Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Q&A with Ruby Glaisher

Tell us a little about your story – your background, heritage, and your journey to Kubrick.

I was born in Venezuela and lived there until I moved to the US when I was 10 years old. My family decided to move for a few different reasons. Back then, the political situation in Venezuela was not yet unstable, but my father had the feeling that it was heading in a bad direction. We had a very well-established life in Venezuela as my father was a business owner, so it was a big decision to move, and it wasn’t intended to be permanent; my parents had been hopeful things would get better so that we could return. My parents also wanted to find better education opportunities for my brother, who has Down Syndrome, and we were fortunate to be able to migrate on an investor visa and eventually became residents.

We moved to Miami, a city where the population is over 70% Hispanic/Latinx[1]. Most places, like the supermarket or local bank, will likely default to speaking Spanish first and I appreciate Miami is unique in this way – you might not even feel like you’re in the US when you’re there.

I left Miami when I went to graduate school in Pennsylvania, where I met my husband, who is British - I always have to include that as part of my story as people often ask me how a Venezuelan person who grew up in Miami ends up in London! He went back to the UK after we finished studying, so we dated long-distance for a while as I took a job in Washington DC before moving to join him in London. I came across Kubrick in 2018, which at the time had an HQ team of less than 30 people and had trained around 100 consultants. That feels like a very long time ago now we’ve trained over 1500 consultants and have expanded into the US.

What has your experience as a Latina in the UK been like?

Thinking back on when I first moved to the UK, there is one memory springs to mind which captures my sentiment. I joined Kubrick around the same time as the first ever Data Management cohort, and I was introducing myself to one of the consultants. He asked me where I was from and then told me there was Venezuelan guy in their group. I got so excited to meet this guy that I hurried away mid-conversation to go find him, not even considering how rude this could seem in my giddiness (I still feel bad about this first impression, but it has become a long-running joke between us!). Even though I left Venezuela when I was young, I still speak Spanish with my family and feel my ties to home very strongly, so it was really amazing to meet someone who has the same background as me, especially as a small minority in the UK.

I know the Latinx population is growing quickly in the UK, although it has not yet been fully recognized in the census, and I see it growing in London. I’m aware there’s quite a big Colombian presence in the Elephant & Castle area, so it was great to take my mom to a restaurant there as we have some Colombian heritage, and they also have a lot of similarities to Venezuelan culture and food. Moreover, as Kubrick grows in the US, where there is a much larger Hispanic/Latinx population, we will increase our own diversity as an organization. Being based in the UK, I don’t know many other Kubrick employees who identify as Hispanic. However, as one of Kubrick’s Diversity Champions, I’m excited to welcome our American colleagues into our group and collaborate on projects around Hispanic/Latinx stories and experiences.

In the US, nearly about 20% of the population identify as Latinx, but less than 7% technology roles in the Tech Giants (Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet) are occupied by Latinx employees[2]. How do you see the opportunity for Kubrick to increase Latinx representation in technology as we expand in the US?

Kubrick is doing a lot to widen the pool of talent who are able to join the technology industry, first with a focus on the gender divide but now considering other spaces we can work within, which is why our Diversity Champions group is so important. I think one way in which Kubrick is contributing is by breaking down misconceptions and creating awareness on the data and technology sector so that more people from all backgrounds understand why it is such a good career option and how to get into it – like how we’re having this conversation right now!

I also think there is a generational aspect to the challenge of increasing diversity in a new and emerging field like tech. The parents of today’s students and young professionals may fear that going into tech isn’t a traditional, secure job and so might not encourage it as a pathway. However, as a parent in a younger generation I have more awareness of technology and would be supportive if my daughter decides she’d like to be a data scientist because I understand the industry certainly here to stay. I also recognize that having digital skills is beneficial across functions and industries, so regardless of where they end up, I would want my children to have tech skills.

It just a matter of time before we start seeing the difference that Kubrick are making to fill that gap between people who want to gain tech skills and establishing themselves in the industry. I’ve already seen it in my 4 years at Kubrick; it’s amazing to have been a part of someone’s journey from as early as their interview with Kubrick to now speaking to them as Alumni, who have progressed to become managers. I’m sure in the next 5-10 years, they will then be leaders at their companies and want to work with Kubrick to build their teams. This is progression is what we’re investing in, and it is a great opportunity for social mobility and diversity.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? As the conversation around identity increases, how do you identify with your heritage and the terms ‘Hispanic’ versus ‘Latinx’?

I find defining my identity tricky because if you were to ask my family who still live in Venezuela, they would say I'm a bit less Venezuelan to them. They can tell that I've adopted various cultural aspects of all the places I’ve lived but I’m proud of the blend of identities I’ve acquired, I think it has allowed me to grow as a person and expand how I see myself. I still feel I’ve maintained my Venezuelan identity even though I haven’t lived there in over 20 years and feel connected through my family and the culture, and now that I have my own family, I want to share that heritage with them.

What I love about Latin culture is how family-oriented it is. I remember Sundays in Venezuela were so quiet and everything was shut because you were likely having lunch with your family or spending time at a relative’s house. The idea of going shopping on a Sunday is still a bit strange for me! Tied with that is the theme of food, which goes hand-in-hand with family time. I’m a big promoter of Venezuelan food with anyone who is willing to listen because it is so delicious! I’d also say that working hard is highly valued. There needs to be a good work-life balance with time for family, but there is certainly an element of taking pride in your work.

Personally, I’m comfortable with either Latinx or Hispanic as a term – I recognize that Latinx highlights where I’m geographically from in Latin America, but Hispanic acknowledges that Spanish is my first language and the influence that the Spanish had on my culture. Other people may feel differently, but I think building our awareness of other people’s cultures and understanding how they might approach situations differently, while fostering inclusive environments, is what’s most important; ultimately, we can all benefit from diversity of thought. That’s what I’ve learned from having brought my background and experiences to the variety of places I’ve lived.

To learn more about how Kubrick fosters an inclusive workplace with our Diversity Champions initiative, visit: https://www.kubrickgroup.com/u...


[1] (https://www.miamidadematters.o...§ionId=935
[2] https://www.globaldata.com/dat...