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Hispanotech is proud of all its members and volunteers! In this section, we want to connect with you through short videos about our member’s stories. Meet Lucero Tsui, a Mexican active volunteer living in Canada, wife, mom of two crazy boys, a Spanish teacher, and a dog lover. Watch her video to know her better!

WATCH THE VIDEO TO KNOW HER BETTER!

Director of Networking and Social Events 

Learn more about her journey as an active volunteer in the events committee. 

I arrived in Canada in the winter of 2016 with a bag full of dreams and the vision to start a new life. I have been passing through a process that I use to call “metamorphosis”. All the changes that I have been experienced such as cultural shock, isolation, homesickness, hope, reborn and finally happiness are the portray who I am right now. No regrets at all!

Being Latin, being at the Hispanotech board, and being a woman makes me feel so proud. Women in strategic positions within organizations are the only way to enrich gender equity in the workplace and break the glass ceiling in equal job opportunities for men and women. Since I started this role the big challenge to me is to bring a new proposal of social and networking events that the members can enjoy. Innovation and mental health are the focus of each social and networking event.

Behind the scenes, there are a lot of things happening. To go live, each event takes at least 2 months of planning, and I am honored to be with the best volunteer team. I believe that the most successful teams are those that are free to explore new ideas and have an opinion that leaders can support and implement. Moreover, have a multidisciplinary team and using software and technology, has been helping the committee to implement solutions, efficient processes, analyze data, and improve operations. To achieve the organization’s goals, the collaboration and contribution of the volunteers make everything possible.

The pandemic situation forces us to re-evaluate primary necessities and, take care of our mental health.  Since February, the events committee have been presenting the following social and networking events to help and support mental health such as “Hello Goals, Bye Fears” focused on new year resolutions and how to avoid fears in your life to succeed in your goals, “Newcomer, New Me” which was specially tailored to cover newcomers’ necessities such as searching for a job, financial advice and emotional support and, “Discover your inner artist” consisted in an art class session for stress relief and approached all the benefits that art can bring to people’s mental health. Besides the social and networking events, I am thrilled to present new projects and ways to connect with our community. One of the projects that excite me the most is a podcast that is coming soon.

The upcoming networking events are Do yoga with us and Women alliances in IT and Business. Stay tuned!

Hispanotech TechTrends

Learn tips and more about technology 
Today “Amazing Wearables”

The digital revolution, which is attributed to have started back in the early 80s, had two fundamental pillars in computers and the internet. These two ubiquitous tools make our jobs seamless, they allow us to connect with others, to store information, to engage in digital gaming, to share special moments with loved ones, and so much more. They were and continue to be a platform for innovation where further technology flourishes. Technology which continues to simplify our personal and professional lives.

One such type of technology are wearables. And if you don’t know what these are, Wikipedia defines them as “[…] smart electronic devices that are worn close to and/or on the surface of the skin, where they detect, analyze, and transmit information concerning e. g. body signals such as vital signs, and/or ambient data and which allow in some cases immediate biofeedback to the wearer.”¹

More simply put, it’s technology you wear. Some of these advancements are in the works and some are already in production, and here are some examples for your entertainment:

Fitness trackers. Probably the most popular wearable these days. Several brands offer these fitness trackers in the form of watches or wristbands to keep track of our physical activity and health.

Smart jewelry or wristbands. These wearables are not only fashionable, but when paired with other devices they will control all options available on those equipment or apps. For instance, a ring paired with a reading app could turn the page, zoom in or out of the page, add a bookmark, or highlight a section of the text based on the movements transmitted by the ring to the app, without ever having to touch each other. Smart wristbands could also learn to read your fingers’ movements as you tap on flat surfaces, and allow you to type into your computer without having to involve a physical keyboard.

Smart clothing. Yes, clothing is becoming smarter too. On one hand, some designers are creating clothes with solar panels that allow the clothes to store energy; so, if you notice your phone is running low on battery you could connect your phone to your clothes to recharge it. Or how about wearing sport clothes made with special fabrics that can sense your movements while doing exercise and provide instant feedback on your performance?

Hearables. This category of wearables includes wireless earbuds which are very common, but also hearing aid devices which can sense the environment and can automatically recalibrate to reduce noise and enhance a person’s hearing. It also includes powerful devices that capture speech and translate conversations in real time, breaking down all language barriers.

Body-sensors. These ones can be life savers… literally! Body sensors attached to people’s bodies track their biological data and can either improve their health or even save their lives. Some of these sensors are programmed to automatically dial emergency numbers or send alerts to healthcare companies if they detect a person has fallen, or if the person is showing abnormal or dangerous vital signs.

Smart contact lenses. That’s already in the works too! These lenses are meant to detect glucose levels in a non-invasive manner. Most methods these days require puncturing the skin or obtaining blood samples in ways which can be painful, so these wearables could be a welcome device.

The mix of the amazing technology available today paired with our endless curiosity as human beings will continue to be a great recipe to find further ways in which to protect our health and enhance our lives. Some of those improvements will surely come from wearable solutions. According to Business Wire and Cisco Systems, “the number of connected wearable devices is expected to increase from 593 million in 2018 to 1,105 in 2022.”²

We are almost there!

¹ Wikipedia, “Wearable technology”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology

² Business Wire, “Global Smart Wearable Market – Market to Grow by 19.48% from 2021 – 2026 – ResearchAndMarkets.com”, February 8, 2021, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210208005342/en/Global-Smart-Wearable-Market—Market-to-Grow-by-19.48-from-2021—2026—ResearchAndMarkets.com

WATCH THE VIDEO TO LEARN MORE

“I just got a job and my secret is the mentorship program”

This is what our ex-mentees can tell you about this Mentorship Program. Watch the following video and learn more about the program. You can be a Mentor or Mentee.

Register now here!

WATCH THE VIDEO TO LEARN MORE

Hispanotech is proud of all its members and volunteers. In this section, we want to connect with you through short videos about our member’s stories. Meet Francisca Figueroa, is a volunteer at Hispanotech. Watch her video to know her better!

2020 in hindsight:

The Governance Committee has made important advances during 2020, several documents are ready for board review and for final release and implementation. The team has made a tremendous job, our heartfelt thanks go to each of its members: Rosa Maria Bonifaz, Lina Florez, and Juan David Gomez.

Comprehensive documents covering areas such as Policies and Procedures, Roles and Responsibilities, Document Management Process, Organigrams, etc. are the framework and foundation that will guide the future operations of Hispanotech. These documents are being drafted for each of the committees and we are planning to have them completed before 2021 ends. Based on these documents, we will also be updating the Volunteer Manual and the Director’s Guide.  

The goal is to have well documented our processes and procedures that are written in an easy to learn manner, so that any volunteer coming into a role can quickly be brought up to speed and have a clear picture of their commitment, their responsibilities and accountabilities, and, equally important, be able to understand what is expected of them. This is specially important for the volunteers aspiring to have a Director’s role.

There is still a ton of work to complete, so, if you have experience writing this type of documentation and would like to get involved, please reach out to any of us. 

When we leave our country, we lose, in an instant, three very important networking circles: Our family, our barrio / friends, and our professional colleagues. It is through organizations like Hispanotech where new Canadians have the opportunity to quickly rebuild these crucial networks.

By getting involved and volunteering, no matter how small a role, one can quickly get past the infamous “Canadian Experience” (all volunteers get a Letter of Reference after their involvement), and advance in their journey of settling in Canada and, at the same time, have an excellent chance to advance professionally through Hispanotech’s networking events and mentorship programs.

I only wish Hispanotech was around when I landed, 33 years ago!

–

Galo
Director, Governance

When people are asked to think about the ideas that fuel technology advancement and innovation, few people would probably think of nature. Nature and technology? Technology and nature? Those two topics seem to be opposing forces! But are they really?

Some creative minds have realized that nature is the oldest and most experienced engineer, one that for over 3 billion years has tested, adjusted, and perfected many of the patterns, elements, and designs that exist in our ecosystems today. Humans on the other hand have populated this Earth for about 1 or 2 million years which is just the blink of an eye when comparing both our evolutionary periods.

Biomimicry, also called Biomimetics, is the art of drawing inspiration from nature to recreate the solutions found in our environment to solve the challenges we face as human beings. 

Technology as nature, is all about iterations. Things need to be designed, built, deployed, tested, and then enter the reconfiguration cycle again and again and again until they are ready for roll-out. But nature has been running these tests in its own elements for billions of years and it has already perfected things that we have barely begun to scratch the surface of, as a younger species.

It sounds new and revolutionary, but biomimicry is not a new practice; it has existed for years. Here are a few examples of some products inspired by nature:

Velcro: After returning from hiking in the woods, an engineer called George de Mestral noticed there were Burdock burrs attached to his clothing and realized there was a potential to replicate this weed’s attachment ability into a commercial solution.

Gardens by the Bay: This garden in Singapore has 18 “super trees” that follow the same principles of environmental sustainability as a natural tree. These super trees are used to provide shade, purify the air, harvest water, and seize the sun’s energy through its solar powered branches.

Japan’s bullet train: Engineer Eiji Nakatsu worked in the development department of the bullet train in Japan. As an avid birdwatcher, after attending a lecture on birds he realized that mimicking some elements and movements of these creatures could improve the train’s design and efficiency. One of his biggest inspirations was the kingfisher bird, which allowed the train to reduce its sonic boom effect, increase its travelling speed and reduce costs.

Self-filling water bottle: The Namibian Desert beetle is an insect that harvests moisture from the air, condenses these molecules in its cooler body and then directs these droplets to its mouth to survive. A US start-up is using biomimicry to create a self-filling water bottle that can provide this element to communities in arid areas by emulating this beetle’s water-gathering process.

Additional things nature has learned to do during these billions of years of research are: create strong adhesives like the ones found in spiderwebs, keep structures at a stable temperature with natural cooling systems such as the ones found in termites’ mounds, produce self-cleaning elements such as the surface of the lotus plant, create sticky elements without any adhesive such as the ones found in geckos foot pads, and produce bacteria-repellent surfaces such as the skin of the Galapagos shark. All these natural creations have been thoroughly studied and they have inspired amazing technological designs that have positively impacted sectors such as health, electronics, communications, architecture, and more.

There are so many examples of improvements, efficiencies and innovations that have resulted from the study of natural forms that it would be impossible to cover them all in this article. However, it is important to recognize that nature is a magnificent teacher, and that years of evolution are providing engineers, scientists, chemists, and industries with a myriad of lessons to support their journeys towards solving complex design challenges in a highly technological era.

 

– Nayely Figueroa

Consider the choices you have made in your life and ask yourself which of your decisions were predominantly influenced by society and which were made only because you wanted it. Everything is about decisions, should I change career? should I get married? should I travel? Since we wake up early in the morning, we need to make decisions about what clothes to wear, what to eat, etcetera. We take for granted all our decisions but what about if we started questioning the way we live, the way we make decisions, and challenging our perspective to see the strange situation within a normal or familiar situation to you.

Analyzing the strange situation within a normal context or familiar situations forces us to change the lens through which we see things. For example, in Canada it is normal to see that all people are allowed to be free. Nevertheless, decades ago, slavery was a very normal and common situation that only ended when people started questioning why some people are not allowed to be free. We need to change the perspective of every familiar situation, and it is the only way to improve and transform things into better things. As the famous musician Bob Dylan stated in his song blowing in the wind “how many years can some people exist, before they allow to be free? and, how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just does not see?”. Putting the lyrics in context, we can see that Bob Dylan is questioning people’s freedom by using critical thinking. 

Using critical thinking helps you to acknowledge the strange in the familiar of all situations in your life. Critical thinking requires practice and takes time to build. Moreover, involves a process of objectively analyzing and conceptualizing through observation, experiences, reflection, and communication. We need to develop and use critical thinking to analyze complex aspects that are happening in society right now. For example, the advances in technology innovation have been giving us a lot of benefits to our lives but at the same time technology evolution can trigger our lives in the upcoming future. 

In the book Brave New World, the author Aldous Huxley described a utopian society where technology is used to genetically alter human features such as physical characteristics and intelligence. Babies are born in test tubes and are controlled in labs, some of them are alphas and leaders, and some of them are workers. Everyone has a specific role in society and the education in schools encourages those roles, there are no crimes and no social class conflicts. Seems to be a perfect world. The complexity starts when despite the perfect world created, some people started questioning the rules, the abusive use of technology, and its negative impacts on the social structure. How far are we from this utopian society story? Developing critical thinking will help you in any aspect of your life such as the workplace and communicating with others. To sum up, put into practice your critical thinking and do not leave anything for granted. 

To do a critical thinking exercise watch the video posted!

 

Brenda Avila

In our previous post, we covered 7 tips to get ready for your next Virtual Meeting. Now that you are ready, do you know how to show your best image during the meeting?

Here are 8 tips to make an impact on camera:

1. Clarity: Present your ideas clearly. Be assertive according to the goals of the meeting.
2.  Visual Help: Use images, slides, Screen-Sharing or Whiteboards, when needed
3.  Voice: Show your confidence through your voice’s volume, tone and pauses
4.   Audio/Video: Be conscious when your camera or microphone is on/off
5.   Eye Contact: Look at the camera for a more personal communication
6.   Smile: Show your energy and positivism with your facial expressions
7.   Attention: Use active listening to show people your attention
8.   Notes: Take notes, and wrap up the meeting with key takeaways and next steps.

If you liked this post, take a look at this short clip that summarizes the tips!

Want more tips? Here are 7 tips to get prepared before your next virtual meeting and show your best side on camera:

https://hispanotech.ca/2020/11/09/7-tips-to-get-ready-for-your-next-virtual-meeting/

–

Gabriel Seminario
Director of Marketing
Hispanotech.ca

As Technology professionals, we are usually making decisions, solving problems  and working in Teams to accomplish business goals. However, sometimes our Team is not optimized for high performance, innovation and achievements. This is where Diversity and Inclusion play a fundamental role. But, what is the meaning of those two terms?

Diversity refers to human differences. They could be related to gender, race, age, ethnicity, religion, physical ability, education, experience, personality, or others. A working environment is diverse when the teams have diversity in its members. However, inclusion goes a step further, and it is not only counting with a diverse team, but also creating an organizational climate that foster collaboration, support and respect for these differences.

In diverse and inclusive organizations, everyone wins, as employees learn to collaborate, whereas the organization accomplish its goals in a more efficient manner:

1. Creativity and Product Development – Software development is a highly collaborative process. Developers should work in Teams. A diverse Team is more likely to solve problems because they have different point of views, but rather than argue, they work for a common objective. They are able to see problems from different angles and build a solution that addresses them all. That way, better products and better services are designed and implemented. Diverse teams use creativity to achieve more, more efficiently
2. Happier environment and employee engagement – People with different backgrounds and lifestyles challenge each other more. A great leader will take benefit of diversity to promote creativity and innovation, where ideas are considered and everyone participates in decision-making. This workplace environment makes employees feel happier and acomplished. They feel as a valued member of a Team which will lead to employee engagement and loyalty to the Brand.
3. Learning and Personal Growth – In diverse and inclusive organizations, the leadership mission includes programs that help teams to work collaborately, respect people’s opinion, brainstorm new ideas, and look for a common benefit for the organization. Programs like Women in Technology encourage the development and participation of women in the technology field through mentorship, role modeling, training and networking.