Lilia Luciano

Lilia Luciano has reinvented herself and her career multiple times. The communications expert was born in Puerto Rico, where she kicked off a career in the entertainment world, working alongside legendary figures like Charytín Goyco, Marissa del Portillo y Felipe Viel. Still, her ambitions lay beyond that. 

© John Parra

Lilia knew from a young age which career path she wanted to pursue. After covering the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, she made her debut as a journalist on NBC.

She left behind the entertainment world to dive deeper into more serious international news. This preference was something she was aware of from the start of her career when she studied at the University of Miami. After she graduated, she got her first job with Univision, where she began to build a career on her own terms. 

© Alexander Tamargo

Public exposure helped her become a celebrity, opening a window into her personal life, something that she didn't love. "When I became a sort of celebrity, due to personal reasons and due to things that weren't even true, I thought I would prefer not to continue in that world," she said. 

In the following years, Lilia was in Colombia, where she was producing the documentary "Guerras Ajenas." The program aired on HBO and explores the effects of crime in Colombia. She also reported on the Oregon fires, Black Lives Matter protests, and more, with her reporting having a focus on social issues. 

By 2023, Lilia was the correspondent in charge of reporting on the devastating fires in Maui, Hawai. To this date, Lilia has won five Emmys due to her work, which includes immigration stories, asylum cases, the homeless crisis in California, forest fires, presidential elections, and more. 

© Bonnie Biess

Her dynamic focus has positioned her as one of the most important and impactful journalists of the last decade. Thanks to her ability to speak English and Spanish, she's been able to report on the major networks in the country.