Paving the Way Forward: Celebrating AppFolio’s Latinx Voices and Experiences

Last modified on October 10th, 2022
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Latinx Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the identities, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, meet some members of AppFolio’s Latinx community and hear how their heritage has shaped them and guided their path to AppFolio.

“I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and I moved to the U.S. when I was 13 years old. Working as a Latinx person in technology, I learned to be resilient. Building my career as a software engineer, I learned to code, problem solve, and make sure that my code worked by never giving up. I think resiliency is on par with being Latino. We never give up, and we keep trying our best.”

– Kuai Hinojosa, Principal Security Engineer

“Having a half-Mexican, quarter Irish, and quarter Lakota Sioux background, I feel really proud to be mixed race and even more proud to come from both indigenous and immigrant ancestors. I know I’m fulfilling the dream my grandparents had for me when they moved to this country, but as a first-generation college student, I also feel immense pressure to succeed, persevere, and be a role model for younger generations. Reconciling these two ideas can be very difficult at times, but it helps to share our first-generation stories, lean on each other for support, and know that we’re not alone.”

– Winter Smith, Product Manager, AppFolio Property Manager

 

“As a proud first-generation Colombian American, I had to learn how to navigate everything for myself once I entered the corporate world—how to interview, be professional, be an advocate for myself, write an email, ask for a raise—you name it. I struggled with imposter syndrome like so many others, but as I progressed in my career, I learned to take a step back and appreciate where I am and where I came from. I know that I have nowhere else to go but up, and I’m very grateful to AppFolio for helping me develop my career and providing me with all the support and resources I need to be successful.”

– Heidi Parra, Sr. Team Coordinator, Investment Management

“Growing up in Nicaragua, I always loved computers and felt passionate about technology, so I followed in my brother’s and uncle’s footsteps and became the first woman in my family to pursue a career in technology. I now have my own daughter, and I see how much she watches and learns from me. When I worked as a nanny while studying cybersecurity, my daughter would say that she also wanted to be a nanny because that’s what mommy did. Now that I’m at AppFolio and she sees that I work on computers and love my job, she says she wants to work in cybersecurity now, too. I feel a duty to show her that she can be a woman, she can be Latina, and if she has passion and talent, she can reach any goal and do anything she dreams.”

– Jessly Altamirano, Security Analyst

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