Spanish Language Benefits Education ("SLBE") Certification

With a BA from Yale University and an MA in education from Columbia Teachers College, Melissa Burkhart was a teacher for ten years, working closely with Spanish-speaking students and their families.   In 2001, she founded Futuro Sólido USA, a translation agency emphasizing bridging cultural as well as language barriers.  Futuro Sólido focuses on getting the desired results from delivering a message in another language, primarily Spanish, and offers a wide range of solutions when simple translation is insufficient.  Designed as a resource for companies that either hire or sell to Spanish speakers, Futuro Sólido has served the employee benefits industries for over twenty years and developed unique and innovative products and strategies to educate speakers of other languages as to the importance of benefits.  
 
Melissa has presented extensively on strategies to overcome Spanish speakers’ resistance to benefits and retirement plans.  She has done numerous presentations and radio and television appearances, including interviews on Univision Channel 50.  Her articles on issues relating to the Spanish-speaking workforce have appeared in such publications as the Denver Business Journal, HIU Magazine, the CHRA Advisor, and BenefitsPro.  Melissa learned Spanish in Ecuador, Spain, Colombia, and on the subway in New York City.

Suzanne Ridenhour graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico, and earned an International MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona. Suzanne currently has over 25 years of practical and leadership experience focusing on Compliance, Regulations and Suitability in highly regulated industries (Benefits and Banking). Throughout her career, she has overseen projects requiring strict adherence to federal and state regulations, managed risk exposure, and ensured transparency in client-facing services. Multilingual from an early age, Suzanne understands the value and importance of properly communicating across languages and cultures. She is grateful to be able to apply her passion for languages from conducting OE meetings to one-on-one employee advocacy conversations in various languages.

With more than twenty years of experience in the insurance and group benefits industry, Ruby Ulloa is a distinguished Broker Consultant at Risk Placement Services Inc and a nationally recognized leader in benefits education, cultural inclusion, and broker development. She empowers brokers to accelerate growth through innovative market strategies, compliance guidance, and inclusive employee benefits solutions that strengthen client relationships and expand revenue opportunities.

Renowned for her bilingual communication skills, relationship-building acumen, and strategic sales leadership, Ruby partners closely with brokers, plan administrators, and industry stakeholders to deliver high-impact solutions that drive measurable  usiness results. Her expertise in broker development; including pipeline expansion, cross-selling strategy, market positioning, and consultative sales coaching has made her a trusted advisor to agencies seeking to elevate performance and differentiate in competitive markets.

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ruby has educated workforces across the United States on how to  understand, maximize, and utilize their benefits. She has also trained HR teams to better serve employees through culturally relevant communication and engagement strategies. As a pioneer in Spanish-language continuing education for health insurance, she received the Educator of the Year Award for expanding CE access to Hispanic and minority communities. Ruby is also an approved CE instructor across the continental United States and Puerto Rico, delivering accredited  continuing education that equips brokers with practical, market-ready strategies. 

Ruby’s leadership extends nationally. She is a Founder of CIBI (Coalition for Inclusion in Benefits & Insurance) under the NABIP Foundation, serves on the NABIP Foundation Board, and holds leadership roles within the Florida and Miami NABIP Chapters. She also serves as a Zero Prostate Cancer Hispanic Ambassador, championing health equity and awareness in underserved communities. 

Her mission is clear: to make communication benefits accessible, transparent, and culturally relevant, transforming employee benefits into a catalyst for workplace equity, stronger broker partnerships, and sustainable business growth. With more than twenty years of experience in the insurance and group benefits industry, Ruby Ulloa is a distinguished Broker Consultant at Savoy Associates and a nationally recognized leader in benefits education, cultural inclusion, and broker development. She
empowers brokers to accelerate growth through innovative market strategies, compliance guidance, and inclusive employee benefits solutions that strengthen client relationships and expand revenue opportunities. 

Renowned for her bilingual communication skills, relationship-building acumen, and strategic sales leadership, Ruby partners closely with brokers, plan administrators, and industry stakeholders to deliver high-impact solutions that drive measurable business results. Her expertise in broker development, including pipeline expansion, cross-selling strategy, market  positioning, and consultative sales coaching has made her a trusted advisor to agencies seeking to elevate performance and differentiate in competitive markets. 

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ruby has educated workforces across the United States on how to understand, maximize, and utilize their benefits. She has also trained HR teams to better serve employees through culturally relevant communication and engagement strategies. As a pioneer in Spanish-language continuing education for health insurance, she received the Educator of the Year Award for expanding CE access to Hispanic and minority communities.

Ruby’s leadership extends nationally. She is a Founder of CIBI (Coalition for Inclusion in Benefits & Insurance) under the NABIP Foundation, serves on the NABIP Foundation Board, and holds leadership roles within the Florida and Miami NABIP Chapters. She also serves as a Zero Prostate Cancer Hispanic Ambassador, championing health equity and
awareness in underserved communities.

Her mission is clear: to make communication benefits accessible, transparent, and culturally relevant, transforming employee benefits into a catalyst for workplace equity, stronger broker partnerships, and sustainable business growth.