First-Gens in Tech

Shiqueen Brown is a creative entrepreneur and social justice visionary. She is a well-sought out leader in the social impact and project management space. As someone who has spent her career in multiple sectors, including non-profit, government, and tech, she has seen the need to share with women across industries tips and tricks for career growth. She is currently a Senior Partnerships Manager at a tech company, leading investments in Atlanta and Washington as a part of its racial equity justice reform initiative.

Her family roots in Central America and the West Indies have shaped her view of culture and community. Shiqueen has been featured on Boss Women Media’s Corporate Queens, December 26er Podcast, and numerous other media outlets.

Cortez is the current Emerging Talent Director at HubSpot with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. He has served in leadership roles for several tech companies, including Airbnb, Zynga, Workday, Yahoo! and Cisco Systems. He has experience scaling programs to be best-in-class and building global strategies in the emerging talent space. Prior to his roles in the high tech industry, Cortez, built his experiences in the education sector as a teacher and administrator for both K-8 and High School. This blend of education and high tech provides Cortez with a unique perspective to innovate and lead his teams.

Cortez was born in Mexico; moved to the United States at the age of 10 and began working in California agriculture until he was 20 years old.  He received his formal education at San Jose State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degrees in History and Political Science and a Master of Arts in Education Administration and Supervision.

Joni Factor grew up in Canton, Ohio. She was the first in her family to attend college and received a Bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and later a Masters in Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Joni spent the first 15 years of her career in the educational equity sector working primarily in Philadelphia and Boston gateway cities. Prior to joining HubSpot in 2021, she led recruitment and talent teams for Teach For America, Summer Search and the Phoenix Charter Academy Network.

During her time at HubSpot, Joni has recruited for the People Operations team and is a recipient of the People Operations Inclusion Champion award for her demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through her work. Most recently, she has focused on increasing visibility of HubSpot’s Candidate Accessibility initiatives, recruiter enablement and project management.

Outside of the office, Joni is the mom of two spirited girls (4 & 8), is an elected Town Meeting member in Natick, MA and Girl Scout Troop leader.

Going back to school after 40 is not for the faint of heart. Vrnda 'V' Boykin knows this well returning to school in 2017 and obtaining her BS in Marketing Management, MS in Management and Leadership, and Master of Business Administration. Currently, V is working on her Doctor of Business Administration. V's dissertation is directly linked to understanding the social support structures necessary for women to achieve and sustain leadership roles within the tech space. Bravery is in V's bones and she is known for her commitment to equity and innovation. Viewing education as the most effective tool in achieving equity, V utilizes her skills and knowledge to disrupt and redefine training and enablement programs resulting in increased performance and revenue within the Mar-Tech space.

Personally, V is passionate about creating equitable experiences across the technology space. V believes that access, mentorship, education, and first-hand experiences are foundational to equity and advancement. Based on this V actively supports, through mentorship, organizations such as re:work, Braven, and The 100k Mentor Challenge. V’s ultimate goal is to be directly responsible for supporting the achievement of 15 people from marginalized communities obtaining senior leadership roles within the tech space.