Ms. Informed Latina Founder Shares Her Story

As an adolescent, Diana Pinedo lacked fundamental knowledge about careers and fınances. Her personal quest to get informed became a brand that helps other Latinas succeed.

What is the story behind Ms. Informed Latina?

The story of Ms. Informed Latina began when I graduated college in 2009. I wasn’t able to fınd a job in my fıeld and I ended up navigating my adult life so blindly. I was lost, misguided and misinformed. Neither college nor my upbringing really prepared me for adult life basics.

So, in 2016 I set out on a quest to get more informed (hence Ms. Informed) and then knew that it was my obligation, as a woman and a Latina, to share my knowledge. The reason being that I never want other Latinas to ever feel like I did: misguided and misinformed.

Ms. Informed Latina launched in 2017 as a simple blog and YouTube channel where I would journal my own struggles and provide advice. In 2020, I fınally decided to go all in, letting go of any self-doubt. I pivoted from only a blog and YouTube channel into a full-blown brand and podcast.

What would you say are the most common obstacles that children of immigrants come across in their careers?

I think it depends on a variety of factors as everyone’s journey as a fırst gen is different. But some of the common obstacles I’ve heard are self-advocacy, career growth, and looking for new opportunities.

What can we do to overcome the Latina wage gap?

We need to unlearn so many things we were taught from our parents, like work hard, be grateful, don’t complain. I say that because it’s what often keeps us stagnant, stuck, and uninformed with little understanding of our career trajectory or how to make more money, when we already get paid less than our white colleague counterparts. We need to work on a career plan to move into more senior level roles and be open to pivoting if the career we chose doesn’t leave enough room for growth.