“As women, we can increase our chances of succeeding in life and business when we have mentors to provide real-life examples and a support network. Let’s learn to lean on one another and be vulnerable about our struggles.”
How did we meet?
I met Kim in 2015 when I had just started working at the company I was with at the time. We collaborated on an event where the founder of Staple Design spoke at and we instantly hit it off. Her energy is contagious and I’m grateful to know her.
IG: @kim.cee, @sunroom.sala
KIMBERLY CABAN
Kimberly Caban is a New York based mixed-media artist with a background in event coordination and exhibition curation. Currently, she works as a special projects coordinator with Jeff Staple. Kim is also a resident artist at El Barrio Artspace PS109, where she serves her community through a series of workshops providing creative outlets for children in her community. Over the past twelve years, she has worked tirelessly to develop her craft in visual arts and mixed media, whilst traveling and exploring the world and continuing to develop her craft.
Q: How did you begin working on Sunroom. Studio and what has it taught you? Additionally, what is your work process like? Where do you get your ideas?
A: I was fortunate to find a space in New York City, where I could live but also create within an artistic community in El Barrio. My apartment turned into a place where I could create the art I wanted to while sharing it with the community. “Sala” Studio (Sala in Latin meaning ‘living room ‘or ‘living space’) is my creative hub and I’ve used this space to curate shows, build community events and showcase work. I typically enjoy painting or creating while in natural light, and my studio gets the perfect amount, hence the name SUNROOM. Throughout my process over the last several years, I’ve learned to appreciate the up’s and down’s of being an artist. I also work for a design agency in NYC that allows me to continue fueling my creative energy by working with high-powered brands and companies. Though my work process varies, I enjoy the flexibility of it all.
I find inspiration through adventure. I enjoy traveling to new places, meeting new people, trying new foods, and spending time with locals. At the same time, I’m always finding new ways to explore NYC. It’s vast and constantly changing. I find beauty in growth and change. I’ve always been an adventure seeker, so I find most of my eye-opening moments through travel and real-life experiences.
Q: When did or what helped you feel confident enough where you could own your narrative as a woman, both personally and professionally?
A: I think being raised by single women who were self-starters and business owners led to me having a natural sense of self-confidence. I learned early on that my voice matters, I am valid, and the choices I make can affect people in a positive way. I’ve found commanding a room with a strong presence, acknowledging you ideas as valid, and voicing your opinions is the best form of building confidence.
Q: What does female empowerment and acceptance mean to you? Additionally, what's one piece of advice that you've received or habit you've built that has helped you become more accepting of yourself?
A: To me, women empowerment is about egalitarianism and justice, a shifting of “power,” the rejection of patriarchy and systematic female oppression resulting from toxic masculinity and generational stereotypes. It’s celebrating all women and community advocacy. As a habit, I started giving myself affirmations every morning before starting my day and entering the world full of energy. Another habit would definitely be trusting in my intuition.
Q: Today is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women globally. What direction would you like to steer the conversation towards and what do you want the dialogue to be about?
A: I appreciate the strides we’ve made and I hope we continue to encourage the women in our lives to speak up. It’s important to make sure women know the value of their opinions so that they are not scared or intimidated about using their own voices. Also, I’m very passionate about bringing mentorship and collaboration to the table as well when it comes to the conversations we’re already having. As women, we can increase our chances of succeeding in life and business when we have mentors to provide real-life examples and a support network. Let’s learn to lean on one another and be vulnerable about our struggles.
“The ability to be vulnerable with and amongst women is a form of support that empowers us. It helps women realize that they are not alone in trying to overcome self-doubt.”
How did we meet?
Daniela is one of the reasons why I work at Adobe now. I met her through Latinas In Tech and when I found out that Adobe was hiring for the role I’m now in, she was so supportive and encouraging throughout the entire hiring process. I love seeing a fellow Latina thrive and I’m thankful to be working with her.
Twitter: @danielacaicedo, @latinas_tech
Website: Latinas In Tech NYC
Daniela Caicedo
Daniela Caicedo is a New York-based Designer by way of Bogota and currently works at Adobe as an Experience Designer. Daniela also serves as a Board Member for the Latinas in Tech NYC chapter. Her experience as a Designer for the past nine years includes working on projects across multiple industries. She is an active advocate for diversity and inclusion and her life’s mission is to help create more opportunities for women, both in tech and non-tech industries.
Q: How did you begin working as a designer and what has it taught you? Additionally, what is your work process like? Where do you get your ideas?
A: Growing up in Colombia, my love for design began at an early age. I enjoyed thinking of different advertisements, for the ones I saw. As I got older, it allowed me to think about what I could do in the future to create better ones. I also remember when my mom bought me my first computer game (KID PIX) from a garage sale, I used it to create animations nonstop. Combine those two childhood anecdotes and that ultimately led me to be an Experience Designer. I started in advertising but decided I wanted to explore interaction design and quit my job to freelance. Navigating being a designer in different industries has taught me to stay curious, focus on what I love to do and to continue pursuing that, despite the risks.
Q: When did or what helped you feel confident enough where you could own your narrative as a woman, both personally and professionally?
A: It's been a journey. I don’t think there has been one specific moment. Honestly, it’s been a combination of experiences and people in my life that have helped me get there. As of late, I have been trying to figure out how to reach the next level of growth in my career. I have found incredible sources of support from different women in my life. Recently, I had a conversation where a mentor told me how in the past, she had lacked the confidence to navigate her professional development at work and how that affected her. Hearing her experience and understanding how others have faced the same internal and external obstacles inspired me. The ability to be vulnerable with and amongst women is a form of support that empowers us. It helps women realize that they are not alone in trying to overcome self-doubt.
Q: What does female empowerment and acceptance mean to you? Additionally, what's one piece of advice that you've received or habit you've built that has helped you become more accepting of yourself?
A: Speaking up and not holding yourself back. There are obviously situations and environments where you may not feel comfortable to do so, which can make it hard to speak up. Yet, you should share your ideas and your experience because you never know who may find it helpful and eye-opening. Someone once told me that no one can negate your experience and that’s so true. A piece of advice I’d give would be to support other women and create inclusive environments where people feel empowered to speak up.
Q: Today is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women globally. What direction would you like to steer the conversation towards and what do you want the dialogue to be about?
A: Happy International Women’s Day! The last four years have been a whirlwind with views shifting in various ways. For example, the way we uphold men for their actions while simultaneously having someone in power that reflects a different set of views. It can be overwhelming. Personally, I’ve tried to focus on my community and how can I empower other women to create a more diverse tech landscape. I am a part of the Latinas in Tech NYC board and we have grown to 500 members in the past two years. I have seen, first-hand, the different ways that communities can support each other and how ours has. The fact that we’ve experienced so much growth reinforces the idea that there needs to be (and should be) more supportive and inclusive spaces for women and people of color that exist.
“Not only should we recognize and applaud fellow women but we also have to work on accepting compliments when we receive them. Imagine if this was always the case and how great women could feel daily. Don’t we deserve to?”
How did we meet?
I met MACK when she was the Head of the Verizon Innovation Garage and I was working at company whose biggest client was Verizon. She’s been an incredible advocate in my life since the moment I met her and watching her be fearless in her life has inspired me to always be the same in my own.
Twitter: @MACK_ATTACK
Website: Personal Website, Reliefium
MELISSA MACKEY
Over the course of her career, MACK has been an entrepreneur, an intrapreneur and has worked for four Fortune 500 companies. She is a venture capitalist, entrepreneurial coach, digital marketing executive and technologist with more than fifteen years of experience in driving strategic growth, innovation and positive brand perception for leading startups, corporate, nonprofit and agency organizations. MACK is currently the founder and CEO of Reliefium, an early stage health startup with a mission to legitimize and destigmatize the utilization of cannabinoid therapy (THC and CBD). She is also on the advisory board to the Michigan State Foundation, which is dedicated to innovation and entrepreneurship. She has coached entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and corners of the world - from NFL and NBA pros to founders from Israel.
Q: How did you begin working on Reliefium and what has it taught you? Additionally, what is your work process like? Where do you get your ideas?
A: Reliefium is a health and wellness company with a mission to legitimize and destigmatize cannabinoid therapy. We believe it can become first-line preventative care for several chronic and acute conditions and have created a digital health platform to help build confidence and conversion in patients seeking alternative treatment options. The genesis of my company is that I am a cannabinoid therapy patient myself. My ideas are born out of my own experience as a patient and are informed by what other patients/caregivers share with us as well as guidance from physicians, nurses, and advocacy organizations. I leverage design thinking methodology for my working process and focus on keeping the patient at the heart of everything we do.
Founding Reliefium has taught me to publicly own my origin story and battle with general anxiety disorder. It’s taught me that while that makes me feel vulnerable, it’s purposeful and that I should be proud of being brave enough to do what’s not only right for myself but also for patients across the country.
Q: When did or what helped you feel confident enough where you could own your narrative as a woman, both personally and professionally?
A: In truth, I’m still writing my narrative and I always hope to be. Change and growth are two things I consistently crave and both impact who I am personally as well as professionally. My experiences as a corporate executive and an entrepreneur have pushed me to see new facets of myself and reflect on who I am and who I hope to become, in and out of the boardroom. I’m a big believer in our ability to design the lives we want to lead. Life isn’t perfect and I certainly never will be. But, the journey is mine and I’m embracing every minute of it.
Q: What does female empowerment and acceptance mean to you? Additionally, what's one piece of advice that you've received or habit you've built that has helped you become more accepting of yourself?
A: Female empowerment to me means self-empowerment and a drive to create the change you wish to see in the world. Acceptance means that I love who I am in totality - entirely cognizant of my strengths, weaknesses, flaws and areas of opportunity for growth. Self acceptance, let alone celebration, is something most people struggle with. My transition into full-time entrepreneurship only heightened this struggle but it’s also what drives me towards daily excellence. I aim to not be the best but the best version of myself and when the self doubt creeps in, I have to push myself to ask if the criticism is fact or opinion. Leveraging logic helps me but just as it is with others, it’s an ongoing battle.
Q: Today is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women globally. What direction would you like to steer the conversation towards and what do you want the dialogue to be about?
A: One of my favorite quotes is from Theodore Roosevelt. He says that “it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. At the worst, if he fails, at least he fails daring greatly.” I’d like the conversation to include celebrating women for doing just that. Each of us does it daily, in big and small ways, personally and professionally. Not only should we as women, recognize and applaud fellow women for this when we see it but we also have to work on accepting compliments when we receive them. Imagine if this was always the case and how great women could feel daily. Don’t we deserve to?
“I want to start acknowledging how women of different backgrounds have different pain points to overcome and that we all need to become better allies for each other.
”
How did we meet?
I met Lily in 2018 when, at the time, I was working at company whose biggest client was Verizon. Lily was working at Verizon and we had the opportunity to collaborate together on an event. I love working with her because she has the ability to make anyone feel special and welcome. That’s rare.
IG: @lilydoxy, @blackgirlsmarket
Website: Personal Website
LILY DOXY
Lily Doxy obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Communications from Howard University and her Master’s of Business in Business Management and Marketing from Saint Peter’s University. Lily started The Sponsorship Concierge in 2018. As a Marketer for a Fortune 500 company, Lily worked with various companies and individuals seeking sponsorship. She saw a need for assistance, as many people had no idea what companies like hers were looking for when seeking sponsorship. She quickly realized many small business owners were missing out on potential sponsorship dollars because they did not know how to properly present themselves. As a child of Haitian immigrants, she’s realized it is possible for you to garner success by following your passion. To date, she has assisted her clients in obtaining sponsorships from Verizon, Google, and Black Enterprise.
Q: How did you begin working on your businesses and what has it taught you? Additionally, what is your work process like? Where do you get your ideas?
A: I started The Sponsorship Concierge in 2018 and in 2019, I started Black Girls Market. Doing this work has taught me so much about small business and the lack of knowledge that's out there when it comes to pitching and presenting yourself. With Black Girls Market, I've learned how much of a need there is to connect black women in marketing roles since we are, generally, “the only" in our respective workplaces. I work on The Sponsorship Concierge as my “5-9” so I am constantly creating contracts and sending pitch emails to brands. I like to call it “organized chaos.” For Black Girls Market, my ideas come from marketing trends I see and discussions that come up on social media.
Q: When did or what helped you feel confident enough where you could own your narrative as a woman, both personally and professionally?
A: My parents are pastors and growing up, I've always heard people say that women weren't qualified to preach and preside over a congregation. I watched my mother take charge and preach at a time when it wasn't popular to do so, especially in Haitian culture. Seeing that helped me realize that I could do what I wanted to, regardless of any societal or gender norms that existed. Professionally, when I was given the chance to lead a team, I knew I had it. I had influence and I wanted to use that influence to create impact.
Q: What does female empowerment and acceptance mean to you? Additionally, what's one piece of advice that you've received or habit you've built that has helped you become more accepting of yourself?
A: Female empowerment is all about women being able to be their full selves at all times. Women empowerment sometimes comes off as a “cliche phrase” because there are women who say they are about empowering women, but in actuality, aren’t doing so. Empowering women means supporting each other and lifting each other up.
Q: Today is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women globally. What direction would you like to steer the conversation towards and what do you want the dialogue to be about?
A: I want to honor the achievements of women but I'd like to see a larger dialogue around respecting each other and not minimizing other's experiences. I want to start acknowledging how women of different backgrounds have different pain points to overcome and that we all need to become better allies for each other.
“Experience is the best hype woman. Life is the best motivator. No one can take your life or experiences from you. That’s your truth. The more you fuck with and know yourself, the outside noise becomes less and less. ”
How did we meet?
I met Anastasia in 2015 when she was in the the early phase of launching her business. One thing I knew from the moment I met her: this is someone I want to be around. Her spirit is kind and accepting, but she’s about her stuff and doesn’t take shit from anyone. I love that about her.
IG: @femalexec, @imgagency
Website: IMG Agency
ANASTASIA WRIGHT
A proud Brooklyn native of Panamanian descent, Anastasia Wright, is a multifaceted marketing professional with a career rooted in entertainment and entrepreneurship. As the founder and principal owner of IMG Agency, a music marketing company, she offers a multitude of services that are reflective of her core mission to push creativity forward and encourage fellow people of color to embrace the concept of ownership. Over the course of her fourteen-year career, she’s worked as a contractor for major labels including Republic, Epic, RCA, Interscope, Motown, and Columbia Records. She’s also worked with artists such as Madonna, Usher, Carly Rae Jepsen, Ellie Goulding, No Doubt, Imagine Dragons, Carlos Santana, Sia, Fantasia, and Pitbull. Anastasia is a former board member of Women in Music Inc., is the executive director of Minds Behind the Music, Inc. and a proud member of the Recording Academy.
Q: How did you begin IMG Agency and what has it taught you? Additionally, what is your work process like? Where do you get your ideas?
A: I started my agency as a senior at Baruch College and started working full-time on it in 2014. I was a business major studying marketing management and took what I was learning and applied it to my real life in real time. The decision to leave my job at RCA in 2014 to focus on growing my company full-time was birthed out of losing my grandmother that April. It was a visceral reminder that this life does end. I didn't want to waste mine in any situation that was making me unhappy or not serving me. It’s helped me realize how strong that I am and that I'm not alone.
For my ideas, I believe it's important to curate the information you allow in your life and space. That includes what you consume on social media, friends, family, books, places you visit - all of that plays a part in what stimulates and keeps you motivated. The cornerstone of my process is research and communication. I like to dig into who I'm working with and what I'm working on. That typically stimulates the ideation process.
Q: When did or what helped you feel confident enough where you could own your narrative as a woman, both personally and professionally?
A: I joke all the time that I just grew up. I wasn't "grown" until 30. I don't think the process ever stops because your narrative is always changing. Your confidence level evolves as you evolve. Experience is the best hype woman. Life is the best motivator. No one can take your life or experiences from you. That's your truth. The more you fuck with and know yourself, the outside noise becomes less and less. Same with work. No one can take my work from me. Despite how anyone may feel about me, my work speaks and it exists in all its glory. The more you go through, the more you realize how much you're capable of. So, be a doer. You won't learn anything about yourself without doing.
Q: What does female empowerment and acceptance mean to you? Additionally, what's one piece of advice that you've received or habit you've built that has helped you become more accepting of yourself?
A: Empowerment means to be heard and supported. I don't care about acceptance. I care about respect and space. As a Black woman, the female empowerment movement has never been about us. However, that hasn't stopped White women from using our ideas or allowing us to "join in" without our concerns fully being represented, respected or heard. The beautiful thing is that out of that inequality, we started to create our own spaces that support one another more.
As a habit, I’ve learned the importance of forgiveness and letting go of ego. Black women have issues that are specific to our existence. We have to forgive ourselves and allow space for ourselves to be women. Not the predisposed notion of Black-womeness. Now, I love being a Black woman but I'm still Anastasia, a woman in the world. It's a burden that White women specifically will never understand. That duality. Ego is this messy little thing. It controls how we perceive ourselves and how we want to be perceived. When you let go of that, you are because you are. There doesn't need to be anything that makes you worthy. It's powerful concept that I learned from Eckhart Toole. Existence doesn't need to be defined. But as women, we're so used to having to earn or explain why we matter or why our existence matters. I'm enough as is.
Q: Today is International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates the achievements of women globally. What direction would you like to steer the conversation towards and what do you want the dialogue to be about?
A: I'm always going to be an advocate for inclusivity and diversity in anything that I do. The world owes so much to Black women. For instance, our bodies were sacrificed for gynecology to exist. Everytime you go to a GYN, thank a Black woman. I definitely want more Black women's narratives to be told outside of the major ones that we all know. I hate novelty holidays because celebration of life, culture and people should be constant. Women are important. Appreciate and celebrate ALL of us on a regular basis. And -- pay us equally.