Joselyn Pinto

I lived in Ecuador most of my life before moving to the U.S. for two big reasons: to pursue my master’s degree and because insecurity in my country was making it increasingly difficult to grow personally and professionally. Ecuador is still a developing country where opportunities in technology are limited. I grew up in a family where, thanks to my parents’ jobs, education was always a priority. That gave me a strong commitment to creating opportunities through innovation and building companies.

I started working early, first as an assistant during college to finance my studies. I graduated at the top of my class with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and my school recommended me to join a major UNESCO project as a research assistant. Later, I entered the corporate world at PYCCA, a retail company, where I helped build their Business Intelligence department, working closely with IT and marketing. Soon after, I joined Claro Ecuador’s Enterprise division as a Product Manager, where I launched initiatives in data monetization and developed vertical solutions, such as customer profiling models and traffic prediction tools, for government institutions and B2B clients.

My last role before leaving Ecuador was at PayJoy as a Product Operations Specialist, working remotely for a San Francisco–based fintech focused on financial inclusion. I served as the link between product managers and the way the platform operated in the Ecuadorian market. There, I learned how purpose-driven technology can balance both revenue and impact.

After two years of preparing myself, overcoming imposter syndrome, and “shooting for the moon so I could reach the stars,” I was admitted to Columbia University. I am now a full-time student in the Master of Science in Technology Management program, focusing on product management, data, and AI. At the same time, I am excited to be part of SmythOS, contributing to the company’s mission!