Wallys Sosa-Picard

Northeastern University, College of Computer & Information Science

When I met Wallys Sosa-Picard, we were in a room of nearly 30 coworkers attempting to align on strategic messaging for the upcoming quarter. These decisions would eventually inform creative executions of national advertising. I remember Wallys, a proud Boston native with a strong Dominican heritage,
repeatedly identifying opportunities for our corporate brand to meet the needs of our multicultural audience.

When we fixated on product ingredients, Wallys shifted our focus to humanity. She reminded us of cultural identity on purchase decisions. She reminded us of the many ethnic groups that already have attitudes conducive to the purchase of our products that did not mirror that of our own. She reminded us of the importance of empathy-driven design, user research, and inclusiveness.

In her current Marketing Graduate Programs role at Northeastern University’s College of Computer & Information Science, she’s yet again found a way to integrate the community into her work. As important as it is to diversify the computer science field, she understands the absolute value in creating opportunities for students with a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds. Her commitment to empowering the future and supporting inclusive environments is the change that we need.