Hola! I’m Fernanda 💫

I spend time researching how human potential emerges within constraint and create pathways that unlock it, expanding who gets to build and shape the world. 

I’m based in Philly and invest at Unshackled Ventures, backing immigrants from day zero. I like working with founders solving urgent problems in spaces like climate, healthcare, and infrastructure.

I also lead U-Labs, a curated community for immigrant engineers and scientists. It’s a space for high-potential technical talent before they become founders, where we surface early signals, build trust, and create the conditions for people to activate into company creation on their own terms.

A few other notes:

• I worked in tech, ran a podcast, and built student founder communities. 

• I earned a Master’s in Business Analytics, where I developed the research and analytical tools I now use to do research as an investor. 

• My worldview is also shaped by community work, including organizing with Planned Parenthood, where I see how gender, economic, and political barriers directly limit people’s agency and capacity to act. That experience informs how I think about systems, access, and who gets to build.
  

• I’m originally from Uruguay 🇺🇾 and came to the United States at 19 to pursue higher education. My immigration story grounds my commitment to reimagining who gets mobility, opportunity, and economic power.

• Outside of work, I'm a rockclimber, mix music, and dance whenever I can 💃