From September 15 to October 15, the U.S. celebrates the cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
Every year, from September 15 to October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to reflect, honor, and celebrate the vibrant cultures, histories, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities across the United States. But beyond the statistics and milestones, it’s about the stories—the lived experiences of people who have shaped and continue to shape, the tapestry of our society.
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month is a reminder that the spirit of community lies in our diversity and that our collective story is woven from many unique and powerful threads. This is a moment to pause and appreciate how each individual narrative contributes to a brighter, more inclusive future for all of us.
At EDB, it's a time to recognize the incredible diversity and achievements of our Hispanic colleagues and their impact on our organization. Here are reflections from a few of us.
Laura Minen, Support Operations Project Manager
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I lived in Argentina most of my life until I relocated with my family to Spain early last year. Being Argentine and Latin American means being the result of a contradictory society: where we have plenty of natural resources and beautiful landscapes, public education from kindergarten to university, public health, and help from the government for those who need it.… And yet, we’re always fighting alarming levels of poverty and insecurity, economic disasters, and political corruption, among other huge problems. Being Argentine and Latin American makes me the result of those contradictions – which I’ve put extra effort into overcoming throughout my life. But being Latin is also a plus: we have a strong sense of solidarity and the importance of supporting people around us, we are open, friendly, and communicative, and we are not afraid of asking for help. We know we need to work hard to get better possibilities for us and our children.
How has your heritage influenced or affected your career path or experience?
My grandparents were Italians who emigrated to Argentina after WWI. My dad’s family was the typical Italian-Argentine family: they had a strong sense of responsibility and hard work, and they were very detail-oriented. I think I inherited some of that.
I believe most Latins have a strong sense of solidarity and are willing to help others. This often translates to the way you work: you’re willing to help others in need, you volunteer to activities for the broader group, and you tend to be genuinely empathetic with people around you.
Who are your heroes and why?
- José de San Martín: He’s Argentina’s main national hero. He liberated Argentina, Chile, and Peru from the Spanish Crown. He was also a very honest man and decided to self-exile from the country when he saw that the locals were fighting against each other.
- Jorge Luis Borges: Probably the best Argentine writer of all time, and one of the most recognized around the world. He was a poet, story writer, and translator of exceptional quality. He was blind for almost 40 years but was able to write and give extensive interviews where he talked about his philosophical view of the world.
- Astor Piazzolla: Tango composer and bandoneon player. He created and interpreted some of the most beautiful music ever heard. Songs like “Adios Nonino” or “Buenos Aires Hora Cero” give you goosebumps. They have been used in several movies and shows’ soundtracks through the years.
- Quino: He was a comic strip creator. His drawings and texts were genius. I loved one of his characters that is famous in many countries around the globe: “Mafalda”. Mafalda is a small girl who interacts with her family, friends, and adults by saying, from a clever and honest perspective, things we often don’t dare to admit, and always in a very humorous way.
- María Elena Walsh: She was a writer, composer, and musician who created iconic songs and characters, mainly for children. Many generations of Argentines grew up listening to her songs. By creating imaginary worlds she was also able to put a message through about society and political restraints.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
It’s very important that EDB is driving diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the support to ERGs, and giving space for different cultural groups to express themselves. I’m part of a small group trying to organize a Latin ERG. We feel the need to create a space where Latins and other people who are interested in sharing can gather to talk about who we are, agree on the good things we can bring to EDB, and…have fun!
More about Laura
Both Laura and her husband work for EDB. They are both Postgres and open source enthusiasts and are currently members of the European Postgres Community.
Prior to joining EDB, Laura worked for the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. In 2020, she joined 2ndQuadrant as a general assistant. When 2ndQuadrant was acquired by EDB in September of that year, she joined EDB’s admin team, and also continued assisting the support team. A few months later, she moved to the support services team, and has been working with their leadership and engineers on multiple internal projects, and cross-teams work. At the beginning of 2024 she became part of the support operations team.
She comes from a background in legal and social studies, and has received certified training in many areas, including: Google Professional Project Manager, OKR Coach and Expert, Scrum Master, and Mediation. One of her mottos is: “Never stop learning!”
Angel Camacho, Director of Product Marketing for Databases
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I was born and raised in Mexico City. I have mostly Native Mexican heritage with a pinch of Spanish ancestry. My identity is my superpower. Like most Mexicans, I know how to work hard and have fun. Family is Numero Uno for me, but family includes not only relatives but also everybody who is on the journey with me. Mexicans love to celebrate everything in large groups; it's not uncommon to have 30 people over for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and there would be five turkeys on the dinner table. In most celebrations, there will be dancing and singing.
How has your heritage influenced or affected your career path or experience?
Being an immigrant changed my views of the world. Suddenly, I was stereotyped and questioned about my engineering skills despite being a senior engineer at Sun Microsystems. I had to prove that I was at everybody's level. However, a group of people trusted me and helped me grow. And guess what? Through my accomplishments, I proved that I was not only at their level but also empowering others to embrace their identities and grow into their roles.
Who are your heroes and why?
Uff, there are many. My dad Is #1. He didn't have shoes to wear to school, and despite all his disadvantages, he obtained a Ph.D. and became a neonatologist. He taught me love for family and for others and to find joy at every step of our journeys.
My friend Jose Hernandez is a migrant farm worker, NASA astronaut, and inventor of the mammography machine. He demonstrated how one can go from picking up strawberries to flying to space through hard work and trust in the family and support system.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
EDB is different. Here, when I meet people, the first thing they ask is how to pronounce my name properly. Wow, that is a huge change compared to when I came to the USA. I think people value me for my experience and not for my background. I've seen a shift in the industry, where Latinos were not seen as technology proficient, to nowadays, where we are seen as a source of talent.
More About Angel
Angel attended De La Salle University in Mexico City and obtained his degree in Cybernetics and Computer Systems Engineering. After moving to California, he got his MBA from SFSU and a certificate in Data Science from UC Berkeley. Angel has worked in various technical and marketing leadership roles in iconic companies such as Sun Microsystems, Cloudera, Aerospike, and Redis. He loves seeing customers adopt technologies to build data-oriented applications. Now, he is helping drive the message for EDB Postgres AI in all its formats and delivery vehicles, including on-premises, Kubernetes, and cloud services.
Andreina Aparicio, Senior Manager, Data Analytics & AI
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, though I have been living in the U.S. for over 13 years after coming here to pursue my undergrad in Boulder, Colorado. On the personal side, my Latino heritage manifests through subtle ways such as my family-oriented values, the food I crave during special occasions, and the constant bilingual internal dialogue. It doesn't matter how proficient one becomes in other languages, there is no way around the fact that my heart will always speak Spanish. On the professional side, I believe it has increased my willingness to put in the hard work to get things done, no matter how tough the path may be, but always remaining a candid and joyful colleague.
Who are your heroes and why?
There are a few, but today I want to highlight my family and all the other Venezuelans living abroad who had to emigrate and make a living in a foreign country. It is a tremendous challenge to live away from your country and the people you love. Despite all the obstacles emigrating has brought to my family, we've always found a way to make arepas together in the morning, dance merengue on the weekends, and celebrate birthdays eating a marquesa de chocolate (the best chocolate dessert you will ever have). I am grateful and admire them for making me feel at home away from home.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
I've always felt incredibly grateful for all the support I have received at EDB over the last six years. I have had the opportunity to be a part of several teams within the company and work under many inspiring leaders. EDB has also given me the flexibility to spend time with my family abroad during holidays and other special occasions.
More about Ina
Since coming to the U.S. Ina has lived in Boulder, CO; Boston, MA; Houston, TX; and Miami, FL, where she currently resides with her fiancé and 4-month-old Weimaraner puppy. She has a passion for the outdoors, enjoys learning about wine, and loves exploring foreign countries.
Boriss Mejías Candia, Senior Solutions Architect
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I was born in Chile, grew up in Patagonia (Punta Arenas city), and then my family moved around, so I lived in 8 different cities, meaning that I feel identified with different parts of the country. I studied engineering in the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, where I met people from other parts of the country and from different social status. This gave me a broad spectrum of our culture, and what it means to live and study in Chile. In 2001 I came to study in Europe. Things went well and I moved to Belgium in 2003, when I was 25. Over here I also have a network of friends from different parts of the world, and definitely from South America. Our home is full of pictures, books, language, and music from Chile. I also play in a band called Trasandinos, promoting the idea that the Andes unite us as South Americans.
Who are your heroes and why?
Definitely my parents. They came out of poverty, worked hard for their own projects while having a fun life, and then gave all the opportunities to me and my sister so that we could do the same. They made sacrifices, but also showed us how important it is to enjoy life and collaborate with other people. I also have many other heroes that have inspired me in many other aspects, for instance, in the cultural world Victor Jara, and in the Postgres world Álvaro Herrera.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
I work in a very nice team. I really enjoy sharing ideas and working with my colleagues in Professional Services. There is a lot of respect for each other, and everyone has a good attitude towards learning and understanding the value of PostgreSQL and open source in general. It is a real multicultural environment. We are just definitely missing more gender diversity.
More about Boriss
Boriss Mejías Candia is a Solutions Architect at EDB and air guitar player anywhere he can. He is a co-author of the PostgreSQL 16 Administration Cookbook, contributing to the Postgres community by organizing PGDay Lowlands, the user group in Belgium, and by giving talks at different conferences. He lives in Belgium with his wife and two daughters. He has a PhD from the UCLouvain, loves to work with distributed systems, and lives by the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.
Veronica Himmel, Senior Legal Counsel
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I was born in Chile and grew up in Austria. As an attorney, I am able to conduct negotiations with clients in Spanish, while bridging cultural norms and establishing trust. At EDB, I have met colleagues from all over the world who speak Spanish or are just interested in Hispanic culture. Fluency in Spanish and other languages has given me access to many professional opportunities and the ability to seamlessly cross invisible cultural boundaries. I am grateful that my parents forced me to speak Spanish at home and taught me about Chile, a country with a beautiful landscape, desert in the north and fjords in the south, dense forests with lakes and wild rivers in the center, wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes. A country far away from where I grew up but deeply rooted in me.
How has your heritage influenced or affected your career path or experience?
As an immigrant child in Austria, I was the first to learn German, and quickly assumed the role of interpreter on all family matters. I translated the evening news, business letters, and adult conversations about economics, art, history, and politics, at social gatherings. The better I spoke German, the better I could advocate for my family. Later, I decided to learn more languages, study economics, and political science, and become a lawyer, an almost natural transition. I always sought out companies with a global presence and positions that gave me international exposure.
Who are your heroes and why?
My parents. Despite many struggles, they never lost their sense of who they were and where they came from. Both were very well educated but they had to start from scratch, work in jobs that were not their chosen profession, learn a new language, raise a family without support in a foreign country, to work their way up. They always put my education first and taught me that when things get tough, you move forward. "You can lose everything but what you have in your brain, no one can take," they used to say.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
At EDB, my work as a lawyer is enriched by the international environment. My day starts with calls with Europe, followed by North America, which is represented by different nationalities, ethnicities, and religions. Many of my colleagues are well-traveled and have great stories to tell. Others have great love for foreign films or exotic cuisine. I enjoy the different languages, multicultural diversity, and each individual's worldview. Particularly the overall open-mindedness with which people interact with one another.
More about Veronica
Fluent in English, German, Spanish, and Italian, with a good working knowledge of French and Portuguese, Veronica is a multi-lingual attorney with extensive legal experience working for global organizations in the airline, banking, travel, education and software industries, while covering commercial, regulatory, data privacy, and antitrust matters. At EDB she is responsible for negotiating commercial global software and cloud services agreements with enterprise customers in EMEA and NA.
Michael Kirkpatrick, Director, EDB Technical Support
What is your heritage and what meaning does it hold for you, in both your professional and personal lives?
I am a part of the LatinX Community through my wife, Renée Arianna. I am of Scottish descent, and while my U.S. heritage has instilled in me values of resilience, hard work, and a strong sense of community, my personal journey has been deeply shaped by my connection to Bolivian/South American culture. I married Renée Arianna in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where I lived for almost seven years. This experience allowed me to immerse myself in an amazingly rich culture while learning to navigate both Bolivian and American customs and languages. From the warmth and family-centered values of Bolivia to the deep-rooted traditions of my U.S. ancestry, I’ve learned the importance of embracing diversity and understanding different perspectives. In my professional life, this dual cultural experience has helped me to expand empathy, adaptability, and the ability to bridge gaps between different ways of thinking.
How has your heritage influenced or affected your career path or experience?
This unique blend of cultures has given me a broader perspective and the ability to work effectively across borders and languages, which has been invaluable in my career. It also allowed me to continue working closely with Latin America, something that has been a consistent part of my professional journey. For example, at Dell, I became the first Technical Account Manager for Latin America. My leadership roles continued to grow as I took on the Costa Rican team while working with the Storage Teams. At EDB, I’ve carried this forward by leading teams which included members in Argentina, Brazil, and Spain.
Who are your heroes and why?
Here are just a few:
- Michael Dell: His ability to scale Dell Technologies from a small startup into a global technology powerhouse shows the value of perseverance and visionary leadership. Working at Dell allowed me to see firsthand how he cultivated a culture of customer-centric thinking and operational excellence.
- Jim Collins: As an author and business thinker, his work, particularly Good to Great, has had a profound impact on my leadership philosophy. His focus on humility combined with fierce determination is something I strive to embody in my own leadership.
- Carlos Mesa Gisbert: Carlos Mesa, a historian and former president of Bolivia, is a hero to me for his commitment to both preserving Bolivian history and leading with integrity during his tenure. His intellectual depth and leadership during challenging times in Bolivia taught me the importance of blending intellect with governance.
- Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada: Known as “Goni,” his leadership as president of Bolivia left a significant mark on the country’s economy. Living in Bolivia during much of his presidency, I saw firsthand how his vision for a modern Bolivia was driven by his commitment to economic stability and growth.
- Pope Francis: As the first Latin American pope, Pope Francis has inspired me with his Christian humility, compassion, and focus on social justice. His commitment to inclusion, care for the marginalized, and advocacy for global human rights maps to my personal values. His leadership is a reminder that true greatness lies in serving others.
What else would you like to share about your experience at EDB or elsewhere?
At EDB, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing people from around the world. What stands out to me is the collaborative and innovative culture we’ve built, particularly within our Customer Experience teams to evangelize PostgreSQL and Postgres for AI globally.
More about Michael
Missouri born, Texas raised, Bolivian loved, and Globally driven, I’m a technology addict who loves to travel the world and experience different peoples and places. In addition to this, I'm a fanatical runner who has run full marathons in the U.S., Canada, Argentina, France, and Greece.