In this episode, Ariel Lopez shares how being an Afro-Latina from North Carolina has shaped her vision for her work, her top tips for women and minorities in tech to advance their careers and the severe misunderstanding of the workforce diversity gap: “Diversity isn’t a pipeline problem, it’s a recruiting problem.”
Ariel is the Founder and CEO of 2020Shift, a social enterprise which prepares minority millennials for careers in digital media and technology. In her own words, she makes her living by helping others find a better way to live theirs and turn their passion into profit.
Episode Highlights
• 0:37 – How being an Afro-Latina from North Carolina (a “triple minority”) has shaped Ariel’s vision for her career
• 2:00 – Why Ariel says it’s vital that she is “not only creating a path for myself, but also for the people that come behind me”
• 3:45 – Ariel’s unique definition of faith: knowing her power, speaking things into existence and believing in them before you can see them
• 6:33 – Ariel digs into some of the obstacles women face in tech: “Just thinking about the hoops that women have to go through to get a seat at the table in this industry is just disgusting to me”
• 8:05 – The surprising abundance of career opportunities in tech nobody is talking about (you don’t need to be a coder)
• 11:20 – So much funding exists for startups run by minorities and women (Ariel shares where to look)
• 13:45 – Ariel’s top tips for women and minorities to win opportunities and advance their careers in the tech space
• 19:02 – The severe misunderstanding of the workforce diversity gap: “Diversity isn’t a pipeline problem, it’s a recruiting problem”
• 20:00 – What tech companies are doing wrong in recruiting minorities (sourcing candidates from the same schools rather than focusing on values like integrity and loyalty)
• 21:00 – Small shifts tech companies can make in their hiring process to be more attractive to minorities and women
1. Favorite book for women?
- The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
2. Favorite self-care hack?
- Listening to Spotify
3. Who helped guide and inspire your career?
- Her mom
4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now?
- Oprah Winfrey
5. One piece of advice you’d give your 5 years younger self?
- “Keep going”
Resources and People Mentioned
• Ariel’s website, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Her Forbes article: 10 Things People Are Getting Wrong About Diversity In Tech
