LatinX Can

Meet Dr. Elisa Teipel, an engineer and entrepreneur who shares with us the things she wished she knew before becoming an entrepreneur. Dr. Teipel tells the story of how she became an entrepreneur at the age of 7, and how her involvement in playing sports at highly competitive levels, such as the Olympic trials, helped her develop skills that have been key in attaining her goals. She also shares the traits that can help us become good engineers, which go beyond being good at math and science. Lastly, Dr. Teipel also talks about the different types of funding available for entrepreneurs, and about the trade-offs you make when you become your own boss. Some of the opportunities mentioned in this episode:Small business and innovation (SBIR) research grants: https://www.sbir.gov/Leave a review: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latinx-can/id1524232753 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/latinx-can-1354080

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Meet María Angélica Peña, an industrial engineer who seeks to have a positive impact on her community by helping them manage their time and energy. María Angélica, a native of Colombia, talks about the importance of having role models, and of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who can help you achieve your goals. She also shares the journey she embarked on to understand what was missing in her life, and how her new-found passion became a community called Café con Plan: A productivity hub that provides tools and mentorships to help you identify what really matters to you, create habits, and achieve your goals.   Some of the resources mentioned in this episode:Book: The Compound Effect by Darren HardyLearn about Café con Plan: https://www.instagram.com/cafeconplan/ Leave a review: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latinx-can/id1524232753 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/latinx-can-1354080

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This is the second part of a two-part episode where Dr. Linet Mera, co-founder of the Unconscious Bias Project helps us understand what unconscious biases are, and how to tackle them. Part 2 focuses on concrete tools we can use to tackle our own unconscious biases, and to intervene when we see them playing out in our own circles. Dr. Mera shares actual examples of how we could apply these tools, based on real-life experiences that these two women of color in science have experienced. Learn about The Unconscious Bias Project: https://www.unconsciousbiasproject.org/Leave a review: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latinx-can/id1524232753Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/latinx-can-1354080

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This is the first part of a two-part episode where Dr. Linet Mera, co-founder of the Unconscious Bias Project helps us understand what unconscious biases are, and how to tackle them. Part 1 focuses on Dr. Mera’s story, growing up in 5 different countries and having diversity as a cornerstone of her development. She also talks about her experience navigating college, as the first in her family to attend university in the U.S. We also talked about how we “other” people and even fear them because we don’t understand who they are. To change this, she encourages us to be open to getting to know them, and to find the commonalities among us, no matter how different we seem to be. Inclusion is a choice. Some of the opportunities mentioned in this episode:The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, Association sans but lucratif (non-profit association, IAESTE A.s.b.l.)IAESTE A.s.b.l.Learn about The Unconscious Bias Project: https://www.unconsciousbiasproject.org/Leave a review: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latinx-can/id1524232753 Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/latinx-can-1354080

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Meet Dr. Teresa Ramirez, a mexican-american scientist who is committed to give back to her community. Dr. Ramirez grew up in Compton, CA and tells us that despite the negative portrayal of this city in different media, she grew up surrounded by a supportive community that would take care of each other. She tells us about her passion for helping people, and how her dream to become a medical doctor was always founded in her love for science, and how she eventually made the decision to become a scientist. Dr. Ramirez also tells us about how SACNAS, a student organization that supports hispanics/chicanos and native americans in the sciences, not only helped her find life-changing opportunities, but also provided a space where she could see herself represented in other scientist.

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Meet Jay Flores, an engineer and global STEM ambassador who is on a mission to change the world by inspiring young minds to keep doing cool things with #STEM. 

Jay’s parents nurtured his curious mind from an early age, and his mentors encouraged him to develop a growth mindset and take on new opportunities. This environment helped him believe in himself and say YES to experiences that could help him grow, and led him to become the youngest board member of the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers. 

Being the first engineer in his family, Jay took it upon himself to inspire his little cousins to pursue a STEM education, and after working as a sales engineer for a number of years, he became a global STEM ambassador to inspire kids all around the world! 

Jay is on a mission to make science and technology interesting, fun, and relatable to young kids, so that they can become the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators. For those of you who are parents, Jay gives advice as to how to react when your child tells you they aspire to be an Influencer when they grow up!. The trick, he says, is to help your children see the technology behind that, and help them understand that developing technical skills will help them be the best influencer…and if that does not work out, they can always become an engineer. 

Some of the opportunities mentioned in this episode:

• First Robotics Competition: https://www.firstinspires.org/
• Follow Jay:https://www.jayfloresinspires.com/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/SHPENUR

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Meet Dr. Alfredo Angeles-Boza, a university professor who reminds us that even if you derail from your plans, it is not too late to get back on track. Dr. Alfredo was born to a middle-class family who supported his education, until the socio-economic situation in Peru made it impossible to pay the university fees of both their sons. A t that time, Alfredo had stopped prioritizing his studies, and as a family, they decided that his brother should continue with his university studies while Alfredo would take a break. Ironically, he won a trip to Spain, and considered migrating and finding a job, but witnessing the working and living conditions that immigrants had to endure made him reconsider his priorities in life. After that experience, Alfredo focused on his studies, graduated from university, found a job in Peru, earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M university, and became a tenured professor. By listening to his story one would think Alfredo is a bold individual, but the reality is that he is often scared, but he does not let that stop him from seeking opportunities and achieving his goals.

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Meet Cynthia Orduña, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant (DEI), and career coach, who is passionate about helping people develop personally and professionally. Cynthia began looking into systems of inequalities when she started her career in the HR space, and realized the importance of her role, when she could not find other latinx people like her in similar positions. She then transferred into the Tech space and was enthusiastic about helping companies become more diverse from within, but encountered resistance so she began working as a DEI consultant to redesign those systems with companies that actually want to put in the work. Cynthia talks money...literally! She is a fierce advocate for salary transparency and shares practical advice, including:How to respond to the question “What is your expected salary?”When to talk about money during the interview process.How to prepare for that negotiation.

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