On November 1–2, 2018 the Kapor Center hosted our inaugural LTX: Latinx in Tech National Summit. We are still buzzing from all of the amazing collective energy we witnessed and are beyond thrilled to begin planning for 2019!

3 key takeaways from LTX

Latinx is intersectional!

In planning for LTX we always knew we wanted to reach an intersectional audience that reflected the multicultural Latinx diaspora in the United States. We are pleased to report that of our 306 attendees, 62% of our attendees identified as Latinx, and over 8% were multiracial claiming both Latinx and another identity. We also saw other groups represented with 7% Black attendees, 3% Asian, and 1.5% American-Indian/Alaskan Native.

The majority age range among attendees was 18–35, but we also had over 70 participants who were 36 or older.

We pushed the envelope further to showcase all of this diversity, including gender and sexual identity in the community by intentionally bringing a panel on intersectional identity to the main stage. Adi Barretto shared her experience as a member of the panel in a LinkedIn post that moved us.

Latinx in tech resides all over the United States!

“Genius is evenly distributed by Zip Code, but opportunity is not” -Mitch Kapor

Cities from all over the bay area were represented. We were very happy to host attendees who traveled from all over the country including New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Tucson, Phoenix, Florence, SC, Los Angeles, Portland, Puerto Rico, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, TX, and Seattle.

Attendees represented a variety of career backgrounds with the majority coming from tech, venture capital, philanthropy, media, healthcare, education, and finance.

The impact was real!

When we began planning this Summit we knew that there were talented Latinx doing this work. We wanted to create a stage for our community to be elevated. We curated over 35 speakers and presenters ranging from engineers to venture capitalists who shared their stories and expertise to show that even though stats show Latinx are a small representation in the tech industry, we are still having a big impact …And we are still growing.

We’re most proud of how this landed with everyone who attended and want to share what their expressions in their own words:

“My takeaway was that this space was long overdue and needed.” — Adi Barretto

“The size, power, and all-over-the-spectrum diversity of the Latinx community” — Mike McGarry

“This summit really empowered me to learn more about tech and not be afraid by the jargon and the technology itself. With time, I want to get to a place where I understand and can speak about the technology. I’m really excited to start this new journey of self-learning and to geek out like never before. Thank you for introducing me to a community of fellow Latinx geeks and entrepreneurs — and showing us that we are not alone and in community.” — Carolina Castro

“This summit was a moment when Latinx folks could appreciate the warmth and beauty and power of their own community and when allies could stand in awe of what this extraordinary community brings to the table.” — Mike McGarry

“If you are looking for community, inspiration, and empowerment, LTX is the place to be!” — Roxana Cruz

“Coming out of LTX I was inspired to take the next steps in elevating the Latinx community. The community of Latinx leaders that was assembled was truly motivational — I am glad I attended.” — Sergio Marrero

“If this is what the future of tech can look like, then we’ll be in great shape.” — Claudia Cruz

Amazing leaders like Delilah Dee documented their journey online.

This is just the beginning…

Survey respondents told us they want more connections to employers, mentorship, and social networking. We are dedicated to filling these gaps and have already launched an online network where attendees can stay in contact and collaborate to deepen their connections and continue to build community.

We’re still synthesizing data and are using the insights from this amazing event as well as conversations with community members to plan for the ways the Kapor Center will continue to build access and support for Latinx in Tech in 2019. The demand for LTX content and community signals growth and we can’t wait to share our plans for what’s next!

In the meantime, click here to view more photos from our #LTX18 Summit and stay up to date with us on social media, by following all of our LTX hashtags: #latinxintech #LTX18 and #LTX19. If you’re interested in partnering to support this community in 2019, please connect with me at josh[at]kaporcenter.org. ✌🏽