Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture, contributions, and achievements of the Hispanic and Latinx communities around the world. At?Intuitive,?the ?HOLA! Employee Resource Group (ERG) is marking the month with activities under the theme of Unidos (United)—building a sense of community and togetherness among the people of Latin America and allies.

We spoke with two members of ?HOLA!’s to learn more about their personal journeys and motivations for helping to build the ?HOLA! ERG at Intuitive.?

Claudia Lopez Rivera

Claudia Lopez Rivera is a Senior Manufacturing Engineer who has been with Intuitive for nine years. Growing up, most people assumed Claudia was Mexican, but she actually immigrated from El Salvador when she was a teenager. “There is a lot of diversity within the Hispanic community, and we need to celebrate our sub-cultures,” she says.?

Raised by a single mother, Claudia learned the value of hard work, perseverance, and giving back to the community. Claudia needed that perseverance after graduating from San Jose State University in the midst of the dot-com bust, when she had to look for work without yet having engineering experience. She landed a job at a small company that exposed her to a variety of medical device companies, and she was particularly impressed by one – Intuitive. “The Intuitive culture of engineers was dynamic and encouraged out-of-the-box thinking,” says Claudia. “Intuitive was at the top of my list, and I knew that I wanted to work here.”

At Intuitive, Claudia is proud that decisions she makes have an impact on patients and she thrives on the daily challenges. She especially enjoys the comradery with fellow engineers, many of whom have a shared history as immigrants who came to the U.S. looking for opportunities.?

When other ERGs were forming, Claudia knew that the Hispanic/Latinx employees also needed a place to build community and support each other’s professional development. To her, ?HOLA! exists to challenge social and cultural norms that lead Hispanics/Latinx to downplay their accomplishments. She’s proud to be part of launching ?HOLA! and helping to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Intuitive. “Taking time to reflect on our unique culture, heritage, and contributions, enables everyone to feel that they belong here.”

Claudia encourages others to join ?HOLA! to find the support around challenges they face and to learn more about resources to grow their career. “?HOLA! is a community where we share our dreams, commit to supporting one another, and cheer everyone on.”

Marilu Ramirez Valdez

Every day, Marilu Ramirez Valdez leverages her creativity and problem-solving skills as an industrial engineer at Intuitive. Looking back, she recognizes that she developed those skills while overcoming challenges to get to where she is, and she hopes to make it just a little easier for others striving to build their careers.?

Marilu grew up in Mexico. She always dreamed of making her way to the United States to build a career and family. After saving up enough money, Marilu came to the United States at the age of 19 with some extended family members. Her parents and siblings remained in Mexico, while Marilu spent her first five years at community college learning English and studying architecture.?

In 2010, she transferred to San Jose State University to study engineering. Working full time while going to school, Marilu was committed to learning everything she could as well as advancing at work. She knew that she didn’t have the same advantages growing up as others, so she was doubly committed to working hard to get where she wanted to go. When a former classmate recommended her for Intuitive, she joined the Industrial Engineering team in 2019.??

Marilu appreciates that her work at Intuitive impacts hospitals and patient lives. She also values the culture and Intuitive’s commitment to supporting the community. “I love working for Intuitive. I feel respected and I have a voice,” says Marilu. “As a woman, I feel like there is an equal playing field.”

When Marilu’s colleagues shared that they were working on building up ?HOLA!, she was thrilled to join forces. “I wanted to be part of establishing ?HOLA!, and I knew this would be a good opportunity to continue to advocate for things I care about at work,” says Marilu.?

She believes ?HOLA! has a lot to offer everyone, including allies. “We welcome everyone. ?HOLA! events are a great way to show your support for the Hispanic/Latinx community while expanding your perspectives!”?

Claudia's and Marilu's stories are spotlights on the power of Intuitive ERGs, which are dedicated to cultivating an inclusive culture, providing education and awareness, and supporting the recruitment and retention of employees from diverse backgrounds.?#WeAreIntuitive