Looking Back: Latinos In Transit Launches Small Business Academy
Latinos in Transit Reports Major Growth and Industry Impact in 2025
The organization reports record participation, expanded training, and growing national influence across the transit industry in 2025.

In 2025, LIT expanded its national presence through regional mixers, conference engagements, and its most accessible Leadership Summit to date.
Photo: METRO
Latinos in Transit (LIT) recently announced a year of “significant growth and national impact” as detailed in the newly released 2025 Annual Impact Report, presented to the board of directors by Executive Director Christina Villarreal.
The report reflects a year marked by expanded workforce development efforts, a refreshed brand identity, a renewed 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, and historic levels of engagement. In 2025, strengthened its national presence and delivered programming designed to support leadership development, career mobility, and professional growth across the industry.
LIT’s impact by the numbers:
20,560 individuals served across programs, trainings, academies, and national events.
3,131 participants engaged directly in LIT’s programming.
17,429 individuals supported through direct communication and member services.
604 paid members and more than 800 potential members
In 2025, LIT delivered its most comprehensive portfolio of professional development offerings to date, including:
8 webinars (630 participants)
National in-person training sessions (155 participants)
35 Leadership Academy participants
12 Small Business Academy participants
22 mentors and mentees in LIT’s inaugural mentorship program
$12,500 in scholarships awarded to 5 recipients
Over 460 downloads of LIT’s resource toolkits and guidebooks
LIT contributed to federal workforce and small business policy discussions, most notably through public comments that helped reform the CDL “Under the Hood” exam, benefiting more than 400,000 applicants nationwide annually. LIT’s advocacy was formally recognized in the notice of final disposition published in the Federal Register, marking a milestone in the organization’s policy engagement.
LIT’s 2025 National Events & Leadership Summit
In 2025, LIT expanded its national presence through regional mixers, conference engagements, and its most accessible Leadership Summit to date.
The 2025 Leadership Summit in Albuquerque, N.M., achieved several major milestones:
360 total registrations, reflecting strong national interest.
226 in-person individual participants, representing agencies, private-sector partners, and students nationwide.
30+ sponsors and industry partners supporting expanded programming.
First-ever full-day live stream, offered free of charge.
For the first time in its history, LIT live-streamed a full day of summit programming nationwide at no cost, enabling industry professionals unable to attend in person to participate virtually. This expansion brought leadership sessions, workforce development conversations, and technical training panels to transit professionals across the U.S., significantly broadening access to the Summit experience.
This hybrid model marked a major advancement in LIT’s mission to expand access to professional development and support the national transit workforce.
“The accomplishments outlined in this year’s report reflect the collective dedication of our members, partners, and volunteers,” Villarreal said. “Serving more than 20,000 individuals, expanding our national programs, and contributing to meaningful policy discussions underscore the important role LIT plays in supporting workforce development and career advancement across the transit industry. 2025 was a year of measurable impact, and we look forward to building on this momentum.”
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