{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Breaking Precedent","title":"Breaking the Bias: Samara Hernandez of Chingona Ventures on Capital, Culture, and the Future of Funding","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/06eefbcf\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3982,"description":"What happens when difference becomes a competitive advantage?In this episode of Breaking Precedent, Leah Solivan sits down with Samara Hernandez, founder of Chingona Ventures, to explore how identity, constraint, and culture can shape leadership in venture capital. From growing up in Mexico to building a venture fund in the United States, Samara reflects on how limited resources, discipline, and an early love of math forged resilience and clarity—and how being underestimated became a source of strength.Tracing her path from engineering at the University of Michigan to finance at Goldman Sachs, and ultimately to launching her own fund, Samara shares how she learned to turn difference into a competitive edge. Now a venture capitalist and engineer backing bold founders, she brings a philosophy of doing more with less—working to close access gaps, expand opportunity, and redefine leadership in an industry built on pattern-matching.Samara Hernandez is a venture capitalist and engineer focused on backing bold founders building the future. Born in Mexico and raised in Chicago, her career spans engineering, finance, and early-stage investing, shaped by a philosophy of doing more with less. Through Chingona Ventures, she works to close capital gaps and expand opportunity for underrepresented founders across the innovation economy.Learn more at chingonaventures.com, and follow Samara on Instagram @chingonaventures and LinkedIn.ResourcesNational Venture Capital Association (NVCA)Venture ForwardSAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Breaking Precedent!02:03 Icebreaker: Turning Differences into Superpowers03:43 Samara's Childhood and Education06:59 From Mexico to Chicago: A Family's Journey07:21 The Significance of Qana Ventures08:32 Celebrating Hispanic Heritage09:59 The Power of Community and Upbringing11:48 Discovering a Passion for Math13:30 Navigating Education as an Immigrant17:39 Choosing Engineering and University Life24:13 From...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/ZnB7esk3hxfFIoNnysnaXcdcNStXN6Vgj5GFpWxsycY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hZTZl/N2FhYTdlYjFlYjNj/MjZjZjU3MGMxYWM0/YWVlZC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}