When I look back at my own journey, I know I wouldn’t be here without the people who amplified me.
An amplifier is someone who goes beyond giving advice or showing support. They create opportunities, open doors, and move obstacles so others can rise.
I remember clearly early in my career when my resume felt like it was stuck in a black hole with everyone else’s.
I was submitting applications, getting rejections, and hearing the same advice over and over, even though I knew I was qualified.
What changed everything was when an amplifier stepped in.
They answered the email.
They picked up the phone.
They forwarded my resume.
They vouched for me in rooms where I wasn’t present.
That moment opened the door that set me on the path to where I am today.
With Guillermo Diaz Jr. at the Angeles Investors Summit. From seeking opportunities as an intern to now investing in the Latino community alongside one of my first amplifiers, it feels like a full circle.
As I reflect on my journey, I realize that amplification does not happen in a vacuum.
You cannot amplify a signal that does not exist.
The people who helped me could only do so because I had been putting in the work. I had been building projects, going to conferences with intention, following up, and documenting the journey so others could see my effort.
That consistency gave them a story they could carry into rooms I had not entered yet.
John Canela speaking at the “AI in Higher Education” roundtable with Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) leaders, exploring how AI can shape the future of higher education, at the Angeles Investors Summit.
At the recent Q3 Angeles Investors summit in Chicago, Fernando Rosario put words around this idea with a clarity that struck me:
