Only a Diverse Network Will Get You to the Top

Growing up in a solidly middle class family in El Salvador, I never really noticed how homogenous everything around me was. I lived in a neighborhood full of people just like me, went to school with kids like me, who all came from families like mine. Even when I moved to Mexico for college, my world didn’t drastically change. Yes, there were people from all over the place - other countries, other backgrounds - but we were thrown into the same private university bubble to mingle and mix. Our differences seemed to disappear

Then in 2010, I moved to NYC. Talk about a melting pot. Yes, I was still in a bubble because I came here for grad school (and whoever tells you differently is lying), but the differences were starting to become more noticeable.?

And then, once I was working at Ellevate and doing more public facing engagements I got the golden question: “What’s it like being a Latina in business?”?

Oh…. the wind got knocked out of me.

Not because it was something new, but because it was the first time I had to realize - here, I’m a minority. Here, I’m an “‘other.” Here, my experience will always be different.

I’ve been affectionately called “A Different Kind Of CEO,” and now I’m realizing why. Yes, I’m a woman (did you know that the latest data shows only 24% of CEO’s are women?). I’m under 40. I’m Latina. And I left home in pursuit of something different.

Some could argue that I beat the odds because I’m special. While I certainly worked hard to get where I am, I had a lot of help along the way (for example, my family had the resources to provide me an elite education, which is not the case for many children in El Salvador). So I acknowledge that I am privileged and that I got a head start.?

Now that I stand where I do, doing the work we do with Ellevate, this is exactly why I've been thinking a lot about how we can bring equity into place and help others who aren't quite as lucky as I am.

Exposure to people more successful than you makes a big difference

Work can already be a difficult place to navigate, and without my support system, I could have easily become another statistic. Did you know that by age 35, 25% of women have left the workplace altogether (compared to 10% for men)?

The research shows us that economic mobility is strongly correlated with making connections with those unlike you – specifically those who grew up in different socioeconomic situations. But the tricky part about that is, so many of our institutions and networks are already ingrained in the fabric of our everyday lives. If the wealthy people spend all their time with other already wealthy people, if the successful people only interact with successful people, if prestigious schools only admit children from highly-educated, well-off families – how will anything ever be different?

Connecting to your community is so important

I believe that the world itself is changing in a way where more opportunity is available for those who previously did not have it. With the hyperconnectivity of social media and Gen Z demanding more from employers such as mental health days, a positive working environment, and a focus on diversity and inclusion, many workplaces are now pressured to make changes. In my opinion, Gen Z gets it best – they are open to sitting with others, they understand that people are different, that gender is fluid, that everyone deserves opportunities.

So while many workplaces are slowly adapting to provide more opportunities to wider, more diverse networks of people, at Ellevate Network, we seek to expedite that.

In our community, we try to have a diverse network that is welcoming to all. We offer in-person and online events that allow people from different generations, backgrounds, education levels, experience, and more to gather together and learn from one another in a supportive environment. It’s important to us, because believe it or not, connection to community and positive social ties predict how long we live, even more so than diet and exercise.

Did you know that when we get close to people, we include them in our sense of ourselves? So if we are meeting and becoming close to the people we want to be like, it’s like an expansion of ourselves towards becoming the type of person that we want to become.

Be the change

If you’re looking to become a leader and you need a place to learn more and expose yourself to more successful people, we’d love to meet you. If you don’t currently have the resources to join Ellevate Network on your own, please consider applying for our EllevateHer Forward program. EllevateHER Forward is a fellowship granting fund – people contribute to the program (and we match those contributions) to cover the cost of your membership in the community. So no matter where you are in your career or what ambitions you have for your future, we’re here to support you and give you the resources you need to succeed.

If you’re a leader who wants to make an impact and increase the diversity of your network, corporate membership with Ellevate allows you to support your employees regardless of their stage or their career path. Ellevate provides an opportunity for your team to learn new skills, gain diverse perspectives, and build their network. Change your culture for the better by providing what women+ employees and recruits desire – virtual mentoring, live events, and special programs designed with their career goals in mind.

Regardless of where you’re from, you can probably relate to growing up in a place where you didn’t exactly meet a diverse group of people. So many of us brought up in silos means that as we become adults, we don’t even realize the opportunities we missed out on.

I believe that ten, twenty, and thirty years from now businesses are going to look much different, and so are their leaders. So let’s play a lead role in making sure that there is more opportunity available for those who want to be leaders – regardless of where they came from, what they had, or who they knew. If you’re interested in contributing to a future where more women, people of color, and those from different socioeconomic backgrounds and ability are leading, join us.?

We’d love to have you. We can’t wait to meet you. You can sit with us.?