Startup Chica Spotlight: Meet our 2019 Committee Members
Meet the Austin professionals and community leaders who have embraced the Latinitas mission and helped make Startup Chica 2019 a reality. As Latinitas ambassadors, they have offered their expertise and support in event planning, marketing, business, technology and more. Their help has aided in producing the next generation of female entrepreneurs and innovators!
Estevan Aviles, Conference Programmer and Game Industry Track Lead at SXSW Gaming
Estevan Aviles, a native Austinite and life-long gamer, serves as a Conference Programmer and Game Industry track lead at SXSW. Responsible for driving industry-leading conversations and creating unique gaming experiences, Estevan leverages his extensive background in the game industry alongside the explosive creativity of SXSW to create one of the most unique conferences in the country. He also contributes extensively to the broader gaming community through several local and international initiatives which help to spread awareness and engagement for the game industry as a whole. Whenever he’s not working in a professional capacity, Estevan can be found happily enjoying the latest game releases at home with friends and family.
What do you hope happens when girls experience Startup Chica Conference?
My hope is that we empower and inspire girls to do anything they dream of. No idea is too small or too silly to explore, and just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean your passion is any less significant. I believe that Latinitas and the Startup Chica Conference will present these girls with all the tools they need to truly succeed both in the short term as they explore what interests truly drive them, and in the long-term as they begin to think about next steps in their career such as higher education. And at the end of the day, I’d love to see each of the girls participating in Startup Chica discover a new lifelong friend that will help to encourage, empower, and uplift each other as they pursue their dreams.
Paulina Cabrera, Operation Coordinator for Solar Winds and Latinitas Volunteer
Paulina Cabrera grew up in Arlington, TX, but had the wonderful experience of living in Neiva, Colombia from 1997 to 2000. Paulina speaks both English and Spanish fluently due to being in primary and grade schools in both Colombia and the U.S. She attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL to learn about art and design for video games. Paulina continued her studies in graduate school to focus on game production. After graduating, she came back to Texas — Austin, this time — to begin her career in digital production. She is currently an Operations Coordinator at Solar Winds and volunteers for Latinitas. In her free time, she practices yoga and rock climbing, plays video games, researches science topics, and explores Austin’s endless supply of delicious foods and beautiful parks.
Why is it important to encourage girls to be innovative leaders?
It is important to make sure that girls know they can be innovative leaders. Diversity in leadership brings different perspectives to the table which could lead to a solution that others may not see right away. This, in turn, encourages people and teams to innovate and continue improving the world around them.
Nereyda Esparza, Global Program Manager at Facebook
Nereyda Esparza’s passion is to improve people’s lives through learning and to mentor, coach and support young women’s careers — and serving on the Startup Chica Committee is the perfect opportunity for her to do both. Currently, Nereyda is a Global Program Manager at Facebook where she leads global outsourcing initiatives for its community operations team. Before Facebook, she held various roles in Customer Success at Amazon and built global education technology products at Pearson Education in New York City.
When she is not in the office you can find her at the airport! Nereyda loves to travel and has been lucky enough to live, work and study abroad in Europe and Latin America. In her spare time she dedicates her life to advocating for women and girls everywhere. She leads her local Smith College Alumnae Association chapter (250 members and growing!) and volunteers for Vote Run Lead, an org that helps women run for public office. You can catch up with Nereyda on LinkedIn or nereyesparaza.com.
What got you interested in helping with the planning of Startup Chica?
Growing up in South Texas, I had a few places where I could get experiential learning with media and technology in school. My hero was (and still is) my high school librarian who led the charge in digital literacy at our school and introduced me to academic research and grant work early on. It was only years later in graduate school that I realized how much her mentorship and this project had an impact on my young adult life. At the Startup Chica Conference, I’m super excited to get girls engaged in entrepreneurship through hands-on demos, activities and competitions! This is bound to be an experiential learning experience they will treasure for years to come.
Bianca Perez, Software Sourcing Buyer at IBM and Latinitas Board Member
Bianca Perez is a member of the Startup Chica Committee and a Board Member for Latinitas. She holds a Software Sourcing Buyer position at IBM where she is also involved with the Hispanic Affinity group. Bianca graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Supply Chain Management and Hispanic Studies. Bianca enjoys traveling and hiking in national parks. She is an active dancer and is a Level 2 in Krav Maga.
Why is it important to encourage girls to be innovative leaders?
Diversity exists. There are people from all sorts of backgrounds in this world. Sadly, this diversity is not present in the job market, politics, in leadership positions in general.It is our duty as girls and women to put ourselves in those leadership positions. No one will do it for us. Sure, there will be people that help us along the way, but we have to put in the work. Creating a balance in board rooms, sports, government and more, will only make this world a better place by giving voice to the whole population.
Elaine Zuniga, Experience Producer for USAA’s Chief Design Office
Elaine is a 14-year product & technology veteran. She co-founded and developed MatrixEd, a digital platform for students and teachers, focused on closing the achievement gap within underserved communities. She’s served as a mentor for Communities in Schools of Central Texas and continues to seek opportunities to serve in her community. Elaine is currently an Experience Producer for USAA’s Chief Design office located in Austin, Texas.
What advice would you share with chicas interested in entrepreneurship?
Try every idea you have. If an idea fails, make some changes and try it again. Find an entrepreneurial mentor, someone who has gone through this experience to help guide and encourage you through this journey.
Mandy Reyes, Marketing and Admissions Manager of the MSTC Program at UT McCombs School of Business
Mandy Reyes manages Marketing and Admissions for UT McCombs’ M.S. in Technology Commercialization program, the #5 entrepreneurship masters in the U.S. She creates and executes the overall program marketing and brand strategy for MSTC recruitment. Through her various local non-profit partnerships, she’s grown the MSTC program year over year into the most diverse program at Texas McCombs. Mandy has over ten years of experience working in digital, experiential, product, and field marketing for both large corporations and startups. Before her four years at MSTC, Mandy has worked with global brands such as Cisco Systems, Red Bull, and General Assembly and local Austin startup, ProspX. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Texas State University.
What problems could be solved by increasing the number of females in the startup & entrepreneurship sector?
There are many gender inequalities in entrepreneurship and business already. In 2018 only 2.2% of female-founded companies received VC funding. We’re facing an uphill battle, which a massive problem in and of itself that needs correction. Beyond that, more women in business and entrepreneurship is a huge step towards gender representation in the products and companies where we spend our money. In the US, women control more than 60% of personal wealth, and we need representation in the marketplace.
Latinitas’ Startup Chica Conference is on Saturday, September 28th, 2019 at UT Austin McCombs School of Business Rowling Hall. Throughout the day, girls ages 9–18 will learn the skills needed to launch their own startup or product, while working alongside mentors from the corporate and community sectors. They will come up with a creative solution to problem, pitch it to a group of judges, and leave with a passion for innovation. For more information, visit startupchica.com
