*takes deep breath*

I’m writing this from a place of deep gratitude 🙏🏼

Over the past month and a half, I’ve had a chance to slow down, reflect, and work on some personal projects (that I’ll share more about in a bit).

2025's word of the year for me was momentum . .

And that really played out in how I showed up every day.

Each day building on to the next one.

That mindset led to where I’m standing today . .

This chapter brings me right back to where it all began . .

My family’s story in the U.S started in Brooklyn, New York.

It’s where my Grandpa, Dad, and Mom first landed from the Dominican Republic.

It’s where I was born, the first in my family to be born on U.S soil.

Although my parents moved us to New Jersey to give us a better chance at success, Brooklyn remained the backdrop of our ambition.

They never would have guessed that their decision to land there would eventually lead to their first son being accepted to NYU, right where it all began.

I’ve written before about watching my mom navigate survival mode, raising four kids while earning two Master's degrees.

She made sure that her ceiling became our floor.

Watching her achieve the unthinkable was the spark that ignited my next step:

When the opportunity came up to apply for the Cyber Fellows Program at NYU Tandon, I decided to go for it!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve started my Master’s in Cybersecurity at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering!

To top it off, I was awarded the Cyber Fellows Scholarship!

Between this award and Google’s tuition reimbursement, over 90% of the cost is covered, allowing me to focus fully on the work ahead . .

As a first-generation Dominican American, having my mom to look up to gave me the grit and determination to keep going.

I’m doing this to prove that if she can move to a new country, learn a new language, and earn a Bachelor’s AND two Master's degrees, I can at least get one.

This time, rooted in the very city where my family's story began . .

This mindset of momentum led to celebrating family wins:

Like deepening my marriage and growing alongside my wife . .

It also fueled a massive year of 'proof of work':

I got promoted at Google!

And deepened my expertise in both AI and Cybersecurity . .

Getting promoted made me think back to being a college student at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Conference, trying to get an interview for an internship at Google . .

I never got the interview back then . .

I learned that sometimes we have to get through a lot of no’s before hearing our first yes.

So we have to keep moving forward . .

It makes this promotion that much more significant for me:

I was honored to be named one of the ‘40 Under 40’ by Negocios Now in New York City:

I served my first full year on the Board of the Hispanic LatinX Leadership Council (HLLC) at NJIT:

As a Board Member, I’m proud of how we worked with student leaders, University Advancement, and Career Development Services to bring NJIT and Angeles Investors together, creating more spaces where students and alumni can grow and be seen:

It was an honor to bridge two of my worlds and host the Angeles Investors community on campus alongside University President Teik C. Lim:

As a Board Member, I’m proud of how we worked with student leaders at NJIT to create space for them to attend the Angeles Investors Q4 Summit in New York City.

I had no idea what angel investing was about when I was in their shoes:

2025 was the year I leveled up as an Angel Investor, backing 5 companies, all led by Latino founders:

Sunny [Pre-Seed], Bondly [Pre-Seed], Sotol Romo [Pre-Seed], and doubled down on Neurable (participating in their [Series A] and [Series A+] rounds.

I also stayed active attending 4 of the quarterly Angeles Investors Summits (Miami, Chicago, Silicon Valley, New York) and launched this newsletter, DÍMELO, where I documented part of the journey:

A lesson I’m carrying with me through all of this:

Stop waiting for permission.

Take up space and share the blueprint.

In 2025, I traveled all across the country (17 states total + Puerto Rico) and visited Madrid & Salamanca for the first time!

I went to concerts all around the country and saw J Balvin, Jon Bellion, even Bad Bunny (in Puerto Rico!) to name a few.

A huge highlight of the year!

I even closed out the year watching the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry, shoot a 3-pointer live on the last day of 2025!

2025 was a WILD year . .

Which is why I had to take a deep breath in the beginning as I tried to figure out how to condense this all lol

With all that said . .

2026 I’m ready for you!

And I’m heading into it with the same hunger I started with . .

The truth is, in cybersecurity, you have to stay a student to stay sharp . .

I’m already putting in the work, creating projects late at night, reading white papers, and chasing curiosity.

This program at NYU formalizes that hunger.

I believe the deeper the foundation, the higher you can build.

I plan to combine my experience at Mandiant / Google with this academic rigor to become a better builder and a stronger leader.

I’m also looking forward to the people I’ll meet at NYU and finding new ways to act as a bridge to opportunities.

But more importantly, for me, this is about representation.

As a Dominican in cybersecurity, I know how hard it is to be what you can’t see.

My journey is proof that we belong in these rooms, at these tables, and at these institutions . .

. . And that there’s more than one way to get to the same place.

Iron sharpens iron . . And I’m ready to get to work 🙏🏼

Thank you for being part of my village.

There is so much to look forward to this year!

And I plan to document the journey as always . .

My 2026 Word of the Year:

I’m walking into these rooms so I can bring the knowledge back out!

If it’s your first time here, welcome to my newsletter, DÍMELO.

I’ll keep showing up with the signals, stories, and lessons that matter . . . straight up!

I’m grateful we’re on this journey together!

#InThisTogether

- John Canela

P.S. If this post resonated, drop a comment or share it with someone who needs to be reminded that anything is possible ✊🏼