that highlighted the value of their Hispanic consumer,” Romero states. “I came up with a mathematical equation that might provide the answer. She refined the idea and encouraged me to continue working on it. When we were satisfied with it, she told me that I needed to present it to the client by myself, without her assistance. She pushed me and gave me confidence. I’ll never forget that. She’s that type of leader.”

This act—equipping her team members to own the moment and claim the victory—is a recurring theme. Isabella Sanchez says, “Gloria is the most selfless person in this industry. She’s always given her team members opportunities to shine. She teaches and mentors and then allows others to ‘get the credit’ for things that she could have.”

Sanchez recalls how, when The Bravo Group was expanding, Constanza, alongside Daisy Expósito-Ulloa and Meg Bernot, entrusted her to represent the agency in new markets like San Francisco and Miami. Constanza could have easily taken the spotlight, Sanchez says, but chose to empower her team instead.

This strident commitment to pushing herself and her team to do their best job, combined with her innate curiosity, is what Romero cites as her greatest contribution. Her personal investment in mentoring numerous Latinas and Latinos who now hold top positions in the industry stands as a testament to her impactful leadership model.

The Future is Cultural and Connected

Today, Constanza continues to shape the market at d expósito & Partners, facing new, complex challenges, particularly the fragmentation brought by digital and programmatic media. However, her core philosophy remains the same: the answer to the fracturing media landscape lies in identifying cultural and emotional touchpoints.

“In a tech-driven world, understanding cultures will be more critical than ever to identify the most potent triggers that will drive emotions,” she says. Constanza explains that in an age where algorithms determine what consumers see, true differentiation comes from a message that resonates deeply with shared values and identity.

Her mission has always been clear and is rooted in a deep sense of purpose: “to demonstrate to advertisers that Hispanics are not only an opportunity, but a vital part of America’s present and future growth.” Constanza has never seen her work as just a job; it was driven by the conviction that what they did was “the right and necessary thing to do,” ensuring the Latino/a/e community is informed and recognized.

Constanza’s personal life and professional life are deeply intertwined, fueled by her two families: her biological family, raising three children, and her work family, who have stood by her side for decades. This blend of unwavering commitment defines her legacy.

For the next generation entering the advertising and media industry, Constanza offers simple, yet powerful advice, borrowing a quote from business partner Jorge Ulla: “Be curious.”

“Advertising is a beautiful career that can prepare you to work in the field for the rest of your life,” she advises. “What’s important is to be committed to diving deeper into culture.”

This conviction, honed by a bicultural life and executed with strategic brilliance, is why Gloria Constanza remains a towering figure in the industry she helped build. Her influence—the strategic rigor, the selflessness in leadership, and the relentless focus on culture—will undoubtedly guide the next generation of multicultural marketing for years to come.