Claim Space to Challenge the Imposter Experience

One week ago today I had the honor of speaking at Techqueria’s inaugural Latinx History Month Summit. There, I facilitated a conversation about Imposter Syndrome, which is defined as the pervasive and overwhelming feeling of not being qualified despite success saying otherwise. It is notoriously prevalent amongst many first generation professionals and can be particularly paralyzing for emerging leaders.

An often missing piece of the conversation is how Imposter Syndrome is perpetuated through existing systems that label anything “other” as less-than or unprofessional and is fueled by:

beliefs around “diversity hires“ or “affirmative action”
unconscious biases
even friends and families expressing how lucky we are to have the opportunities that we have

To address Imposter Syndrome, it is important to first acknowledge that it is linked to systemic oppression and can occur when we are directly or indirectly told that we are less-than or undeserving of success.

As demonstrated through Congresswoman’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rise in politics, the world needs diverse perspectives and it is up to us to tackle barriers that prevent diverse perspectives from being heard or shared.

In my recorded session from Techqueria's LHM Summit, here, learn techniques that challenge the imposter experience both personally and in support of others.

Here’s what attendees were saying about the session: