The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) and Walmart are excited to bring the Latinos on the Fast Track (LOFT) Tech Careers Summit to Stanford University on Saturday, March 4th, 2023, as Latinx professionals gather to share ideas, energy and cultural pride.
If you are a Latinx coder, programmer, hacker, developer, computer scientist, we invite you to be a part of this unparalleled experience.
Join HHF as we discuss the future of the technology industry and help bring together tech professionals from across the nation, both students and professionals alike, to celebrate Latinx culture, innovation and passion for computer programming and tech-related fields.
The Summit is a free one-day event filled with expansive workshops, interactive discussions, and opportunities to expand your network— please join us in redefining the landscape of computer technology through a heightened collaboration and representation of like-minded Latinx students and professionals, all united and ignited by their endless passion for inclusivity in technology. This Summit is part of HHF's broader Code as a Second Language (CSL) national initiative which has included LOFT Coder Summits in Austin at SXSW, New York, Minneapolis and Stanford University.
Register now and stay tuned for updates as we approach the date. If you have any questions, please contact marvin@hispanicheritage.org.
Diana Marquez is a California native with a Bachelor's degree from Stanford and a Master's degree from UT Austin. With experience as a software engineer and technical program manager, she currently works on development of Google Career Certificates, which offers online training programs in high-growth tech fields. She is committed to creating accessible and inclusive training opportunities for learners from all backgrounds
Catherine is a senior backend engineer at Slack, where she works on the messaging team. She has over six years of engineering experience with a focus on product, backend, and data engineering. Prior to Slack, she was a software engineer at the healthcare startup Qventus, where she built products to improve hospital operations and patient flow. She is a first generation college graduate and received a degree in Computer Science from Wesleyan University in 2016. Outside of work Catherine loves cycling, traveling, and spending time with family.
Karina Naranjo graduated with a Computer Science Degree from Notre Dame de Namur University in 2021. Currently working at a tech-ed non-profit, StreetCode Academy as the Digital Inclusion Associate. Her role involves closing the digital divide by providing access to tech literacy and technology devices to underrepresented communities. She is a self-advocate, and through her advocacy efforts, she aims to create equity for the latino(a) community.
Ludim Castillo is a first-generation Latino raised by Guatemalan immigrant parents. He has been exposed to a multitude of professions, ranging from a non-licensed barber throughout college to his current positions as Sr. Software Engineer at Workday and Founder of AmpliFi Partners. He aims to empower financial services entrepreneurs with the tools they need to help families and individuals have extraordinary futures. Aside from his work in tech, he is committed to health and fitness as a pathway to feeling good and having others see that for themselves.
Dr. Leo Lezcano is a Sr. Data Science Manager at Walmart Global Tech where he leads the Spanish Experience initiative. Originally from Cuba, he holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Alcalá, Spain, followed by a postdoc at the Open University of the Netherlands. Attracted by Big Data and Machine Learning challenges, Leo moved to Bay Area in 2016 where he introduced the first Apache Spark production pipeline at eBay Search Science. He then joined VUDU to develop its movie recommendation system, and further expanded his experience on information retrieval by becoming a member of the Query Understanding team at Walmart Labs. With a product mindset, he envisioned and launched the first multilingual query support at Walmart Search. Leo is in constant pursuit of new data driven experiences that improve our lives.
Jeanette is a Senior Product Manager at Beyond 12, where she is focused on defining, designing, and delivering the MyCoach Platform so that one million first-generation college students and their supporting institutions of higher education leverage our products to support their paths to graduation and beyond. Since 2017, Jeanette has led the end-to-end cycle for consumer/B2C and enterprise/B2B products. She proactively sought a role in software consulting after working at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to promote STEM for underrepresented high school youth in over 15 cities nationwide. Jeanette was the first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue a college degree. During undergrad, she was a peer counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program, helping first-generation college students navigate the unknowns of attending University of California, Berkeley where she earned her bachelors in social welfare. On her free time, you'll find Jeanette developing recipes for Café 15, her family's creative kitchen in Oakland or spending time in nature with her husband, 2 kids, and parents.
The closest parking will be found at the Via Ortega Parking Lot, no payment is required.