Advancing together: How five members of the Bloomberg Latinx Community pay it forward

None of us at Bloomberg could have built our careers on our own. In fact, our diverse backgrounds and communities have helped us gain the skills and experiences that we in turn bring to the company. It’s through combining these strengths and creating a supportive company culture that Bloomberg makes inclusion integral to every employee’s success both in and out of the workplace.

One of the key ways that Bloomberg employees advance together and leverage our diverse backgrounds is through formal Communities, covering everything from military experience to gender identity to ethnic heritage. With over 12,800 employees participating in one or more Communities, these groups are integral to Bloomberg company culture.

Hear from several members of the Bloomberg Latinx Community (BLC) as they share how their heritage, experiences, and communities both in and out of the company helped them to get where they are – and what they’re doing to foster that same spirit for others.

Forging connections

Kevy Alcindor credits her parents for shaping her worldview and inspiring her to push past obstacles in order to forge connections. In fact, her Haitian father did just that when he enrolled in a university in Colombia without knowing Spanish and proceeded to graduate first in his class.

Today, Kevy speaks more than five languages (French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian – and she is currently learning Creole), which has played an important factor in her accomplished Bloomberg career and taken her all over the world. She began her time at Bloomberg in Brazil, then relocated to Mexico City, and later became the first Bloomberg salesperson to sell a Terminal to the Belize bank. Kevy has since transitioned to the global Corporate Sales group and is now based in New York. As a proud Afro-Latina with experiences in so many different cultures, Kevy advocates for others to get involved and embrace their unique identities.

“You can always do more and, at this company, there’s a culture of being completely open. We are so different from each other and at the same time rooting for one another. There are so many nuances and moments of intersectionality between us; it’s important we’re all visible and acknowledged,” says Kevy.

Finding voice in community

Using her motivation to make her family proud, Jacqueline Lopez’s ability to navigate through Bloomberg has been impressive. Advancing from Senior Specialist to Account Manager for our Buy-Side clients in LA in less than three years, Jacqueline attributes her work ethic to her mentors, sponsors, and Nicaraguan and Guatemalan roots.

Jacqueline understands that, to advance together, community plays an important role — much like it did in her life and development. She’s committed to paying it forward and does so through her involvement in the San Francisco chapter of the BLC. She also co-leads the Bloomberg Women’s Buy-side Network (BWBN) in California and is a SF/LA D&I Advocate.

Jacqueline’s approach to supporting others and joining Bloomberg’s Communities is simple: “A community plays a crucial role in order to advance together,” she says.

Being a role model

Sam Bravo believes that, in order to advance together, respecting, appreciating and learning from each other’s differences is essential, both at Bloomberg and elsewhere.

As a Senior Software Engineer for the Port Workspaces Infrastructure team, Sam works hard to expand access to engineering careers and give back to the community. He does this by mentoring up-and-coming Latinx software engineers through the Bloomberg Accelerator Program, a six-week virtual career workshop for Black and Latinx engineering candidates, as well as through the Watson Scholars Program at his alma mater, Binghamton University. As an active member of BLC In Tech, Sam also focuses on cultural initiatives by highlighting Latinx artists and authors during BLC events.

Highlighting the rich diversity of communities both in and out of Bloomberg, Sam says, “Helping others succeed allows you to become a part of a narrative greater than yourself.”

Paying it forward

Ask Ewerton Pavan how he navigated his career trajectory from manufacturing to CPO Strategy and Technology lead for Supply Chain at Bloomberg and he’ll insist it would not have been possible without the support of those around him. It took the encouragement and guidance of people from across his community to get him here.

Once in his new role, Ewerton sought to return the effort and began working with BLC. Within BLC, he created a mentorship program called MNTR BLC that enables 29 Community members to have access to leaders at Bloomberg who help them gain valuable skills and discuss career advancement goals and opportunities.

“I would not be here if it weren’t for my mentors,” says Ewerton. “It’s my turn to give back. I cannot be on the sidelines.”

Building bridges

At the age of 14, Leandro Pena left his home, along with 30 other children, to pursue the ultimate dream of becoming a professional soccer player. Knowing how many opportunities this could open for him, Leandro’s parents agreed to support his journey as long as he continued to prioritize his education. He went on to receive a sports scholarship to study in the US and learned English, before ultimately accepting an internship at a sell-side firm, where he was introduced to Bloomberg.

Today, Leandro is a Team Lead for our Buy-side Core Sales team in Brazil. As a leader, he works hard to open up opportunities for his colleagues and to build the kinds of connections between cultures that paved his way. When international colleagues visit our Brazil office, Leandro ensures they’re able to speak to their successes and introduce local talent to opportunities to mobilize their careers.

“Progress is more powerful when it’s inclusive and collaborative,” says Leandro. “It’s about building bridges between different backgrounds and perspectives to achieve shared goals.”