- [Woman Voiceover] Funding for this episode of Que Pasa N.J. with Carlos Medina has been provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, P.S.E.

and G, The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Hackensack Meridian Health, The Engineer's Labor Employer Cooperative 825, R.O.I.

N.J. Business Magazine.

Please remember the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and free.

- Hola familia.

Welcome to this month's episode of Que Pasa.

This month we're lucky to have actor Berto Colon from the hit show Power.

We have inventor of the empanada fork, Hipatia Lopez, and all the way from Spain, we have David Fernandez Huerta, art director of Ustwo Games, and special remarks by President Joe Biden.

Que Pasa!

(upbeat salsa music) And now we have actor Berto Colon.

Welcome to Que Pasa Berto.

- Yes Carlo, thank you for having me.

I appreciate it.

- So everybody knows you for the new hit show that's been out on Starz, - Yes.

- Power 2: Ghost - Ghost Power Book 2, yeah.

And essentially it's a spin off from the original show from Power, so it's a dynasty in the making.

- I had Shalim Ortiz, who is one of your costars - Hermano, hermano.

- And some of the dialogue was that since 50 cent is the producer, it seems like you have a diverse cast.

And I argue in corporations, it drives me crazy that there's no diversity.

- When you have somebody who's the head of an organization like 50 cent, he made sure.

And it's not only African American, it's black and brown.

Tell me a little bit about that experience working on a set that a lot of people, there's a lot of diversity on that set.

- Well, I think that the show obviously speaks truth to a genre and a type of story that we tell, right?

And the cast of characters are from the minds of these people who lived in metropolitan areas, 50, Courtney Kemp, right?

How do you create that world?

And how is this world coming from your mind, and how could that world then omit all those things?

It's impossible.

- Exactly.

- The people that are making television now are gonna tell the truth, and the truth is based on their experiences.

And those experiences are based on a melting pot and that's, that's reality man.

- That's America.

- That's America, yeah.

- So tell me about Lorenzo.

- Lorenzo, Lorenzo.

- I've seen a couple episodes.

- Yeah, thank you.

- I' mean, you're a badass.

Even when you were coming here today, I pictured the guy in, in the jail cell, the big bad boss.

- Yeah, yeah, you know, I studied, when I started studying this work, I knew that physicality is a big part of a performance, but then you have to be able to deal with all the other aspects of the performance which is, you know, delivering, delivering the, you know the story and the content, but a physicality is part of it.

And, and I have to say that I think this was something that, that definitely aligned with me.

You know, Lorenzo's relationship with his family is from the con, you know, from, from from inside a jailhouse.

As a parent, the normal, the exercising of control of people when you're not present that is what I honed in on from the very beginning.

So it's a relationship with a wife.

It's a relationship with children.

Not your typical one, obviously we're criminals, but you're still exercising control from within the confines of a jail house.

Right?

A jail cell.

And so, how do you influence people to do what you want them to do, when you really can't?

- Oh yeah.

You mentioned family wife, your wife is portrayed by a pretty well-known singer, actress.

- The queen.

- [Carlos] Mary J. Blige.

- The queen, Mary J. Blige.

Yeah, surreal man.

It's been asked a lot, and I encounter that question often, and essentially, all I have to say is that I am a human being like you, I am also a consumer, like you, her music and her life, her story as an artist, she's somebody that amazes me.

I grew up with her, many a nights she was in the background of different activities (Carlos chuckles) throughout my life.

And yeah, all that, that continues to have that effect, you know, but I think when you get to set it's a different, (fingers snap) it's a switch, and it's work.

She's phenomenal, she's perfect.

Like literally perfect for the show.

Her presence, her character in the show.

I mean, it was written for her.

I mean, I happened to know that it was written for her, now that I know, but even if it was like the casting and bringing her on board, I mean, it's, it's, it's perfect.

I don't know what else I can say other than she... - So you're on a good run?

Let me tell you what he's... - Yes, yes.

- You also had another person that I know very well play your wife on a short film in Puerto Rico, Roselyn Sanchez.

- Yeah, yeah, I've been really lucky, man.

You know, I've, I've, I've, you know.

Yeah, what can I say?

(Carlos chuckles) I have been, as in real life, you know, people talk about patriarchs but you know, matriarchs in my life, in my personal life, have been as important, or if not, more important than the males, you know?

And in this industry, in this business, I've been lucky enough to kind of support the leads who happen to be women.

And I don't have a problem with that.

- [Carlos] No, no.

- You know?

- So tell me about your family's journey.

You were born in Puerto Rico.

What city were you born in?

- So I was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

- Ponce, that's where my mom's from!

(speaking Spanish) (Carlos chuckles) Yeah, no.

- I'm going to translate that for you.

- [Berto] Yes, yes.

Ponce's Ponce and the rest is parking.

(speaking Spanish) (laughing) - Yes, yeah, I grew up in Ponce.

And just your typical wild, you know, basketball.

I went to private school, Colegio Ponceno in Ponce.

I have two other brothers.

Ponce's a phenomenal place.

I grew up, like I said, playing basketball, surfing.

My father was a big hippie, so was my mom.

- So from Ponce, Bronx, and then a little stint right here in Jersey City.

- Yeah, a little bit, yeah, four blocks.

(Carlos chuckles) So I shared the same street address as you do for, for five years.

My mom ended up at some point in her life getting a job as a nurse at the VA in San Juan.

That basically opened doors for her to transfer to New York to work at the VA on 23rd street in Manhattan, and she made the leap first, established herself, and then five years later, she brought us, she brought us in, you know, and she brought her.

Me and my, all three of us came, but it was because of her.

You know, again, matriarch.

I'm very very lucky.

- That's beautiful.

I'm going to ask you one last question.

It's a little unorthodox.

- Okay.

- If I could, with my magic wand make a Latino dish appear before you, what would that be?

- Oh (beep) Oh, I'm sorry.

(laughing) So I'm a, so it fluctuates.

Like real simple, chuletas fritas con arroz con gandules, or we can go, obviously you've had mofongo.

- Yeah, yeah.

- But is, what I like... - Last episode I put a picture 'cause it gets out.

Mofongo's the number one answer, in Ponce de Leon's... - Mofongo's become like the, the, I don't know, the elevator presentation of Puerto Rican cuisine now.

And it's such to like cheap, It's a comida de pobre.

Do people know that?

That that was the cheapest.

That was literally a mix of bananas with the leftover food that, right?

- (laughing) Exactly.

- So now it's fancy.

So the one I like is the combination of the shrimp, lobster, and a little bit of earth.

So it's like, surf and turf, Puerto Rican surf and turf mofongo.

- I love it.

- Berto, thank you for joining us today.

- Yeah, thank you so much for having me.

- A lot of luck in your career.

I know there's going to be a lot of good things happening for you.

- Yeah, more to come.

And you know, I want to actually would love to come back and tell you a little bit more about the story.

Although right now I'm kind of on locked down as far as that's concerned.

- Okay, all right.

- But there's more to come a lot of really good things.

- We'll be looking for season two.

- Season two.

- [Carlos] Definitely.

- Thank you Carlos, I appreciate it.

- And up next, we have Hipatia Lopez, inventor of the empanada fork.

(upbeat salsa music) And now we have Hipatia Lopez, entrepreneur and inventor of the empanada fork.

Thank you for joining us Hipatia.

- Thanks for having me.

- Tell me about this great invention, the empanada fork.

- Of course.

So empanada fork is an empanada pastry press.

So it basically makes the forklift ridges on the dough to seal it closed.

So instead of using that fork that we use, and your fingers hurt, you one shot press, and then you get the nice ridges.

And then also I invented this in 2019.

Others, these are pastry presses that have what they are, which I'm really excited about, because these are like my new babies.

So I have chicken, beef, cheese, and veggie.

So now, you know what you're biting into.

- I recall in family gatherings not knowing, and people would cut.

Is that guava?

Is that cheese?

Is that chicken?

- Yes, exactly, that's why I did it.

- Very practical.

(chuckles) - Thank you, appreciate it.

- So tell me about your entrepreneurial journey.

I know it's not easy.

I know that venture capital is very hard for Hispanics, African-Americans, and especially women.

So how has this, how has this journey been?

- It was very frustrating.

Originally when I first got the idea, I waited a year for the patents to come through before I did anything, because I didn't want to actually manufacture it if it wasn't going to be.

Then I didn't realize how hard it is to get money.

(laughs) So I went to my personal bank.

I got denied.

However, at the time I had a home equity line of credit on my personal.

So I wanted this dream, this passion thing to just happen.

So basically it just, you know, had the support of my husband.

And I said, you know, I need to tap into it.

(laughs) And he was just like, go ahead.

You know what?

I can't believe you even did it.

Because it was like a big secret from my family to keep the whole patent.

Even from my mother.

My lawyer was very, just telling me do not say anything.

So then I took the home equity line of credit, and then that's when I went and I started doing the first prototype came out.

- Okay.

- So it's been a process just learning every aspect of the business, because since there was just me, I can't really just go hire people because, you know, I don't have the capital.

- And getting first to market is important.

- [Hipatia] Yes.

- So like that, that was your attorney's concern.

I'm assuming 'cause before you know it, everybody has the idea of the empanada fork and they might beat you to market on it.

- Exactly, yeah.

No, that was it, a hundred percent, and he told me I couldn't speak to anybody without a nondisclosure agreement.

So that was even difficult because they're like, oh yeah, you know, I'm interested, Walmart.

Right, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm like, well, can you sign this paper for me?

They're like, no, you don't really need to sign.

And I'm like, no, but I do, or else I really can't have a conversation with you.

Like I want to have a conversation with you, but I'm really trying to just, and that's basically how I got, and who I've stuck with, because they took me serious from the start.

So I think that's respect.

- Yeah, that's a valuable point.

I can tell you I have stories of individuals that have gone to very reputable food companies and had their idea taken, swiped away from them.

They go to the manufacturer.

They go right to country of origin and they reproduce the product.

So, you have a very good attorney, keep him.

(chuckles) Or her, please keep them.

- I will.

- Tell me about, I know I saw you on Home Shopping Network, was it?

- Mm hmm.

- Tell me about that journey, and it was a contest that, - [Hipatia] Yes.

- Out of a lot of participants, you were able to have your product on Home Shopping Network.

- Yes.

So, originally when I became an entrepreneur, it was a whole different learning experience as well.

So they, I went to some of my friends who have businesses and they told me go to an event.

That's when I met everybody who I call familia from the State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce because I walked in and everybody was so welcoming.

I didn't want to go because I was going to go by myself originally.

That's like a dumb idea.

I went in and it's from then on, I was just, everybody's just trying to be very helpful.

But I really believe that if it wasn't for me continuing to be, make the effort, you know, put your time in, go to these events, you know, and they're free.

If they're willing to give you such a valuable advice, for people, who've made it or, you know, know the connections, then do it and take it.

So I'm very grateful that at HSN is where I met Lily.

They were doing a Latino or Latina entrepreneurs, inventors of their own products to try to get on HSN to get more inventors from the Hispanic community because there's not that many that exist, which is sad.

And that's another reason I learned through my journey is that it's 1% Latinas, that we hold U.S. patents.

It's so sad, 7% women in general and the rest are men.

So I'm just like, ah, that can't be.

And that alone inspired me to be like, oh no, like I'm gonna do this.

I'm gonna follow it through, whether I sell five or I sell a hundred, like I have to do this because I want the people to know, my daughter to have the dream, you know.

You too can be an inventor.

Why not?

You know?

So through the HSN I applied, and then out of, I think, I don't know how many applicants, it was a lot.

I made it to the finales.

I did it in the one minute.

'Cause we're timed, we had like a little timer.

- [Carlos] Yep.

- I'm like, okay.

And so once I got that out, I was like, either I killed it, or I just talked too fast and I didn't get my point across.

And I think I told her, I ended up killing it.

And I was like, yes.

I was like, okay.

So it was very, very awesome experience.

I'm grateful to you guys, grateful to Lily for even having that platform really, because I've applied to HSN.

I've never gotten a... - Exactly, it's all about the network.

And Lily was on our last episode, and she's doing many great things.

- That's so awesome.

- This is a tricky question for you.

It's one that I ask most of my guests towards the end of the interview.

And it's about a favorite dish.

I'm not going to allow you, however, to use empanada.

- Okay.

- So what is a favorite Hispanic dish that you enjoy maybe during the holidays or on special occasions?

- I would say, I'm Ecuadorian, but my husband's Dominican.

- Okay.

- My husband actually is the cook of the family.

He loves to cook, enjoys it.

Not that he makes this, because he doesn't, but wherever we go, I always try to get sancocho.

- Okay.

- Like the real deal, like that takes like eight hours or something with all these meats in there.

So to me, I love sancocho and pollo guisado.

- I like it, I like that.

Well thank you for sharing your journey with us.

I'm sure it will be valuable to many entrepreneurs, and much luck in your career.

- Thank you so much for having me.

I really appreciate it.

And I hope I do inspire other women to invent, and girls.

- Thank you Hipatia.

And up next, we have the art director of Ustwo Games, David Fernandez Huerta.

(upbeat salsa music) Welcome all the way from Espana, the art director of Ustwo Games, David Fernandez Huerta.

Welcome to Que Pasa David.

- Thank you very much, happy to be here.

- David, tell me a little bit about Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, the new Apple download.

I checked it out.

The graphics are really sharp.

- Thank you.

Yeah, Alba is a small open world adventure game in which you run around a beautiful Mediterranean Island, which is a bit in disrepair.

You're trying to save the local wildlife, and then you find out this a big hotel development about to start on the Island and you decide, you and your friends decide to try to put a stop to the project and save nature.

And it's a game about photography and holidays and having fun.

- Yeah, it was really amazing.

Tell me a little bit about this partnership you have with a company called Ecology.

I read a very lofty goal of planting between a half million to one million trees.

- So, you know, the game has a very ecological message and we want to make sure that it's just not, it's not just, you know, words.

We want to make sure that we've, you know, to the best of our ability, we make a positive impact in the world.

And, and that goes, you know, bringing a good message and inspiring people to do better, but also for us as a company to do something tangible in the world.

So we partnered with Ecology to plant.

For every single copy of the game, we've planted three sustainable planting of trees in several locations in Africa, we're over 600,000.

We have a goal of reaching one million trees planted.

Which is, you know, very ambitious.

But we're more than halfway there.

The response has been amazing and it's, you know, it makes me personally really proud to be part of a project that, you know, brings like real, like tangible benefits to the planet.

- So I'm very intrigued.

Tell me where your drive to do good came from.

I could tell you, we struggle in the tri-state area with corporations that put profits before doing the right thing, but this project seems like you're really centered on doing the right things and teaching great morals.

- So Ustwo as a company has a long history of really listening to the employees and their worries.

And, you know, Ustwo Games is a small part of a bigger company.

It's a design studio and that's, and there was a some point where, you know the company asks the people, like what kind of projects are people more excited about?

And I remember back then, people were excited about healthcare and like many different, like, you know ways of doing like actual, positive, good in the world.

To me though, I remember that's like, maybe that was like seven years ago, as something like, oh yeah, people, like this company cares about their employees in a way that makes, you know, a better impact.

And I think like that's been the ethos of the company for, for a long time.

And as is Ustwo games will also carry that legacy, and try to do as much good as we can.

So we partner with, you know, whenever possible with, you know, with different relevant organizations.

So Ustwo, it's also a big corp.

Which means that the company has, you know, a commitment to do kind of like good in the world in terms of labor practices, in terms of impact in the natural world, impacting in many ways.

It's a very tough selection process that you have to go through.

And the company has gone through the B Corp certification.

So it's, I think it's not just like this project we decided to make something good.

This is part of the DNA of the company to try and strive for, you know, making a positive impact.

- That's beautiful.

David, I want to tell you about a city here in New Jersey called Newark, New Jersey.

Newark, New Jersey had many immigrants come from Spain because they had much labor to provide the construction that was going on in Manhattan.

As a result, the immigrant population there, the culinary treasures that you find in Newark are really amazing.

I'd love when you're in the area, the show is going to take you there, so you could check out some of the flavors, and you could tell us how authentic they are.

- Oh, I would love that.

That sounds awesome.

- David, I heard you're a sci-fi fan and I wanted to know the recently released Godzilla vs Kong.

Did you see it?

Tell me about it, and which team are you on?

- I haven't yet, but I have to say my favorite film of all time is the original King Kong.

- Ah, okay.

- I am biased, I am team King Kong.

- Hey David, really a pleasure to have you.

You're really a role model with what you're doing with Ecology, what you did last month on Earth Day.

So thank you for being a guest on the show and great luck.

- Thank you for having me, pleasure.

- Thanks again David.

Up next, a special message from president Joe Biden to the Hispanic business community.

(upbeat salsa music) - Hello everyone.

It's an honor to be with you.

I want to thank you for shining a light on the contributions and the struggles of Latino-owned businesses.

The U.S. Latino market is a pillar of the U.S. economy, measuring $2.6 trillion in a recent study, which would rank it as the eighth largest economy in the world.

Latino-owned businesses are an important part of that story, and the heart and soul of so many main streets across the country.

But I know how hard it's been the last years.

It isn't easy to hang a closed sign on a dream, or a family legacy that you poured your heart into, your heart into building, but for too many Latino entrepreneurs and employees have lived that heartbreaking reality of putting up that closed sign.

When I took office back in January, I promised that help would be on the way, and today help is here.

The American Rescue Plan is already helping get Americans vaccinated and putting money directly into American's pockets.

It's a big part of the law.

It's helping small businesses keep their doors open as well.

There's a big chunk that just does that.

It provides emergency support to rehire employees you've had to let go in tough times, and to purchase supplies and equipment that you need to operate safely.

The law includes a small business opportunity fund to infuse capital in the neighborhoods that have been historically underserved by the federal government.

And substantial grants, and I said, that's grants, not loans, grants for mom and pop restaurants, food trucks, food stands, and other hard hit establishments.

We're also deploying community navigators to help connect small businesses with the relief programs, so that folks without lawyers or bankers or consultants or accountants don't get left behind.

The law is going to help a lot of Latino-owned businesses.

The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helped us fight for this law.

Now we're going to fight for you.

We know that Latinos have historically faced discrimination when it comes to securing support for their businesses.

But my administration, I promise you is going to stand with you to invest in Latino-owned businesses and rebuild, and the consequence, the backbone of this country.

Working families, the middle class, folks who built this country.

We have a lot of hard work ahead but together we're going to get our economy back on track and hang an open sign on tens of thousands of Latino-owned small businesses once again.

I promise you we can do this, and we will do it, and we will do it together.

God bless you all.

- Thanks to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for that special footage from President Joe Biden.

I appreciate the President's comments and remarks regarding the value that the Hispanic business community contributes to the U.S. economy.

It's been a great show.

We've had actors, inventors, folks all the way from Spain, and the wonderful remarks from President Biden concerning the value of the Hispanic contributions to the economy.

I also want to take this opportunity to talk about getting vaccinated.

I have my two shots.

My whole crew here today has had their two shots.

It protects you.

It protects your family, your neighbors.

Do the right thing.

Please get vaccinated.

It's very important.

And don't forget, Que Pasa!

- [Woman Voiceover] Funding for this episode of Que Pasa N.J. with Carlos Medina has been provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, P.S.E.

and G, The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Hackensack Meridian Health, The Engineer's Labor Employer Cooperative 825, R.O.I.

N.J. Business Magazine.

Please remember the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and free.

This has been a production of the Modesto Educational Foundation.

(upbeat salsa music)