Latina Tech Leaders Who Inspire Us

It’s often during a crisis that we find strength, sometimes unaware it was there. I’ve been looking for that power boost a lot during these distressing days. 

For me, I’ve found it in the stories of Latina tech leaders, who have overcome seemingly impossible odds. As a Latina myself, I know how hard they’ve fought their way to the top--especially in tech, where only 4 percent are women of color. 

Their tenacity is especially worth spotlighting as close Women’s History Month. But in light of the crisis, it also inspires us to keep pushing forward.

Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, CEO and Founder of DREAMers Roadmap, a scholarship app that helps undocumented students overcome barriers to higher education--a struggle she knows personally. 

Brittany Chavez founded Shop Latinx, the first online marketplace for Latino vendors. Dubbed the next Etsy, the platform showcases more than 900 Latinx brands and entrepreneurs waiting to be discovered.

As the CEO of CODE2040, Karla Monterroso founded the organization to equip the Black and Latinx communities, and their allies, with the tools needed to dismantle the structural barriers in the technology sector. Why is this important? To pave the way for leadership opportunities and encourage full participation from the underrepresented.

Jocelyn De Leon founded Hire Women Agency upon realizing that brown women are tremendously underrepresented in the media - even though they account for the majority of new businesses in recent years. Her mission is to help these women grow their brands.

Beatriz Acevedo boasts a lengthy resume full of accomplishments, but as a co-founder and president of Mitu, she heads up the tech-driven media brand that lends a voice to the millennial Latinx community through relatable content. Did I mention she won 3 Emmys? 

Lisa Feria dreams of a world where animals coexist harmoniously with humans. As CEO of Stray Dog Capital, a venture capital firm that drives alternatives to the use of animals in the supply chain, she turns that dream into reality.

An electrical engineer by trade, Luz Rivas founded DIY (Do It Yourself) Girls, a nonprofit that offers after school and summer programs to girls through hands-on STEM experiences. Also an assembly member for the state of California, Luz’s mission is to increase girls’ interest in tech and engineering. 

Ramona Ortega is the founder of Mi Dinero, Mi Futuro, an online financial planning platform that offers tools, products, and expert advice aimed at the Latinx community to help create wealth.

Cecilia Corral is the co-founder of CareMessage, a startup that uses text messages to help members of underserved communities manage chronic diseases. Aside from helping build innovative products focused on health, she’s successfully built teams where D+I are a priority.

Gretel Perera and Rocio Medina dreamed of a group where Latinas could connect, learn, and support each other professionally. They co-founded Latinas in Technology (LiT): a non-profit organization of 2,000 Latina women, and growing, from over 12 countries who work in over 30 top tech companies.