Meet Melba Tellez | Founder, Mujeres on the Rise

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melba Tellez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melba, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I started Mujeres on the Rise after realizing how hard it was for me to establish my career as a Latina. I am the youngest of three daughters, and I saw my mother and sisters hustling left and right to make ends meet.

Naturally, I inherited my family’s work ethic, and I grew up believing that your work should speak for itself. But in college, it wasn’t long before I realized that hard work alone is not a guarantee of success. Success is not only measured by what you know; it’s also measured by who you know. Unfortunately for me, I knew no one.

I didn’t have anyone to turn to for guidance. I navigated community college, FAFSA, and my coursework all on my own. And eventually, when I made it to graduate school, I realized that my work didn’t stop there. Suddenly I felt more lost and out of place than I ever did before, and it wasn’t long before I realized that many of the career resources and tools that are already out there are not built with people like me in mind. That’s when I knew I wanted to give back to the Latinx community and came up with the idea of creating Mujeres on the Rise.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am the proud founder of Mujeres on the Rise – a community that connects Latina women and helps them rise in their careers and in their lives through resources, community, and coaching.

I am also a full-time Product Marketing Manager at Google, where I help influence product positioning, messaging, and overall marketing strategies for hardware innovations. Before joining Google, I worked as a Marketing Manager for Amazon, where I drove content experimentation efforts to improve customer acquisition, retention, and engagement for underserved audiences within Prime.

My journey to where I am now has had its ups and downs. When I was 16, I dropped out of high school to get a job and help my mom with household expenses. I grew up with far more worries and uncertainties than any teenager should ever have to.

I worked 40 hours a week while getting my GED and continued working full-time while pursuing my undergraduate degree. I later proceeded to get a Master of Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

To be completely honest, I never thought I could work my way to where I am now, but if my trajectory has taught me one thing it’s that it does not matter where you start; all that matters is that you do.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I currently live in Seattle, WA and my favorite spots are Capital Hill and Ballard. This will probably come as a complete shock, but it rains quite a bit here, so assuming you visit in the summer months, I would recommend a stroll through Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and a visit to the Space Needle. There are also a ton of great hikes to do! Everyone has to do Mount Rainer at least once!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a massive shoutout to my grandmother, Maria Del Fina. My grandmother passed away earlier this year, and my only hope is that she knows how deeply I appreciated having her in my life. My grandma was one of the strongest, most courageous women I have ever known, and she always encouraged me to take big leaps in my life, in my career, and in my business. Without her, Mujeres on the Rise would not exist.

Website: https://www.mujeresontherise.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mujeresontherise/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mujeresontherise

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mujeresontherise/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mujeresontherise?lang=en https://www.melbatellez.com/