Latinas in Tech: Build Your Own House with Theresa Gonzales
"We're purple squirrels"
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As part of Non-Mom May, this month is dedicated to an alternative look at motherhood, with a whole lotta sass thrown in. Starting with this interview.
I’m nervous as I wait for my guest Theresa Gonzales to arrive to our video meeting, not for the usual reasons.
We’re both podcasters, so we know what technical issues to anticipate. It’s not the tech issues.
Theresa is big-time.
She’s a CEO, the creator of a very successful podcast, a smart woman who isn’t afraid to say shit we may not be ready to hear, and an all-around kickass Latina who seems to know E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y.
She’s like my idol.
Imagine getting to interview your idol! Little did I know how this interview would affect us both…
What follows is Part 1 of the condensed version of our conversation, which was at times raw and emotional.
For the full background on Theresa, check out the show notes for Episode 4: We’re the Otherhood with Theresa Gonzales.
Paulette: I just saw a post this morning I tagged you in: Luz Media reported that less than 2% of the population in tech is Latinas. And I know you have a lot to say about that. Your podcast is dedicated to this topic, so let's talk about it.
Theresa: Yeah, I think combined Latinos in general across the industry are about 4 or 5%, and that's not even a representation of in the C-Suite. So it's really hard.
We're purple squirrels, as I say, when we're there.
Paulette: What does that mean?
Theresa: That means it's such a rare thing. It's like it's such an unusual find, right? It is rare. And a lot of people are like, “oh no, you just gotta go to the ERG groups.” And I'm like, okay. I've been to those ERG groups and I never see any leadership there.
I always see Latinos that are working hard to create community. And when I was there, it was for free, their free time. They were not getting paid to do any of this, to create a community inside a tech environment that was supposed to elevate us. And it was really weird.
And when you look at what's happening right now, people are like, “I don't wanna get into tech. It sounds so mismatched and so crazy and I don't wanna do it.” And it's like, well, you don't have to do it. But our whole lives are run by tech! And it should be we're running tech, not tech is running us [but] that's what's happening.
And my last podcast that I did, I was talking to ladies who didn't have a tech background. They just had regular skills, right? They were just community organizers and they were able to get into the space.
So it just takes a lot of ganas (translation: desire, urge). Seriously, if you wanna do it. And everybody is welcome into the space, and I always say, if the door isn't big enough, then go make your own table, door.
Build your own house!
We're purple squirrels, as I say, when we're there…it's such a rare thing. It's like it's such an unusual find.
Theresa gives a presentation on the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) from the standpoint of representation—or lack thereof. It’s a bit of a “garbage in, garbage out” kind of warning.
It’s hard to get people to take this topic seriously, but she isn’t the only one questioning the ethics and pitfalls of AI. What’s worrisome is multiple tech companies are shoving their heads in the sand rather than deal with it. Read more:
CNN Business: AI pioneer quits Google to warn about the technology’s ‘dangers’
Motley Fool: Tech Companies Ditch AI Ethics Staff As Panic Rises
Nasdaq.com: Will Layoffs by Big Tech Players Hurt Ethical AI Development?
India Times: Are BigTech companies playing with fire for short-term gains?
Paulette: You've given this presentation multiple times in the podcasting space about how AI is [positioning] Latinas as something exotic and not something [to be taken] seriously. Do you wanna talk more about that?
Theresa: Yeah, so just to back up a little bit, I was in tech for 18 years. You know, AI's been around for a long time actually. And I've been talking about how our representation is all by how we put information out there, right? And I'm not talking about Instagram photos, I'm not talking about whatever.
I'm talking about the code, and there is a narrative that is dominant that is not our own because we, like you just said, 2% of Latinas in tech.
And if we're not writing the code and making the platforms more trustworthy and usable in that space, then you can see what is representing us. [The] dominant narrative is a historical disadvantage of stereotypes towards us.
And it's also something that's culturally demeaning because a lot of Latinas are starting businesses more than ever. We're in the nonprofit space being community champions, and we're also building platforms and technology that doesn't get hyped enough.
And so when you think about that and you see there's a dating ad for Latinas and how to find Latinas online, and you don't see the other narrative that we're pushing out, there's something wrong. And that's what I talk about.
Let's be clear that Google owns 90% of the search universe, of the entire technology universe. And when you think there's only 2% of Latinas in the entire overall technology space, there's a little math problem in there. But I think it's pretty easy [to see] what's popping out.
Paulette: Yeah. So after the first time I heard your speech, I did a little experiment. I asked Chat GPT to describe childfree Latinas for me. And what it did is gave me a very generic thing about childfree people in general.
So I made a reel about it. And the tech bros did not like it! People really don't like that message. They don't want to believe that that's in any way true. Because it doesn't 1) benefit them or 2) affect them.
But it affects us. Us as Latinas, us as the listeners of these programs, us as the users. Like we were saying, tech is all across our lives.
Theresa: Yeah. I mean, what we're using today is through a platform that is operated through coding and technology that was built by men. If you go to the company's website, all you gotta do is look at the team.
So what I also do is I look at the companies that say they do brand trust, they do brand safety, they're about diversity and inclusion.
And then I go right to their website and I look at their board of directors. Or I look at their team of product people or how many women, and are there women and people of color on their board or on their product teams, or anything like that.
And if it's a big no, then I don't believe them. You cannot be a part of that. I mean, we have allies. Yes, we do. But you really have to put your money where your mouth is about creating safe space and being allies. And if there's nobody on your board or on your entire team, then you're just a bowl of caca to me.
(Translation: you’re full of shit. Caca = poop.)
Theresa has just come back from South by Southwest (SXSW) as we record this episode and has a lot to report about the world of entrepreneurship and venture capitalist funding, or VCs.
Spoiler: it’s a lot more caca.
Paulette: Just like when we look at the product developers of products we want to use and want to feel like are supporting us, we want them to look like us.
Theresa: Right, and it's interesting, I came from South by Southwest. I went to some panels where they were talking about their entrepreneur journey, how they were getting funded to start these companies. There were a few women of color that I saw, not many, but they were talking about when they had to go in front of VCs to pitch.
And this is really troubling! And this is very relevant to all of this that we're talking about, especially your podcast, Paulette.
These women of color—and there was a couple of white women there too—when they pitched the VCs (which were mostly men), mostly men, asked them:
Well, how is this going to impact your family life, your kids? Is this gonna get in the way of your parenting? Will you be able to dedicate more than a hundred percent because you're married?
These were questions that were asked, and men are married too. They are never asked, “how much is your family gonna suffer from you being a full-time entrepreneur? Can you travel? Are you gonna be able to travel for these in your marketing plan here? Is your family gonna be okay?”
That is never asked of men. As a woman, you're challenged on your family, motherhood, if you're pitching to a VC to start a business.
Paulette: I'm just gonna take a shot in the dark here. But I bet that if they said no, their family life would not be impacted, raising children, whatever, whatever. If they said no or even claim to be childfree, that would also be a dark mark against them.
Theresa: Yes. It's almost like you damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's like, oh, well then are you questioned as like, why are you not in a relationship? All these things for women to be funded and it's a mind fuck, really.
It's a way to keep you down to say you're not gonna make it. You're not gonna make it in this space.
And it's always been challenging for women to get a business off the ground just from the lack of finances because we are the least also represented in the financial sector. How many women started at Goldman Sachs? You know how many women are like starting [at] Fidelity, right?
Until we start owning that narrative as well of financial ownership, then it becomes a different conversation.
Stay tuned for the rest of this conversation including how we’re gonna fix this mess and how Theresa’s childhood influenced her career and ultimately her “otherhood.”