The inaugural AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will be a showcase of the most diverse and impactful young professionals in various fields of work across the Philadelphia region.

At the virtual event, taking place August 20, 2020, Andrés Bisonó León, 27, will be one of the 40 honorees. Currently, he is a Mechanical Engineer at New Hudson Facades.

As part of the lead-up to the event, AL DÍA asked each of the 40 honorees the same three questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Andrés Bisonó León’s responses:

My biggest challenge has been managing people from different backgrounds, educational levels, and with different values. I have found that the best way to make the team deliver and come together as one is by making them part and owners of the tasks while understanding and believing on the long-term goals. We should always be humble and as leaders influence others to put their best (which we all have).

Many, but one I can highlight is SOS Carbon. This is an R&D project and startup I started with a team of engineers from MIT (Dr. Alexander Slocum & Luke Gray). Sargassum, an invasive seaweed, is the second worst crisis affecting tourism in the Caribbean after COVID-19, having a devastating impact on marine life, oceanic ecosystems, and human health. We developed a first of its kind technology which intercepts the sargassum in the open ocean well before it reaches the coastline while also sequestering the carbon contained in the seaweed, mitigating global warming. Our next step is to establish a service business to reduce 90% of sargassum landfall in the DR, with a view to expand across the Caribbean.

In my opinion, as Dominican, D&I materializes when we embrace it in our daily routines. We all have the power to have an influence on D&I in our organizations, other institutions, and communities. It doesn’t matter on which level of the chain we are to have a say or influence. By simply demonstrating and holding the best work ethic, values, among the many other benefits that we bring in, we will be the best ambassadors of D&I. All of us, together, are responsible for making inclusivity happen. I have witness and proven that we can all contribute, in many forms, to D&I. We should all be part of this effort. I challenge you!

To register for the upcoming AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, click here. 

For more information about the event, reach out to [email protected].

For sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].