Samara Mejia Hernandez is a Mexican immigrant venture capital investor at Chingona Ventures who broke into finance from a non-elite background as the daughter of a maid and busboy, explicitly using her experience having to fight and claw her way into the industry to relate to underestimated founders. She takes a deliberately orthogonal investing approach focused on technology companies serving emerging majority consumers, often backing founders at the idea stage with early conviction-driven checks while combining her engineering degree and Goldman Sachs experience with community building work through cofounding the Latinx Founders Collective.

• Deep commitment to the Latino community and increasing representation in tech and venture capital. She frequently highlights her participation in high-level advocacy, such as attending summits at the White House to discuss opportunities for the community, and she even jokes about the perks of investing in Latino founders, like getting authentic Mexican candy.
• A strong champion for the Chicago and Midwest startup ecosystems. She consistently celebrates wins for the region, such as congratulating local peer firms like 7wireventures on their successes or speaking to media outlets like Bloomberg about why Chicago is a prime location for building companies.
• Pride in her firm, Chingona Ventures, and its focus on early-stage and diverse founders. She actively shares updates on her team's growth and portfolio milestones, including specific shout-outs to companies like Sigo Seguros and Honey Homes when they raise follow-on capital or achieve traction.
• Values deep professional networks and peer relationships, specifically through the Kauffman Fellows program. She often posts appreciation for her specific cohort and forum group, indicating that she leans heavily on her network of fellow VCs for support and deal flow.
• Appreciation for personal stories and full-circle moments with founders. She shared a specific example of investing in a founder she originally met years ago during her undergraduate days in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, highlighting her interest in long-term relationship building.
• Vocal about fundraising ethics and the current market environment. She has expressed frustration with bad behavior in the industry, such as investors signing deals but ghosting before wiring funds, suggesting she prioritizes integrity and transparency in business dealings.