The PennZone

LONG BEACH, Calif. - PennZone -- California-based nonprofit, #LatinaGeeks announces their 10th Anniversary and Inspirada Awards Gala this August 20, 2022- honoring some of the brightest stars in tech. Held at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA, the gala will feature a lineup of nominees befitting the seminal occasion and will bring together 200+ Latinas & supporters from across the states.

The Inspirada Awards will honor Latinas who have pioneered innovation and are using technology to create a transformative impact in our community and our world. The nominees are:

SOCIAL IMPACT
Laura Cancel, CEO & Founder, Neddie
Caeley Looney, CEO & Founder, Reinvented
Martha Montoya, CEO & Founder, AgTools

TECH ENTREPRENEUR
Maria Oliveira Tamellini, COO & Cofounder, GamerSafer
Martha Hernández, CEO & Founder, MadeBOS
Cecilia Corral, VP & Cofounder, CareMessage

EMERGING LEADER
Diana Iracheta, Executive Director, Latina Engineer
Jannie Fernandez, Tech Coalition Program Manager, Reboot Representation

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RISING STAR
Fernanda Sulantay Vargas, Graduate Student Researcher, Yale University
Liliana Rodriguez, Engineer I, LPL Financial
Diana Segura, Intern, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The event will include a panel on "Latinas Shaping the Future of Technology," moderated by Annabelle Sedano, anchor/reporter at Univision- with speakers:

• Nuria Santamaria Wolf, Meta
• Tanya Menendez, Snowball Wealth
• Valeria Martinez, VamosVentures
• Daniela Corrente, Reel

The gala will feature Emmy-Award-winning journalist, Claudia Botero as the MC, a cocktail reception, music and dancing, dinner, and a silent auction that boasts signed items from Kobe Bryant, Jennifer Lopez, Julio Urías, and a beach retreat for two in Baja California, Mexico.

"Our gala is a night of inspiration and excitement to help raise funds and awareness so we can continue to drive change for a more equitable and inclusive future for Latinas in tech careers," said LaLa Castro, Cofounder and Executive Director of #LatinaGeeks. "Each of the award nominees embodies the spirit of innovation, creativity, and fearless leadership- and we are honored to host this event and highlight our Latina trailblazers."

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"Tomorrow's technology is being shaped by Latina innovators and leaders," stated #LatinaGeeks Managing Director, Denyse Cardozo. "Helping Latinas take their next step in their tech career is at the heart of what we stand for. Our gala will be a great chance for Latina professionals to meet people who can help them take the next step in their journey."

#LatinaGeeks welcomes Western Governors University as its Red Carpet sponsor and Microsoft, Intuit, Autodesk, and Cox Communications as table sponsors. Companies interested in sponsoring should contact denyse@latinageeks.org.

Learn more about the event and purchase tickets on the gala website.

About #LatinaGeeks

Our mission is to empower and educate Latinas by sharing technical knowledge, business skills, and entrepreneur resources through hands-on workshops, strategic partnerships, and community events. #LatinaGeeks is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. To learn more, visit their website at http://latinageeks.com.