A lunchtime series to introduce students to Cornell alums, who will offer advice on preparing for an ever-changing workplace. Alums will discuss their academic trajectories, networking, internships and employment, and what they wish they had known when they were students at Cornell. 

Join us for light lunch and a virtual conversation followed by Q & A with Latina/o alumni  in 429 Rockefeller Hall. Open to all.

Join zoom meeting with this link
Meeting ID: 992 9035 1681
Passcode: 543547

January 31: Kim Cardenas '17 &  Joseph De Los Santos '19

Kim Cardenas joined the CLAA board in 2024 as Communications Chair. In 2017, she earned her bachelor's degree in Government and proudly minored in Latino Studies at Cornell. She earned her PhD in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, where she studied the political participation of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. 

After graduating from Penn, Kim worked in the field of cognitive interviewing for a research firm serving federal clients like the U.S. Census Bureau and the CDC, working to improve survey instruments. She currently works as a senior research analyst at a D.C.-based progressive polling firm, advancing the research portfolio on Black voters in the U.S.

Kim was born and raised in Southern California in a vibrant Mexican-American family. Outside of work, Kim enjoys live music, nature, and visiting LA art museums. She is passionate about contributing to the Latinx Cornell community.

Joseph De Los Santos has been part of CLAA as a Board Member since January 2022. He is a graduate of the Sloan Program in Health Administration. As a student, Joseph was active in a number of clubs, case competitions/hackathons and even a podcast that is still running.

Today, he works as a CA Medicaid Health Equity Lead at Kaiser Permanente. Joseph is passionate about health equity, care experience and quality. Previously at Blue  payment models focusing on health equity, episodes of care, maternity care, and hospital quality of care as part of  health equity programs including the black maternal health crisis and cardiac care. Prior to that, he worked as a Clinical Regulatory Research Coordinator at UC Irvine Health where he collaborated with providers on medical device and drug clinical trials as well as quality improvement initiatives.

Joseph is an eager learner who loves to dive into the academic literature, books and/or podcasts to find answers to any questions that arise. Outside of work, Joseph enjoys traveling, listening to music, spending time with family and exploring new restaurants to satisfy my inner foodie.

April 18: Andre Bhatia '92

Andre Bhatia is the founding partner of Symbiome Capital, a clean energy adjacencies private equity fund.  He has over 25 years of private equity and merger and acquisition transactional experience. Prior to founding Symbiome Capital, Andre worked at ACON investments as managing partner investing in industrial, oil & gas, retail and telecom companies among others. Geographically his investing experience spans both the United States and Latin America. Prior to ACON, Andre worked at TPG/Newbridge private equity and before that worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch.

Andre received his BA Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Computer Science and Economics from Cornell University and an MA in Economics from Columbia University.

Andre served on the boards of Northern Tier Energy (gas stations, refinery, pipeline), Mariner Energy (exploration & production oil & gas), Cabo (fiber to the home), BSM (service provider to wind farm, road, port, and civil construction), Fiesta Supermarkets, Dori Alimentos (snack company), Sapore (food service), Fairway Media (outdoor advertising) among others.

April 25: Gabriel de Corral '12

Gabriel serves as the acting secretary of the Cornell Latino Alumni Association Board, a role he has held since July 2024. A graduate of Cornell Law School, Gabriel practices corporate and securities law in Miami, with a strong focus on the Latin American market. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he brings a valuable perspective and deep cultural understanding to his work.

Gabriel’s legal expertise centers on representing underwriters, issuers, and other market participants in a variety of domestic and international capital-raising transactions. He also advises corporations and boards of directors—both in the U.S. and abroad—on SEC reporting requirements, corporate governance issues, and compliance with stock exchange regulations. His clients operate across diverse industries, including technology, media, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace and defense, transportation and logistics, oil and gas, retail, consumer products, food service, and distribution.

In addition to his corporate work, Gabriel is deeply committed to pro bono efforts and mentoring the next generation of lawyers. He has taken part in numerous pro bono initiatives, such as representing migrant minors and mothers from Latin America seeking asylum in the U.S. Gabriel has also contributed to law firm committees focused on developing and supporting junior attorneys.

Outside of his professional life, Gabriel enjoys exploring his passions for wine, travel, food, and sports. An enthusiastic wine collector, he has recently taken up padel tennis, a rapidly growing sport in the U.S. that is particularly popular in Spain and across Latin America.

This series funded by the Latina/o Studies Program in collaboration with Cornell Latino Alumni Association, Latine Student Success Office, and the Latino Living Center at Cornell University.