This belief started early. In 6th grade, I watched Slumdog Millionaire. As a kid growing up in a 600-person town in Oregon, I was captivated by the vivid world on screen. More impactful was the story of resilience and building something meaningful from struggle. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I saw my family’s story reflected in that film. Since then, I've been curious: How can we design a world where everyone has the opportunity to rise to their potential?

This question has shaped my career. It’s taken me from celebrating peoples’ milestones through painting to leading product design teams. Along the way, I saw design teams shelve promising ideas they couldn’t defend, and business leaders lose money on products customers didn’t want. Teams reach their full potential when someone speaks both languages. This is why I'm at Columbia Business School.