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First Gens in Tech

Created by first gens for first gens to break barriers entering the tech industry.

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About First Gens in Tech

HubSpot's First Gens in Tech event is a curated experience exclusively for first-generation individuals interested in learning what it really means to work in tech.

Now in its eleventh year, First Gens in Tech is back in 2026 with a refreshed vision: "The First-Gen Edge: Making Your Story Your Superpower." The central idea is simple — your lived experience, perspective, and path aren't gaps to overcome. They're your edge.

During the event, you'll learn which jobs can help you break into the industry, how to ask your imposter syndrome to take the day off, and how to translate your unique story into real career opportunities in tech.

Join us this Fall

FGIT returns virtually on Friday, September 25, 2026.

 

Registration opens soon.

2026 Speakers & Agenda

  • Adham Eltarahoney

    Adham Eltarahoney is a software engineer at HubSpot and a Computer Science graduate from the University of South Florida. He works on bringing HubSpot's CRM into external AI clients like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot, driven by the belief that meeting customers where they are matters. He joined HubSpot as an intern and loved it so much that he came back full-time. As the first in his family both to enter tech and to move to the U.S., he has learned to approach problems without inherited assumptions — a fresh perspective that has become his greatest superpower.

  • Alicia Bock

    Alicia Bock studied Business Administration and Human Resources, never imagining she'd end up building a career in Tech Recruitment — yet here she is, more than 12 years into calling Ireland home as the first in her family to live abroad.

    At HubSpot, she hires globally for entry-level sales roles. What truly drives her is knowing that landing a new job isn't just that — for many people, it's a genuinely life-changing moment, and she loves being part of that journey.

    Working in tech keeps her on her toes, and she wouldn't have it any other way; things move fast, nothing stays still, and she never gets too comfortable.

    Her superpower is spotting what's not working and creating something tangible that fixes it. She loves building things that make recruiting better, whether that's crafting exceptional candidate experiences or designing frameworks that help teams work smarter.

  • Amelia Blum

    Amelia Blum is a Mid Market BDR Manager at HubSpot. She graduated from Bentley University with a degree in Professional Sales and built her early career across industries including custom apparel and medical devices before landing in Tech full time. The opportunity for growth is what brought her here, and it's what continues to drive her. Today, Amelia leads a team of BDR's beginning their career in Sales grounded by the same qualities that have defined her career: a competitive spirit and an unmatched work ethic.

  • Angel Franklin

    Angel Franklin is a People and Operations executive who has built her career at the intersection of people, technology, and business transformation. Prior to HubSpot her experience spans leadership roles at Tesla, the Dating App Hinge, and other leading Fortune 500 companies where she has helped organizations scale, navigate disruption, and build environments where exceptional talent can thrive. Her superpower is combining intellectual curiosity with systems thinking. She has an ability to see patterns others may miss, translating complex problems into clear, practical action. As a first-generation professional, Angel is passionate about using what she has learned navigating unfamiliar rooms to make the path more accessible for those coming behind her.

  • Angie Odowd

    Angela O'Dowd didn't grow up with tech in her world — her dad was a police officer, her mom a home maker, and her sisters are artists. She was lucky to fall into tech twelve years ago when she took a marketing job at HubSpot, a startup she'd heard was going places. She was marketing the partner program, and over the years she moved from marketing into strategy and operations, and today she leads HubSpot's global partner programs. Her superpower? She's done many of the jobs her team does herself. That hands-on experience shapes how she leads — and it's what she's most proud of.

  • Bradley Goodloe

    Bradley Goodloe works as the Early Talent Development Lead at Tallo, where he uses his extensive experience in early career talent acquisition, diversity initiatives, and university relations to build programs that connect young talent with opportunities.

    A proud alumnus of Tuskegee University, Bradley’s passionate about HBCU advocacy and creating pathways and springboards for diverse talent in the tech industry. His background spans from manufacturing to technology recruitment and helps him to bring a unique perspective to early talent development and skills-based hiring.

    Superpower: Everyone needs help, so be helpful. Be an eagle in a nest, not a crab in a barrel.

  • Brian Fechter

    Brian is a Talent Acquisition Consultant with Veris Insights, a market intelligence and analytics firm supporting Talent Acquisition organizations across the Fortune 1000 space. Prior to Veris Insights, Brian spent the earlier parts of his career exploring wealth management and technology startups in various relationship management roles. Brian is a lifelong advocate for animal welfare and spends his free time volunteering and fostering with his local animal shelters in SWFL.

  • Cam Isenberger

    Cam Isenberger is a Corp BDR Manager at HubSpot, working remotely from Dallas. He's from Omaha, Nebraska and studied at the University of Nebraska Kearney, where two operations and supply chain internships led to a tech sales internship his junior year. He did well, found his passion, and hasn't looked back. He joined HubSpot as a Corp BDR in 2022, moved into Account Executive roles including a Scaled Selling pilot team, and now leads a team of Corp BDRs. His superpower is blue collar consistency: embracing the grind, outworking and outlearning the room each day, and compounding that daily effort and learning into a career.

  • Daphney Addotta

    Daphney Addotta is a Senior Recruiter on HubSpot's People Team, focused on engineering hiring. With a background in Political Science and a Master's in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, she brings a people-first lens to a highly technical space. Daphney is drawn to the moments where the right opportunity meets the right person, especially for candidates who don't always see themselves reflected in the industry. She believes the best talent doesn't always look the same on paper, and that finding it requires curiosity, context, and a willingness to look deeper.

  • Dela Acolatse

    Dela Acolatse is a technologist with over two decades of experience leading infrastructure, security, and data protection programs across the tech, financial, and pharmaceutical sectors. As a First Gen in Tech, she has put her Computer Science degree to good use by specializing in solving complex technology challenges that strengthen organizational resilience and drive strategic transformation. Throughout her career in corporate technology, Dela has observed the need for inclusion, and has remained a passionate advocate and dedicated champion for women and girls pursuing STEM careers.


    Dela’s superpower is curiosity - asking questions, digging deeper, always in pursuit of learning.

  • Ewerton Dias

    Ewerton Dias is a Brazilian-born tech professional based in London, with a career spanning Talent Acquisition, People Experience, and Culture programs across global teams. At HubSpot, he supports Global Tech Talent Acquisition while creating initiatives that strengthen belonging, connection, and employee experience. His path into tech was shaped by curiosity, adaptability, and a belief that technology is ultimately about people. Ewerton’s superpower is turning human connection into meaningful experiences, bringing people together across cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives and creating spaces where everyone feels they belong.

  • Gabrielle Benson

    Gabrielle Benson is from Washington, DC and a proud Howard alumna. She is currently a Senior PM on the Talent & People Experience team. She works at the intersection of culture, inclusive design, and problem solving, where she builds programs that help people do their best work. Her superpower is using ambiguity as her paintbrush, turning complex, human problems into actionable solutions. 

  • Shane Tierney

    Shane Tierney is a Community Manager at HubSpot, where he supports and connects members of HubSpot's community ecosystem through scaled programs, including HubSpot's Academy Bootcamp program. His path into community in tech is rooted in facilitation and inclusion work at organizations like Feminuity and The Trevor Project, where he trained thousands of people across DEI, crisis response, and onboarding programs. Shane's superpower is adaptability, shaped through the lens of inclusivity — the ability to walk into any environment and make sure every person in the room feels like it was built for them.

  • Steph McDonald

    Steph McDonald is a Lead Recruiter on HubSpot’s Talent Acquisition Team. Based in Charleston, SC USA, Steph focuses on connecting talented Design professionals with opportunities at HubSpot and supporting a thoughtful, people-centered hiring experience. In this role, Steph works at the intersection of talent, culture, technology and business needs, partnering with candidates and hiring teams throughout the recruitment process. She's only a tiny bit afraid of AI, but mostly she uses it to make the candidate and hiring manager experience better. Her super power is empathy and curiosity and a desire to help, first and foremost.

  • Jade Walters

    Jade Walters is a Chicago and NYC-based marketer, speaker, and founder of The Ninth Semester, an award-winning platform guiding 300,000+ Gen Z professionals as they design their dream careers. With a highly engaged LinkedIn following, Jade has established herself as a trusted voice in the early-career space, sharing actionable insights on professional development, workplace confidence, and career growth. A sought-after keynote speaker who has graced the stages of TEDx, Cannes Lions, the American Marketing Association, and beyond, she blends career expertise with lifestyle, travel, and authentic storytelling to help brands connect with the next generation of professionals.

  • Janelle Razzino

    Janelle Razzino is President & CEO of Razzino Associates, Inc., a boutique executive search firm with over 30 years of experience placing C-suite, executive, and mid-level leaders across industries. Built from the ground up after learning the fundamentals inside two Fortune 200 companies, Janelle's work has always been guided by one core belief; skills can be taught, attitude cannot. She has expanded her practice into career coaching and helps candidates understand how AI is reshaping career planning. Her superpower: the ability to hear someone's story and immediately see how it lands on the other side of the hiring table.

  • Jessica Smith

    Jessica Smith is a spirited and innovative Sr. Program Manager at HubSpot, where she leads First-Gen in Tech and transforms the new hire onboarding experience into an engaging, meaningful journey. From day one, she makes sure new team members feel at home and set up for long-term success.

    Armed with an MBA and a keen eye for building impactful programs, Jessica brings strategic vision and a natural talent for bringing out the best in people. She designs onboarding experiences that don't just meet expectations, they exceed them. Her work reflects a deep commitment to creating inclusive environments that weave in company values while fostering real growth and genuine connection.

    Jessica's dedication to employee engagement and continuous process improvement shows up in everything she does, and she keeps pushing to make the experience better for every person and team she serves.

  • Katelyn Cooper

    Kate is a Senior Recruiter on HubSpot's Emerging Talent team. She studied English at UMass Amherst, which taught her how to read people and communicate clearly — two skills she didn't know would help define her career. She found her way into recruiting through a mix of sales and HR after college, and nine years later, she's still here because it's the best of both: the thrill of finding the perfect match and the real human impact of helping someone start their career. Her superpower is that she leads with transparency and executes on what she says she will, and she'll always go to bat for her candidates and teammates. 

  • Lauren Rygiel

    Lauren Rygiel is a Senior Partner Operations Data Analyst at HubSpot with five years of experience at the intersection of partner programs, compensation operations, and data infrastructure. She didn't take the direct route; her path ran through radio and audio production, sports broadcast, film production, marketing strategy, and a brief but formative stint teaching philosophy and screenwriting at the college level. She still shoots (mostly photography) on the side and runs a hobby farm when she's not encoding systems for hubspot. Her superpower: the ability to layer seemingly unrelated experience into something unexpectedly useful; and help others see that their own winding path is exactly what makes them valuable.

  • Melanie Bohulu

    Mélanie Bohulu is an Inbound Professor at HubSpot Academy, where she has worked since 2021. With nearly a decade of experience in client education, she creates French-language learning experiences that help customers build practical skills across marketing, sales, customer service, and AI. Originally from the DRC, born and raised in France, studied in Spain and now based in London, Mélanie navigated higher education and an international career without a roadmap, and never looked back. Her superpower is amplification: she turns AI into practical leverage that helps professionals increase their visibility, impact, and growth.

  • Nawal Fakhoury

    Nawal Fakhoury got her start in Public Relations before falling in love with HR and employee experience — a pivot that led her to a 16+ year career building a company's culture at scale. She spends her days making sure people have the support, spaces, and sparkle they need to do their best work through smart program design, immersive experiences, and a genuine belief that great culture is something you feel, not just read about on a company's website. Her superpowers? Idea generation, public speaking, experience design, and an almost supernatural ability to walk into any room (virtual or in-person) and make people feel like they belong.

  • Nicky Munnelly

    Nicky holds a Bachelor's degree from UCONN and has spent 14 years in talent acquisition and HR, work that turned into a deeper interest in how people navigate change in their careers, which led her to career coaching. Early on, she felt she was too sensitive to lead and do this work because she took on other people's stress as if it were her own. Over time, that sensitivity became her superpower and the thing she leans on most: she can read a room accurately, and people trust her with what's actually going on, not just the surface version. That's the skill behind every program she builds and every person she coaches. 

  • Nora Giannetti

    Nora Gianetti has been in tech sales for almost three years, starting her career as the founding SDR at The Bridge Group, a sales consulting firm for B2B tech companies, while still in college. She graduated from UMass Amherst in May 2026 with a degree in Operations and Information Management, where she also served as President of the Isenberg Sales Club and helped found the Sales Academy. Today, she works in tech sales at HubSpot, connecting with marketers and helping them find better ways to grow. Her superpower is determination — when she sets her mind to something, she goes all in and finds a way to make it happen. 

  • Priyam Chovhan

    Priyam Chovhan's path into tech is anything but conventional — an Arts degree in History of Art and English, a stint in Law, and a Master's in Design before landing in the world of enterprise software. Turns out, that background is exactly what the job needs: the ability to see differently and tell a compelling story.

    Across Medallia, Adobe, Salesforce, and now HubSpot, she has helped organisations turn software, data, and AI-driven insights into tangible ROI. Her superpower? People. She builds genuine relationships, translates complexity into outcomes that matter, and has never once turned down a microphone.

  • Risi Ademola

    Risi grew up wanting to be the next Oprah Winfrey, which led her to study Broadcast Journalism at UNC Chapel Hill. At the core of that dream was her love for people and making sure their voices were heard. After working in marketing, public relations, diversity and inclusion, and recruiting, Risi found her passion in helping people find opportunities and break into new spaces. She eventually made her own transition into tech, recruiting software engineers without a technical background. Now, after 5+ years at HubSpot, she continues to help others see what is possible for themselves. Her superpower is advocacy and using her voice to open doors for others.

  • Scott W Ernst

    Scott Ernst is a senior technology executive with more than 30 years of experience leading technology, digital transformation, and business modernization for global organizations including Brother International, IBM, PVH, Ralph Lauren, and L’Oréal. Throughout his career, he has focused on using technology to solve business problems, enable growth, and bring people together around change. His superpower: the ability to connect with people, influence across organizations, quickly understand highly complex systems and challenges, and translate that complexity into simple business terms that people can understand, act on, and rally behind.

  • Toni Jackson

    Toni Jackson is a Senior Learning & Technology Partner at HubSpot, following a 15+ year career in nonprofit leadership and education serving youth, families, and communities. She holds a B.A. in Rhetoric & Communication from the University of California at Davis and an M.S. in Educational Administration from Texas A&M University.

    After stepping away from the workforce to care for her parents, Toni returned through HubSpot’s Returners Program, bringing her passion for people, learning, and impact into tech.

    Her superpower is connecting people and ideas to create new possibilities: translating experience, building strategic partnerships and collaborations, and learning her way through the unfamiliar.

  • Vanessa Suarez

    Vanessa is a Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot whose path here was anything but a straight line. She began her career in hospitality management before making the leap to marketing analytics after moving to the U.S. — a pivot that turned into a genuine passion once she found her footing in digital analytics. Working on HubSpot's international team has let her bring a piece of her own cultural background into her work, blending global strategy with the language, culture, and customer needs of the markets she serves. It's that mix of curiosity, adaptability, and connection to her roots that continues to shape how she approaches her work today. 

Agenda

EVENT NAME DESCRIPTION

10:00AM ET
KICKOFF
—
10:10AM ET

Keynote: "The Edge You Don't Know You Have" with Jade Walters
—
11:15AM-12:15PM ET

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  • Room A: AI From Job Hunt to Day One

  • Room B:  Behind the Hiring Curtain + AMA

  • Room C: Owning Your Story: Imposter Syndrome Workshop

  • Room D: Mastering Your Story: Personal Branding Workshop

A Speakers: Daphney (Tech Recruiter), Steph (Recruiter), Dela Acolatse (Lead TPM)
Moderator: Melanie
Part 1: Using AI to Land the Job | Part 2: Using AI Once You're In the Role

 

B Recruiter panel across Engineering, Marketing, Sales & CSATS myth-busting > Live Resume Lab > Recruiter Secrets Lightning Round > AMA > Final Checklist

 

C Speaker: Nicky Munnelly Identifying your imposter voice, the comparison trap, competence vs. confidence, and defining your superpower

 

D Speaker: Brian Fechter (Veris Insights)How to own and communicate your narrative as a first-gen professional. Interactive presentation format.
12:20-1:20PM ET

NETWORKING
—
1:25-2:25PM ET

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

  • Room A: Tech Sales: Breaking in Without Writing Code

  • Room B: Your Career Avengers: Mentors, Sponsors, & Superpowers

  • Room C: The Pivot Pro: Speak Tech
A Speakers: Amelia Blum (MM BDR Manager), Cam Cisenberger (MM BDR Manager), Nora Giannetti (BDR)BDR overview, transferable skills, how to break in, compensation, and real-life examples.

B Speakers: Angel Franklin, Priyma Chovam, Gabrielle Benson, Shane Tierney, Naw Fakhoury Interactive workshop + panel on mentorship, sponsorship, and building an advocate network.

C Speaker: Lauren Rygiel (HubSpot) + Career Coach/Recruiter TBDLive interview-style session: translating a nonlinear career into tech-adjacent language. Attendees follow along with a Career Translation Worksheet.
2:30-2:40PM ET

WRAP UP & CLOSING REMARKS
What's Next Pathways — LIVE from HubSpot Speakers: Risi Ademola, Katelynne Bazile, Jessica Smith and Sarah Boddy-Snee. Resource sharing, community next steps, and closing call-to-action.

Who is First Gens in Tech For?

This year's programming is designed around three first-gen personas, so you can find sessions that meet you where you are:

The New Grad — You have the degree, but you're still building the referral network and corporate polish. Your goal is landing that first full-time role, and we'll help you get there with resume reviews, ATS guidance, and practical job-search tools.

The Pivot Pro — You're coming from a non-tech background (retail, education, and beyond) and navigating imposter syndrome around technical skills versus the transferable ones you already have. We'll help you "speak tech" and map your experience to real opportunities.

The Next-Level Navigator — You've got 2–3 years in tech and you're ready to stop being overlooked. We'll cover negotiation, sponsorship versus mentorship, and how to advocate for your next promotion.

Who is "first-generation"?

For this event, we consider first-gens to be any person:

  • who was not born in their country of residence, OR
  • whose parents were not born in their country of residence, OR
  • who is the first in their family to attend college or university, OR
  • who is the first in their family to enter the tech or corporate world

What can you expect?

  • Expert sessions on how to position yourself for jobs across the tech industry — not just at HubSpot

  • Real-life insights and advice about the current tech job market

  • First-hand perspectives to help you navigate your job search

  • Space to connect and learn with fellow first-gens, especially with first-gen professionals already in the industry

Past Speakers

Meet a few of our inspirational past speakers. 

  • Kham Ward

    Founder & CEO

    BLK Men in Tech
    Kham Ward is the Founder and CEO of BLK Men in Tech, Incorporated. He is also a diversity executive in the tech space where he has designed and implemented comprehensive D&I strategies across the globe. Kham believes “Diversity can be achieved without commitment, inclusion cannot. It requires a step beyond tolerance, vulnerability, and trust to create an inclusive environment.” He has been recognized by Forbes as a For(bes) The Culture 50 Champions - Rising Star and as a STEM influencer. His passion and purpose for inclusivity is fueled by the strides he has made to personally and professionally elevate underrepresented voices. Kham’s personal mission is to prepare individuals to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world.

  • Sylvia Bonilla

    Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder

    Cura, Inc.
    She is a 25-year Silicon Valley advertising, strategy, partnership expert and certified Executive and Career Coach. During her corporate career, Sylvia managed Strategic Partnerships for Google’s top U.S. publishing partners. While at Google, she led the Latino Employee Resource Group (ERG), served as an internal career coach and mentor for Black and Latino Googlers, and was a facilitator for Team Development programs. Sylvia is passionate about supporting the advancement of women and underrepresented groups in her community. As a first-generation college graduate, she is excited to support others with their early career journey and empower the next generation of leaders.

  • Jen Elena Romano

    CEO/Founder

    Cura, Inc.
    She is a seasoned Latina entrepreneur, founder/CEO, CMO, speaker, and award-winning marketing strategist. For over two decades, she has worked at the intersection of business and social impact, striving to close the wealth and health equity gap for underserved communities. In 2022, Jen Elena Romano founded Cura, an early-career coaching platform designed for first-generation and early-career talent to launch and grow their careers faster. She provides the Cura community with the resources she wished she had during her early career, including job opportunities, networking support, and a platform to share learnings through her authentic approach.

Watch Last Year's Event On-Demand

"Pioneers of Progress:" FGIT 10th Anniversary (2025)

About HubSpot

HubSpot is an AI-powered customer platform with all the software, integrations, and resources customers need to connect marketing, sales, and service. HubSpot's connected platform enables businesses to grow faster by focusing on what matters most: customers.

At HubSpot, bold is our baseline. Our employees around the globe move fast, stay customer-obsessed, and win together. Our culture is grounded in four commitments: Solve for the Customer, Be Bold, Learn Fast, Align, Adapt & Go!, and Deliver with HEART. These commitments shape how we work, lead, and grow.

We’re building a company where people can do their best work. We focus on brilliant work, not badge swipes. By combining clarity, ownership, and trust, we create space for big thinking and meaningful progress. And we know that when our employees grow, our customers do too.

Recognized globally for our award-winning culture by Comparably, Glassdoor, Fortune, and more, HubSpot is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with employees and offices around the world.

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