Check Out Martha Nino’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Martha Nino.

Hi Martha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Here is my story and the first time I spoke https://youtu.be/X5nSo9ySphQ?si=dE_1TFE7QAvWu2J1

I was born in Zacatecas, Mexico. No electricity, no running water – my crib was a dresser drawer.
My parents picked cotton. They decided to risk everything and hired to come to “The Other Side” undocumented. I could not make the trek with them as I was a baby and could ruin the trip for everyone. I was given to a stranger to pass as their child. HOPING we’d reunite. In my case we did.

We ended up in The Bay Area where we lived in a one bedroom, we were poor but being poor in Mexico is different than being poor in the USA.

My parents did any job … sewed clothes, fields, factories. Eventually many more people came to that one bedroom where we all spread throughout the house to sleep. No one knew there was so many of us – shhhhhh.

Silence became our go to.

Don’t ruffle feathers. Lay low and don’t speak.

I focused on work – began at 10. By 14 I was working with my mom in a factory. I was bad at factory work. The owner opened the door to the office (not to clean it) and that exposure changed my life. I was good at office work. I focused on work and not in school thought. By my senior year I had gotten kicked out of high school and sent to a continuation school.

I needed someone to guide me.

Between the counselor at that continuation and my boss at that factory. I was able to go back to that high school. I made up 2 years in 1 and graduated on time.

I did not know about college as my parents had only gone to school until the 2 and 6th grade so I went to work.

I worked in an office cubicle company. I got good at math and learned programs like excel.

Then by “accident” I ended up at a SOUND company … I knew nothing but I hustled. That was my indirect start into tech.

That lead to mobile and that led to me working at the largest creative software company in the world; the makers of Photoshop. I have been there for over 19 years and am part of the only 2%of Latinos in tech.

With over 30/40% and sometimes more in school this ratio is horrible. We need more! We have an opportunity.

After that talk at Adobe, I kept writing more life stories and I would post them on LinkedIn … I kept writing, speaking and that led to becoming the Author of The Other Side From a Shack to Silicon Valley. A small 100 page book with ~30 short stories about an immigrants girls life that one day was undocumented. That with the help of others has broken the cycles of what was to what could be.

That little book became a foundation The Martha Nino Foundation and the book became a tech/office career pathway book that exposes students to a possible career. Completely different than their parents and family might have had.

My overall life has had its obstacles but I know now my obstacles are my superpower.

With all of this happening I have developed a 4H philosophy that I use in all my talks and motivational everything.

HOPE = We must believe first (let’s turn our Hurt into Hope)
HELP = We can’t do it alone. Ask for help, get help; teachers, programs, books …
HUSTLE = We must put in the work. Nothing will happen just sitting on the coach
HEART = Let’s be genuine and do it as ourselves.

We have given over 6K books in the short time, we hope to make STORYTELLING mainstream and a need in all K-12 schools. We can’t bring all students to corporations but we can bring the teachings to them.

That is a bit of my story.

I am a proud immigrant born in a grass shack with dirt floors. If I can – there it HOPE.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
See previous.

Lack of educational system knowledge
Lack of educational guidance
Lack of exposure
Death of family member
Illness

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Day Job = work at a large tech company (Adobe); 28 years in the technology industry.

I am proud that without knowing I have ended up in a position where I can motivate millions.
I am proud of the people, the believers that never asked me where I came from – they focused on what I could do.
I am proud I didn’t know what imposter syndrome was ..
I have a personal blueprint that worked for me.
I know students can enter jobs that help break the cycle of poverty .. .ONE job can do that.
I am proof.
I am proud of my background. My struggle. My overcoming. My confidence and my responsibility to help change a system with something as simple as Storytelling.
I am proud to be cycle breaker.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My book The Other Side From a Shack to Silicon Valley – El Otro Lado de la Nada al Silicon Valley

LinkedIn!

Contact Info:

• Website: marthanino.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martha-ni%C3%B1o%F0%9F%A6%8B-9b58961