Somos Poderosos: DoorDash hosts a fireside chat with Hispanic leaders in tech

Across September and October, we celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month alongside our Unidos@ Employee Resource Group. As our ERG leaders began building out the inclusive and engaging slate of events to celebrate this heritage month, many team members expressed an interest in learning from Hispanic leaders in the industry on how they’ve navigated and explored various career paths, identified mentors, and built relationships. 

In partnership with our Chief People Officer and the Unidos@ executive sponsor, Mariana Garavaglia, innovative Hispanic leaders across tech, retail, and e-commerce joined us to share their respective experiences across two fireside chats.

Speakers included:

- Mariana Garavaglia, our Chief People Officer and Unidos@ executive sponsor
- Anna Fabrega, Chief Executive Officer at Local Bounti
- Ariel Dos Santos, VP of Product at Redfin
- Cris Rivera, Regional President at Cresco Labs
- Andres Gonzalez, VP of eCommerce Operations at Walmart
- Jerry Guerrero, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Roku
- Andrea Perez, SVP Global Marketing - Product, Brand and Services at Sony 

Given that each of our speakers are at a different stage in their respective careers — from Director to CEO — no one leader had the same story or advice to share. The common thread all leaders highlighted involved the importance of being intentional about what employees seek in their role, which mentors to seek out, and the impact mentors and the relationships they built had on their careers. ‍

"As a proud Latina and the executive sponsor of Unidos@ DoorDash, I'm deeply honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with our vibrant community. 'Somos Poderosos' was more than just a fireside chat; it was a platform for inspiration, connection, and growth, highlighting the incredible journeys of Hispanic leaders in the tech industry and igniting our employees' aspirations. 

"Investing in their growth and development through events like this is an investment in our collective future while building a more inclusive, thriving, and empowered community. Together, we stand proud and united during Hispanic Heritage Month and every month." - Mariana Garavaglia, our Chief People Officer and Unidos@ executive sponsor

Through our company culture, community efforts, and engagement with merchants, we’ll continue our support of Hispanic and Latin merchants, as well as the communities we serve, year-round.

Our efforts to create a workplace where everyone feels welcomed, supported, and valued is one of the reasons we were recently recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2023 by Newsweek. To learn more about this award and how we’ve driven the culture our employees experience over the last year, click here.