Month: March 2025

In honor of Women’s History Month, AEG’s Dignity Health Sports Park, LA Galaxy hosted two events aimed at inspiring and building confidence in young girls.

On March 7, nearly 5,000 middle school and high school girls gathered at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA, for the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’s 4th Annual Girls Empowerment Day that was created to address the alarming dropout rate of middle school girls in sports. The event, held in partnership with AEG, the LA Galaxy, and the LA Kings, in addition to several other organizations including the LA Clippers, LA28, and LA84.

At the event, attendees had the opportunity to listen to panel discussions featuring industry trailblazers, participate in a variety of sports clinics and network with inspiring female leaders and athletes – all designed to help the girls stay active and build their self-belief. Notable women who participated in the event included:

Gisselle Sarur, Sports Reporter, Fox SportsAnnabelle Sedano, News Anchor, NBC/TelemundoBlake Bolden, LA Kings Scout & Former Pro Hockey PlayerManon Rhéaume, Olympic Silver Medalist and Former Pro Hockey PlayerAnna Konsmo, LA Rams Manager of Partner Development and StrategyTony Parrish, Former NFL All-Pro Safety and Co-Founder of AWSNNastia Liukin, Gymnastics Olympic Gold MedalistWendy Greuel, former Los Angeles City Controller and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles Chair of the Board

“Research shows that middle school is a crucial stage when girls’ participation in sports declines, often impacting their mental well-being and long-term health as they enter adulthood,” shared Tamala Lewis, Sr. Director, Community Relations, Dignity Health Sports Park and board member of the YMCA Gardena-Carson. “Girls Empowerment Day aims to encourage young girls to stay active, build confidence, and recognize their potential in sports and beyond. By having sports clinics like soccer, ball hockey, flag football, martial arts, track and field led by professional teams these young women were energized and eager to participate.”

Attendees also had the chance to meet with representatives from the sports franchises and panelists.

In addition, on March 20, the LA Galaxy will host another girl’s empowerment day at Dignity Health Sports Park in conjunction with Section Z, a nonprofit that leverages the excitement of live sports to provide access and opportunities for young women. The event will welcome 30 female students from Alliance Susan & Eric Smidt Technology High School in Los Angeles, CA, and offer them the opportunity to listen to panel sessions with members of the LA Galaxy and meet with professionals across various departments within the LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park to better understand career opportunities in sports.

“At the LA Galaxy, we believe in using the power of sports to uplift and inspire young girls,” said Mariah Rodriguez, Community Relations Manager, LA Galaxy. “These events allow us to provide mentorship, hands-on experiences, and a supportive space where they can see all the possibilities available to them in the world of sports and beyond.”

The YMCA (Y) of Los Angeles has been making a positive impact in Los Angeles communities for over 140 years. The Y is committed to providing programs and services that are inclusive and welcoming to all. The Y values an environment that fosters dignity, respect, fairness and appreciation for all aspects and dimensions of diversity. To learn more about The Y, please click here.

Section Z uses live sports as an engagement platform to foster critical competence, confidence, and collaboration skills to better level the playing field and set all girls up for lifelong career success. To learn more about Section Z, please click here.

Bacardi is proud to have four female Maestros shaping the future of the industry and its drinks. Through its Next Generation Blenders Club, Bacardi nurtures future talent, including incredible women who are training to become the next Maestros for the Bacardi portfolio of premium brands. 

This Women’s Month, Bacardi spotlights one such ‘Maestro in training’ – Luz Irizarry – who this month takes on the prestigious title of BACARDĺ rum blender. Here she shares how she honed her skills and harnessed her passion for science to create an exciting and rewarding career in spirits.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Every day is different – and that’s what I love about it. I get to call the amazing BACARDĺ rum distillery in Cataño, Puerto Rico my ‘office’ – the largest premium rum distillery in the world – that’s tough to beat! On a typical day I might be tasting our latest rum to check it meets our exceptional standards for taste and quality, or I’m getting oak barrels ready to be filled with our secret BACARDĺ rum recipe that’s been passed down over seven generations. Nothing tops that smell of the aging warehouse where our rums age under the Caribbean sun. 

Every day is a new adventure. Some days work like magic and other days bring a new opportunity to continue learning and growing.                                      

What was your path to becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender?

It’s been a 20-year journey to this point, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It all started with getting my Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Biology and Chemistry, before I joined Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst. Since then, I’ve worked across every step of the rum production process – from fermentation and distillation to aging and blending – gaining in-depth knowledge of each. Every day, I gain more appreciation of the beautiful balance between art and science involved in making our incredible rum. 

For the last four years I have been training under Global Master Blender for BACARDĺ, Troy Arquiza and this month, I was promoted to a blender. It’s such a huge honor to hold this title and massive recognition of the work I’ve done to learn my craft.

When you started out in science, did you picture yourself here? 

Honestly no, I didn’t picture myself working in the spirits industry, much less becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender. When I decided to study science, I wanted to be a doctor. Later in my life, I decided to work in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2005, I had the opportunity to work at Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst and it was love at first “preparation of a testing sample” for me! I didn’t look back.

What is your favorite thing about the job? 

I really love the process of blending and balancing the rum, from each nosing, tasting, mixing, through to the giving my final seal of approval on a batch. Added to that, it may sound crazy, but I still get goosebumps every time I see a bottle of BACARDĺ in the liquor store or being used at a bar. As part of the blending team, we put so much work and craftmanship into each bottle, so it’s a very satisfying experience to see people enjoying our beautiful rum. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“One day at a time.” This is powerful advice that helps and guides me every day. Sometimes we get lost in an intense moment and find things a bit more challenging, but a solution is always around the corner. 

Then, comes the second-best advice I received – “family always comes first”. This advice not only applies to our personal life, but to our work life too. Bacardi is family-owned and Family is one of our cultural pillars so we all treat each other that way and it honestly adds so much to the quality of my work and the enjoyment I get from my job. 

How do you pay it forward to other women?

My work ethics, disposition and dedication can serve as an example for others, and I hope it entices other women to challenge themselves to be the best in their field and who knows, even to take on the challenging but highly rewarding path to becoming a rum blender. 

I am also part of Women Leading Rum which is an organization all about acknowledging the contribution of women to the rum industry and creating opportunity for professional exchange to support other women working in rum.  

What’s your advice to other women wanting to work in crafting spirits? 

Believe that your capability, your knowledge and experience is a voice that can make a difference in the crafting world. With hard work, discipline and passion, as well as taking every lesson and learning you can as you go along – it goes a long way to helping you achieve your goals.