Peru Nonprofit Trains 1000s of Women for Tech Careers

A nonprofit founded by a Peruvian woman is closing the gender gap in Latin America's tech industry, one graduate at a time.

Mariana Costa grew up in Lima, Peru, in a comfortable household with no connection to technology. Her mother taught art history, her father practiced law, and the family traveled regularly. But early on, Costa noticed something that would shape her entire career: extreme inequality divided her country into separate worlds.

A concrete wall topped with barbed wire literally separates wealthy Lima neighborhoods from shantytowns without running water. That visible divide pushed Costa to ask herself what she could do to make life better for women in her region.

After studying international relations in London and public administration at Columbia University, Costa returned to Peru with her husband, a software engineer. They started a small digital services agency building websites for clients. As they hired more software engineers, Costa noticed something striking: every single one was a man.

"I said, 'How can it be? The tech space has so many rich opportunities. Why aren't any women here?'" she recalls.

That question led Costa to found Laboratoria, a Miami-based nonprofit that trains Latin American women for technology careers. The organization has built training centers across 11 countries and placed graduates at major companies throughout the region.

Tech jobs pay well and companies need qualified workers. But for too long, women across Latin America have been locked out of these opportunities, Costa says. Laboratoria changes that by providing training and creating pathways into an industry desperate for talent.

The Ripple Effect

Costa has become one of the most recognized voices in Latin America on workforce equity and tech education for women. This year, IEEE honored her work with its President's Award for "distinguished leadership and contributions to the betterment of society."

The recognition surprised Costa, who isn't an engineer by training and had never considered joining IEEE. She received the award at a ceremony in New York City in April.

Each woman Laboratoria trains gains access to financial stability and professional growth. They can support their families, own property, and build wealth in ways previous generations couldn't. And each one becomes proof that talent exists everywhere, even when opportunity doesn't.

Costa's childhood questions about inequality never left her, but now she's found a powerful way to answer them.