Monica Villalobos
Ms. Villalobos was named President & CEO of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber in late 2019 after serving as the Vice-President and Foundation Executive Director for seven years. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic growth initiatives of the Chamber, operation of the Arizona Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center, the NABEDC serving American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities, and the Capital Readiness Program - all funded by U.S. Departments of Commerce and Treasury.
Ms. Villalobos is also Editor-In-Chief of 23 research publications (www.issuu.com/azhcc) over the last dozen years including the annual DATOS: State of Arizona’s Hispanic Market. She was also appointed by Governor Hobbs to co-chair the transition committee in 2023 for selection of the state directors to lead the Arizona’s government.
Ms. Villalobos was the founding principal at ResearchByDesign, a marketing research firm specializing in primary qualitative and quantitative research. She was selected as the 2015 Latina Style Inc. Entrepreneur of the Year, ASU Entrepreneurship & Innovation Visionary Awardee, 2017 Achieving My Purpose: Celebration of Women award recipient, 2018 Cox Communication Hispanic Heritage honoree, 2018 Phoenix Business Journal Outstanding Women in Business recipient, and recognized as one of the 2020 Most Influential Women in Arizona by AZ Business Magazine. In 2022, she was a Titan 100 recipient and named a Trendsetter by Trends Magazine as well as a nominee for the Greater Phoenix Chamber Athena Award. In Business Phoenix Magazine recognized her as a 2023 Women of Achievement and AZ Business Magazine added her to the 2024 Latinas Take Charge list. Most notably, she was recognized with the Ohtli award, the highest honor bestowed on individuals outside of the country for work to benefit citizens by Ambassador Barragan and the Mexican Government.
Ms. Villalobos is the former Director of Accounts at Latin Force LLC, purchased by Goldman Sachs, a business strategy firm specializing in the Hispanic market. In that capacity, she supervised strategy development for clients such as Wells Fargo, National Football League (NFL), Kraft Foods, and ING. Her expertise is in the development of Integrated Multicultural Communication Platforms and ROI Business Case Assessments.
In May 2025, Ms. Villalobos will complete her doctorate at the University of Southern California. She has a Master of Arts in Communications degree at Seton Hall University with honors. She is also a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, with a double major in Linguistics and Psychology. Scholastic achievements include a scholarship to the Oxford University Study Abroad program, nomination of fellowship for a summer thesis on Quechua (language of the native Incas), and Dean’s Honors. Ms. Villalobos is also a national bronze medalist in collegiate Lincoln/Douglas debate and a state silver medalist in team debate. She was also selected by her graduate school peers as the Elizabeth Ann Seton spirit awardee.
Currently, she serves on the boards of Valley of the Sun United Way, Delta Dental Foundation, St. Mary’s Food Bank, and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. Villalobos is a first-generation Mexican-American and the only child of an elementary school teacher and truck driver; she resides in Phoenix, AZ, with her husband and two sons, while caring for her mother.