Luglio, 2022

Google Developer Experts (GDEs) are tech enthusiasts from around the world who are skilled in Google technologies, actively sharing their knowledge in talks, workshops and online content. Road to GDE, geared toward developers from historically underrepresented groups in tech, supports participants on their path to becoming GDEs. The three-month program pairs them with mentors — current GDEs — to learn new content development strategies and prepare for the GDE application and interview process.

The Road to GDE program launched in 2021 with 58 mentors and mentees. At the beginning of 2022, it had grown to 140 people — 70 mentors and 70 prospective GDEs — from around the world.

“We heard so much positive feedback about Road to GDE from both mentors and mentees that we decided to scale it up,” says Pati Jurek, a program manager for Road to GDE. “It was amazing to see how it sparked connections among people in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America, all working toward a shared goal to become Google Developer Experts.”

Sharing knowledge with the community

Kensy Ayala from Honduras taught a workshop at the Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) Latin America conference and regularly gives talks to Google Developer Groups about technologies like Angular and Firebase. She joined Road to GDE to get new content ideas and walked away with a reaffirmed passion for teaching others to code: “I love software development, and I love Angular, and I feel more inspired than ever to share that knowledge.”

Ezekias Bokove from the Republic of Benin joined “to become part of a community of passionate and experienced people” and improve his content production skills. “Thanks to the program, the quality of my content has improved significantly,” he says.

Road to GDE also helps mentees connect with even more communities. “Through this program, I was able to reach more developers around the world,” says Ahmed Tikiwa from South Africa. “I started giving virtual talks to audiences in France, Croatia, Norway, Germany and the U.S. My network has grown tremendously.”

Supporting prospective GDEs

The mentors behind Road to GDE play a key role in the program, and their mentees’ success.

Dart and Flutter GDE Anna Leushchenko from Ukraine helped her mentee build up their confidence and learn more about the GDE program and application process: “My mentee applied for the GDE program before the Road to GDE program ended,” says Anna. “I was so happy to learn they’ve already successfully passed the first step!”

After completing the Road to GDE program, which included mentoring sessions with Debbie O’Brien, Dominika Zajac from Poland became a Web Technologies GDE. “Debbie helped me improve my articles, lectures and social media content,” says Dominika. “With her guidance, I also understood the application process better and gained the confidence to pursue my path as a GDE.”

Join us on the Road to GDE

Interested in the Road to GDE program? Applications are now open for the next cohort, happening August 31 to December 1. Apply by July 22!

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Since joining Google almost twelve years ago, it’s been a personal mission of mine to seek new ways for Google to provide access and opportunity to the Latino community. Most recently I’ve been focused on how we can provide this to the Latino startup community, where gaining access to funding — the necessary fuel to grow their companies – is a constant struggle. Latino-led businesses are the fastest-growing segment of U.S. small businesses, but as an aggregate they only receive 2% of total U.S. venture capital funding, despite comprising 20% of the U.S. population.

This disparity is why we committed $7 million last year to help Latino founders grow their businesses and support the organizations already nurturing communities of Latino-led startups. We allocated $5 million of that funding to our inaugural Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, and today at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, we revealed the 50 Latino founders who will each receive $100,000 in cash awards. They’ll also receive hands-on support and mentorship from Googlers across the company, $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, and access to therapy sessions to use as needed for any support they may need emotionally and professionally.

These Latino Founders Fund recipients have created amazing businesses that are already making a significant impact. They are helping solve some of the country’s biggest problems, from providing accessible, personalized reproductive health support to helping college graduates get out of debt and creating a more equitable legal system for Americans. Meet some of the recipients below, and read the full list of this year’s awardees here.

We know having a robust network of support is critical to Latino founders’ success. That’s why we committed $1 million to supporting organizations that are dedicated to growing the Latino startup community. In the past few months, we connected founders across North and Latin America through our partnership with eMerge Americas. We teamed up with Visible Hands to launch VHLX, a new program to support Latino entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of their process; those founders received $10,000 in cash stipends from Google to help kickstart their ideas. And we recently wrapped our first Latinx Leaders Summit with Inicio Ventures, and will host a series of pitch competitions for aspiring entrepreneurs later this year.

We’ve seen firsthand what happens when we support underrepresented founders with funding and community. For example, over the past two years, Google for Startups has provided $10 million in cash awards to 126 Black founders in the U.S. through our global Black Founders Fund. I’ve had the privilege of working directly with these incredible founders, who have collectively gone on to raise over $75 million in follow-on funding. In addition to follow-on funding, many report that the fund allowed them to attract customers and hire new teammates.

I hope this funding and support will not only catalyze the growth of these 50 Latino-led startups, but also inspire other Latinos entrepreneurs to dream, create and innovate to showcase the talent of our community and change the course for their families and communities in the process.

Presentamos a los primeros 50 beneficiarios del Fondo de Fundadores Latinos

Desde que me uní a Google hace casi doce años, mi misión personal ha sido buscar nuevas formas para que Google brinde acceso y oportunidades a la comunidad latina. Más recientemente, me he centrado en cómo podemos proporcionar esto a la comunidad latina de empresas emergentes, donde obtener acceso a la financiación, el combustible necesario para hacer crecer sus empresas, es una lucha constante. Las empresas lideradas por latinos son el segmento de más rápido crecimiento de las pequeñas empresas de Estados Unidos, pero en conjunto solo reciben el 2 % del financiamiento total de capital de riesgo en Estados Unidos, a pesar de que representan el 20 % de la población del país.

Esta disparidad es la razón por la cual comprometimos $7 millones el año pasado para ayudar a los fundadores latinos a hacer crecer sus negocios y apoyar a las organizaciones que ya nutren comunidades de empresas emergentes dirigidas por latinos. Asignamos $5 millones de esa financiación a nuestro Fondo inaugural de Fundadores Latinos de Google for Startups y hoy en la Conferencia Anual de UnidosUS en San Antonio, anunciamos los 50 fundadores latinos que recibirán cada uno $100,000 en efectivo. También recibirán apoyo práctico y tutoría de Googlers (empleados de Google) en toda la empresa, $100,000 en créditos de Google Cloud y acceso a sesiones de terapia para usar según sea necesario para cualquier apoyo que puedan necesitar emocional y profesionalmente.

Estos beneficiarios del Fondo de Fundadores Latinos han creado negocios increíbles que ya están teniendo un impacto significativo. Están ayudando a resolver algunos de los problemas más grandes del país, desde brindar salud reproductiva accesible y personalizada, ayudar a los graduados universitarios a salir de deudas y crear un sistema legal más equitativo para los estadounidenses. Lee la lista completa de los galardonados de este año aquí.

Sabemos que tener una sólida red de apoyo es fundamental para el éxito de los fundadores latinos. Es por eso que comprometimos $1 millón para apoyar a organizaciones que se dedican a hacer crecer la comunidad latina de empresas emergentes. En los últimos meses, conectamos a fundadores de América del Norte y América Latina a través de nuestra asociación con eMerge Americas. Nos asociamos con Visible Hands para lanzar VHLX, un nuevo programa para apoyar a los empresarios latinos en las primeras etapas de su proceso; esos fundadores recibieron $10,000 en estipendios en efectivo de Google para ayudarlos a poner en marcha sus ideas. Y recientemente finalizamos nuestra primera Cumbre de Líderes Latinx con Inicio Ventures, y organizaremos una serie de concursos de lanzamiento para aspirantes a empresarios a finales de este año.

Hemos visto de primera mano lo que sucede cuando apoyamos a los fundadores subrepresentados con fondos y comunidad. Por ejemplo, en los últimos dos años, Google for Startups ha otorgado $10 millones en premios en efectivo a 126 fundadores afroamericanos en los Estados Unidos a través de nuestro Black Founders Fund. He tenido el privilegio de trabajar directamente con estos increíbles fundadores, quienes colectivamente recaudaron más de $75 millones en fondos de seguimiento. Además de la financiación de seguimiento, muchos informan que el fondo les permitió atraer clientes y contratar nuevos compañeros de equipo.

Espero que este financiamiento y apoyo no solo catalice el crecimiento de estas 50 nuevas empresas lideradas por latinos, sino que también inspire a otros empresarios latinos a soñar, crear e innovar para mostrar el talento de nuestra comunidad y cambiar el rumbo de sus familias y comunidades en el proceso.