Traveling While Exploring the Hispanic Identity (PPIL Approved)

Christian Carrion-Vera

Christian Carrion-Vera is a first-generation Ecuadorian-American who was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He attended the University of Southern California and lived in Los Angeles for over four years after graduation. Christian has also temporarily lived in San Francisco, Hong Kong, Australia, and Manchester, for internships and study abroad, and has done service work in Honduras, Nepal, and Beijing. Through these experiences, he was able to further explore the Latinx identity and its perception throughout the globe. Christian was most recently a strategy consultant at L.E.K. Consulting and is looking to pursue a career in impact investing.

Nate Garcia

Nate Garcia is a proud first-generation Puerto Rican and Jamaican American. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Manhattan University in 2018. Although Nate was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, he has visited 30 of the 48 contiguous states.

After graduation, he joined Pfizer’s Vaccine R&D department. As a Scientist, he played an integral role in antibody quantification immunoassay development for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine program. In 2023, Nate transitioned to Pfizer’s Office of the CEO, where he helped launch Pfizer School of Science, expanding access to STEM education and workforce awareness for more than 18,000 NYC middle schoolers.

Nate also served as the External Impact lead for Pfizer's Enterprise Latino Community and the Co-lead for Pfizer Pearl River’s Global Black Community. In these roles, he worked to build productive and sustained partnerships with the community and throughout the firm, creating an inclusive culture that celebrated diverse people, perspectives, and scientific innovation.

Kristina Guzman

Kristina Guzman is a first year student at Columbia Business School. She is a first-generation Latina: half Ecuadorian, half Puerto Rican, born and raised in NYC.

She earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Media Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and moved back to New York for Pfizer’s Breakthrough Fellowship Program where she worked as a Global Marketing Associate leading patient strategy initiatives and medical education events in Dubai, Lisbon, Tokyo and Amsterdam.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, singing, salsa/bachata dancing, and spending time with family and friends. She is also a passionate advocate for health equity among women and underrepresented minorities and serves as a policy ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Impact Association serving Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district in Queens.

Carolina Uribe

Carolina Uribe is a second-year MBA student at Columbia Business School. Raised in San Antonio, Texas, with family roots in Mexico, she earned her B.S. in Public Health from Texas A&M University. After graduation, she moved to New York to join Pfizer’s Breakthrough Fellowship Program, a DEI-focused initiative designed to expand diverse leadership pipelines.

Carolina served as an Operations Strategy Associate, and led her department’s largest initiative — the Pfizer School of Science Mobile Experience, a national STEM outreach program designed to inspire students and communities across the U.S.

At CBS, Carolina serves as Co-President of the Hispanic Business Association and is passionate about using her background in business and public health to drive positive change in healthcare, organizations, and communities.