The Modern Latino Podcast

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this powerful and personal episode of The Modern Latino Podcast, we sit down with our fraternity brother from St. John’s University, Dr. Santiago Arruffat, a colorectal surgeon and practice owner, to talk about a topic that’s becoming impossible to ignore — the rise of colon cancer in younger adults. But this episode is about more than medicine. Bo...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode, Gene and Ivan cover a wide range of real-life topics—from unplugging from the noise of everyday life to breaking down what’s really happening in today’s economy. Ivan shares why he decided to step “off the grid,” while Gene explores the idea of signal vs. noise and how it applies to how we consume information today. The conversation s...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode, we dive into an extended and thoughtful conversation about the controversy surrounding Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime performance. Rather than reacting emotionally, we break down the moment from multiple perspectives and explore why it sparked such strong reactions across the United States and around the world. Was it culture? Politi...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts We’re kicking off 2026 with a fresh start and some long-overdue updates. In this episode, Ivan and Gene break their brief 2025 hiatus, addressing and dispelling a few rumors along the way, while also debuting brand-new show music. The conversation dives into our goals for 2026 and why setting meaningful goals matters more than making short-lived resol...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this powerful and mission-driven episode of The Modern Latino Podcast , we sit down with Willy Rodriguez , Co-Founder and Executive Director of the International Salsa Museum , to discuss the past, present, and future of salsa music. Willy shares his journey as a professional pianist, musical director, and producer who began his career at just 15 y...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode of The Modern Latino Podcast , we sit down with podcast expert and entrepreneur Harry Duran to explore the intersection of identity, creativity, and entrepreneurship. A longtime friend of the hosts, Harry shares his journey from spending over 20 years in the corporate and consulting world to becoming an early podcast adopter and buildi...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Dennis Garcia - author, retired attorney, and educator - whose career and storytelling have been shaped by a lifelong dedication to justice, culture, and heritage. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Law and the University of New Mexico’s Business program, Dennis practiced both civil and crimina...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In celebration of Women's History Month , we shine a spotlight on Leslie Arredondo-Cordero, a trailblazer in the world of music strategy and marketing. With an impressive career spanning Paramount, TikTok, and her own consultancy, Deluz Music, Leslie has been at the forefront of integrating music into branding, advertising, and entertainment. We...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode, we sit down with Brandon Espinosa, the creator of The Salsa Project , an educational initiative dedicated to celebrating and preserving the art of Salsa. Through documentaries, events, and community engagement in NYC, The Salsa Project seeks to honor Salsa’s rich cultural legacy and inspire young Latinos to embrace their heritage. Bra...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode, we speak with Martin Mayorga, founder of Mayorga Coffee, a company built on the mission of supporting producers in Latin America and addressing the inequities in the food industry. Martin shares his journey, from spending his childhood in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Peru to immigrating to the United States with his family. W...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts This is a special episode as we are officially launching our video podcast channel!  In this interview, we chat with Andy Amendola, the creator of Red Racer Books, whose mission is to introduce young readers to the multifaceted world of motorsports. Through vividly illustrated stories, the books highlight diverse characters in various roles, inspiring...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this interview, we sit down with Isabella Ferrari (aka Penny), a Buddhist witch, author, and holistic transformational coach. Penny, who is of Brazilian and Italian heritage, is the founder of Greenwitchcom , a global community of over 100,000 people dedicated to exploring witchcraft, ancient practices, and spiritual wisdom. She launched her busine...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we speak with Paula Andrea Arbelaez-Stone. She is a Bilingual (English & Spanish) NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 17 years of experience in the counseling field. Some of her specialties are Individual, couples & family counseling. She certifications and training in REBT and Trauma-Informed Therapy. Paula shares her ba...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we discuss: Warm weather holidays. Trump rally Comedian’s bad joke regarding Puerto Rico. Halloween trip to Salem.  We share our own spooky stories – encounters on the Queen Mary, Ouija, Spells, and more. We talk about our favorite Halloween movies. - - THANK YOU for listening! Send us feedback by emailing: info@themodernlatino.com Sup...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts Welcome to Episode 1 of Season 2 of The Modern Latino Podcast! Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! We kick off our new season with a fun and inspiring conversation with Samantha Morales, the Founder and President of Branches Long Island – a 501c3 nonprofit organization run by volunteers who are determined to make a difference on Long Island. Based in Middl...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we discuss: We recap and discuss our interview Sacha Hamilton. Deadpool & Wolverine movie! We discuss the state of Super Hero movie genre. Gene talks about crying at the movie “My Life”. Ivan shares stories from his last trip. A review of “The Pastrami Queen” restaurant in Penn Station. Cross country travel. Reflections on the Olym...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode: We interview Sacha Hamilton who is a mom, entrepreneur, cannabis enthusiast, and the creator of The Dope Deck card game. With the legalization of cannabis becoming more widespread and less taboo, Sacha wanted to create a game that allowed like-minded individuals to have fun and build relationships, all while safely getting their smoke...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode:  “…the most dangerous thing you can do is not work out…” – Jethro Cardona  We interview Jethro Cardona, owner of the CrossFit Chief Nation gym in Massapequa, NY. In addition to being a business owner, Jethro also serves the community as a Nassau County Police officer working with youth communities via the Police Activity League unit....

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode:  We interview DJ Benny Bee. Benny has worked with legendary Freestyle Music artists like Coro, Lissette Melendez, Tony Moran and more. He was also a Producer on the hit track “Within My Heart” by Voyce. While now retired and living the good life in Florida, he hails from East New York, Brooklyn. Benny shares his story with us and as l...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode:   May 4th (Star Wars day) and it’s Puerto Rican connection Cinco de Mayo Knicks Playoff run Ryan Garcia antics and current state of Boxing Campus Protests – Schools & Universities must do better  Where are the smart, well-intentioned people in Politics Upstate NY District Attorney behavior over traffic stop We hope you enjoy this...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts Tonight, we’re speaking with Officer Vickie Ojeda of the Nassau County Police Department. She is also the President of the NCPD’s Hispanic Society. Vickie is a wonderful person who is extremely passionate about her community. Raised in Queens, she is of Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage. She shares how she grew up surrounded by friends of all differen...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we speak with our friend, Will. He is a former police officer who now spends his time studying and investing in Crypto currency. He helps explain the reasons he became involved with this form of investing and explains the risks and rewards that can be expected. We enjoyed learning about the Crypto market, as well as, Will’s journey tow...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode: Gene and Ivan sit down to catch up on what’s been going on lately, including: ·      The NYC earthquake and stories about the eclipse.  ·      Ivan shares his random thoughts about dinosaur evolution possibilities ·      Ivan shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 40 and the new Latino Champions! ·      The guys talk about Haters and sha...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we speak with one of the hottest chefs in NYC today, Derick Lopez, owner of The Freakin Rican restaurant in Astoria, NY. Featuring a menu of traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, Chef Derick delivers a culinary delight to anyone looking for some authentic “Boricua” flavors. The food is delicious and the service and ambience deliver an expe...

Send us a Text Message and share your thoughts In this episode we interview NYC based writer and comedian, Miguel Fernandez.  Miguel has studied and performed sketch comedy and improv over the past several years. Recently he has performed in groups specializing in Improv en Espanol. We love supporting up and coming artists and we think he is a rising star. Miguel shares his story with us and expla...