Yuri Cunza

Yuri Cunza, Nashville, Tennessee

Yuri Cunza is a Hispanic-American social entrepreneur, media professional, journalist, visual artist, business leader, humanitarian and community advocate. Cunza currently serves as President and CEO of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce,^[1] and is founder and editor in chief of the Spanish language newspaper La Noticia^[2] and owner of Y&K a media support and consulting services company based in Nashville.

Yuri Cunza is co-founder of the NAHCC Foundation which was constituted in 2008 and exists to advance educational opportunities for Hispanic youth and to inspire children interest in future discoveries and technologies to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair. Cunza's humanitarian work includes his advocacy of finding a resolution for the socio-economic disparities of Hispanics in the U.S. He is also a member of the Tennessee Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, The Partnership For A New American Economy and most recently in the Steering Committee of Main Street -TN Growth & Opportunity Coalition, a national alliance of businesses, local trade associations and concerned individuals committed to supporting a common sense, pro-growth agenda for America.

Cunza trained in acting at the International Theater Institute (ITI-UNESCO) and Peruvian Theater Center (CPT) in Lima, Peru. He later earned a scholarship to continue his studies under the guidance of veteran director Eduardo Navarro. He continued his involvement in theater, film and television in his native Peru and later as a Producer/Director in Argentina while attending medical school at the Universidad del Nordeste in Corrientes, Argentina. He later continued his studies in the U.S. earning a B.F.A in Film Directing from Watkins College of Art & Design in 2003.

After he graduated from Saint Norbert high-school a private Catholic school in Lima, Peru, he spent almost a year in Paraguay while awaiting a student exchange program visa to attend medical school at Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) in the city of Corrientes, Argentina from 1989 to 1992.

Cunza moved to Nashville to reside permanently in 1996. He continued his education at Watkins College of Art & Design earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and Film Directing. His professional experience includes the series “Mujeres Sin Fronteras” (Women without Frontiers) for CVC- Argentina. In 2000 Cunza produced “Hispanos de Hoy”, a weekly bilingual television segment with him as primary host thanks to veteran television personality Teresa Hannah for the local NBC affiliate WSMV-Channel 4 Nashville.

Yuri Cunza’s perspective on diversity issues has been influenced by living in different Latin-American countries appearing reflected in his work: ‘rich in powerful messages of strong social content’. “Under the Skin” a documentary he wrote, directed and produced in 2001 takes a profound look into the dynamics of racial diversity in human relations -representing accurately America's multicultural dimension. The official selection of the Nashville Independent Film Festival in 2002 and the 2003 International Film Forum, [“Under the Skin”]^[3] was premiered on WSMV Ch-4 Nashville on July 8, 2001.

Yuri Cunza has been an active advocate of Hispanic business development and growth as well as of immigrant and civil rights causes in Middle Tennessee. He has become a powerful voice for Nashville’s growing Latino community. His comments and perspectives about some of the most controversial issues involving culture, diversity and immigrant populations have been featured in several English language publications and media outlets including TN Business, The Tennessean, The City Paper, The Nashville Business Journal, American Renaissance, the SCENE, The Associated Press, Reuters, Channels, 2, 4, 5 and 17, National Public Radio (NPR), WPLN and Radio Free Nashville. In 2006-07 Cunza began production of “Pulso Mundial” (Worlds’ Pulse) Nashville’s first bilingual hour long radio program which aired Friday morning on 98.9 FM.

Yuri Cunza has served on the advisory board for Scarritt-Bennett Center’s “Celebration of Cultures”, the National Academy of Television Arts & Science’s board of Governors and the board of directors for the Belcourt Theatre, The Nashville Film Festival, and the American Red Cross and more than a dozen more other organizations; ranging from business, health, non-profit, arts and culture. Cunza is a member of many national organization including the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and The National Council LA RAZA. Locally he is a new member of the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club among civic groups and served on the boards of the HIV/AIDS research based Comprehensive Care Center and Street Works, the Metro General Hospital’s “Friends in General Board”. Yuri served one term as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce from 2004 to 2006.

Yuri Cunza was elected last July 2010 as Council Member at Large to the Nashville branch of the Screen Actors Guild. He serves on the board of Historic Nashville Inc, Sister Cities of Nashville and Community-based AIDS service organization Nashville Cares.

As a visual artist, Cunza’s credits include exhibits at the Metropolitan Nashville Airport, Metropolitan Nashville Public Library, The Brownlee O. Currey, JR. Gallery at Watkins College of Art, the Madison Arts Center and most recently from August 19 to October 8 of 2011 at the Metro Arts Commission Gallery as part of a collective exhibit of Hispanic artist titled "New Life, New Work" / Nueva Vida, Nuevo Trabajo.

In 2007 Yuri Cunza served as a guest curator for Cheekwood's Music City Picks. Later in 2007 Cunza was invited to serve on the board of the prestigious Tennessee Art League (TAL).

An accomplished writer and public speaker Cunza has appeared before thousands of corporate, institutional, educational and government audiences including, the U.S Attorney's Office, U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Police Academy, FBI, Nashville Fire Department, Nashville Mayor's office and Nashville Metro Public Schools (NMPS), Meeting Planners International, Walmart/SAM's Club, McNeelly Piggot and Fox, Association of Public Accountants, Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church, The Urban League, IMF's MLK Annual Celebration, NAACP, University of Memphis, Boy Scouts Club, Tennessee State University (TSU), Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Vanderbilt University, Institute for Supply Management, and more.

A Nashville resident for now 16 years, Yuri Cunza became a U.S Citizen on September 22, 2006 at a citizenship ceremony presided by United States federal judge Todd Campbell at The Hermitage, home of U.S President Andrew Jackson. In March 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,2015 and 2016 Cunza was named in Nashville Post's "In Charge" list of business and community leaders who are writing Music City 's success story. Yuri Cunza holds a B.F.A in Film Directing from Watkins College of Art and has attended Executive Education Certificate Programs at Mendoza School of Business at University of Notre Dame through the Non Profit Executive Programs offered by the University of Notre Dame in partnership with the USHCC Foundation.

Since 2009, Yuri serves as President & CEO of the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NAHCC), Middle Tennessee's, most recognized Hispanic business association. Founded in January 27, 2000, the NAHCC represents businesses, entrepreneurs, professionals and organizations with interest in Nashville's booming Hispanic market. Under Cunza's leadership the organization signed a Growth and Unity Inter-Chamber Agreement with the East Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and started exploring forming chapters in Murfreesboro, Franklin and Clarksville.

In 2012, Yuri Cunza completed Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Program on Creating Collaborative Solutions, focusing on Innovations in Governance, Principled Negotiation, Adaptive Leadership, Executive Core Qualification, and Public Sector Innovation.

In September 2013, The Tennessee Titans selected Yuri Cunza as the recipient of the annual [http://www.titansonline.com/community/article-1/Titans-Select-Yuri-Cunza-as-2013-Hispanic-Heritage-Leadership-Award-Winner/ad771e8a-e7dd-48e4-9101-f6eeadc50489?campaign=ten%3Afanshare%3Afacebook&fb_action_ids=10201638971391073&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210201638971391073%22%3A236858853137396}&action_type_map={%2210201638971391073%22%3A%22og.likes%22}&action_ref_map=[] Titans Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award]. In September 15 of 2013, Yuri Cunza was presented with the SBA (U.S Small Business Administration)'Community Leadership Award' by SBA-Tennessee District Director Walter Perry during a ceremony at Belmont University to mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Last October 15, 2014, Cunza successfully marked its 10th year producing the Hispanic Heritage Month Business & Community Awards in Nashville now under the NAHCC Foundation which he co-founded with 2014 NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership award recipient Loraine Segovia-Paz.

On December 10, 2014, Yuri Cunza received the first Outstanding Service to Forward Human Rights Award at Tennessee's Human Rights Day ceremony held at the First Amendment Center in Nashville. The event also featured a special tribute to John Seigenthaler and George Barrett, human rights advocates who died this year. In the words of Tennessee Human Rights Commission Executive Director Beverly Watts, Yuri Cunza and community advocate Avi Poster received this recognition for being "A VOICE for the Reduction of Poverty In Nashville and Beyond for their advocacy and service in breaking down barriers"

In May 2015, Cunza received the first, 2015 Avant-Garde MOSAIC Award for the 'Advancement of Diversity', from the American Advertising Federation - Nashville. Cooking, appears among Yuri Cunza's varied interests. Recently he has been working in developing an organic, locally produced hot sauce in a very creative social enterprise model, planning to use the proceeds to fight poverty, hunger, homelessness and to support educational opportunities.

Read why "Global food security makes Tennessee, U.S. safer" written by Yuri Cunza and Lt. Cdr. Patrick Ryan USN, Ret., founder and president of the Tennessee World Affairs Council, published on August 2, 2016 in The Tennessean newspaper.

"Our (Hispanic) community is often portrayed as a community in need,...It is in need of many things, but it is not in need of your pity. It is in need of respect. It is in need of appreciation — cultural appreciation, political appreciation."^[4]

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