Women & girls in science: Q&A with our COO Oriana Fuentes - Emptor

Each year on February 11, the United Nations focuses on the importance of women and girls in science fields. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science aims to highlight the critical and influential roles that women and girls play in science and technology. By supporting gender equality, we can open new opportunities to develop unique perspectives and ideas to help solve the world’s most pressing issues.

For the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the International Baccalaureate connected with Emptor’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Oriana Fuentes, to share her experience transitioning to a career in tech and key advice for girls considering a career in STEM or tech.

What makes you passionate about your work?

Part of the Emptor team during the 2019 offsite
Every day arrives with challenges and new things to learn. I am currently a COO at a tech start-up, which can be chaotic, but it’s also an opportunity to “build your own job,” as you are interacting and managing different teams and partners both internally and externally. I also enjoy thinking strategically about the technology we build and how it can help us grow the business. Strategy layered with the complexity of growing a team, sticking to a budget and navigating the legal landscape of running a company, present scenarios of constant problem-solving that I wouldn’t find in another job. As a founder, I am also in the unique position to create and foster culture. Part of my mission is to also create a great place to work, which requires investing energy into understanding what motivates a team to excel, grow, and stay at a company.

As a founder, I am also in the unique position to create and foster culture.

Do you think increasing access to science courses for girls is important? Why?

It is fundamental that women have access to these professional opportunities and participate in the industries that are shaping our future.

What advice do you have for girls considering a career in the sciences?

Work on your own projects. There are many ways to learn skills like coding by building a personal website or putting together an app or a game. Be perseverant and learn from others. One of the mistakes I made in graduate school was not realizing that the program was tough for everybody (not just me, since I lacked a computer science undergrad) and it took me longer to find a study group to work with because most of the other students worked. Think outside of the box. There are plenty of non-traditional career opportunities with a STEM degree (or vice versa, STEM careers without a STEM degree!). Studying computer science didn’t limit me to software engineering roles and, on the other hand, I’ve met engineers or engineering managers who are self-taught and moved into tech after studying something non-technical in university.

There are plenty of non-traditional career opportunities with a STEM degree (or vice versa, STEM careers without a STEM degree!).

Oriana graduated from Hiram Bingham School in 2007. In 2012, she graduated as valedictorian from Syracuse University with a dual bachelor’s in finance and economics. She is currently studying for a master’s degree in computer science at Columbia University in New York, after spending four years at J.P. Morgan as a banker.