Yaneisha Perez Padilla

I'm a Latina, black, and Puerto Rican from Bayamon who considers herself a nomad and believes in the power of community to heal and grow. I'm 29, have lived in 5 countries, and currently work for LinkedIn in NYC. While my family gave me one precious thing, primary and high-school private education, I took it from there and worked hard to achieve my goals. I know what it is like to change your life without knowing the outcome, to start from zero after breaking up a long-term relationship, to face the fear of not being a native speaker, and to take student loans to study. I was also afraid of credit cards, didn't know how to negotiate my salary, and had many other learning experiences and risks.