Born and raised in Weslaco, TX, Ricardo Cuéllar is an alumnus of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Combining his education with a career as a Business Strategy Consultant for Fortune 100 companies and small businesses, he gained the expertise to develop a strategic plan for his visionary goal: creating meaningful jobs in mainstream entertainment. For over 25 years, Ricardo has been a tireless advocate for increasing representation of Americans of Latino descent in leading and supporting roles across television, film, and streaming platforms.
​
In 2006, he broke new ground in streaming entertainment by creating and producing Alamo Heights SA, the first English-language dramatic soap opera series featuring a wealthy American family of Latino descent for web distribution—years before Netflix and Hulu transformed the streaming landscape. This pioneering series, viewed worldwide, featured two affluent Latino families and was delivered simultaneously in English and Spanish, reaching diverse audiences across the globe.
​
Relentlessly pursuing his vision, Ricardo has studied the entertainment industry from the inside out, consulting independent producers and developing a strategic plan to establish a sustainable production industry in Texas. His goal: to create full-time jobs and lifelong careers in entertainment for today’s and future generations of Texans.
Since 2008, Ricardo has also pursued his passion for photography, capturing over 150 original works on his cell phone and transforming them into framed canvas pieces. These works form the foundation of the Snap XXI Phonartgraphy™ Gallery, a key component of his strategic plan to raise capital for independent series productions that dedicate at least 25% of lead and supporting roles to Latino talent.
​
Ricardo is also the founder of the Lift Latinhearts Production Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to this mission, and the Fiesta SATX Film & Music Festival, designed to generate support for independent projects that advance opportunities for Americans of Latino descent in mainstream entertainment.