Influential Woman · Medical Startup

Maria Figueroa

Lead Care Manager, Medical startup

Redwood City, CA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Psychology Degree 2023 Degree Associate's Degree in Psychology and Communications Cert CPR Training Cert First Aid

Her Story

About Maria

I'm a lead care manager at a medical startup where I've been for about 7 months. In my position, I coordinate and assist with medical attention and medical care, and I make sure that everybody's receiving equitable access to healthcare. I've been working in the field of community service work and mental health for about 3 to 4 years total. What inspired me to get into this field was the lack of attention to mental health and equitable access in healthcare to lower-income communities. I also came from that population and could still consider myself that at times, so I wanted to make sure I'm doing what I feel is something purposeful. The most notable thing so far in my career is just the new opportunities and having the opportunity to work in the fields that I have worked so far. The ability to take a chance and be given these opportunities, I appreciate them. I also worked at a non-profit for years, and that was amazing.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Maria

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would say my parents are one big part, of course. And then I would say whatever intrinsic motivation I found inside of me. My professors, too, actually. When I graduated high school, I really didn't know what I was going to study. I was going into Poli Sci, and then I took one psychology class, and I was like, I changed my mind, I'm going to be in psychology. And that professor is one of my mentors, so I would say that professor also really helped navigate my career trajectory in a big way.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

If you haven't faced failure several times, or haven't heard a no several times, then you haven't even started your career path.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say get creative, try new things. Don't be afraid to try new things, and let imposter syndrome sit in the very back of your mind, not control the wheel.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I would say the biggest challenges in mental health is that you usually need a graduate degree to kind of move up, and that has been a really nice thing about where I'm working at right now. It is based on the grit and the ability to work as a team, and your creativity is when it opens your doors. Usually it could be the lack of graduate degree or lack of experience, but in this case, for this specific job, it is just totally based on how you are as a worker, and what you can bring to the table, just based off of creativity.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I think doing everything with a mission behind it, with a mission that aligns with what we're doing. Like, right now, here at where I'm working, our mission is to have equitable access to healthcare. And that is something that, for me, pushes me to do this.

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