Explore The World of Cybersecurity with Us!
RCYC was built upon Raíces Cyber Org's mission to inspire, empower, and champion individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities through education and job readiness support, increasing their representation in the cybersecurity workforce and promoting economic development. We believe that all students should have the opportunity to gain the skills and abilities to join this growing and rewarding field.
Our Story
In the summer of 2021, the world was slowly emerging from the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities, conferences, and events were cautiously reopening their doors.
One day, our founder received a message from friends who had just attended a cybersecurity conference. Their words struck a chord: "Eric, we saw only a handful of Hispanics at this conference. We have to do something about this." His initial response was skeptical, "Yeah, that's par for the course." However, that conversation lit an internal fire.
"When I looked back at the first twenty years of my career, I realized that no one else looked like me. Later, when I grew into leadership positions, I was usually the only Hispanic/ Latino in most leadership meetings. Even nowadays, when you see another Latino in the workplace, your eyes light up, and you smile and nod," Eric shared.
Research confirmed that there were no existing organizations dedicated to helping our community of Hispanics and Latinos get into the field of cybersecurity. Research also showed that only 4% of the US cyber workforce self-identified as Hispanic/Latino.
This daunting thought fired up the social warrior of our founder, Raíces Cyber, and a beacon of hope and opportunity was born. Our mission embodies his vision and the commitment of thousands of cybersecurity professionals eager to lift others and promote economic growth for ALL.