Raquel Hernandez
VP of Engineering, Clara
📍Brooklyn, New York, USA
Pledge 1% is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. What can companies do (or do more of) to have a positive social impact in the next 10 years?
Drive inclusive innovation by ensuring products and services are designed for diverse populations. This means having diverse teams leading product development and explicitly considering accessibility and inclusion in the design process.
What’s the legacy you hope to leave for future generations?
I hope to be remembered as a leader who was passionate about developing and empowering the next generation of technical leaders. I believe the most meaningful impact we can have is helping others grow and succeed, so I've focused on creating environments where people can stretch their abilities, take on new challenges, and develop into strong leaders themselves. My goal is that years from now, there will be many successful leaders who can point to their time working with me as a pivotal period in their growth, and they in turn will be doing the same for others - creating a continuing cycle of mentorship and leadership development that extends far beyond my direct influence.
If you could choose one word to define your leadership style, what would it be and why?
Empowering: Because I focus on developing future leaders, pushing down decision-making authority, and creating high-performance organizations by enabling others to succeed. I believe in giving teams autonomy while providing clear strategic direction.
If you could give one piece of advice to the next generation of women leaders, what would it be?
Build your support network deliberately and strategically - seek out both mentors and peers who will champion you, challenge you, and share honest feedback, while also becoming that support for others. Strong networks not only help navigate career challenges but also create lasting change in organizations.
Strong networks not only help navigate career challenges but also create lasting change in organizations.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about—whether in your professional journey or personal life?
I'm incredibly energized by two parallel journeys unfolding in my life right now. Professionally, we're living in a transformative time with AI reshaping how we work and innovate - it's thrilling to be leading engineering and data teams during this revolution, helping shape how we thoughtfully integrate these technologies to empower our people and enhance our capabilities.
On a personal level, I'm cherishing the beautiful journey of building my family alongside my husband and watching our baby grow. There's something magical about experiencing these major technological advances while also experiencing the timeless joy of parenthood - it gives me a unique perspective on both the future we're building professionally and the world we're creating for the next generation.
