Lambda Trailblazers

Examples: “We are the change we seek”
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek.” – President Barack H. Obama

Our stories serve as the perfect examples of what’s possible. Leading up to National Convention, we will be sharing the stories of Hermanos who have experienced notable success in their respective career fields. Like all of us, they were once undergraduate Hermanos seeking answers. Their journeys across Education, Law, Engineering, Technology, Business, Public Service, Art, and Medicine serve as examples of what’s possible if we consistently and diligently work towards accomplishing our goals.

Our first cohort of 2019 LUL Trailblazers are:

Education: Silvestre Arcos, Cornell University: Hermano Silvestre is an Assistant Principal of KIPP NYC, a non-profit network of 11 free, open-enrollment, public schools that prepare students for success in college and life. Silvestre holds a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University and a M.S. in Bilingual/Bicultural Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Law: David Rolla, Dartmouth College: Hermano David is an Attorney at Paul, Weiss, one of the country’s leading corporate law firms. David holds a A.B. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from the NYU School of Law.

Engineering: Gil Valadez, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Hermano Gil is a Partner at Jacket River, a consulting and strategic capital provider to small- and mid-sized companies. Previously, Gil was a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Co. and General Mills. He holds a B.S. in Industrial & Management Engineering from RPI and a M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Technology: Marvin Guerra, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Hermano Marvin is a Senior Software Engineer at GoFundMe, a leading crowdfunding platform that has help raise over $5 billion for various causes. Marvin holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from MIT.

Business: Emmanuel Smadja, University of Virginia: Hermano Emmanuel is CEO and Co-Founder of MPOWER Financing, a loan provider for international and DACA students studying in the U.S. and Canada. He recently raised $110 million for his venture from two leading impact investment funds. Emmanuel holds a B.S. in Computer Science and M.S. in Systems and Information Engineering from UVA and a M.B.A. from INSEAD.

Public Service: Apollo Story, SUNY Albany: Hermano Apollo is a Police Lieutenant with the NYPD. He holds a B.A. in Communications from SUNY Albany and a M.P.A. from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. Apollo is also currently a M.B.A. Candidate at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Art: Luis Caraballo, Montclair State University: Hermano Luis Caraballo, also known as LouieBlaka, is a Contemporary Artist. He recently presented his fourth solo art exhibition “With Your Permission” in Soho (NYC). Luis holds a B.F.A. from Montclair State.

Medicine: Jorge De Avila, University of Southern California: Hermano Jorge is a M.D. Candidate at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He received his B.S. in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies from USC’s Keck School of Medicine.