Janet Simms and Erika Cramer Bring Financial Expertise and Increase Gender Diversity at
National Hispanic Nonprofit
DALLAS, Texas – January 19, 2022: Prospanica, the Association of Hispanic MBAs and Business
Professionals, welcomes Janet Simms as chair of the National Board of Directors and Erika Cramer as a
new board member.
“We’re thrilled to include these two successful finance executives to our governing board,” says Thomas
Savino, CEO of Prospanica. “They are not only champions for diverse professionals and the
organizations that support marginalized communities but leaders themselves who understand the
complexities of the corporate landscape and the lives of professionals of color.”
Simms, a lifetime Prospanica member who won the Brillante award for member excellence in 2017,
served as Prospanica’s interim board chair before being named the new chair in October of last year.
Professionally, Simms is a Senior Director, Internal Audit for Green Dot Corporation, where she is
responsible for corporate and risk audits as well as building and executing audit coverage across various
corporate functions. Prior to joining Green Dot, Janet worked at CIT Group and, before that, at SBLI Life
Insurance Company. She has more than 25 years in Internal Audit experience in the financial services
and insurance industries and is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering
Specialist (CAMS).
Simms enthusiastically supports Prospanica’s mission to empower and enable Hispanic professionals to
achieve their full educational, economic, and social potential. She takes the helm at a pivotal time for
female Hispanic professionals, as findings from the recent 2021 Prospanica Workplace Inclusion & Equity
Report identified Latinas face particularly difficult obstacles at work. Combined with the challenges over
the past two years, Simms recognizes the need to proactively effect change as well as remain ready to
respond to the unexpected.
“There is our plan and then God’s plan,” asserts Simms.
Adding her voice to the governance table, Cramer brings her passion for minority representation and
gender diversity at the highest levels of business.
“As Hispanic purchasing power approaches nearly $2 trillion, I’m so excited to join the Prospanica
board,” Cramer said. “I want to ensure that the future of corporate leadership in America is
appropriately represented.”
Cramer brings more than 25 years of investment banking experience to Prospanica, along with a record
of board service at the corporate level. She currently serves as a Partner with CANY Capital, LLC, the
sister firm of Alternative Access Capital, LLC, a private placement firm raising institutional capital for
alternative investment products. She is also a Managing Member and General Partner for How Women
Invest, an early-stage venture firm focused on the intersection of female founders and female investors.
As Prospanica seeks to serve Hispanic professionals in empowering and meaningful ways, the
organization looks forward to the deep experience and unique perspectives these accomplished women
add to its governing body.
About Prospanica
Prospanica is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the Hispanic community to reach their
full educational, economic, and social potential. The organization was first formed in 1988 as the
National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) but outgrew its original name, adopting its new brand
Prospanica in 2016. The organization advocates for the pursuit of higher education and advancing
Hispanic leadership. Prospanica is The Association of Hispanic MBAs & Business Professionals, with more
than 47 Chapters and hundreds of community partners across the United States and Puerto Rico. For
more information on Prospanica, visit www.prospanica.org.