About Pegine

Former Bronx girl gang member, Pegine (Pe-geen), joined a new “gang”, after being inducted into the Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame, its first Latina. Pegine’s fellow 58, “gang members” include such luminaries as Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins. She is an expert on leading in a diverse world and empowering people to be leaders. She is described as “audacious, bold, brilliant, clever, comical, dynamic, effective, enthusiastic, fresh, humorous, knowledgeable, perceptive, relevant, talented, vivacious, vivid, and witty!”

Pegine’s enthusiasm and energetic passion to increase profits, productivity, recruit quality people and engage people in a diverse world ignites audiences. She breaks through barriers both within herself and others. Her wit, humor and stories have audiences laughing and sometimes crying while learning about leadership. After the event clients and audiences share how they are more engaged while productivity and sales as well as recruiting efforts increased. Clients such as the US Army, Army National Guard, Verizon, State Farm, and American Cancer Society use her year after year. CEO John Lin of Cookie Lee, a direct selling company for women entrepreneurs says “Her presentation style is very entertaining, humorous and attention grabbing. Her message strikes a great chord with our consultants and she builds confidence in her listener and inspires them to aim high. Her background of hard knocks to success is very inspirational.”

Pegine has had the privilege of presenting on the stage with such notables as Maya Angelou, John Maxwell, Suze Orman, Barbara Stanny, then Senators Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama as well as President Clinton.

Pegine Echevarria, MSW is one of fewer than 700 speakers worldwide awarded the Certified Speaking Professional designation. The CSP is awarded to professional speaking and training businesses after undergoing a rigorous independent audit for expertise, eloquence, enterprise and ethics. The audit evaluated five years of documented business practices including ethics, customer service, client ROI, financial review, and marketing.

The author of “Sometimes You Need to Kick Your Own Butt”, “Bragging Rights How to Transform Your Team in 21 Days” and the creator of the corporate licensed program “White Guys Are Diverse Too™!” and is completing her newest book, “Lighten Up And Lead: How to be a Fun, Feisty, Focused, Fearless Female Leader”.

Her quotes appear in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Sun Times, Fortune, BusinessWeek, HR Magazine, Go! Air Tran Magazine, Washington Post, NY Times, Latina, Health and BusinessWeek. Television and radio appearances include on NPR Fresh Air, CNN and MSNBC. She has appeared as the on air personality for NewsTalk Television, as their workplace expert regarding women and minorities. Appearing on Montel Williams 32 times, he won his first Emmy thanks to a “Pegine moment”.

Named as one of 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion by the Society of Human Resource Management she is a sought after expert on leadership in a diverse world.

During her teenage years, Pegine’s sales and leadership training began when she ran with the wrong crowd on the tough streets of the Bronx becoming a member of a girl gang. Within the gang culture, Pegine relied on a sharp wit and dynamic personality for “street credit”. But even her charm could not keep Pegine out of trouble. She was kicked out of her first high school and finally graduated from another high school after a drama teacher and Girl Scout Leader took Pegine under their wing. She learned the power of mentoring, laughter and belonging to group.

At 17 Pegine decided enough was enough and became a leader in her own life. She moved to Europe where she turned her life around. She launched two businesses, both which she sold at a profit by the time she was 23 when she returned to the states to finish her BA.

Her transformation continued when she returned to the states. She became the top Evinrude salesperson at the NY Boat show, national sales & operations manager at Pierre Cardin/Gant menswear (opening the Latino market) and President of a women’s direct sales company called Mother’s Network. She paid for college with earnings from direct sales.

She went on to earn a Masters in Social Work, in group and organizational development focusing on how organizations and groups empower people to be leaders and how people can be leaders their own lives. Along the way, Pegine designed and directed a Latino family support center which was named one of the top ten Latino Family Support centers in the country by The Harvard Group Review. To relieve stress Pegine performs stand-up comedy and looks forward to riding her motorcycle.

Pegine gives back to the community through her volunteerism especially as it concerns the military, women and girls and the Hispanic community. See volunteer and awards below.

Volunteer Service Positions

National

• Employers for a Strong America supporting the National Guard and Reserves (Vice President)
• Society of Human Resource Management (National Diversity Expertise Panel, National Media Resource Panel)
• United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (Conference volunteer 11 years) – Provides workshops to over 3,000 Hispanic college students twice a year.
• National Speakers Association (Inclusion committee, Ethics Committee Chairperson, Membership and Retention Committee and various other national committees)

Florida

• American Cancer Society Florida Family Rock Volunteer (11 years) ACS works with families whose children were diagnosed with cancer during the previous year. Each year ACS brings the families to Disney for workshops, support and fun.

Jacksonville

• Jacksonville Women’s Business Center Advisory Board
• JWBC Women of Color in Business Initiative (co-Chairperson and co-Founder)
• Jacksonville Urban League (Board Member)
• North Florida National Speakers Association (Founding member, Program Chairperson)
• Board of Directors – Saw Mill Lakes Development, Social Committee Chair Saw Mill Lakes Development
• Nease High School Junior ROTC Booster Club Founder and President

New York

• LI Fund for Women and Girls Gender Equity Roundtable
• Agenda for Children Tomorrow
• Nassau County Office of Minorities Business Council Advisory Board
• Girl Scouts Nassau County
• Boy Scouts Nassau County
• One to One Mentoring Advisory

Honors and Awards received:

• 2010 Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion (Florida)
• 2009 Beaches Women’s Partnership the first “Pearl of the Beaches’ honoree
• 2008 Top Minority Owned Business in North Florida presented by the Jacksonville Business Journal
• 2008 Society of Human Resources 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion
• 2007 American GI Forum National Community Service Award
• 2007 Inducted into GetMotivation.com Motivational Speakers Hall of Fame
• 2007 Inducted into the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute Speakers Hall of Fame.
• 2007 Nominated for the Hispanic Business Magazine Women of the Year.
• 2005 Minority Enterprise Development Week Entrepreneur of the Year
• 2004 Recipient of the prestigious Hispanic Orgullo Award for Leadership
• 1999 Congressional Merit Award for Outstanding Leadership Programs
• 1999Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Proclamation for Hispanic Achievement
• 1999The Long Island National Organization for Women Nassau County Inc.
• Achievement Women’s Equality Award for Activist for Young Women and Girls.
• 1999 The March of Dimes Women of Distinction Award
• 1998 Islip Town Board Outstanding Contribution to the PR/Hispanic Community Award
• 1998 Sigma Lambda Gamma Honorary Membership (Latina Sorority)
• 1997 Nassau County Legislature Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding
• contributions to the Hispanic and African American Community.
• 1997 JFK Hispanic Heritage Committee Excellence in Education Building Opportunities for our Youth Award