GoKawiilIn shaping her career, Peru native Mariana Costa has asked herself a question: What can I do to make life better for women in Latin America?
The answer she landed on was training them for tech jobs.
Mariana Costa Employer Laboratoria Title Co-founder and president Alma Maters London School of Economics; Columbia
Such positions pay well and are in demand. And for too long, women across the region have been locked out of them, she says.
Costa is president of Laboratoria, a U.S.-registered nonprofit based in Miami that she helped found. Laboratoria has trained thousands of women in 11 Latin American countries for technology careers. She has built training centers in the countries and has placed graduates at major companies. Meanwhile, she has become one of the most recognized voices in the region on workforce equity and tech education for women.
IEEE recognized her work with its President’s Award this year for her “distinguished leadership and contributions to the betterment of society.” Recipients of the award are selected by the IEEE president with the consent of the IEEE Board of Directors.
Costa says the recognition came as a surprise because she is not an engineer by training and had never considered becoming affiliated with IEEE.
She was presented with the award at the IEEE Honors Ceremony on 24 April in New York City.
Peru: a country of contrasts
Costa grew up in Lima, Peru’s capital, in a household with no connection to engineering or technology. Her mother was an art historian and professor, and her father was a lawyer. The family was financially comfortable and traveled abroad regularly. Costa attended well-resourced schools.
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