Build a flamin’ hot career without losing your identity

Oct 12, 2021, 11:00 PM – Oct 13, 2021, 12:00 AM (UTC)

This Latinx Heritage Month, meet the man credited as being the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and his inspiring career journey as a son of immigrant parents from Mexico who overcame his fears & embraced his identity to become a recognized leader in business & innovation.

Hosted by Asana

About this event

All of us, particularly in the Latinx community, have pieces of our identity that make us who we are, but that we are afraid to show. Richard Montañez, VP of Multicultural Sales & Community Activation at PepsiCo, knows what it’s like to try to hide parts of who you are and his story of ingenuity and hope is a powerful example of how activating those parts can be the catalyst to career growth and success.

Today, Richard is credited with being the creator of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and is finalizing a biopic of his life produced by Eva Longoria. It all started in Southern California, raised by Mexican immigrants and working on a farm.

“As much as I wanted to fit in, I soon realized that I was made to stand out,” Richard shares in his book, A Boy, A Burrito, And A Cookie. He tells the story of when his mother sent him to school with a burrito for lunch. When he begged her to pack him a bologna sandwich instead, she gave him two burritos - one for him, and one to give to another student to make a friend. By the end of the week, the budding entrepreneur was selling burritos for $0.25 each.

This Latinx Heritage Month, don’t miss Richard’s story and powerful insights as a Latino in business, in this fireside chat moderated by Asana’s Head of South East Asia, Geana Barbosa. A proud Brazilian with an impressive international career, Geana will share how she embraces the parts of her identity that make her unique and how they’ve helped her navigate her career journey.

Plus: 3 attendees will be randomly selected to win a copy of Richard’s book, Flamin' Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man's Rise from Janitor to Top Executive. 

Speaker

  • Richard P. Montañez (He / him)

    PepsiCo North America

    Vice President, Multicultural Sales & Community Activation

Moderator

  • Geana Barbosa (she/her)

    Asana

    Head of South East Asia