Moving somewhere unfamiliar teaches you more about yourself than comfort ever could. Once you've proven you can do hard things, you enter every room with confidence and security.
Karina Centeno · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Karina
Karina Centeno is a dynamic marketing leader and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in digital marketing, market analysis, and brand management. She is the Founder and CEO of Herencia Marketing Agency, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on multicultural marketing, particularly within Latino communities and other diverse audiences. Her work blends data-driven decision-making with creative storytelling to help brands strengthen visibility, improve engagement, and achieve sustainable growth.
Alongside her entrepreneurial leadership, Karina has built a strong corporate career spanning public relations, admissions marketing, CRM strategy, and event-driven campaigns. She has developed and executed integrated marketing strategies that include digital advertising, email campaigns, social media optimization, and expo marketing. Her experience also includes securing media coverage, managing cross-functional teams, and supporting revenue growth through targeted, insight-based marketing initiatives across multiple industries.
Karina currently serves as a Marketing Specialist at Flottweg, where she supports marketing operations across the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and Latin America. A graduate of San Francisco State University, she combines global business perspective with hands-on execution across both corporate and agency settings. Her career reflects a consistent focus on innovation, cross-cultural communication, and building impactful marketing systems that connect organizations with the audiences they serve.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my family’s unwavering support and the values they instilled in me from an early age.
As a first generation Latina, I was raised with a deep respect for education and a strong work ethic, along with the understanding that a degree alone is not enough without purpose, discipline, and ambition. My family has supported me through every stage of my journey celebrating my good decisions and standing by me through the difficult ones.
That foundation has shaped not only my career, but my mindset and resilience. As a Mexican American woman, I have faced challenges, but they have only strengthened my determination. My driving force is creating a better future for my family one rooted in opportunity and generational growth. At the same time, I hope my journey serves as a reminder to other Latinas that with perseverance, anything is possible.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my dad when I was first starting out in my corporate career.
He said to me, “Remember, everyone starts at the bottom, not the top, and you should treat and speak to the janitor with the same respect you would give the CEO.”
That advice has stayed with me throughout my career because it’s such an important reminder that every person has value and deserves respect, regardless of their title or position. It also keeps me grounded, never to become arrogant, never to assume I know everything, and always to stay humble enough to keep learning.
It also taught me the importance of patience and kindness, especially when working with people who are just starting out. Everyone is learning, everyone is growing, and I think the way you treat people along the way says a lot about who you are as a professional and as a person.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
What I would tell young women entering this industry is this: don’t get discouraged and don’t shrink yourself to fit into any room you walk into.
I work in a male dominated field, and there will be moments where you’re the only woman in the room, or where you’re interrupted or not immediately taken seriously. In those moments, stay grounded. Speak up anyway. Hold your space with confidence and calm not aggression, but certainty.
At the same time, try not to stay stuck in the mindset of “I’m the only woman in the room.” Part of overcoming that insecurity is reminding yourself that, at the end of the day, everyone in that room is human. Your value, your voice, and your professional competency are not defined by your gender or your reproductive system—they’re defined by your knowledge, your work, and what you bring to the table.
You don’t have to change who you are to be heard. There is a way to be respectful and professional while still being firm about your ideas and your value.
And when it gets overwhelming, give yourself permission to pause and reset. Not every moment needs to stay with you. Tomorrow is a new opportunity to show up stronger, clearer, and more confident.
Most importantly, believe in yourself, even when it feels uncomfortable. Confidence isn’t something you wait for; it’s something you practice. And once you trust your own voice, others will too.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and at the same time, one of the biggest opportunities in my field right now is AI and how we integrate it in a way that still respects the human experience.
AI has the potential to make marketing more efficient, improve operations, and help teams work smarter. But with that opportunity comes a responsibility to use it thoughtfully. I think one of the biggest challenges is making sure we don’t overpromise unrealistic outcomes or create the impression that an automated system can completely replace strategy, creativity, and human connection.
For me, it’s about finding the right balance: using AI to optimize and support the work we do, while staying grounded in ethics, transparency, and realistic expectations. The real opportunity lies in using these tools to enhance human expertise, not replace it.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
What matters most to me, both in my work and personal life, is maintaining a healthy balance between the two. I value being fully present for my family and friends and making sure I’m not so consumed by work that I neglect the people who matter most to me.
At the same time, I care deeply about growth and innovation in my career. I’m always looking for ways to bring fresh ideas to the table, improve processes, and implement new marketing initiatives that create real impact within my company.
At the core of it, I value balance, ambition, and meaningful relationships—making space for personal fulfillment while continuing to grow professionally.
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