Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr.
Founder and CEO of Esperanza
The Reverend Luis Cortés, Jr. is the Founder and CEO of Esperanza, a leading Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United States. Driven by the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40), Esperanza strengthens Hispanic communities and all those who live within them. Rev. Cortés founded Esperanza in 1986, with support from the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia. Today, Esperanza has grown into one of the prominent voices for Latinos in America.
Leading what began as a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of Philadelphia’s Latino community, Rev. Cortés’s work has had a significant impact. He is now frequently sought after by national and international leaders on issues related to economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a one-person operation to more than eight hundred employees and $114 million in operations across a family of institutions and programs, all focused on building an “opportunity community” in Hunting Park by providing avenues for education, jobs, and affordable housing.
Raised in Spanish Harlem, Rev. Cortés’s personal journey has deeply influenced his commitment to community service. He credits his childhood experiences, a stable family life, and the Latino faith community for instilling in him the determination to improve the conditions of the broader community. He has dedicated his life’s work to empowering others to obtain a quality education and achieve economic stability.
Reverend Cortés is the author of five books, a frequent guest across national and local television, radio, and print media, and was named one of Time magazine’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals. Rev. Cortés presented the Invocation Prayer at the 2013 Inauguration Luncheon for President Barack Obama and has participated in White House roundtables for Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
In 2016, the Urban Institute selected Rev. Luis Cortés as one of twenty-four national leaders, advocates, and academics to participate in the U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty, recognizing Esperanza as a model for addressing poverty.
Rev. Cortés’s leadership and impact have been honored with numerous awards, including the 2019 Philadelphia Award; the 2024 Pennsylvania Latino Convention Award for visionary leadership and lasting community impact; the Community Empowerment Award from La Casa Latina at the University of Pennsylvania; and the 2025 Individual Impact Award from the Mexican Cultural Center. His influence extends to the corporate world, as he was a guest speaker at the 14th CEO Conference of the Satell Institute, the leading CEO organization dedicated to corporate social responsibility.
Rev. Cortés has served numerous boards dealing with finance, banking, religion, health, and education, including the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia; Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh; Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia; the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia.
Rev. Cortés’s academic achievements are a testament to his expertise and knowledge. He graduated with honors from City College, NY, earned a Master of Divinity as an Urban Theology Fellow from Union Theological Seminary, and a Master’s degree in Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. Rev. Cortés has received four honorary doctorates: two in divinity, from the Moravian Theological Seminary and Palmer Theological Seminary and two in humane letters from Eastern University and Holy Family University. In May 2026, he will receive his fifth honorary doctorate from Ursinus College. A life-long learner, he currently serves as a Senior Nonresident Fellow for the Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society at the University of Pennsylvania.