Her Story
About Silvia Vasquez
Silvia Lavado is a global storyteller and speaker whose career spans corporate leadership and transformative personal pursuits. After spending 15 years in the tech industry, including four years based in Switzerland overseeing operations across Europe and Asia, she left the corporate world in 2019 to publish her memoir, which was released in 2022 and won Best Travel Book in the UK. As a mountaineer, Lavado became the first openly gay woman to complete the seven summits, the tallest peaks on each continent, and the first Peruvian woman to summit Mount Everest. She is a member of the Explorers Club and has channeled her experiences into impactful initiatives, including running meditation programs at a women's prison in Chowchilla and serving as an ambassador for the National Monument of LGBTQ+ in New York City at Stonewall. Lavado is currently launching Women Moving Mountains, an all-women expedition to Everest aimed at increasing female representation in professional guiding. She attributes her success to finding authenticity and the resilience lessons learned from facing adversity in nature, and she advises others to embrace vulnerability, hold their craft with intention, and treat everyone with compassion and equality.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Silvia Vasquez
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to finding my authenticity and the lessons I learned in nature about facing adversity and setbacks. Climbing mountains taught me resilience and how to deal with noise and ego. It's about going back to your authentic voice and contributing fully without comparisons.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One piece of advice was that you would always have a bad day, from a famous mountaineer at Everest. It means you don't quit when setbacks happen. Another was from Oprah: it doesn't hurt to ask.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid and don't judge your success by how many followers or likes you have. Keep holding your craft with intention. Be authentic and vulnerable. Remember that everyone has a story and treat people with compassion.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is how to keep showing your value in a competitive field where men oversell and women undersell. You need to create your own attention, put yourself out there, and practice to become a good speaker. Get a speaking agent once you are skilled.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family and chosen family are very important. Treating everybody equally without superiority. Authenticity and humility. Self-compassion and surrounding yourself with positive people. Material accomplishments mean nothing compared to how you treat others.
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