We are, and therefore we must be represented

By: Arthur Garcia

Less than 5 percent of Latinos are represented in clinical research, yet we represent a growing 18 percent of the total US Population. At SOMOS this is a disparity that we are working tirelessly to change. Why is this important? Well as therapeutics and drugs are being prescribed for you and your family, there is peace of mind in knowing that people like you were a part of the studies. According to the National Human Genome Research Institute all humans are 99.9 percent alike in our genetic makeup. Are you surprised? The answer to improving health and disease prevention can be found in the remaining 0.1 percent and this is why I am excited about creating a movement to ensure a greater number of representation is achieved. 

How do we get there?

For the past five years, my co-founders Fererico and Christian who are both Medical Doctors have been building relationships and trust with Indigenous Nations in Mexico and South America. This work has led to the integration of DNA samples and build our database and algorithms to produce unique reference panels used to provide our state of the art latino ancestry service. This is only made possible through our collaboration with the Indigenous communities we have partnered with which includes: incentive alignment, data governance, data security. For the past two years, DNA Kits have been atop the most popular gifts purchased on Amazon and an estimated 26MM+ people have taken these home tests. I believe our approach is what differentiates our work and our early customers have validated the delight which we aim to deliver to them during the moments of ancestral discovery.  

Join us
I have spent the majority of my career in sales, specifically in the accounting and small business technology space. In 2020, my passion to help businesses was met with an equally strong drive to help people with a focus on health.
The time is right and the need is great, we have seen how largely disproportionate the impact COVID-19 has had on the Black, Native American, and Latino community has been.
Now is the time, and creating awareness of the lack of representation is the start, then comes action to be an active participant. Join us to contribute to advancement in Latinos and Native Americans scientific research. Unidos SOMOS la fuerza!

On Power and Community

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Hosted by VCFamilia and Partners

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By: Cheryl Campos

One of the great lessons I’ve learned in life is that there is power in numbers to amplify impact. For most of my life, understandably so, I only focused on letting in those that I felt could understand who I was rather than make me feel other. 

 My high school experience was defined by the close-knit bonds of the “minority circle” in a predominantly white independent school. In college, I sought to extend myself and build my tribe by holding board positions in several different Latinx (or at the time Latino/Latin@) groups. By both working with the institution as well as going rogue in times of need, I saw the outsized impact of working together, both in the Latinx community as well as with other minority groups. However, I did, learn, especially through my professional career that not all skinfolk are kinfolk, and many of the same trends I see in finance happen elsewhere. 

My investment banking class at a global institution consisted of 150 people. Sadly but unsurprisingly, only sixty were women, and I was the only Latina. I found solace and strength among the people of color in my cohort, and that got me through the ups and downs of investment banking life. After several years in traditional finance, I’m grateful that I found a place where finance can be used to mold the future through technology. Republic proves that in fact drops fill the bucket, to support diverse entrepreneurs that get the capital they need to accelerate their startups. It’s tapping into the global village that supports a great idea. Community and democratizing access have become the central driving force in everything I do. 

When you’re in scenarios where you’re the only one, it can be easy to assimilate and forget your duty to hold the door open so that others can get their shot. But we’re not here to gatekeep, to flounce around titles just because you made it. We help others, champion folks in rooms they’re not in, and make sure no one feels alone like I once did.

Those in power write the rules of the game to preserve power structures. And Latinx folks, for the most part, have not been in this game enough to garner attention or visibility. It’s demoralizing to see how in 2021, we’ve been erased from the narrative, but I’m fortunately part of the new vanguard that starts an inclusive chapter of community and action in VC to change the status quo. With VCFamilia, The Community Fund, Republic, Lightspeed, and more. 

La unión hace la fuerza. Let’s thrive together.

Career Transition

By: Drea Chicas, Community & Business Builder

Looking to shift gears? Tips for leaders ready to make a career pivot

Leaders at all levels in the organization must understand the shifting realities of the US workforce. First, the workforce has never been more diverse. People vary by age, experiences, places of origin, ethnicity, political affiliation, education-level, socio-economic status and more. Second, the only constant in the workforce is change itself. Whether companies downsize and lay people off; or companies upgrade technology systems and expect their workforce to up-skill, we must each stay ready to make changes in our careers at a moment’s notice.

Personally, I spent ten years in the public sector before I pivoted to consulting in the private sector a little over a year ago. It was not an easy journey, and it took close to 7 years to successfully make a parallel jump from one industry to the next. I read many books, interviewed over 100 people, applied to jobs, and received many more rejections. Along the way, I learned helpful resources and tips that I often share with others who are looking to make a career pivot. I’ve summarized these tips (and resources) below and hope they will inspire many more to action: 

1.  Arm yourself with the right knowledge. Whether your jam is listening to podcasts, reading books, or conducting informational interviews, start by casting a wide net, and then focus on the information that will help you make the desired change that’s right for you. While there is no one-size-fits-all methodology to career pivots, career transitions are nothing new. Plenty of people have pioneered changes in their career. Many resources exist where people share stories on how they did it. I found The 10 Laws of Career Reinvention, a book by Pamela Mitchell, to be one of the most helpful resources. In it, Mitchell offers strategies and tactics on how to create an effective plan to successfully move from one sector to the next. This book also includes reflection exercises and even email templates that lay out how to approach industry leaders with an ask for a referral. In the tech industry, for example, submitting an application with a referral makes a huge difference. 

2.  Network with a purpose. I applied to the current company I work for 3-4 times, and each time I either got an automatic rejection email or got ghosted by a recruiter. Sound familiar? A few years later, I went to a networking event called “Network to Networth,” which was co-hosted by the company. I learned about the event from my mentor’s LinkedIn page. At the time, my mentor was a Managing Director for the company and had generously provided a referral two years earlier, and coached me on how to position my skill-set. I still remember the first time I met my mentor (we were connected through a mutual friend) for a 30 minute informational interview on a stormy, rainy day in a coffee shop after a long, 1.5 hour bus ride just outside of Seattle, Washington. You have to do whatever it takes sometimes. Little did I know, I would be attending a networking event in Oakland, California two years later, with my mentor there, and forge more connections with other leaders from the company who organized the event. One leader in particular, sealed the deal. I explained to her that I had applied 3-4 times to the company, but did not make it very far. She then said she’d help me find the right role, and ultimately used her positional influence to deliver my application directly to the recruiter of my division. Her stamp of approval, along with my mentor’s referral, helped to place my resume at the top of the pile. I cannot overemphasize the importance of people from the initial search process all the way to the successful pivot. Once you distill the right information and find the right people, nurture these relationships and continue to network with your end goal in mind.

3. Be value driven. Career pivots hinge on knowing yourself and knowing your why. As you learn more information, and find the right people to help guide you, the ultimate step to shift careers is to do personal reflection work. It is important to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. Why are you hoping to switch careers? What will this help you accomplish? Why now? Answering these questions will help you get closer to your core values and your belief system, which drive our behaviors. Understanding your internal landscape will help reveal blind spots, identify strengths, and your unique skill-set, while helping you to craft a more compelling story to help get at your why. All of this will help, of course, when you land that big interview for that role that leads you to level-up and step into your new career.  

To conclude, in a shifting workforce, I am passionate about spreading knowledge to help others take charge of their own careers and their future. What tips and resources have you found most helpful on your journey? Feel free to share these in the comments below. 

Podcasts I love: LatinxAmerica, Tech Queens,In Progress
Books that I love: 10 Laws of Career Reinvention; The Startup of You 

Have You Found Your Tribe?

By: Adriana Flores-Ragade

Thanksgiving is a time when we reflect and take time to be thankful for the people in our lives.  Today, I am grateful for all the people that have and continue to believe in the work that Richard Nuñez and I are doing through LatinxAmerica.  I am extremely indebted to the guests who have shared their personal and professional journeys into tech and their respective tribes who have helped amplify these stories filled with hope and practical advice.

I recently read an academic article that talked about the importance of social networking sites, especially LinkedIn, to the success of entrepreneurial businesses with a sample population from Jordan.  The article got me thinking about Latinx entrepreneurs, like myself, and how often we rely on social networks to create a working Familia or Tribe.  Through LinkedIn, I have met professionals from all walks of life.  Some have become my mentors, guests, collaborators, friends and part of my Tribe. Finding people who have similar goals or who can be your mentors or champions is extremely important for our community now more than ever. We will need each other to continue to build the necessary social capital that can lead to financial prosperity.

Growing up, I often heard people say that ambition, especially for a girl, was not appropriate.  However, when I moved to California from Mexico, I began to navigate my Latinx and new American cultures and embrace the things that have made me who I am today.  As an entrepreneur, I have to be driven, determined, creative, and confident which are qualities valued in an individualistic culture. However, my Latinx roots are from a collectivist culture that values family and community.  Through LatinxAmerica, I am able to blend both cultures and advocate so others can do the same and become successful entrepreneurs or become the next innovators or leaders in the tech space.

Here are some tips for building your tribe:

• Listen to Hector Mujica’s episode on innovating, giving back & taking risks where he also talks about how he built his tribe

• Don’t be afraid to approach someone and ask them to be part of your tribe

• Keep in mind that your tribe is different from a networking group, the members of your tribe will be people who can be real with you and not just your cheerleaders

• Relationships take time and effort, so invest your time wisely and develop professional relationships that will be mutually beneficial in some way – starting today!

Now, would you be part of my LatinxAmerica tribe? Email us at Latinxamerica@gmail.com

Your Year in Review

I recently attended a Boost with Facebook event in Oakland and almost every session mentioned the need for SMART goals.  Everyone who has been through a fiscal year planning process should know that these goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, and time-based.  However, in being so focused on setting new goals for 2020, I forgot to think about assessing the current year.  

We are often rushing through life, be it at work or at home, that we don’t always take the time to look back and reflect.  I was reminded of this during a walk with a friend who talked about how he is approaching processing the year personally and professionally.  I followed up with him to get more insights into his assessment process and here are some key takeaways which you might also find useful:

• Set time aside to sit down, write and categorize

• Develop some buckets for your assessment for your personal and work life (ex. work, family, health, outside commitments, etc.)

• Develop categories for each bucket to get down to specific people and projects in your life and prioritize them based on needs or commitment levels

• Once you have your categories, begin listing what you had set out to do and what has been accomplished. Did you spend enough time on your health goals? What about your family and work goals? 

• Based on your answers, you can determine what you will do differently or better as you think about setting goals for the following year

• Be brutally honest with your assessment. An honest assessment will help you understand how much your plans varied from your original goals and how to move forward

What do you need to get this done?

• Time, a journal, and a writing device

• You don’t need to do this in front of a computer, unless you are glued to your laptop/iPad or if you plan to rely on apps that help you track your goals

Your annual assessment will allow you to determine if you were focused on the right goals. It should also take into consideration any life or work changes that you encountered along the way.  As you go through this process, make sure that you are very honest but also practice self compassion. 

Finally, keep in mind that measuring success can be subjective, so clearly identifying what you value will be important in your annual assessment.  I value happiness, productivity, relationships, and meaningful impact, so my assessment might look different from yours, but at the end of the day we might both feel successful.

For some inspiration, listen to Manuel Maqueda’s episode on social entrepreneurship and be on the lookout for his upcoming book The Meaning Economy where he shares how success in this type of economy is based on meaningful engagement and co-creative practices around values shared by community members. 

On Taking Leaps

By: Eric Sanabria, VP of Revenue Operations, Oyster Financial

I clearly recall when I told my director at Google that I was considering taking a sabbatical leave from work. It was a bit of a detour from my career trajectory; but something within me told me that it was the right thing to do. I’m glad I listened. 

“So what do you want to do next?” he asked. I nervously blurted out, “I want to work on music and travel throughout Mexico. I want to disconnect and take some time to recharge. I need it.” 

There was a slight pause in his response. I had no idea how he’d take it. Then, to my surprise, he goes, “That sounds awesome! Let’s figure out a timeline.” 

That easy? I thought to myself. I should have mustered the courage to do this earlier. Yet, the months leading up to that moment were not so easy. 

On paper, things were going well. I was working on interesting and impactful projects at Google. I chaired the regional advisory board for Global Glimpse, a nonprofit with a mission I deeply believe in and had been involved with for almost 5 years. One the creative front, I even released an album with my band, Slow Lode, and played a few shows with them around the Bay. 

While the external accomplishments were great, I allowed them to distract me from doing the internal work I needed to do. I had come out of a long-term relationship a year before that and was working through its aftermath. My depression and anxiety were at an all-time high; it got so bad that even getting up to go to work was an exercise of its own and panic attacks were a semi-regular occurrence. 

The last thing I wanted to do was take on more responsibilities – let alone start a new role.

I floated the idea in my head of taking an extended leave (or sabbatical) but never allowed it to simmer. My mind drew up many “doomsday” scenarios about the material implications. The risk – no pay, potentially being replaced in my role, and halting my career development –  terrified me from taking the leap. In reality, this heightened perception of risk was a symptom of something larger: a fear of failure.  

I decided to shift my thinking and allowed myself to imagine beyond fear. Instead of looking at a sabbatical as a big risk, it was an opportunity to recalibrate and reevaluate my values. I wanted to intentionally engage my creative side via music; this would be a forum to do just that. It was important for me to do this outside of my day-to-day, open myself up to new experiences, and truly embrace serendipity; so travel was a no brainer.  As these intentions became clearer to me, the idea evolved into something that was not only palatable but imperative. 

While my intentions were clear and defined, my itinerary was not – that was on purpose. I wanted to challenge my instinct for controlling the outcome. At the risk of sounding cliche, this was less about the destination and more about the journey. 

With these values firmly ingrained in me, I went away on sabbatical for the early part of 2019. The time away provided exactly what I needed and more. I developed a daily meditation practice, journaled 400-pages worth of thoughts and new music material, took vocal lessons in Oaxaca, and made amazing friends. I even found love. 

I returned back to work renewed with a grounded sense of gratitude and self-confidence. The “risks” I had conjured never materialized – and in fact, I was promoted while on leave! I was instilled with a new sense of curiosity and joy for life. The sabbatical inspired a cognitive and spiritual shift that has reinvigorated how I approached things. This could never have happened had I stayed risk-averse and avoided the conversation with my director. It is a lesson in listening to my gut that is now ever-present within me.