GET Champions Miami Returns with Cohort of 14 Forward-Thinking Tech Leaders Aligning to Increase Gender Equity in Tech

GET Cities and Radical Partners announce the return of GET Champions to Miami, unveiling a cohort of 14 tech leaders committed to advancing gender equity in tech.

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, February 29, 2024 – GET (Gender Equity in Tech) Cities and Radical Partners are excited to announce the selection of 14 participants for the third iteration of GET Champions, marking the second round of the intervention in Miami.

GET Champions is an exclusive intervention tailored for innovative tech leaders dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in their companies, particularly among women, trans, and nonbinary employees. The cohort members were selected from a pool of applicants for their commitment to challenge biases, strengthen their culture of inclusion, and build actionable and measurable plans to increase attraction, hiring, and retention of historically excluded technologists within their own company.

“We are thrilled to welcome the dynamic cohort of 14 innovative tech leaders participating in the GET Champions intervention in Miami. As we embark on this second round of partnership with Radical Partners, we are excited to witness the collaborative efforts of these tech leaders as they shape a more inclusive and vibrant tech ecosystem. Together, we are building a future where equity and inclusion thrive, innovation flourishes, and everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the growth of our industry” said Toia Santamarina, Managing Director for GET Cities Miami.

The 14 participants selected for the second GET Champions Miami cohort each represent one of the main leadership roles crucial to the GET Cities ecosystem-building model: Corporate Changemakers, Ecosystem Builders, Tech Companies, and Tech Innovators (Entrepreneurs).  Each organizational type brings unique perspectives and capabilities, contributing to a comprehensive ecosystem that enables collaboration, innovation, and adaptability, ultimately fueling sustainable growth and development across the whole city.

The cohort participants are:

Corporate Changemakers

  • Wilson Diaz, Mastercard, VP Product Management
  • Antonio Maia, Mastercard, VP Customer Tech Solutions 
  • Emily Mato, Wayfair, Manager, Talent Acquisition Enablement 
  • Nylia Zamora, Miami Marlins, Senior Help Desk Manager

 

Ecosystem Builders

  • Eugenia Di Marco, UC Berkeley, International Legal Advisor 
  • Joanne Joseph, Black Professionals Network, Director of Chapters

 

Tech Companies

  • Nurdes Gomez,  eMed LLC, Director, People Operations 
  • Willy Orozco, CSTA Miami / Microsoft TEALS, President / Regional Program Manager and Specialist for FL 
  • Allan Tito, Vertafore / Grammerhub, Project Manager

 

Tech Innovators (Entrepreneurs)

  • Tatendaishe Mahaka, Miami EdTech, Learning Technologist
  • Alicia Melton and , S.E.E.K. Foundation, Program Manager
  • Anike Sakariyawo, S.E.E.K. Foundation, Executive Director
  • Stephanie Sylvestre, Avatar Buddy, LLC, Co-Founder
  • Patricia Tavira Munoz, Tavira Group LLC, CEO

Building on the resounding success of our inaugural cohort, the second GET Champions Miami cohort marks a continuation of the commitment to foster change in the tech industry. The first cohort unanimously reported that their experience led to a transformational change in their leadership approach, and 86% of participants in the inaugural group developed robust metrics and evaluation plans to track the impact of their initiatives. This demonstrates a tangible commitment to driving measurable change within their organizations.

“I’ve already put forward four new ideas to the sponsors of the Women in Leadership ERG in my organization on how to increase participation in diversity events and gain more allies. And whether or not any of these ideas I have submitted do get brought to life here at my company, I can say without a doubt that I will be a much more effective agent of change because of this program!” Dana Wheeler, Oracle, GET Champions Miami 2023

As we welcome the second cohort, we are excited to build upon this foundation of success and witness the continued impact of GET Champions in shaping leaders who drive positive change in the tech industry.

“Our language of love is pushing, and through GET Champions, we’re leveraging tech leaders’ momentum through the program to drive equity in Miami’s tech scene. This program’s  unique approach integrates workshops and personalized coaching sessions, empowering tech professionals to make a meaningful impact in their companies and beyond. We’re holding our cohort members to high standards, believing in their potential to learn strategies from expert facilitators and each other, collaborate within a community with whom they feel they can move the needle, and define the impact they have together in the long term.  “ – Andreina Weichselbaumer, Radical Partners

Over almost four months, the second cohort members will benefit from virtual training, executive coaching, and in-person events including a Talent Connect that puts learned skills into practice through behavioral interviews with some of the region’s top women, trans, and nonbinary tech talent.

For more information about GET Cities and GET Champions, please visit www.getcities.org/get-champions/

About GET Cities

GET Cities is a national initiative designed to accelerate the power and influence of historically excluded people and places in tech through ecosystem alignment and activation to build a more equitable and vibrant economy. GET Cities launched in 2020, powered by SecondMuse Foundation, with catalytic funding from Pivotal Ventures and in partnership with Break Through Tech, and we are currently seeking additional investors and partners to implement interventions based on our pilots and learnings.

About SecondMuse Foundation

SecondMuse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advocates for a different approach for building inclusive and resilient societies and economies, which is referred to as relational wealth. It draws learning from the experiences of our partners, other organizations and communities around the world to advance the approach to a larger audience. The Foundation contributes to thought leadership, field building, and the creation of public goods on relational wealth. We seek to empower a community of practitioners and influence funders to better understand relational wealth and how it can be harnessed to benefit all people and the planet.

About Radical Partners

Radical Partners is a Miami-based social impact accelerator. They invest in leaders, engage locals, co-design innovative solutions and build coalitions to collectively strengthen communities.