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As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, GlobalMindED encourages our readers to explore the inspiring stories of Hispanic men and women. Join us in honoring their achievements and contributions by sharing their stories and supporting initiatives that promote inclusivity and diversity.
A Second Chance Journey - From Mayor of Topeka to Tech CEO of Hack.Diversity: Meet Michelle De La Isla
What's your personal story?
I was born in New York and raised in Puerto Rico. I didn't come from wealth, and I often reflect with great gratitude on the journey I've taken to be where I am today, leading Hack.Diversity, a movement dedicated to creating opportunities for the next generation in tech.
I was homeless at 17, pregnant at 19, and diagnosed with cancer at 22. These circumstances could have led me down a very different path. However, I was fortunate to have people who supported me when I didn't believe in myself. My priest in Puerto Rico, for example, helped me leave for college in Kansas. It took me eight years, but I graduated with my bachelor's degree as a single mother.
This achievement was truly remarkable considering the stories I grew up hearing about myself and my potential. In many minority families, there's a lot of pressure growing up, and we don't talk about personal challenges or mental health. As a child, my curiosity and questions weren't always welcomed or seen positively. But there were people outside of my family who believed in me and saw my potential. Instead of being exasperated at my questions or seeing me differently because I was smart or loved to read, they encouraged those traits and reframed them as the foundation for doing anything I wanted to do.
After graduating college, I became involved with Outward Bound in Kansas. This experience showed me that I wasn't the only one with challenging circumstances, but that I could have the same impact on others that those in my life had had on me. I realized then that I wanted to devote my career to creating opportunities for other individuals.
I became an advocate in the community, working with a number of businesses and organizations in Topeka and getting involved civically. I ran nonprofits and eventually became Mayor of Topeka—the city's first Afro-Latina and single-mother mayor—and eventually ran for Congress. In 2023, I fulfilled my dream of graduating from Harvard with a Master's in Public Administration to become a bridge builder.
After graduating, I saw the job opening for the CEO of Hack.Diversity. I'd been working in venture philanthropy at the time, but Hack felt like a way that I could really make a direct impact. The role and organization have been the culmination of my career, allowing me to scale my impact to help break barriers to entry into the workplace and build generational wealth for others.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
I recognized during my political career that we have stopped talking to one another simply because we disagree on things, so I wanted my next steps to focus on mending those bridges. This philosophy has given me the foundation for the work I’m doing at Hack.Diversity, where we are building bridges by providing people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the very insular world of tech and innovation.
The other key moments in my life are defined from the support I had from people outside of my family – my chosen family. My mentors and friends have helped me stay motivated to see outside the narrative that was being crafted for me – as a Black and Latina woman, as a teen mom, etc. They came into my life and supported and loved me when I did not know what to do next – their influence is what has made me so passionate about the advocacy that has shaped my career.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
I run on gratitude, and that is where my passion to serve originates. Every day, I wake up grateful for the support I received from people who didn’t have to care. There is a great responsibility to pay forward kindness when you have been a recipient.
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?
Hack.Diversity partners with companies in Boston and New York City's innovation ecosystems and supports diverse talent entering tech through non-traditional pathways. Through our dual-impact approach, we help Fellows launch tech careers while collaborating with companies to tap into the full potential of the talent pool and co-design strategies that transform the workplace for all employees.
We’d love to connect with members of the GlobalMindED community who are interested in bringing our Fellows onto their teams.
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