01:17
Adrianna Samaniego Highlight
[When you hear] that internal voice that says, “Can I do this?”, you just have to say “¡Cállate!” and push through.
About Adrianna
- Born and raised in Douglas, AZ, a town on the border with Mexico that she says lacked opportunities for her.
- Was raised by a single mother who had her when she was 16 years old—seeing the sacrifices her mom made motivated her to pursue college and make something of her life.
- At 16, she moved with her family to Atlanta, GA to get away from the crime and poverty in her hometown—says this was the first time in her life she realized the importance of diversity.
- Attended the University of Georgia where she majored in business administration.
- As a first generation college student, she had no idea how to leverage opportunities, so she worked with a nonprofit that helped minority students secure internships in the corporate world.
- Was interning in finance for large banks in New York but hated it—heard about an opportunity at Google from a friend so she applied and got the job.
- Has worked at Google for over eight years; she successfully launched Google’s first ever Supplier Diversity program, working to increase the number of diversely owned businesses for economic impact.
- She has also started a scholarship program for minority students from border towns, is the co-founder of Google startup, Area 120, and is now an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School.
