Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Liera
Hi Victoria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Victoria Liera and I recently founded Latingeniera, LLC. Latingeniera is a combination of the words “Latina” and “ingeniera”, and I created this brand in hopes of donating the funds raised in the form of a scholarship to support Latinas and minorities in Engineering. I came up with the name at a coffee shop while on the job search after graduating
I am a first-generation college graduate. I studied at UC Davis and graduated in 2022 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I also completed a minor in Theatre & Dance. I am now currently working as a Test Engineer (I work in EMI/EMC and Environmental testing) while also trying to help Latingeniera grow.
I originally found interest in engineering in middle school. I was taking a class where I learned more about computers, including learning how to program a robot to follow a specific path using block-based coding. Since then I always thought robots were cool, but didn’t necessarily know that I could study robots or learn more about electronics as a career. I think if I wasn’t the one who took initiative or found interest in engineering, I wouldn’t have pursued it.
I remember having to choose a major on college applications and thinking “well, I liked robots in middle school so I’ll go with engineering” … only to find out that there were many engineering disciplines. I chose Electrical Engineering because it was the major that involved robots and robots were cool. I later learned, once starting college, that there is so much more to Electrical Engineering and that it was one of the more difficult engineering majors.
After studying engineering and dealing with imposter syndrome, while also learning how to navigate college itself, I knew I wanted to show future generations of Latinas and minorities that engineering is a space where they are welcomed and able to succeed. If it wasn’t for the engineering community I found in college I don’t think I could’ve been as successful as I am today. This is something I hope to create with this brand as well. I have always been passionate about diversity in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) education and I hope to continue to advocate for underrepresented groups and their academic careers.
In the future I hope to create more designs that promote different types of engineering as well as a diverse range of faces to create a stronger sense of representation and inclusion. I hope to spread the word about Latingeniera as much as possible so that I can give out larger scholarships! I also want to collaborate more with people/brands/schools/companies, and hopefully do a couple pop-ups for be a vendor at some markets.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would describe the road to be bumpy with a few pot holes. I think one of the more difficult things was studying engineering and finishing my degree while navigating life as well as a system that wasn’t created for people like me. There were many long nights, all-nighters, and tears involved. I didn’t know anyone who really knew what engineering was outside of college and it took me a lot longer to understand the topics I was learning for almost every class. I also constantly struggled with comparing myself and questioning my abilities.
I think finances and money were also a struggle, and I recognize these are huge determining factors on whether people decide to pursue higher education. I thankfully qualified for some financial aid, I applied to scholarships, I qualified for food stamps, but I still had student loans after graduating. I also remember barely having enough money to eat at one point. I want to make this less of a burden for people and be the financial help I needed when attending college.
Learning how to start a business also takes a lot of reading and understanding what you’re reading. I would say this is something more time consuming. I had to learn how much money I was going to spend, budget all expenses, annual fees, taxes, etc. Although I’ve made a little over $600 in profit, I feel that it isn’t as much as I had hoped to raise and it definitely is not enough for tuition or college expenses for multiple people.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In short, Latingeniera LLC is a brand created in hopes of donating the funds raised to support Latinas and minorities in Engineering. For more info on the brand, ways to donate, and merch to purchase, you can visit our website at https://latingeniera.bigcartel.com/ . Our donation page is https://givebutter.com/Lw60DS . The money that the brand makes goes towards a scholarship or back to funding the LLC.
Aside from running the business, I am also a professional engineer and I currently work as a Test Engineer. As a test engineer, I test products for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). I also test these products’ functionality as they undergo different environmental stresses and tests.
I think the brand is more than just about clothing and raising money. I want to be able to create a community and encourage future generations of engineers. I also host a podcast with my sister called “Twingineering” where we offer advice, share our experiences, and host other engineers to be a resource for other first-generation Latinas or minorities in engineering. We bring up the brand during episodes because we hope our listeners know we are here to be a resource as much as we can. That is what I want to get across with Latingeniera as well.
I think I’m most proud about the connections and community I’ve made with the brand. I always get excited to meet other ingenieras and am always open to helping and providing advice to those who have reached out. Maybe Latingeniera will be more than just a clothing brand in the future, but right now I hope Latingeniera grows and becomes the brand it needs to be for others.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I would describe success as making a positive impact. I think it is less about self and more about uplifting your community when it comes to brands and services. If you feel you don’t have a community, find one or create one. Helping others and nurturing your community benefits everyone. A lot of people’s way of thinking is very individualistic, but nothing beneficial or lasting comes from that mindset. With businesses especially, it has become more of “how can my business make me richer” and not “how well was my business able to provide”. I believe that if I helped one person or made an impact in someone’s life with my brand, then I would say that not only was I successful, but my community was as well. I would consider putting myself in a good place to help others as success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://latingeniera.bigcartel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latingeniera/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-liera/
- Other: [email protected]
