Hispanic Heritage Month (which runs from September 15 to October 15) aims to highlight the contributions of people of Hispanic origin to the United States, and with that in mind, this list highlights some of the most influential in the industry. technological. 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 tech world.

Members of the Latino and Hispanic communities have long held prominent positions in the world’s largest tech companies, and it’s no surprise: we are a young, hardworking and very creative community.

This article has been translated from the original Spanish version published on Digital Trends en Español.

María Teresa Arnal (stripe)

Arnal has held senior positions at companies such as Google and Microsoft, and his current role is to head the Latin American division of Stripe, an online payment processor for businesses operating online. The executive stresses 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 told Forbes México earlier this year.

Guillermo Diaz Jr. (Kloudspot)

Diaz, of Mexican origin, worked for 20 years for the technology company Cisco, where he was a strong advocate for the concept of the Internet of Everything: the intelligent connection of people, processes, data and things. In an interview, he said that when asked if he was ready to become the company’s chief information officer, he was overcome with emotions, with honor being the strongest of them. . Today, he is CEO of Kloudspot, which supports companies in their digital transformation.

Maria Ferreras (Netflix)

After serving as Vice President of Business Development for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Ferreras now holds the position of Global Head of Partnerships. She holds a master’s degree in telecommunications engineering and a postgraduate degree in marketing. Prior to joining the Los Gatos, California-based firm, where she oversees all of its alliances and partnerships, she worked at Google for 10 years.

Making language learning easy and accessible to everyone was the mission from day one at Duolingo, according to its founder, Guatemalan von Ahn. He says that as a Latino, “it is fundamental that Duolingo becomes an important part of the learning process and of the desire of other Spanish speakers to improve themselves.” Prior to the language app, Von Ahn sold reCAPTCHA, the security service that protects websites against fraud and abuse, to Gogle.

Family, integrity and passion are the values ​​that Celis uses to define itself. At the age of 15, his passion for technology led him to study computer science in Caracas, Venezuela. After graduating, he got a job at Microsoft. Since then, 29 years have passed and he continues to work for the Redmond, Wash., Based company where he has held important leadership roles. “I am an industry leader passionate about transforming businesses 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 also worked at Microsoft, is currently vice president of marketing for Latin America at Google. One of its objectives is to support the digital transformation of the region. When asked how to create more inclusive workplaces, the executive said that in the specific case of gender, “we can encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics “. Other strategies include increasing the percentage of women hired and providing them with opportunities for professional development and growth.

Victor Delgado (Samsung)

Delgado leads Samsung’s Strategic Alliances business from South Korea, where he aims to develop new business opportunities and establish strategic partnerships to deliver the most innovative mobility solutions. He also played a leading role in unveiling the Galaxy Z Fold 2 foldable phone in 2020. The Latino says one of his biggest points of pride was starting with the South Korean company as a seller. phones in the United States, and he’s grateful for all the support the company has given him. Before joining Samsung, he worked for companies such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Vaca is one of the most influential Hispanics in business. The entrepreneur of Ecuadorian origin arrived very young in Los Angeles with her parents. In 1996, she founded Pinnacle Group, “a powerhouse of solutions for the workforce”, and has devoted much of her professional career to expanding opportunities for minorities and women in business. She was appointed Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship of the White House in 2014.

Lilian Rincón (Google)

Rincón, a Venezuelan, has been influencing 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. Even though she didn’t speak English at the time, she found a universal language in mathematics. Previously, she worked at Skype, has always focused on the tech industry and is familiar with artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Undurraga, originally from Chile, co-founded Cornershop, which allows the purchase of groceries online via a mobile phone. All of its shares were acquired by Uber in 2021. “Startups can have a significant and transformative impact on society: create jobs, position Chile in other countries, attract foreign investment and, most importantly, create prosperity for many people who then become angel investors. and can support and finance the new generation of entrepreneurs, ”he recently told La Tercera.

Marcelo Claure (Softbank)

Of Bolivian origin, Claure was the most visible face of the telecommunications company Sprint as CEO. Today, he heads SoftBank Group International, a Japanese holding company that invests in artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies. Previously, Claure founded Brightstar Corporation.

Ignacio Contreras (Qualcomm)

This Chilean has been very influential during the deployment of the 5G network in recent years. He holds a management position at Qualcomm, where he has worked for over 12 years. From his childhood, he remembers that his father gave him money and, instead of spending it on comics, he bought everything he needed to build small circuits. In an interview with Digital Trends en Español, he assures that the 5G network will soon cease to be premium and will become standard.

Diana Trujillo (NASA)

This Colombian’s goal has always been to work at NASA – and she has achieved it. Trujillo moved to the United States at the age of 17 to fulfill his dream. It was not easy, as she did not speak English and paid for her university studies with the money she earned from cleaning the houses. She first worked at the Goddard Space Flight Center, and now she is the Flight Director of the Mars 2020 mission. On February 18, 2021, the Mission’s Perseverance robot began its search for evidence of microbial life on this planet. . That day, Trujillo anchored NASA’s first Spanish-language broadcast of a planetary landing.

Francisco Ramos (Netflix)

Ramos serves as the vice president of content for Latin America at Netflix. There he is responsible for all original series, movies and licensed content for the region. Before arriving on the video streaming platform in 2017, he worked with media company Grupo Zeta, Antena 3 Televisión, Aurum Producciones, Morgan Creek, Spyglass and Miramax. The Mexican holds a law degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Editor’s recommendations