“Be sure to know your worth and find people that amplify your fire, rather than diminish it.”
How did we meet?
I’ve known Lisa for over 5 years. She was one of the first individuals I met when I began working in tech and I instantly gravitated to her because of how much I connected with her story. Years later, she’s been an incredible source of guidance for me and I’m proud to see such a strong Latina like Lisa paving the way for other women like us.
IG: @lisahellebo
Website: www.lisahellebo.com
LISA MORALES-HELLEBO
Lisa Morales-Hellebo is a VC, seasoned entrepreneur, product strategist, and creative director with a career spanning 25 years working with start-ups to F500s on strategy and execution across branding, product, and innovation. She is currently a co-founder of The New York Supply Chain Meetup and The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation; and is co-founder and general partner of REFASHIOND Ventures — an NYC-based, early-stage supply chain technology venture firm that invests in startups refashioning global supply chains. Lisa is active in the startup community, serves on the Board of Puerto Rican accelerator, Parallel18, the Board of Directors of The Center for Advancing Innovation, and advises companies around the globe.
Q: In your opinion, what's the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity in being a minority working in technology?
A: Minorities have been seen as quotas in tech, but the best companies are realizing the true value of diversity lies in different life experiences and points of view. Group think is where creativity and innovation goes to die. If you want to truly innovate, diverse teams yield the best results.
Q: Why do you feel it's important to invest time in mentoring and advising emerging entrepreneurs and talent? Additionally, what have you learned by doing so?
A: Early in my career, there were no women in tech that looked like me. Ever since I built my first tech company, Shopsy, I was overwhelmed with inbound interest from women around the globe who said they could connect with my story. This helped me to see how valuable it is to just be visible for others, because you cannot be what you cannot see. You never know who you will impact. I wish that I had a role model earlier on in my career that helped me to see my own potential and expect more from myself than I thought was possible. It is a joy to be able to help my mentees grow.
Q: What's one piece of advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?
A: Always add value. No matter what role I've been in throughout my career, I've always sought out opportunities that most would assume are just out of reach. If you can deliver above your "pay grade" and make your boss look good, you will always be in high demand. Be sure to know your worth and find people that amplify your fire, rather than diminish it.
“If you don’t give you don’t get. Many people, who had better things to do with their time, spent time with me, and spoke into and invested in my life. Without those people, I wouldn’t be who I am.”
How did we meet?
Jeff was one of the first entrepreneurs that helped me understand the value I bring to the table as a Latina in tech. He has supported me and been an ally through every juncture in my career and constantly reminds me to unapologetically be myself.
IG: @namnum
Website: www.touchlab.co
JEFF NAMNUM
Jeff has been an entrepreneur for 20+ years and has way more failures than successes. In addition to running Touchlab, the leading mobile development agency in Kotlin Multiplatform, he's a conference organizer, speaker, community builder, and startup adviser. When he takes off the Touchlab cape, he's either chasing his three awesome kids and wife or he's spending time with diverse entrepreneurs sharing his experiences. He also wanted me to say he loves long walks in the rain and is allergic to bullshit.
Q: In your opinion, what's the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity in being a minority working in technology?
A: The biggest challenge is the anger we don't always understand and the guilt about feeling that anger. We get mad because we feel like we've been fucked over, then we feel guilty because even with that, our lives are so much better than Tio Antonio's, who's still working in the supermarket. We feel guilty that we're mad at white America, when our boss, our business partner, our investor is some white dude whose contribution has made our situation better.
As for the huge opportunity of our moment, it’s that we have been underestimated and overlooked. Women, POC, LGBTQ, and other traditionally overlooked entrepreneurs see ideas that the old guard would never even notice. Combine that with the capital being earmarked to find the "new" opportunities and the increasing numbers of underestimated folks beginning to reinvest their capital and I think the next 20-30 years could be a lot of fun for us.
Q: Why do you feel it's important to invest time in mentoring and advising emerging entrepreneurs and talent? Additionally, what have you learned by doing so?
A: If you don't give you don't get. Many people, who had better things to do with their time, spent time with me, and spoke into and invested in my life. Without those people, I wouldn't be who I am. Based on the seasons in my life, I adjust how and how much I help, but I'm always looking to give.
As far as what I've learned, that's the funny thing; I get more out of these relationships than I could possibly give. By offering my experiences, successes, failures, and learnings to up and coming folks, I get the best education possible. They keep me current and make me smarter.
Q: What's one piece of advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?
A: The one that stayed with me is 'treat everyone well', but not for the reason you think. I learned over time that blind adherence to that advice hurt me in some situations. Advice is awesome, but it's important to evaluate that advice in the context of your life and situation.
Treat everyone well doesn’t ever mean be a doormat, charge less than what you’re worth to be a ‘team player’, or allow yourself to be used. Treat everyone well, but watch for the very few who will take advantage of your well-doing, and guard yourself against them.
“As tech evolves and further shapes the future, the younger generations have the ability to build more rapidly and intentionally, because they have better access to insight from those who came before them. ”
How did we meet?
I met Tanya during her time at Maker’s Row. I invited her to speak at a Women In Tech event that I was co-hosting (without knowing her at the time) and she kindly accepted. Six years later, she’s become a close friend and someone who’s advice I dearly value.
IG: @makertanya
Website: www.tanyamenendez.com
TANYA MENENDEZ
Tanya Menendez is the Co-Founder and CEO of Snowball Wealth, an online platform that helps you tackle debt and investing through free personalized recommendations and affordable coaching. Before Snowball, Menendez co-founded Maker’s Row, an online marketplace used by over 180,000 businesses that helps democratize American manufacturing for small businesses, which have in turn produced over three million products in the United States. Tanya has been included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, and has been named Business Insider’s Coolest People in Tech and one of PopMechanic’s 25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream. In her spare time, Tanya manages a Women of Color in Tech group (join here!), runs 1/2 marathons and enjoys time with her dog, Mr. Pickles.
Q: In your opinion, what's the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity in being a minority working in technology?
A: In a way, the advantage is the disadvantage. The fact that we’re different is an enormous opportunity to increase innovation. We can bring different perspectives, strategies, and insights to the table and build community within those spaces. At the other end, the fact that we are different makes it difficult for people to understand. It can feel like we’re constantly trying to translate. Not linguistically, but culturally. But, within that tension, there’s so much room for innovation and growth to happen.
Q: Why do you feel it's important to invest time in mentoring and advising emerging entrepreneurs and talent? Additionally, what have you learned by doing so?
A: I gain so much by surrounding myself around up and coming talent. I think about myself when I was starting out and how incredible it would’ve been to have people in my life who could have helped me better navigate the aspects of entrepreneurship that people don’t typically discuss. The isolation, the stress, and the emotional hurdles. Now, I view my journey as a story I can share with others, so that I can help them in a way that I didn’t have. I also think that being Latina, a woman, and first-generation while working in tech is extremely nuanced and complicated. I didn’t have a network or the ability to ask my parents for advice or guidance. Those learnings came through pure trial and error. But, it’s enforced the idea that innovation is not and should not ever be limited to the network you have. And as tech evolves and further shapes the future, the younger generations have the ability to build more rapidly and intentionally, because they have better access to insight from those who came before them. That, to me, is a form of redemption. If I can help even a few people navigate the founder race, then I’ve done my job.
Q: What's one piece of advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?
A: As I’ve gotten older and have spent time becoming self-aware of what I need to feel and be my best, I’ve realized how important it is when people have told me to “take care of myself".” When you work in an environment that you never truly feel “home”, it can be be emotionally exhausting. I’ve made it a conscious habit and priority to spend time with people who remind me of who I am outside of all that I do. To anyone out there running the founder race, it’s always important to prioritize your health and sanity. Also, embracing fear is a great piece of advice that I’ve learned to appreciate. Knowing that fear is a part of life, early on, will save you so much worry because at the end of the day, we’re all doing things that we haven’t done before. The beauty is committing to it long enough to end up figuring it out so you no longer fear it.