By Digital Trends Español and Victoria Montenegro Caspe, Digital Trends
Hispanic Heritage Month (which runs from September 15 to October 15) seeks to highlight the contributions of people of Hispanic origin in the United States, and in that spirit, this list puts the spotlight on some of the most influential in the technology sector.
Special emphasis is placed on those who hold important positions and do their best to ensure that the Hispanic community is best represented in the world of technology. Members of the Latino and Hispanic communities have long held prominent positions in the world’s largest technology companies, and it’s no surprise: We are a young, hard-working, and highly creative community.
María Teresa Arnal (Stripe)
Arnal has held important positions in companies such as Google and Microsoft, and her current position involves heading the Latin American division of Stripe, an online payment-processing firm for companies that operate online. The executive emphasizes the importance of motivating girls to be curious about science and problem-solving. “One of the challenges we have in the male-dominated world is that there is no role model for us,” she said earlier this year to Forbes México.
Guillermo Diaz Jr. (Kloudspot)
Diaz, who is of Mexican descent, worked 20 years for the technology firm Cisco, where he strongly championed the concept of the Internet of Everything: The smart connection of people, processes, data, and things. In an interview, he said that when he was asked if he was ready to become the firm’s chief information officer, it he became flooded with emotions, with honor being the strongest among them. Today, he is CEO at Kloudspot, which helps businesses in their digital transformation.
María Ferreras (Netflix)
After being vice president of business development for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Ferreras now serves as global head of partnerships. She holds a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering and a postgraduate degree in marketing. Before joining the Los Gatos, California-based firm, where she oversees all its alliances and partnerships, she worked at Google for 10 years.
Luis von Ahn (Duolingo)
Making language learning easy and accessible for everyone was the mission from day one at Duolingo, according to its founder, Guatemalan von Ahn. He indicates that, as a Latino, “it is fundamental that Duolingo becomes an important part of the learning process and the desire of other Spanish speakers to improve themselves.” Before the language app, Von Ahn sold reCAPTCHA, the security service that protects websites from fraud and abuse, to Gogle.
Álvaro Celis (Microsoft)
Family, integrity, and passion are the values that Celis uses to define himself. At the age of 15, his passion for technology led him to study Computer Science in Caracas, Venezuela. Upon graduation, he got a job at Microsoft. Since then, 29 years have passed and he continues at the Redmond, Washington-based company, where he has held important management positions. “I am an industry leader who is passionate about transforming companies and taking them to the next level by defining and aligning strategies, people, processes, and capabilities in unique and highly differentiated ways.”
Paula Bellizia (Google)
Bellizia, who has also worked at Microsoft, currently holds the position of vice president of marketing for Latin America at Google. One of her objectives is to support the digital transformation of the region. When asked how to create more inclusive workplaces, the executive says that, in the specific case of gender, “we can encourage more women to pursue careers in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.” Other strategies include increasing the percentage of woman hired and providing them with opportunities for professional development and growth.
Víctor Delgado (Samsung)
Delgado leads Samsung’s Strategic Alliances area from South Korea, where he aims to develop new business opportunities and drive strategic partnerships to deliver the most innovative mobility solutions. He also played a leading role in the presentation of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 foldable phone in 2020. The Latino says that one of his greatest points of pride was starting at the South Korean company as a phone salesman in the United States, and he is grateful for all the support the firm has given him. Before joining Samsung, he worked for companies such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint.
Nina Vaca (Pinnacle Group)
Vaca is one of the most influential Hispanics in the business world. The Ecuadorian-born entrepreneur arrived in Los Angeles at a very young age with her parents. In 1996, she founded Pinnacle Group, “a workforce solutions powerhouse,” and has dedicated much of her professional career to expanding opportunities for minorities and women in business. She received the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship appointment from the White House in 2014.
Lilian Rincón (Google)
Rincón, a Venezuelan, has been influential in one of the most disruptive services in recent years: Google Assistance. Rincón leads the group that creates new features and functions for the platform. She was nine years old when she arrived in Canada. Although she didn’t speak English at the time, she found a universal language in mathematics. She previously worked at Skype, has always focused on the tech industry, and is well-versed in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Daniel Undurraga (Cornershop)
Undurraga, who hails from Chile, co-founded Cornershop, which allows the purchase of groceries online via cell phone. All of its shares were acquired by Uber in 2021. “Startups can have a significantand transformative impact on society: Creating jobs, positioning Chile in other countries, attracting foreign investment, and, above all, creating prosperity for many people who then become angel investors and can support and finance the new generation of entrepreneurs,” he recently told La Tercera.
Click here to read the full article on Digital Trends.
