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Hispanic American Leaders in Technology
Hispanic American leaders have made significant strides in shaping the technology landscape, often overcoming barriers to break new ground in innovation and leadership. From pioneering software engineers to visionary entrepreneurs, these individuals contribute to the advancements of the tech industry and inspire future generations of diverse talent.
We’re excited to share a few stories of Hispanic Americans in tech, highlighting the incredible ways they’ve transformed how we connect, communicate, and solve problems through technology.
Luis von Ahn
Duolingo co-founder
An entrepreneur at heart, Venezuela-born Luis is best known for being a co-founder of Duolingo, one of the world’s largest online language learning platforms. You’re also probably familiar with some of his other work- he was a member of the team that invented CAPTCHA, the online test to check if you’re human, and he invented reCAPTCHA, which uses the CAPTCHAs that people were already answering to digitize old books.
Learn more about Luis.
Grecia Castaldi
Women Who Code Director of Community
Born and raised in a small town in Mexico, Grecia co-founded and led the local Women Who Code network in Monterrey. She worked with Women Who Code for nearly 10 years until the non-profit shut its doors in 2024, going on to supervise over 82 local communities and 6 digital tech communities and supporting diverse programming. Today, she’s a founding board member of Women Who Do Code and works at HCLTech as a senior technical lead.
Learn more about Grecia.
Álvaro Celis
Microsoft Vice President of Devices and Channel Sales
Equipped with over 36 years of experience in technology and the belief that tech can make the world a better place, Álvaro is currently the Vice President of Global ISV Commercial Solutions at Microsoft. He works with independent software vendors (ISVs) all over the world, managing different areas in Microsoft’s Commercial Solutions, including security, data and AI, and applications.
Learn more about Álvaro.
Ignacio Contreras
Qualcomm senior director of products and technologies marketing
Fascinated by technology since he was a kid, Ignacio leans on his background in electrical engineering to lead a marketing team of over 20 people responsible for 5G modem-RF and infrastructure, AI, gaming, multimedia, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and technology licensing. He also holds two patents related to small cells and electric vehicle charging systems!
Learn more about Ignacio.
María Ferrera
Netflix Global Head of Partnerships
María has lived all over the world, from Spain to the Netherlands, to now California, working in internet and audiovisual production for over 20 years. She has experience in content negotiation and product development and currently oversees all partnerships at streaming giant Netflix.
Learn more about María.
Lilian Rincón
Google Shopping Vice President of Product
For Lilian, math is a universal language. Widely recognized as one of the most important Latinas in technology, Lilian was born in Venezuela and lived on three different continents before the age of 12. Today, she’s worked her way up to being the Vice President of Product for Google Shopping, with over 20 years of consumer Internet experience, and is known worldwide for her groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence, communication, and advertising.
Learn more about Lilian.