Nina Vaca

Nina Vaca is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and global business leader whose journey from immigrant roots to the helm of a major enterprise has positioned her as a prominent figure in American business. Vaca founded Pinnacle Group with $300 and a few years of experience in the information technology industry. What began as a one-woman IT staffing firm has evolved into a workforce solutions company providing multiple service lines to industry leaders in telecommunications, financial services, transportation, and technology. Pinnacle Group is recognized as the largest Hispanic-owned workforce solutions company in North America, serving more than 20 percent of the Fortune 100. The company has been ranked among the top 20 largest Managed Service Providers globally by Staffing Industry Analysts.

Pinnacle Group has been named to the Inc. Magazine 500/5000 list of fastest-growing companies 13 times, and the Women Presidents' Organization has recognized it as the fastest-growing woman-owned and led company in the country twice. Newsweek named Pinnacle Group one of America's Greatest Workplaces in several categories, including overall, diversity, and for women. The company also developed the Progata Talent Platform, which uses machine learning and proprietary algorithms to match talent with opportunity. The story of Vaca and Pinnacle Group opens the Entrepreneur chapter of the McGraw-Hill textbook, "Understanding Business."

Vaca's individual recognitions include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Goldman Sachs Most Intriguing Entrepreneur Award. She has been named in the Top 5 of ALPFA/Fortune Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Latinas, one of the 101 Most Influential Latinos in America, 100 Most Influential People in Staffing, and Global Power 100 – Women in Staffing. Vaca was inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame and named a Trailblazing Woman in Labor and Business by the Women's History Project. She also received the Dallas Business Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award. Vaca is among the few Latinas in the nation serving on the boards of publicly traded companies, including Comerica Inc. and Cinemark Holdings. She has spoken at institutions such as the Milken Institute, Harvard University, and Stanford University, where her work has been included in the business curriculum.

Vaca completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School's Corporate Governance Executive Program, Tuck School of Business, and Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. She was named a Distinguished Alumna of Texas State University and was the youngest alumna in university history to receive this honor. Vaca also holds honorary doctorates from Northwood University, Mount Mary University, and Berkeley College. She was appointed by the White House as one of the inaugural Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship, traveling to five continents to support individuals, families, and communities. As a PAGE Ambassador, Vaca spoke at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Vaca's civic and philanthropic commitments extend beyond the boardroom. She serves as Entrepreneur in Residence for the City of Dallas, appointed by Mayor Eric Johnson, providing advice and counsel to the mayor and promoting Dallas as an international center for innovation and entrepreneurship. As a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, she serves on the Aspen Latinos in Society Advisory Board, contributing her expertise to elevate Latino leadership globally. Combining her passion for triathlon with her commitment to helping others, Vaca used the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon to raise more than $100,000 to support small business owners following the Ecuador earthquake, and later completed the Ironman 70.3 Ecuador to raise more than $100,000 to build the Villa de la Alegria in Muisne, Ecuador, providing housing for earthquake survivors. Through her business leadership, global advocacy, and philanthropy, Vaca supports entrepreneurs and communities around the world.