Berto Aguayo
K&L Gates
Intellectual Property Attorney
Berto Aguayo is an attorney at K&L Gates and Founder of Increase the Peace Chicago, a nonprofit that empowers youth with the tools and mentorship to become community leaders.
Drawing from his transformation from a former gang member to a community advocate, Aguayo has supported over 700 young people through employment opportunities and civic leadership training, fostering safer and more inclusive communities.
He also cofounded the Annual Black and Brown Unity Car Parade, a public celebration of racial healing and pluralism uniting Black and Latino communities that began during the George Floyd uprisings.
Aguayo holds a law degree with honors from Northwestern School of Law, a bachelor’s in political science and economics from Dominican University, and is an alum of the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy. His work has earned him the 2023 Red Cross Social Justice Hero Award and the 2024 Hispanic Executive Magazine’s 30 Under 30 recognition.