18 Must-Know Black Hispanic American / Afro-Latinx Tech Pros

18 Must-Know Black Hispanic American / Afro-Latinx Tech Pros

The receipts don’t lie; the tech industry has a diversity problem – period! Black people make up an estimated 13% of the US population, yet only 7.4% of Black professionals hold an employment position in the tech industry. In comparison, Hispanic Americans with a booming population of 18%, only manage to hold 8% of the same employment positions, according to the USA Equal Opportunity Commision’s Diversity Tech Report. Regrettably, the stats appear even less promising when a gendered lens is considered. For instance, industry experts report that only 3% of computer-related employment positions are occupied by Black women.

Though there is still much to be done to begin to remedy the tech industry’s diversity problem, we cannot fail to recognize the achievements of the diverse Black professionals who defy the odds each day. 

Shout out to all of the Black professionals of Hispanic or Afro-Latinx descent who’ve made major waves in the tech industry!  Y’all know how to hustle, you’ve earned your flowers and your industry contributions shouldn’t go unnoticed – especially not during National Hispanic Heritage Month in the USA, Sept.15 – Oct.15, 2022. 

It’s time to get your shine on! Whether we are talking about the budding communities of professionals raised in the Bronx NY, Los Angeles CA, Florida’s Little Havana or even Miami-Dade County FL, here’s a list of Black tech professionals of Hispanic or Afro-Latinx heritage, whose industry contributions rightly put the ‘E’ in Black Excellence! 

1. Luis Martinez, Founder & CEO, We Tha Plug / Director, Startup Grind San Diego

Luis Martinez, a professional of Hondurian heritage who was raised in Brooklyn, NY is an entrepreneur who strives to positively change the tech ecosystem by implementing initiatives that aim to address the specific needs of marginalized individuals in tech. Martinez officially launched ‘We Tha Plug’ in 2019, an organization which aims to mitigate the entrepreneurship challenges faced by underserved minority populations. Through its different programming elements and events, We Tha Plug helps tech founders by offering them educational resources, mentorship sessions, skill training and assistance or guidance to secure sources of funding and build successful tech businesses.

 “If a community doesn’t understand how the start-up space works, how are they going to succeed in it?”Luis Martinez (citation source)

2. Bianca Kea, Founder, Yo Soy AfroLatina / Senior Social Media Manager, Viacom

 Bianca Kea, a professional of Mexican heritage who grew up in Detroit, is the creative mind behind Yo Soy AfroLatina ( I am Afro-Latina) – a lifestyle brand and digital marketplace that fully embraces and celebrates the lived experiences of the AfroLatinx community. The underlying  mission of the company is to empower Black women within the Latin community through its different resource offerings and merchandise that specifically cater to their needs. She created her company as a response to not seeing herself represented in the world around her and also as a pathway to cultivate community among other Black woman with similar experiences.

“We all have different experiences —  we’re not a monolith — and it’s important for people to understand what it means to be at the intersection of two beautiful cultures.” ~ Bianca Kea  (citation source)

3. Joshua Encarnación, Leadership Development Consultant, Joshuaenc / LTX Connect

Joshua Encarnaciónis a professional of Dominican heritage. He’s a seasoned consultant with a wealth of experience in training and recruiting. He’s coached over 5,000 career professionals and designed or delivered over 750+ training programs. He has also serviced his skills to several Big tech organizations such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, to name a few, and even helped build three startups.

There’s accounting, sales, marketing, recruiting and all other types of roles in tech that Black and Brown people are really good at because we’re all really good at being people. We keep things human and that’s exactly what the tech industry needs. ” ~ Joshua Encarnacion (citation source)