Ariel Lopez’s Post

The first press I ever received was at the age of 17. I won a scholarship with Sallie Mae, who I was a poster child for at the time, being Black, Latina, a Woman, and barely escaping poverty. I got featured in Essence Magazine and it felt like the beginning to a very carefully thought out career. I’d go to undergrad, study Political Science, go to law school, move to DC and pursue my dreams of being a top attorney or lobbyist. I ended up dropping out 3 years later, moved to NYC with dollars to my name, and decided to do something different instead. Although, I’m not exactly who I thought I’d turn out to be, I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be. Here are 10 things I would tell that girl, and what I still tell myself today: 1. Your gifts will always make room for you. 2. You wouldn’t have the vision if it wasn’t possible. 3. What’s for you will never miss you. 4. Getting into tech will be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. 5. The risks you take will always be worth it, even when it’s scary and uncomfortable at times. 6. Keep purpose at the center of everything, your calling is bigger and you will be used to bless others. 7. Comparison is the thief of joy, focus on your journey and yours alone. 8. Your personality is a differentiator, use it to your advantage. 9. Stop looking for the blueprint, there isn’t one because you’re supposed to create it for yourself. 10. Surround yourself with thinkers and dreamers, but most importantly the doers. That’s your tribe. What would you tell your younger self? #mondaymotivation #inspiration #career #advice #tomyyoungerself #jobs #entrepreneurship #tech

“It’s not what you raise, it’s what you keep” The latest edition of the A-List is here! I get real in this one and talk about: ⚫ The time I turned down $1,000,000 ⚫ What founders should know about fundraising ⚫ Why all money isn't "good" money ⚫ What job seekers should know about startup funding (and how it impacts them) This edition was inspired by a cheat sheet I came across (below) that does a great job demonstrating what startups need to show at each stage, and what the funding should be used for (something a lot of founders neglect to think through). The reality is there are a ton of systemic issues within VC, but there are a lot of misconceptions as well. The more honest and transparent we can be, the better we can help the people that create our startup ecosystem (founders and teams alike). There’s also funding opportunities from Amazon Web Services (AWS) Ulta Beauty Verizon and more, plus jobs from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mercury, Netflix, Calm and others. Find a copy of the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eTrkSCbs And sign up & keep up with me here: https://lnkd.in/eKqCyw4x #tech #startups #founders #techies #entrepreneurs #capital #vc #techjobs #funding #fundingopportunities 

Techstars is excited to participate in the second phase of the NSF Engine competition! As we continue to support advancing technologies, we have unique opportunities to address pressing national and societal challenges. We believe collaboration is key to making these visions a reality. If you’re involved with the NSF Engine Phase II Competition and are interested in cultivating partnerships across industries, academia, governments, nonprofits, and communities - let’s chat and discuss how we can join forces to make a significant impact! #InnovationEcosystem #NSFEngine #TechInnovation #Collaboration #EconomicGrowth #RegionalInnovation #EconomicDevelopment

Hard skills get you through the door, but soft skills get you to the top. ↗️ 5 skills you need to be successful that can’t be taught- based on the most impressive hires and entrepreneurs I’ve seen over the years: - Audacity: You’re bold enough to go after what you want and never let imposter syndrome sink in. You take up as much space as you can because you understand the benefits of not hiding in the shadows. - Resiliency: You stick around long enough to see the wins. You don’t get thrown off by rejection, you simply see it as redirection and are consistent even on the days you don’t feel like it. - Storytelling: You understand the art of selling yourself. You’re able to communicate and articulate your thoughts in a way that’s captivating, and drives people to say yes. - Critical thinking: You’re a natural born problem solver, and see solutions where others only see challenges. You’re never satisfied with the status quo, because you can always think through how to make something better. - Charisma- You’re likable, what you say resonates with people, and you have an energy that attracts others. You understand the value of relationships and you know how to build them. #topskills #hiring #entrepreneurship #success #qualified

What are the Top Tech Hubs in the U.S.? 👀 Carta just released their rankings - here are my observations based on the insights: 1. Will SF always be #1 or will NYC ever reach the top spot? As someone that's biased towards Silicon Alley > Silicon Valley, the Big Apple still reigns supreme to me, but overtaking the Bay has always seemed like an impossible feat. One thing is for certain, both will always be in the top 3 unless other markets change drastically. 2. Boston, Austin, DC, and other secondary markets continue to improve their stats, but I'm curious to see what emerging hubs will make the list next year. 3. Have all of the Tech Bros left Miami? Where are they in the rankings? Arguably though, LA was always the original "Silicon Beach". 4. When I think of diversity, an almost dying concept 😕 , and the amount of funding that Black/Brown founders receive, we must also keep in mind where they live. Atlanta is #1 in the country for Tech Diversity but missing on the list. I also think of Tulsa, and the energy that's being poured into creating the new Black Wall Street. When we look at the areas of the country that deploy the most capital, what demographics are being supported the most? 5. As far as sectors, I'm shocked to not see AI here, but it is interesting to see which Hubs are known for specific verticals. When I think about ecosystem development and empowering the Tech Hubs of today and tomorrow, there are 4 things I think each city needs to offer to maintain it's status. Access to capital, access to customers, access to community, and access to jobs. What do you think is essential for a market to be deemed as a "top hub", what cities are missing from the list?! #Tech #TechHubs #Startups #Entrepreneurs #Founders #VC #Ecosystem #EconomicDevelopment

Looking for job and funding opportunities in Tech? The May Edition of the A-List is now live! This issue features funding opportunities from HubSpot, Amazon, TechCrunch and more! Plus top jobs from Techstars, TikTok, Brex, GoingVC and others. Take a sneak peek here: https://lnkd.in/eXpXZpF6 Get it directly to your inbox by subscribing here: https://lnkd.in/eEezRj4c Please share this with anyone you know, that's looking #tech #jobsearch #jobs #funding #tech #vc #startups #founders #entrepreneurs #askcoacha

Can you tell the difference between these two resumes? 👀 I'm somewhat obsessed with this social experiment a guy conducted, that shows just how little recruiters pay attention to your resume during the screening process. In defense of recruiters, lack of time and bandwidth can make it hard to do this efficiently, if you get ghosted that's likely why. However, sometimes it's just poor process all around, which is how this guy was able to get over 100 interview requests from TOP tech companies, with a FAKE resume. What stood out: 1. Even though the name is the first red flag 🤣 , his "experience" at Instagram, Google, Amazon, was enough to give it a first pass. 2. His "education" was from Stanford, a top 10 school that's on every tech recruiters hit list. But look at what he studied 😂 3. The highlighted "metrics" mentions everything from his dog winning the World Cup to raising money from sugar daddies to start a VC fund (maybe that's not a terrible idea lol). 4. I think one of the biggest reasons people still contacted him was the format of the resume, it's modern, in an "L" format, and at first glance it looks o.k.! Job seekers keep this in mind when making updates. The reality is the hiring process is full of pattern matching, it's full of bias, and it's also full of people that aren't really paying attention to the important things. We have a lot to change to get this right. What are your thoughts? #hiring #jobs #recruiting #resumes #tech #work