Carving Out Success as an Inventor: Becoming the Wall Street Maverick

In late 2008, at 18 years old and right after my service in the U.S. Marine Corps, I stepped onto Wall Street amidst the economic downturn known as the 2008 Recession, as a part-time teller at Bank of America. Never did I foresee that my path would lead me to the innovative world of Artificial Intelligence Financial Technology (AI FinTech). National Bureau of Economic Reseach’s study “Who Becomes an Inventor in America,” suggests that someone with my background isn’t typically destined for the annals of American invention. A self-taught inventor in advanced financial technologies is even more of a rarity for someone like me — a minority woman, raised in a working-class family riddled with challenges, dysfunction and chaos and a history of traumatic experiences in the Marine Corps. Despite possessing the IQ, personality type, and temperament that could mark me as a likely Fintech inventor, odds weighed heavily against me due to my background and circumstances. Various studies indicate my trajectory headed more towards self-destruction than invention. Yet, here I am, defying these very odds and assumptions; a living testament to resilience and undying human spirit.

Being recognized as the first Puerto Rican American inventor in the field of AI Financial Technology (AI FinTech) in U.S. history is an accomplishment far beyond my expectations. From my early years, my curiosity for science and technology was evident. I was the trailblazer in my family in terms of embracing technology; I recall the surprise on my mother’s face when I successfully ordered an ATT Nextel cell phone using AOL dial-up internet when I was just 12 years old. The news of my daring act spread like wildfire within my family on the East coast to Puerto Rico. Even at that young age, I was breaking the mold of my parents’ academic and technological expectations. They really struggled with understanding me. My insatiable curiosity was further fueled by the toy kits my parents would buy me from Cracker Barrel in Dutchess County. I found joy in constructing little radios and various other toys. Given the choice between a Barbie doll and a microscope, I gravitated towards the latter with a greater passion. This didn’t mean I disliked Barbie, I merely found more fascination in scrutinizing bugs and plants under my microscope — a pastime I partook even in church while my friends brought along their Barbie dolls. Although I didn’t learn to operate a microscope properly until much later, these experiences gave an early indication of my scientific leanings.

During my younger years, I found continued inspiration and amazement in science and technology. One standout event of fourth grade was an array of field trips, one of which was to meet Hillary Clinton, the Senator of my district at the New York State Capitol. She was the only woman portrayed on the green boards of George Washington Elementary School, which were usually filled with images of powerful white men. Seeing her in a position of power was compelling and further ignited my ambition. Another notable experience that year was visiting Sony Wonderer, a biotechnology museum in New York City showcasing Sony’s medical innovations. Witnessing the marvels of innovation at such a young age was transformative and it prompted many return visits. I started attending the museum regularly with my siblings, immersing myself in the fascinating exhibits designed to educate children about technology. The robot that greeted visitors at the entrance became a familiar companion. Sony Wonderer gave me hope and inspiration, embodying my aspiration of becoming an inventor whose work could impact people’s lives. Although I believed my lack of formal education would inhibit this dream, I found my unique path. Despite initially thinking I could only achieve through formal education, I discovered my natural ability to self-educate and pursue my passion for STEM. My career encompassed stints at major banks, regularly migrating from one to another to secure better compensation — a typical strategy for B+ players like me in the Wall Street environment. While the most revenue was generated by the A-list employees, the B-listers like me tend to be the most entrepreneurial and innovative. This underscores my stint on Wall Street, innovating and improving processes and products, which essentially became my specialization.

In essence, my knack for inventive problem-solving proved advantageous for the big banks. However, like several others on the finance “B-list,” I was mindful not to exhaust all my neuro-processing capacity serving the banks’ agendas. There is, after all, a threshold beyond which our brains are no longer able to operate efficiently. During certain points, particularly in the initial stage of my career, I was classified as an “A-lister” within the banking sphere.

Yet, as I aged and as my financial career progressed, so did my uncertainties about the sector. My increasing awareness of the political economics underpinning our capitalist economy spurred an internal conversation regarding my moral stances. As a result, I turned to investigating the history of Wall Street, the economic institutions I was part of, and the origins of their practices. This prompted me to dive deeply into why we refer to the financial district (FiDi) as “Wall Street”. My research led me to the chilling history of the American slave market where African and Native American people were traded, their value represented on paper ledgers. Organized by American Bank JP Morgan, this merciless system is regarded as the blueprint for the modern American Bondage Market — the predecessor of today’s bond or debt market.

Coming to terms with my layered Puerto Rican American heritage, entwined with a Native American origin story, has been an intricate journey. Delving into my family’s past, particularly how my grandparents became U.S. citizens following the U.S invasion of Puerto Rico, brought forth some uncomfortable truths. The invasion was orchestrated by fleets owned by JPMorgan, carrying US Army soldiers — a chilling connection to my own career. The first American Governor of Puerto Rico — Charles H. Allen, backed by J.P. Morgan, dominated the island’s sugar industry, establishing it as the world’s top sugar producer while serving as U.S. Navy Secretary. This conglomerate played a brutal part in Vieques’s history during the Banana Wars in the Caribbean and Central America, fueled by Wall Street firms like JPMorgan and Citi. The realization that I have spent 90% of my career in these very institutions sparked emotions of anger and frustration. I was, unknowingly, a cog in this imperial machine. This pushed me to offset my involvement by dedicating a part of my energy to advocating for social justice, an act of moral recompense to humanity for the past injustices enacted by the institutions I was part of.

This revelation caused me to scrutinize the motivations of the organizations I was associated with. The prevalent pattern was an alarming history of colonization, yielding benefits to the privileged at the cost of disrupting and exploiting local habitats and communities for capital gain. The diplomacy mirrored colonial-era methods, effectively disregarding minority rights while being conveniently swept under the carpet in the financial sector. I found, to my profound discord, I was embedded within this patriarchal Wall Street construct. This awareness invoked in me a kinship with the iconic Fearless Girl statue in New York City. I envisioned myself emerging as a Wall Street Maverick, a figurehead of innovation earmarked for humanitarian causes; but the ‘when’ and ‘how’ of this dream remained uncharted. Despite distinct roadblocks, I held onto aspirations of ascending the corporate ladder as an executive or intrapreneur. Simultaneously, I delved into local politics and dedicated time to fostering my passion for science and technology. As I pursued formal education in corporate finance alongside my personal finance career, an irking frustration burgeoned within. Witnessing the blatant human rights abuses of Native Americans during the North Dakota Access Pipeline project, spurred by major banks, was distasteful. The knowledge that these banks were funding oil drilling portfolios beneath the Dakota river jeopardized the Sioux tribe’s drinking water was alarming. Inspired, I penned a research report on the JPMorgan Renaissance Energy Portfolio, a pivotal moment that reshaped my perception of finance. From here on, my journey as a social justice warrior commenced. Struggling with my continued existence within Wall Street’s system, I was caught between the desire for change and the path that lay ahead. It was a running theme, a persistent whisper at the back of my mind.

Working for an organization that compromised sacred water sources and breached Native American treaties for the sake of oil profits became untenable for me. The affinity I felt for the Native Americans, given my family’s historic experiences, made it imperative to take a stance. Finding myself organizing veterans online to rally in North Dakota while navigating corporate politics was an unexpected yet poignant development. It’s here that the whisper of Wall Street activism grew into a shout. This dichotomy of standing tall against the very system I was part of made my tenure at JPMorgan increasingly uncomfortable. Moving to Citi didn’t bring any respite from my disillusionment with the financial sector. Instead, it fueled an overwhelming yearning for radical change. I realized I wasn’t vying for a violent rebellion but a technological revolution — I just couldn’t figure out the path forward. My thoughts constantly drifted towards revolutionary technical advancements that could instill human rights, justice, and equality into the world of finance. I envision finance as the key to steer humanity away from brink of destruction and towards global harmony. I envision an economically biocentric future of equitable commerce. I believe in an economy where fairness, justice, human rights, and quality aren’t residual benefits negating exploitative residues but in-built defining principles integral to its culture.

As I continued navigating Wall Street, my dreams persisted. Meanwhile, another endeavor demanded my attention. I was spearheading an unofficial movement, which needed formalization to strengthen my political stand and plead my case to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. I was grappling with severe medical issues due to a PTSD-related, service-linked disability, requiring access to proper treatment and programs. Despite the mounting evidence, the military denied my connection afflicting me psychologically, neurologically, and biologically for years. It was not until 2018 that they acknowledged the connection — nearly ten years after I left. My condition worsened in 2019, due to malpractice at the VA hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center. I developed septic shock and miraculously survived. However, the aftermath — post sepsis syndrome, resulted in nerve damage producing unbearable pain. This led to a rapidly deteriorating mental health condition and left me fearing for my life. I spent most of my days bedridden, reading and researching my ailment, dealing with intermittent excruciating pain likened to being electrocuted. However, everything changed with the discovery of SGB (stellate ganglion blocker) treatment. The morning following the treatment, I felt phenomenal, ready, and stable. It was an earth-shattering turnaround. Adapting to this new reality was challenging and stirred a lot of anger towards Wall Street, the Military, and the U.S. Congress — for benefiting from the exploitation which led to my PTSD. I poured my energy into documenting my theories and delving deeper into my assumptions about the billionaire patriarchy in America.

I started to link my personal experiences and hardships to violations of human rights, tracing them back to Wall Street portfolios. Once I recognized this, I couldn’t ignore or forget it. It became apparent in every sector I studied, from tourism to real estate. I deciphered how the practice of slavery had evolved into modern slavery, operating in plain sight, yet unnoticed. My book, “The Pathway Towards Peace: U.S. Human Rights Manifesto,” expands on my research and views concerning these links through the radicalization pipeline model I developed during the Military Sexual Trauma Movement. While refining this work, I delved deep into my research, which helped identify the problem. The recurring patterns I noticed in social sciences presented an opportunity to find a solution through financial technology. This was the turning point — a eureka moment, where my self-taught, multidisciplinary knowledge combined with my passion, leading me to become an inventor.

My journey to becoming an American AI Fintech inventor was both arduous and out of the ordinary. The necessity of turning into an entrepreneur was an unexpected development. My unexpected success didn’t stem from a preconceived plan, but rather from my multidisciplinary educational approach–an approach often undervalued and neglected in America. This unique journey propelled me through societal barriers of class and formal education, leading me to MIT Sloan as an executive student–a path paved by my earlier role as a technology inventor. Today, I’m focused on evolving my inventions to commercial readiness. The aim of my inventions is to eradicate modern slavery in supply chains, creating a market that upholds freedom and fairness. My technology expertise also extends to advanced fraud detection, using a blockchain-based artificial intelligence system. My invention symbolizes a conduit between my ambition of leveraging financial technologies for global peace and my newfound capacity to convert this aspiration into a fresh reality for humanity.