Luis Fernandez Valentin

Informatics & Information Technology
Rutgers University - New Brunwick

Luis Fernandez Valentin is a Big Data & AI Platforms Technical Program Manager (TPM) at LinkedIn through their national REACH Apprenticeship Program. He is also a first-generation, nontraditional student at Rutgers University studying Informatics & IT. Prior to LinkedIn, Luis served as the first Program Manager of the Google Community Leaders Program (CLP): New Brunswick. Their program also served as the global model for Google, with the mission of bridging the digital divide in communities across the nation.  Through his work, Luis was able to share his story through a TEDxTalk, attend advocacy briefings at the White House, Department of Education, the United Nations, and was selected as the Student Keynote Speaker for the United Nations International Campaign, HeForShe, launch at Rutgers. His past leadership experiences include being a National Breakthrough Fellow (combating gender-based violence on campus through addressing toxic masculinity), Resident Assistant, a Rutgers Aresty Research Assistant where he helped create the Honors College Entrepreneurship Mission Course, and is a Brother of AKPsi. In the future, Luis wants to continue to pursue his passions and to use a critical social justice lens to make an impact in the community. Specifically, creating pipelines of talent into tech for non-traditional and marginalized communities and candidates.