The Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr., is the president and founder of Esperanza, the premiere Hispanic evangelical network in the United States. 

Driven by the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40), the underserved and marginalized in our society, Reverend Cortés started Esperanza in 1987 with support from the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia. 

The Hispanic Clergy desired to impact the lives of people beyond the Sunday morning pulpit. They rallied together to serve a community suffering from poverty, unstable housing, low educational attainment, and high crime. The result was the creation of Esperanza, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Hispanic families through community and economic development.

 Esperanza began with one staff member and a vision, and today operates a $22 million annual operating budget and employs over 200 staff members. With a strong community development presence, multiple educational institutions, and advocacy and capacity building initiatives taking place within a robust national network of over 12,000 clergy, faith-based organizations and community leaders, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America.

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