Senior Political Strategist | Business Leader | Latino Coalition Builder
Gilberto Ocañas is a nationally recognized political strategist, business leader, and trusted advisor with more than 40 years of experience at the intersection of politics, business, and public affairs. A native Texan, Gilberto has built a powerful network of corporate executives, elected officials, community leaders, and political operatives, earning a reputation as a connector, coalition builder, and problem solver.
He has held senior roles in local, state, and national campaigns and is known for crafting winning outreach and communications strategies, particularly among Latino and working-class communities. As founder and CEO of Ocañas Group, established in 1992, he provides strategic advisory services to clients across the U.S. and internationally. He also served for 16 years as CEO of WinTex Printing, which held the exclusive contract to print online lottery tickets for the Texas Lottery.
Since 2007, Gilberto has been a Senior Advisor to Dentons LLP, the world’s largest global law firm, where he consults on government relations and business strategy across 77 countries.
His leadership and commitment to the Latino community have earned him recognition as the Hispanic Businessman of the Year by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a feature in Hispanic Magazine as a “Rising Entrepreneur.”
Gilberto holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston. He lives in San Antonio, Texas with his wife, Dr. Ana “Cha” Guzmán.
Board Service
Current:
- Latino Public Broadcasting (Los Angeles)
- Keystone Policy Center
- Mexican American Civil Rights Institute
- Texas Advisory Board, Environmental Defense Fund
Former National Advisory Boards:
- New Deal Leaders (Washington, D.C.)
- Mi Familia Vota Education Fund (Phoenix, AZ)
- Resolution Trust Corporation
- U.S. Small Business Administration
- U.S. Secretary of Energy
- Smithsonian Task Force on Latino Affairs
2025 Event Speakers
