ABOUT US
Who We Are
Latinas in Tech is a non-profit organization with the aim to create a tech industry where Latinas are well-represented throughout all levels of the ecosystem by empowering them to be innovators and leaders.
Our mission is to provide the resources, opportunities and community Latinas need to thrive, innovate and lead in tech.
The group began in Silicon Valley in 2014 and has since then expanded to Austin, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Sacramento and Mexico City to connect and support the Latinas working and living in those cities.
Latinas in Tech covers the full tech ecosystem. We are engineers, cyber security experts, data scientists, business development leaders, public relations professionals, sales professionals, journalists, bloggers, entrepreneurs, investors, marketing professionals, recruiters and everything surrounding the tech ecosystem.
Although we do not deny the diversity and inclusion problem that we face at the moment, our focus is on the opportunities that we, as individuals can tackle in order to grow and take a seat in the decision-making table.
We work hand in hand with top technology companies to create safe spaces for learning, mentorship and recruitment.
What We Do
We are focused on empowering and connecting Latinas through three key pillars:
Professional Development
We want to help Latinas grow in their careers through hands-on training and leadership workshops.
Recruiting
We want to connect our Latina members with job opportunities within tech companies, while serving as the bridge for tech companies that want to diversify their talent.
Mentorship
We want to connect Latinas with mentors that can guide and help them grow throughout their professional careers.
Through out the year, we host regular Meetups at tech companies in our local chapters. We also host virtual mentoring and professional development sessions and engage in inspiring conversations LiT x`Slack channel, which includes women from all over the globe.
Every year, LiT celebrates our community with a full-day Summit that brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, media and tech companies, investors and non-profits to tackle the tough conversations around diversity and inclusion, while also facilitating long-term relationships to help attendees and speakers in their professional journey.
Our History
In 2014 our Co-Founders, Gretel Perera and Rocío Medina dreamed of a group where Latinas could connect with each other, learn from each other and support each other’s professional careers. They wanted a sense of community and support that was lacking, so they created LiT.
What started as an informal gathering of friends grew organically. A couple of happy hours turned into a full fledged movement.
As the group became bigger, gatherings became more formalized. We moved from hosting at restaurants to having Meetups at some of the top tech companies in Silicon Valley.
As a result of LiT, hundreds of meetups across our eight cities have been hosted over the past two years.
2014
First Latinas in Tech Meetup (Redwood City, CA)
2015
Facebook group for Silicon Valley is created
2015
First Meetup at tech company (Google San Francisco)
2016
Board of Directors is established
2016
LiT Expands to Austin and Mexico City
2017
More than 30 Meetups hosted over past four years across three cities
2017
LiT registered as a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the Latino Community Foundation
2017
Inaugural Latinas in Tech Silicon Valley Summit
Team Members
Board of Directors
Mara Lu Herrera Cohen
Treasurer & Director of Expansion, Latinas in Tech | Program Manager, Global Strategy & Planning, Uber
