A series highlighting the experiences, perspectives, and advice of Latinas working in technology and business environments.
Welcome to the first blog post highlighting special Latina leaders in technology and business! My name is Emily Barragan and I’m a current sophomore at Duke University studying Computer Science, Sociology, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. I’m beyond privileged to share the stories and journeys of such empowering women– and I hope you’re able to get even a glimpse of their passion, dedication, and ambition throughout this series.
Strikingly Jessenia Guiterrez’s journey in tech and business started as an accident…
“I was part of MLT (Management Leadership for Tomorrow)… and they have a super-day and you would just drop your resume and I dropped it for LinkedIn. I didn’t realize it was for sales,” says Ms. Guiterrez. She diligently prepared for her sales interview and earned an intern spot with LinkedIn that summer. That marked the beginning of her tech origin story.
Although she mentioned not knowing then that sales would be the route for her, she grew to really enjoy it. She commented, “it makes a lot of sense”, solving problems, matching technology to pain points, and being able to leverage technology to help ideas come to life all continue to fascinate her.
“I remember walking into the LinkedIn office and feeling like I didn’t belong there. The people that looked like me were the chefs in the kitchen and the ladies that were cleaning. Oftentimes, Latinas are the firsts in different capacities – the first daughter, the first person to go to college in their family, the first to work in corporate etc. “It’s scary,” Ms. Guitterez noted, “it literally took a village to help me get to where I am today… there’s so many people that were involved in this process and sometimes we’re scared to ask for help.” As Latinas in the US, growing up in households with traditional cultures and gender role expectations for women, these expectations cascade into our personal and professional lives (Latinas are succeeding, but feel pressured to playing traditional roles for women).
It just didn’t feel right, but it was right” expressed Ms. Guitterez. She says that, “in order for there to be more Latinas..we need to pave the way. Even if that means being the first, even if it means going through these feelings of imposter syndrome, of not belonging, feeling like we’re not enough… [we must] inspire and use this as a platform to help others.”
From Berkeley’s Latinx Business Student Association (LSBA) to being a part of the Hispanic and Latinx Organization of Leaders in Action (HOLA) board at Google now –community has be essential to Ms. Guiterrez journey. It’s helped her gain leadership experience, meet alumni, and find mentors. She also aims to continue sharing her experiences with young Latinas in the space whether it’s been through mentoring at BLOOM: Helping FirstGen Latinas Flourish in Business and Tech, speaking at Harvard’s Latina Empowerment and Development (LEAD) conference, or beginning to pursue content creation to inspire a wider audience.
Her advice for Latinas pursuing a career in tech and business is to get involved – student organizations, nonprofits, and volunteering. The job will teach you the job but the interpersonal skills learned through leadership positions and collaborating with others are things you can only learn through community experiences. She recommends applying for Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) to undergraduates, finding a niche and connecting with alumni from your school, and not limiting yourself. “Don’t let your major limit you,” as a Media Studies major she said many of her peers would pursue journalism but she learned to lean into her academic strengths and create her own path.
I had the pleasure to interview Ms. Guiterrez, Cloud Account Manager at Google and Google Hispanic and Latinx Organization of Leaders in Action (HOLA) ERG Chair. She is a UC Berkeley Alum with an educational background in Media Studies and Marketing. During her time at Berkeley she was President of the Latinx Business Student Association (LSBA) and had multiple internships at companies like LinkedIn and EY. She is a committed leader in tech, offering her business and marketing acumen to the table.
I hope we can all have takeaways from Jessenia Guiterrez’s journey in tech and business so far as she continues to make an impact on young Latinx. She is truly a moving individual. Feel free to reach her via Linkedin.
