Genesis Garcia: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with Year-Long Service
By John Kregler, StartOut
Getting to know any member of StartOut, you’ll come to realize that giving back — the true spirit of the LGBTQ+ community — shines through everything they do. A true example being our Board of Directors member, Genesis Garcia (she/her).
Genesis first got involved by way of the Programming Board’s New York chapter after looking for new ways to support the community. She currently serves as a Vice President in Global Strategy, Marketing and Communications at BNY Mellon, and came to StartOut with a history of working with both small startups and large corporations.
“I really wanted to get involved more and kept looking for different outlets. Eventually I was referred to StartOut by Alexandra Tanner, who I’ve been close with for years. After learning more about the organization I knew that I wanted to get involved so I applied to join the Board and here we are today.”
What’s even more impressive about Genesis is the story of how she got here. Genesis is a born and raised New Yorker. The daughter of Dominican immigrants, she grew up in The Bronx and worked hard to get into Barnard College where she initially found interests in filmmaking and sociology.
While studying abroad, Genesis gained new perspectives on different cultures and deepened her passion for diversity. She interned for BNY Mellon’s Pershing and learned about opportunities for postgraduates, including a corporate training program offered by the company. She spent a year-and-a-half rotating around different departments with the firm eventually ending up in their Global Marketing department where she is today.
For Genesis, a Latina and lesbian woman, her presence in the finance world still feels like a personal responsibility.
“In all honesty, LGBTQ+ visibility in the financial industry is slim. It’s a predominately straight, white, and cisgendered world and my being in that space feels like a responsibility to do all I can to help open doors. LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs especially have trouble accessing financial opportunities so helping connect startups with those capital resources is something I care deeply about.”
In addition to her work within the community, Genesis continues to work with organizations that support other underrepresented communities. She leads initiatives within BNY Mellon that help educate students in New York City schools about the importance of personal finance skills.
As Genesis puts it, financial literacy is essential and it’s something that’s not always taught in communities of color. During Hispanic Heritage Month, she uses this time as an opportunity to continue her mission, all while celebrating the diversity of Spanish-speaking communities.
“It’s a time to reflect on our roots first and foremost. As a daughter of immigrants, I love that we get to nationally recognize and celebrate our Hispanic cultures. At work, I’m part of the Hispanic Heritage Month committee where we’ve been hosting meetings and events all month long. It’s like this giant show-and-tell for the community where we get to teach people about our cultures. We’re here, we all look different, we all speak Spanish differently, but we’re a beautiful community with so much to share.”
Earlier this year, Genesis joined the StartOut Board of Directors where she continues to provide her knowledge and expertise to the organization. Time and time again, she’s proved herself to be dedicated to helping uplift underrepresented entrepreneurs, and we’re so grateful to have her support.
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