Michael Urbina ’14 takes the Saint Mary’s mantra Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve to soaring heights. As an executive recruiter for Silicon Valley–based tech company Box, Urbina uses his dual degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies to seek out and give voice to underrepresented talent in the business world.
While at Saint Mary’s, Urbina was deeply involved with the Women’s Resource Center and the popular Latinx Cultural Nights. These experiences, coupled with Urbina’s commitment to social justice and drive to create space for conversations about diversity and inclusion, have led him to do executive-level diversity work in the Bay Area. “At this point for me, it’s just about giving back and helping others,” he said.
In this spirit, Urbina has launched a podcast series called ¡Adelante, Juntos! in which he highlights the experiences of Latinx senior executives to inspire others. “I was looking for a one-stop shop like this myself when I entered the workforce, and I couldn’t find anything. This is my answer to that missing piece and my way of paying it forward,” he said.
Ultimately, Urbina hopes to continue expanding possibilities for diversity at the senior level. “There are very few Latinos in positions of leadership in Silicon Valley,” he said, “and if you don’t have leaders who look like you, how can you serve a diverse customer base?” Urbina’s work embodies the Gael spirit, and he emphasizes the value of his liberal arts degree in getting to where he is today.
“Saint Mary’s has positioned me tremendously well for where I am now. I did not take a single business class in college—so as a feminist, as someone with a liberal arts background, I’m doing this,” he said.
— Sophie Cipolla ’20
