Meet the Jefas in STEM
Latinas in STEM are expertly making space for themselves in a predominately male-dominated, white field.
By creating apps and breaking barriers in engineering, these women are motivating Latinxs who dream of a career in tech. If there’s a problem they see, these jefas know that they will find a solution, even if it means having to design it themselves.
Keep reading to learn more about them, and vote for your favorite Jefa on the Rise.
Christen Nino De Guzman, founder of the Clara app
Christen Nino De Guzman is shedding light on the pay disparities content creators of color face with her app, Clara. Her revolutionary app helps them see how much brands are paying other creators in order to determine their own rates. It also builds their confidence when it comes to negotiating and building relationships with brands in this new era of content creation careers. This jefa is helping BIPOC content creators understand the value they bring to their careers.
Maria Torres, co-founder of the RetroDate app
RetroDate is a new dating app with old-school sensibilities, co-founded by Maria Torres. She and her co-founder Natalia created it because they were both unmoved by modern dating. Their goal is to combat the fast-paced world of dating by forming intentional and serious connections. The app has one-of-a-kind features like unmatching, glimpses, and bookmarks for users to truly consider their potential matches. This jefa’s first foray into the tech world is showing what possibilities await us when we believe in ourselves.
Diana Iracheta, engineer
Diana Iracheta is creating a community of Latina engineers like herself, connecting digitally and at in-person events all over the country. She created her namesake foundation, and the International Latina Engineer Week conference. She’s also been able to coordinate mentoring programs, scholarships, and career fairs for aspiring Latinas in STEM, all while working full-time as a mechanical engineer. The Mexican jefa is opening doors for more Latinas in her industry by providing them with resources and inspiration.
Zaida Hernandez, NASA engineer
First-generation Salvadoran-American Zaida Hernandez is The Space Latina. The stellar jefa has worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, supporting the Artemis missions and the Orion spacecraft. Aside from the incredible engineering work she does, she wrote and illustrated a children’s book to inspire young Latinos to study and pursue careers in STEM. Hernandez understands her impact as a Latina in science and engineering, and is without a doubt a role model for future space Latinos.
This form is currently closed for submissions.
Voting closes on September 10th, 2023 at 11:59 PM PST.
