Hi, I’m Melissa
a versatile marketer

The Power and Paradox of Being Latina: A 2025 Perspective

I begin by honoring my homeland, Puerto Rico —a place of natural beauty, cultural richness, and complexity. Puerto Rico isn’t just where I’m from; it’s the foundation of my perspective, my voice, and the nuance I bring into every room I walk into.

“Where is Puerto Rico? What is Puerto Rico? So… are you Latina, Hispanic, American, or what?” – the all too familiar questions when identifying myself in any setting.

• Puerto Rico is located in the northeast Caribbean Sea, approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.
• Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States (aka the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico).
• By definition, I am Latina and an American-born citizen.

As history narrates, Puerto Rico and its people were transferred from one sovereign to another, destined to be the gem of the Antilles—the best governed, happiest, and most prosperous island in the West Indies — and remain as a Commonwealth of the United States. What does the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico mean? We have a governmental administration, but are governed with complete jurisdiction by the US, and enjoy freedom of movement between the island and the mainland as US citizens. It’s essential ​​to note that even if 100% of Puerto Ricans vote for a change in status, a plebiscite could never actually be a direct path to statehood or independence. Currently, the people of Puerto Rico lack the legal authority to decide their own fate. That power still rests with the United States Congress.  Are you confused yet? That’s what being a native Puerto Rican from the island often feels like: confusing. In a nutshell, Puerto Rico’s complex history and relationship to the mainland are complicated and reflective of my own experience in the workplace – complex and ever-changing. 

These are the kinds of questions I’ve heard throughout my life — questions that reflect a persistent lack of awareness about Puerto Rican identity and, more broadly, the multifaceted experience of being Latina in the U.S. homeland. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Yet our political status remains unresolved, and that ambiguity mirrors how many of us feel navigating American workplaces, seen but not fully understood. Included, but rarely empowered.

In my early career in finance, being bilingual was a superpower, until it wasn’t. My language skills were celebrated only when they met a business need. I was indispensable, yet professionally immobile. I was the “only one,” and instead of building a pipeline of talent, leadership kept me where I was because replacing my language skills was deemed more complicated than investing in my growth.

I moved on.

Eventually, I found myself marketing some of the most celebrated products in one of the most romanticized industries: the wine industry. I joined one of the top three wine organizations in the U.S. at a time when the company was growing and its potential felt limitless. I helped launch brands, build systems, and drive visibility. But as we expanded into Latin American products, the industry’s lack of cultural fluency became painfully obvious.

I found myself explaining the intricacies of Spanish dialects, regional differences, and why marketing to a “general Hispanic audience” wasn’t just ineffective, it was disrespectful. Once again, I felt like the translator, the explainer, the other. Not a leader. Not the strategist. Not the one invited to shape the future.

Despite Hispanic consumers accounting for over $2.8 trillion in buying power and representing one of the fastest-growing demographics, the wine industry, like many others, lagged in representation, investment, and understanding. After eight years, I made the hard decision to move on. Not because I hadn’t thrived—but because I wanted to succeed on my terms.

Since then, I’ve built brands, launched campaigns, and led marketing transformations across healthtech, HR tech, CPG, and nonprofit sectors. I’ve built field teams, GTM engines, and scalable marketing operations from the ground up. I’ve aligned founders, product teams, and creatives around mission and market. But what I value most is the ability to lead as my whole self—Latina, Boricua, executive, mother, and advocate.

Now, I lead with purpose and clarity, seeking out organizations that not only value diverse leadership but also recognize it as a strategic imperative. I look for companies that understand the difference between performative inclusion and meaningful representation. That understands that culture is not just celebrated in heritage months but is built into daily operations.

To my fellow Latinas: our lived experiences are not just valid, they’re valuable. We are more than stats on DEI reports. We are builders, marketers, leaders, mothers, founders, culture shapers, and truth-tellers. Our voices and experiences matter, and they deserve to be heard and valued.

As we navigate boardrooms, brainstorm ideas, and balance bottom lines, we carry our culture, our communities, and our aspirations with us. And while it can still feel like we live “ni de aquí, ni de allá” — not entirely of here or there — we also live in the in-between with power. We create bridges. We create belonging.

And I, for one, will never stop building.

Leadership in Uncertain Times: Why Strength and Kindness Matter More Than Ever

Strong and Kind: Why Today’s Most Effective Leaders Embrace Both

In today’s fast-moving, ever-shifting world, leadership isn’t just about setting direction, it’s about creating connection. As we navigate economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and cultural transformation, the leaders who rise to the moment are those who lead with both strength and kindness.

Throughout my journey, I’ve seen the power of balancing strength and kindness in leadership. Whether it was transforming early-stage startups into $7M+ pipeline generators, leading growth initiatives in regulated industries, or scaling high-performing teams in times of rapid change, I’ve learned that while resilience, strategy, and decisiveness are crucial, the most impactful outcomes are always rooted in something more personal: empathy, care, and courage. For instance, when faced with a challenging decision, I’ve found that a kind approach, such as listening to all perspectives, can lead to a stronger, more united team. This balance is not a sign of weakness, but a demonstration of true leadership strength.

Kindness Is Not a Weakness—It’s a Leadership Strength

For too long, traditional leadership has framed kindness as a soft quality. But let’s be clear: kindness requires strength. It takes courage to listen deeply, to meet people where they are, and to show vulnerability without losing clarity. And in times of ambiguity, kindness becomes the glue that holds teams together and keeps them engaged.

Leadership today demands we “don’t just hear, but truly listen.” This is especially vital when guiding teams through transformation. At Babylon Health, for example, building a field marketing team from scratch required not only a strategic approach but also a human-first approach to engagement. This approach involves understanding the unique needs and motivations of each team member, and creating an environment where they feel seen, heard, and empowered. The result? A 9% increase in activations in just 90 days—because people felt seen, heard, and empowered.

The Power of Purpose, Culture, and Curiosity

Leaders and innovators across many industries remind us that effective leadership begins with a clear purpose. Submitting a 100-day plan before accepting a role, as a mentor of mine once did, isn’t just bold; it’s strategic alignment in action. That same spirit of intentionality is what I bring into every role: a commitment to transforming complexity into clarity, aligning vision with execution, and building culture alongside strategy.

When culture, purpose, and passion fuel leadership, teams take risks, experiment, and grow. Giving people permission to fail, iterate, and evolve isn’t just a business tactic; it’s a human investment. At Eskalera, aligning four co-founders around a shared vision led to the development of a powerful DEI platform, with zero paid spend and a $7M+ pipeline to show for it.

Leading Through Uncertainty Requires Heart and Hustle

In uncertain times, the best leaders don’t just provide direction, they also provide stability. They help teams “find joy in uncertainty” while relentlessly focusing on what matters most: the project, the goal, the priority. It’s about helping people hold onto their humanity while still moving the business forward.

This is where the balance of empathy and structure becomes a superpower. I’ve built GTM engines from scratch, led multimillion-dollar campaigns across 10+ channels, and scaled brand operations within Fortune 100 enterprises. But none of that happens in a vacuum; it’s built on trust, communication, and a shared belief in something greater. Empathy is the key that unlocks understanding and value in leadership.

Curiosity, Courage, and the Invitation to Grow

Today’s leaders must remain curious. We must fall in love with our customers’ problems, lean into new technologies like GenAI, and create space for cross-functional teams to test, learn, and iterate. The doors we walk through—success or setback—always swing two ways. Growth lives on both sides. As we lead with strength and kindness, we also grow personally, becoming better leaders and better people.

And leadership is no different. Our most significant impact as leaders is not in being the smartest person in the room, but in creating the kind of room where everyone’s voice matters. That’s how we build trust. That’s how we scale momentum. And that’s how we leave a lasting legacy. By fostering a supportive environment, we can ensure our teams feel secure and confident in their roles, knowing that their contributions are valued and their growth is supported.

Final Thought: Leadership with Impact and Intention

Strong leaders create vision. Kind leaders develop connections. The best leaders do both.

If we want to navigate transformation with clarity, elevate teams with empathy, and drive growth with intention, we must embrace leadership that is both strong and kind, fierce in our focus, but human in our approach.Let’s lead with both. The future demands it.

Creating Safe, Scalable, and Human-Centered Teams

In today’s complex and fast-changing world, leadership isn’t about hierarchy, it’s about humanity.

As leaders, we’re responsible not just for driving results, but for creating environments where people feel safe, seen, and supported. Safety and joy at work aren’t nice-to-haves—they’re business imperatives. They fuel innovation, unlock creativity, and foster the kind of cross-functional collaboration that drives meaningful outcomes.

Here’s how we can lead better, more intentionally, more empathetically, and more effectively, in today’s climate:

1. Emotional Safety Is the New Standard

Workplaces are evolving from command-and-control models to connection-and-care ecosystems. Emotional and psychological safety means people can speak up, disagree, take risks, and be human, without fear. This not only fosters a more inclusive and diverse environment but also accelerates innovation and creativity, leading to more meaningful outcomes.

True safety starts with listening. It’s about asking better questions, acknowledging what you hear, and building trust over time. It’s about making room for diverse voices and lived experiences, especially in high-stakes or high-change environments.

As someone who’s built marketing engines from scratch in regulated industries, I’ve seen firsthand how trust accelerates progress. When teams feel safe, they move faster, ideate more freely, and support each other through challenges.

2. Vulnerability Builds Belonging

Vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s a leadership superpower. Admitting what you don’t know, asking for input, or sharing lessons from failure creates a culture of transparency and mutual respect. It inspires others to step out of their comfort zones and contribute to the collective growth.

I’ve launched teams and brands under tight timelines with zero playbook. What got us through? Owning what wasn’t perfect, co-creating solutions, and celebrating progress over perfection. When leaders model vulnerability, they invite others to show up fully, too.

3. Celebrate the Work and the People Doing It

Celebrating wins isn’t just about metrics. It’s about momentum, whether it’s a 9% growth in activations or a cross-functional sprint that almost fell apart but didn’t, make it visible. This not only acknowledges the hard work but also motivates the team to continue striving for excellence.

And don’t forget the small things, like the team member who stayed late to QA a campaign or the junior teammate who asked the bold question that sparked a shift in direction. Recognition isn’t just about performance; it’s about presence.

4. Build Cultures of Shared Accountability

In my leadership journey, whether guiding four co-founders to align on a single GTM vision or leading integrated teams across 18+ functions, I’ve seen the power of collective ownership.

Shared accountability doesn’t mean perfection or harmony all the time. It means clarity of roles, mutual respect, and a bias toward action. It means everyone feels responsible for outcomes, not just tasks.

5. Practice Radical Candor (With Heart)

Honest feedback, when done right, is a gift. It helps us grow, it strengthens teams, and it prevents resentment from festering. But candor without care can cause harm.

Radical candor means speaking truth with empathy. It’s holding space for hard conversations while still rooting for each other’s success. When feedback is normalized, not feared, it becomes a tool for growth, not judgment.

Leading Forward

Today’s best leaders are bridge-builders, connecting strategy and heart, vision and execution, people and purpose.

As we continue navigating uncertainty, let’s commit to leading with clarity, courage, and care. Let’s create workplaces where trust isn’t earned through perfection but through presence, where joy is part of the culture, not just the outcome. And where leadership is defined not by how loudly we speak, but by how deeply we listen, and act.

Because when people feel safe, valued, and empowered, they don’t just show up. They soar.

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