The Movement Continues

ISSA VEO Conference

The inaugural ISSA VEO Conference sparked something powerful bringing together leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals committed to advancing the Hispanic community across the cleaning and facility solutions industry.

Now, the momentum continues. The VEO Conference returns with an even bigger vision: to connect, empower, and elevate the professionals shaping the future of our industry.

For Attending the Inaugural ISSA VEO Conference

Thank You

Explore:

Where Leaders Take the Stage

This September, VEO brings together two exceptional voices to guide the conversation.

ISSA Chief Engagement Officer Karina Neff joins Karina Villaseñor, Vice President of Human Resources at 4M Building Solutions and the 2025 VEO Visionario Award Winner, as cohosts of the 2026 VEO Conference.

Together they’ll welcome attendees, facilitate key moments throughout the event, and help celebrate the leaders who are shaping the future of our industry.

VEO Conference Overview

A Conference With Purpose

VEO—Visión. Empeño. Oportunidad—is more than a conference. It’s a movement dedicated to supporting and celebrating Hispanic professionals across every level of the cleaning and facility solutions industry,

Built for leaders at every stage, the VEO Conference equips professionals with practical strategies, powerful connections, and leadership insights to grow their businesses, advance their careers, and elevate Hispanic representation across the industry.

At the VEO Conference, you’ll experience:

  • Inspiring keynotes from influential industry leaders

  • Bilingual education designed to support real business growth

  • Meaningful networking with executives, entrepreneurs, and rising professionals

  • Career development opportunities for professionals at every stage

  • The Visionario Awards Gala, celebrating outstanding leadership and achievement

This is where culture, community, and industry leadership come together.

Three Tracks

The VEO Conference 2026 is anchored by three focused session tracks that serve as the core pillars of the VEO Initiative. Led by industry experts, these educational conference sessions provide insight, guidance, and real-word perspective across each pillar.

Strengthening
Financial Literacy

Fortalecimiento de la educación financiera

Personal &
Professional Growth

Crecimiento Personal y Profesional

Mastering Technology

Dominio de la Tecnología

Who Should Attend

Executive Decision-Makers

Presidents, CEOs, Founders, and Owners shaping company strategy and investment

Operational Leaders

Directors and Managers driving day-to-day execution across operations, sales, HR, and facilities

Senior Leadership

Vice Presidents and Branch Leaders responsible for growth, performance, and operations

Rising & Influential Professionals

High-impact contributors supporting innovation, business development, and future leadership

Conference Speakers

Glenn Hugo

Founder & Principal
PM Solutions Group, LLC

Channing Johnson

President
KB Building Services

Debbie Sardone

Consultant & Speaker
Debbie Sardone Consulting

Laurie Sewell

Special Advisor
Servicon

Conference Agenda

12:00 PM

Welcome to VEO
Opening Remarks
Karina Neff & Karina Villasenor


 

12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

Opening Lunch Keynote

De Honrada a Anfitriona: Liderazgo que Eleva a Otros (From Honoree to Host: Leadership That Elevates Others)
Karina Villasenor

Last year’s Visionario Award recipient returns to the VEO stage as the conference’s first former award winner to serve as Co-Host. Karina shares how true leadership is measured by the opportunities we create for others.

El año pasado, Karina Villasenor fue reconocida con el Premio Visionario. Este año regresa al escenario de VEO no solo como homenajeada, sino como Co-Anfitriona — la primera en hacerlo. En esta sesión, comparte lo que significa usar el éxito al servicio de la comunidad, y cómo el liderazgo verdadero consiste en abrir la puerta para que otros suban después de ti.

Presented in Spanish.


 

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Financial Literacy

From 8(a) to Open Market: The Financial Playbook Behind Graduating a Federal Contract Program

Speaker: Eric Marceleño

Unica Enterprises just graduated from the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program after nine years — and immediately achieved CMMC 2.0 Level 1 compliance to keep competing for federal work. Eric Marceleño walks through what it actually takes, financially and operationally, to build toward government contracts, survive the transition off 8(a), and keep winning in the full and open marketplace.

Presented in English.


 

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Professional Development

Beyond the Contract: Why Emotional Intelligence Wins in Vendor and Client Relationships

Speaker: Glenn Hugo

As Founder & Principal of PM Solutions Group, Glenn Hugo has spent three decades in property management built on one belief: technical skills can be taught, emotional intelligence can’t. He shares what actually keeps client, vendor, and team relationships strong — listening, empathy, and follow-through — even as AI reshapes how the industry gets its work done.

Presented in English.


 

3:15 PM

Networking Break


 

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Mastering Technology

AI Triage for Operators: What Technology Actually Moves Your P&L

Speaker: Karina Neff

Learn a practical framework for evaluating AI and technology investments that improve operational performance and profitability.

Con tanta tecnología nueva compitiendo por su atención y presupuesto, ¿cómo decide un operador de BSC qué vale la pena adoptar y qué es solo ruido? Karina comparte un marco práctico de “triaje” para evaluar herramientas de IA y tecnología — separando lo que protege el margen de lo que solo se ve bien en una demo.

Presented in Spanish.


 

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Professional Development

Retention Is a Leadership Problem, Not an HR Problem

Speaker: Channing Johnson 

As President of KB Building Services and an existing Altus Summit Principal, Channing Johnson has built a reputation around one idea: the companies that keep people aren’t the ones with the best benefits — they’re the ones where leaders actually show up. This session is a practical look at what retention looks like day to day, from recognizing frontline employees by name to reframing competitors as collaborators. 

Presented in English.


 

5:30 PM – 7:00 PM

Salud y Conexiones

VEO Networking Reception & Cocktails

Meet fellow leaders, reconnect with colleagues, and build new relationships during an evening of networking.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Financial Literacy Session

Speaker & Topic Coming Soon


 

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Professional Development

Radiant Leadership: Why Kindness and Accountability Can Live in the Same Room

Speaker: Laurie Sewell

After 15+ years leading Servicon to a 2,500-employee national company, Laurie Sewell has a clear point of view on what she calls “radiant leadership” — not relentless positivity, but leadership that sets the emotional climate of an organization on purpose. This session unpacks how to hold warmth and hard conversations at the same time, and why that combination — not one or the other — is what actually drives performance.

Presented in English.


 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Mastering Technology

From Concentrates to Ready-to-Use: How Product Technology Is Reshaping Commercial Cleaning

Speaker: Adam Tan-Ceja

A practical look at how evolving product technology is improving safety, consistency, and operational efficiency.

Como socio de CloroxPro, Adam Tan-Ceja ha visto de cerca cómo el cambio de químicos concentrados a soluciones listas para usar (RTU) transforma la seguridad, consistencia y velocidad del trabajo de limpieza. En esta sesión ligera pero práctica, comparte lo que aprendió al adoptar esta tecnología en su propio negocio, Pass Janitorial Services.

Presented in Spanish.


 

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

Lunch Plenary & Interactive Workshops

Additional details coming soon.


 

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

Professional Development

Built by Us: Growing a Family Culture Without Losing Your Edge

Speaker: Nancy Galvan

As Owner/CEO of Unica Enterprises, Nancy Galvan has built a facility services company recognized at the Women to Know in Texas Gala — while still celebrating employee anniversaries and milestones like family. This session is about the balance every growing BSC owner wrestles with: how do you scale a real business without losing the culture that made people want to stay in the first place?

Presented bilingually in English & Spanish.


 

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Session Coming Soon


 

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Session Coming Soon


 

4:15 PM

Closing Remarks

Karina Neff & Karina Villasenor


 

Visionario Awards Gala

7:30 PM – 11:00 PM

Celebrate the outstanding leaders shaping the future of the cleaning and facility solutions industry.

Hosted by
Karina Neff & Karina Villasenor

Featuring remarks from
Cherian Thomas

Special appearances by
Sam Clayton & Caden Hutchens

Event Pricing:

Note: All Nonmember tickets include one year of ISSA membership

Early Bird Pricing

Workshop & Gala:
ISSA Member: $625 USD
Nonmember: $1,320 USD

Workshop Only:
ISSA Member: $425 USD
Nonmember: $1,020 USD

Gala Only:
ISSA Member: $225 USD
Nonmember: $720 USD

Standard Pricing

Workshop & Gala:
ISSA Member: $825 USD
Nonmember: $1,420 USD

Workshop Only:
ISSA Member: $625 USD
Nonmember: $1,120 USD

Gala Only:
ISSA Member: $325 USD
Nonmember: $820 USD

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

Empeno Sponsor

cleanBoss logo

Hotel & Travel

The Renaissance Dallas

2222 N Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, TX 75207

Visionario Award

The VEO Visionario Award honors an outstanding leader in the Hispanic cleaning community who is driving meaningful impact and shaping the future of the industry. The award reflects each of VEO’s core pillars – Strengthening Financial Literacy, Personal & Professional Growth, and Mastering Technology – recognizing an individual who embodies these values through leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancement. The 2026 Visionario Award recipient will serve as a co-host of the 2027 VEO Conference.

Featured Message

Hear The Powerful Message

U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer prepared this inspiring address for the VEO Conference Attendees.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer

U.S. Secretary of Labor

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Featured Message

Hear the Powerful Message

U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer prepared this inspiring address for the VEO Conference Attendees.

VEO Conference Gallery

VEO Conference Gallery

See photos from last years conference.

Bold Moves, Real Results – VEO Attendees Share Their Experience! 

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“I was honored to participate in the inaugural VEO Conference. The content, networking, and overall vibe of the event were amazing, and I can’t wait for the next one.”

Luiz Thomaz DaCosta, CEO, Modular Concepts, LLC

“The VEO Conference was an inspiring celebration of leadership, culture, and community. I left energized, connected, and proud to be part of an industry that uplifts and empowers.”

Rachel Sanchez, CEO, Prestige Maintenance USA

“VEO is a holistic and transformative experience! The sense of community with peers is both inspiring and motivating! This is something I will look forward to all year long, every year.”

Adam Tan-Ceja, CEO, Pass Janitorial Services, Inc.

“The VEO event by ISSA truly exceeded my expectations. All the speakers delivered valuable messages that provide great contributions to the industry. In addition to the honor of being nominated and winning at the event, I believe this is a very meaningful opportunity for the hardworking and entrepreneurial Latino community to learn about and take part in these events. They are truly enriching and inspiring experiences that can open many doors for growth and connection.”

Angelica Rivera, Regional Supervisor , BABCO Services, LLC

“Just wrapped up the VEO Conference and wow-what a game changer. From aligning profit with purpose to designing leadership and other growth programs that build confidence through competence, I left with a toolkit to elevate both our financial strategy and team culture. Grateful for the insights, inspiration, and actionable steps to take our organization to the next level. Thank you to those who made this conference possible!”

Alicia Chacon-Bidwell, CFO, Innovative Cleaning Services, LLC
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VEO is a year-round platform for connection, leadership development, and opportunity. See all the opportunities to stay engaged!