Mucho Amor’s mission is to cultivate, champion, celebrate, and contribute to the Latinx and Hispanic community—both inside and outside of Unqork. All Unqorkers are welcome to join the community and participate in their events.
We asked Mucho Amor’s leadership team—Gina Apresa, Director of Operations, and Rafa Moterani, Engineering Manager, and Isabel Melo, Business Systems Analyst —to tell us why they are passionate about their work for Mucho Amor, how it enriches their work lives, and what they love about working at a company truly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Tell us about your roles at Unqork.
Gina: I am Director of Operations and part of the Data & Operational Excellence Team. I focus on shaping and developing our team’s processes and procedures from the ground up. I also conduct comprehensive gap analysis across departments to identify opportunities for consolidation, process improvement, and cost savings. And I contribute to company-wide initiatives to enhance overall operational efficiency and collaboration. I just celebrated my third anniversary at Unqork. Woohoo!!!
Isabel: As a Business Systems Analyst, my role is centered around ensuring the seamless integration and optimization of various business processes and systems that drive financial and operational efficiency. My work involves designing and implementing integrations across key business functions, with a focus on enhancing workflow automation and data accuracy. I have been with Unqork for over three years now.
Rafa: I am the Engineering Manager for the Data Experience Team, my tasks are all around ensuring that our data flow products become a reality. This is a very meticulous job and involves orchestrating multiple engineers in the execution of requests. At the same time, I must ensure that the team is making progress toward their career paths, that they are feeling happy and heard, and that their opinions and suggestions are always taken into consideration to improve our product roadmap. I have also been at Unqork for three years. Gina and I joined at the same time and in the same orientation group!
What inspired you to take a leadership role in Mucho Amor ERSG?
Gina: I accepted the role of President of Mucho Amor because I recognized an opportunity to apply my previous experience as President of the Wells Fargo Arizona Volunteer chapter, where I managed and led over 3,000 volunteers across the state. My goal is to bring that same energy, organizational expertise, and sense of fun to Mucho Amor, ensuring that we create a vibrant and impactful community.
Isabel: I’m passionate about increasing Latinx representation in tech, and there is no better way to do so than by highlighting the colors of my community in the workplace.
Rafa: These are my people! Latinos are fun, kind and always there for you, the kind of people that I want to be around! <3
What does your role in the ESRG involve?
Gina: As president, my role is to define the ERSG roadmap, establish key metrics, and set ambitious goals for our ERSG. I collaborate closely with my team of co-chairs and 15 amazing ambassadors to strategically plan and flawlessly execute a variety of impactful events throughout the year.
Isabel: I have been supporting Gina in all the amazing initiatives she comes up with and creating buzz in our Slack channel. I post spotlights of our members, organize our cooking challenges, and try to bring as many events in person to our NYC office as possible.
Rafa: In my role as community co-chair, I make sure that everyone is happy and provide help on any task where I can contribute.
Tell us about some of the most rewarding activities your ESRG has engaged in recently.
Isabel: Some of the initiatives we’ve been working on include monthly spotlights, where we highlight members of the Hispanic community at Unqork. We also launched a Spanish mentoring program where native speakers are matched with folks who want to learn and practice Spanish.
One of our newest initiatives is the monthly cooking challenge, inspired by our “Mucho Amor Cookbook.” We challenge Unqorkers to make one dish every month and then post pictures to the #mucho-amor Slack channel.
And for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, we hosted several exciting events. We had a cake-tasting competition in the NYC office and brought some Brazilian snacks to share. We have also been hosting presentations of must-see spots around the world. So far, we have covered Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, India, and Mexico. Coming up, we will have presentations on Chile and Brazil. And we also hosted a virtual Loteria, a Mexican game like Bingo in which members could win prizes!
Do you have any more cool events or other activities coming up that you’d like to highlight?
Isabel: Besides our regular activities, we are already planning to launch a second Spanish Mentoring program. So, we are definitely keeping busy.
What are some future goals or plans for Mucho Amor?
We have three areas of focus: recruitment and retention, growth and development of our group and its members, and branding and engagement to support both those initiatives. Here are a list of our planned activities:
- Recruiting & retention. Partner with university Hispanic groups.
- Growth & development. Grow the Spanish mentoring program as well as Mucho Amor Strengthsfinder, a leadership training and self development program.
- Branding & engagement. Send monthly member spotlights to the Unqork internal audience, plan and publicize Hispanic Heritage month, and continue our monthly cooking challenges.
Did Unqork’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) play a role in your decision to join the team?
Gina: Yes, I love that Unqork has a commitment not only to encourage diversity but also has also set up these amazing ERSG teams to help support it. We have the support of our DEI team, the Unqork HR team, and Unqork’s leadership teams.
Isabel: Unqork’s effort to give voice to minority groups is a huge reason why I love working here. Being able to share my personal experiences as a Latina, and being celebrated for it, has been amazing.
Rafa: Definitely! It’s extremely important for me that a company has a department devoted to fostering diversity and connecting different cultures.
How has your participation in ERSGs enhanced your experience as an employee?
Gina:Being a part of Mucho Amor’s familia has significantly enriched my experience at Unqork by fostering meaningful connections and driving personal growth. Leading a team of 15 ambassadors has provided a unique opportunity to strengthen relationships across the organization while developing and refining my leadership skills. This role has allowed me to collaborate with passionate colleagues to bring impactful events and initiatives to life, which has not only deepened my engagement within the Unqork community but also enhanced my professional development in a truly rewarding way!
Isabel: Taking on leadership roles within Mucho Amor definitely helped me grow in my role, helping me feel more comfortable with people in the organization and more confident in leading projects. It has also enabled me to find a variety of mentors who have also encouraged me in my personal and professional growth.
Rafa: Corporate is all about internal networking, and my participation in Mucho Amor allows me to meet new peers and make their lives a bit better. This completely enhances my career as I create meaningful connections with these peers.
Do you have any wisdom to offer other current or prospective Unqorkers?
Gina: First, embrace the power of diversity. Diversity is our strength, and inclusion is our responsibility. By welcoming different perspectives and experiences, we create a richer, more innovative environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Second, cultivate a culture of belonging. True inclusion means fostering a culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
Third, celebrate our differences. Our differences are what makes us unique, and by celebrating them, we strengthen our community. Each of us brings something special to the table, and it’s through this variety that we grow together.
Isabel: Don’t be afraid to show who you are! Sharing your uniqueness with your peers creates a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable and united. It’s so much more fun to work with friends than to put on a corporate mask from 9 to 5.
Rafa: At Mucho Amor, we believe that our strength lies in our unity. We work together to create spaces where every individual feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to the forefront, driving both personal and organizational success.
What is your favorite part about working for Unqork?
Gina: My favorite part of working at Unqork is the incredible people I have the privilege to work with. Their passion, creativity, and collaboration makes every day rewarding and inspires me to keep pushing for excellence.
Isabel: My favorite part of working here is that everyone wants you to succeed. Working with peers who truly are rooting for you makes such a difference.
Rafa: My team! I’m the team’s #1 fan and supporter! A company without empathy and meaningful connections is just a company, but when you gather a group of like-minded people who are willing to work together and create meaningful things together, it becomes your second home and just not a company.
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