Born in Cali, Colombia, Diego F. Maya (Don Diego Sixty Eight) is a dynamic social entrepreneur, media innovator, and community builder whose life has been defined by resilience and vision. Supported by his mother from Colombia, he emigrated alone to the United States at age ten. His uncle, a U.S. Army serviceman, adopted and raised him on military bases in Texas, Germany, and Georgia. This environment instilled in Diego the values of order, discipline, and respect for elders, guiding him to U.S. citizenship at age fifteen.

Diego’s youth exposed him to diverse living with cultures—Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Haitian, and American communities—an experience that would later become the foundation of his mission as a bridge-builder across communities. By age sixteen, he was living independently in New Jersey, where he graduated from Princeton High School before going on to Rider University, earning his B.A. in Computer Information Systems with honors (GPA 3.9).

While at Rider, Diego worked 30-hour weeks to pay for his education. He pioneered Rider’s first online courses, helped broadcast the university’s graduation ceremony online—the first such broadcast in New Jersey—and created Princeton’s McCarter Theatre’s first database-driven website. He later worked at Covance Inc. programming multilingual clinical trial systems and at ThinkCentric, developing early digital solutions for corporate clients.

In 2001, Diego founded I See Digital Media (MayaSolutionz) and launched Hablamos Español™, the first Spanish-language Yellow Pages in Central New Jersey. From a 10-page directory, it grew into a 300-page publication with 120 clients, including Fortune 500 companies. Later, in Colombia, Diego expanded his career as a multimedia producer, partnering with prominent journalists and producing content in indigenous communities.

Returning to the U.S. in 2018, Diego launched The Latino Spirit Media platform, a statewide media initiative amplifying Latino voices, celebrating achievements, and fostering civic engagement. He went on to establish The United States Latino Affairs Initiatives, a nonprofit focused on Latino civic integration and empowerment.

Media Leadership & Civic Impact
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Diego was the first in the U.S. to simultaneously broadcast and interpret a governor’s daily Covid19 briefings into Spanish, reaching 1.7 million viewers and ensuring life-saving information reached New Jersey’s Latino families. He is also the first Latino entrepreneur on the East Coast to interpret and simultaneously broadcast in Spanish the State of the City addresses for Newark and Trenton, and the board of education meetings in Camden, Vineland, and Trenton. Helping thousands of people become informed.

Diego spearheaded humanitarian efforts by distributing nearly 310,000 pounds of food during the pandemic, securing $350,000 in grants for utility assistance (2022–2024), and now leading a $2 million grant for lead removal in New Jersey homes (2025–2026).

Government Grants Awarded to US Latino Affairs Initiatives

• 2022-2024 – Energy Assistance Grant to help families in Passaic County
• 2025-2026 – Lead Remediation and Abatement grant 2 million dollars to help Passaic County families remove lead from their homes.

Some of Mr. Maya’s Visionary Initiatives

• The Latino Index – First digital hub connecting Latinos to nonprofits, services, and elected officials. Helping Latino Investors to have a birds eye view of New Jersey
• Top Latinos of New Jersey – Annual statewide recognition of Latino leaders with national visibility
• Estamos con Diego F. Maya y Angie en New Jersey – a weekly LIVE broadcast interviewing 5 leaders of different industries throughout the state of New Jersey
• Hope for Girls – Weaving Dreams – Empowering victims of abuse in Colombia and El Salvador through sewing, recycling, and entrepreneurship.
• Education to Underserved Communities – Partnered with Google engineers to teach coding to 250+ students in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia.
• Food on Tables Program – Distributed food throughout inner cities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• A toy for Smile– Distributed toys in Puerto Rico, Newark, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia
• Covi19 Help – face masks and disinfectants to Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and Puerto Rico
• Hablamos Tecnologia – Used computer equipment to Guatemala and Honduras
• Central and South America Hackathon with Google – virtual teaching with Google engineers on how to learn the basics of programming while creating stylish music

Legacy & Mission
From Princeton to Pereira, from Newark to San Salvador, Diego F. Maya continues to forge new paths, working with governments, schools, and communities to expand access to information, civic engagement, and opportunity. His mission is clear: to transform challenges into opportunities through media, technology, culture, and education—ensuring Latinos not only thrive as full participants in American society but also lead in shaping its future.

www.DiegoFMaya.com

dmaya@uslatinoaffairs.org

@TheLatinoSpirit