Alexandra Ruiz-Olivo on Building with Barnard Students

Alexandra Ruiz-Olivo has been Athena’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence since 2023. Learn more about who she is, what brought her to Athena, what advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs — and how to connect with her if you want more advice and support from her. 

In your own words, how would you describe what you do at Athena?

I see Athena as a place where students can reimagine not just the world, but also how they want to solve problems in ways that reflect who they are. It’s a space that encourages experimentation—and experimentation often leads to innovation. I love being part of a community that gives Barnard students the opportunity to explore, to take risks, and to create. We need more spaces like Athena: places where it’s safe to experiment, to fail, and to ultimately innovate from a deeply personal place.

What I’ve noticed in myself is a psychological barrier—a pressure to "get it right" all the time. It can make trying new things feel risky, even dangerous, as if failure would mark me permanently. There are societal forces behind this, and for me, they’re deeply tied to my experience as a woman and a woman of color. There’s a pressure to achieve flawlessly and gracefully, but that expectation can become an Achilles’ heel when trying to innovate, because real innovation demands failure before success.

That’s what makes Athena so special. It provides a safe space to challenge those internalized barriers—barriers often rooted in personal histories. I’ve heard so many versions of this story—different in details but similar in the way they shape a fear of failure. Athena creates a space where those fears can be dismantled, and where true innovation can begin.

What brought you to Athena?

I’ve always felt that my mission in this world is to harness the power of others so they can live out the dreams and lives they want for themselves. Everything I’ve done has aligned with that vision—and I believe that when you put energy into the world, the right opportunities find you.

Athena came to me in a very serendipitous way. A friend and mentor who was advising a Pre-College Program at Athena couldn’t make it to a session and recommended me to step in. She knew my background—launching my own tech company and working in entrepreneurship—and thought I would be a good fit. After a few conversations with the team, I was invited to join as an advisor.

From my first experience working with the pre-college students and the Athena Center, I was deeply inspired. I had never been in a role focused solely on advising and coaching women, and it was transformational. After a few conversations with [Athena’s Director of Applied Learning] Chriss Sneed, everything just clicked. I fell in love with the Barnard community—especially our entrepreneurs. I’ve never encountered a community so deeply rooted in values and committed to making real change. You meet people all the time who want to do good, but at Barnard, that commitment feels like it's embedded in the DNA. It shows in every interaction, and it shows in the spirit of the women who come through the incubator.

What is your approach toward working with students?

I don’t see myself as an expert, even though I have expertise in certain areas. My role is to provide guidance that helps students cultivate the fire within themselves to pursue what they believe they are meant to do. My approach is about creating a space where students can embrace their own power, ideas, and vision—while offering frameworks and best practices that have been proven in different contexts.

I'm very intentional about not telling people what to do. I believe we all hold powerful wisdom within us, and as innovators, we often see things others cannot yet imagine. My goal is to create an environment where students trust that inner wisdom, follow through on their ideas, and test them—knowing that failure is not only possible but often necessary. It ties back to what I said earlier: creating a sense of safety so that real experimentation, learning, and innovation can happen.

Was there a specific "aha" moment that made you realize you wanted to pursue entrepreneurship?

I’m what you might call a “non-traditional tech founder” because my background isn't in tech—it's in social impact. I’ve worked across the nonprofit sector and government, but my mission has always been the same: expanding opportunity, just through different approaches.

My "aha" moment came during the COVID-19 pandemic. I was part of the De Blasio administration’s leadership team tasked with vaccine strategy, working at the Department of Immigrant Affairs while living in Jackson Heights—one of the most diverse communities and hardest hit by the pandemic in New York. Seeing the devastating loss of life and wealth firsthand pushed me to think about how we could rebuild—specifically, how we could help communities of color, who were among the most heavily impacted, build long-term wealth.

I joined a venture studio, which helped me launch Poder Capital, a product designed to provide Latinx small businesses with accessible loans to fuel growth and economic mobility. The inspiration came not just from my professional experience, but also from my lived experience as a Latina who has navigated many of the same systemic barriers. Even though I wasn’t technical, I brought deep expertise from working with communities—and a personal lens that shaped the way I approached building a tech-enabled financial product.

Another key part of my journey was listening. I talked to business owners, heard their stories, and recognized patterns: talented entrepreneurs were being systematically denied the basic financial tools they needed to grow. That realization made the problem impossible to ignore—and once I saw it clearly, I knew I had to be part of building a solution.

What’s something about entrepreneurship that might surprise others? 

I’m a very optimistic person. Even when I know the statistics or the risks, it doesn’t stop me from trying. But one thing that has been a powerful reminder—not necessarily a surprise—is just how challenging it is to tackle systemic problems as a founder.

My company is working to address a core systemic issue: the lack of accessible capital for communities of color, and how that exclusion leads people into predatory financial products. Even as I build a solution to this problem, I encounter the same systemic barriers: bias, structural inequities, and an economic landscape that makes it even harder to access funding.

Raising capital isn’t just about my background; it's about the broader economic environment too. Inflation is high, investors are more conservative, and the cost of money has gone up. These challenges are tough for any founder—but they’re amplified when you’re a woman, a person of color, or someone from a non-traditional background.

So the biggest lesson—and maybe the thing that surprises people—is how much persistence it takes, not just to build a business, but to do so while pushing against entrenched systems. Solving big problems requires an even bigger reservoir of resilience.

What advice would you give to someone starting a project or business?

Start smaller than you think you need to.

When you’re trying to solve a big problem, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. My advice is to carve out a smaller, specific piece of that problem—something manageable—and focus on proving success there first. Gaining traction on a smaller scale builds momentum, confidence, and credibility, allowing you to expand later.

And don’t be afraid to try. Embrace your curiosity, embrace failure. Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the path to it.

Do you have a favorite memory from your first year as the EIR?

Definitely the showcase event.

For the first time, students were required to publicly present their ventures. Chriss Sneed and I debated whether we should make it mandatory. We wanted to push students out of their comfort zones while still respecting where they were in their journeys.

Ultimately, we decided to go for it—and it was transformational. Some students were excited, some were nervous, and some were terrified. But every single one of them stood up and shared their work. Watching them confront their fears and find their voice was incredibly powerful.

It reminded me how important it is to create spaces that honor both: where students are today, and who they are capable of becoming. Growth often requires a little bit of discomfort—and a lot of courage.

What have you been enjoying during your second year as EIR?

It’s been fascinating to see how every cohort is different. Each group brings a unique set of ideas, values, and ambitions. It keeps me on my toes because every student, and every business, requires a different approach.

I've been continually amazed by the diversity of ventures and the depth of thought our students bring. It’s exciting to see how they evolve—and I can’t wait to see where their journeys take them.

What’s your life like outside of building your business? What’s something that has made you smile recently? 

I’m six months pregnant right now, which has been a beautiful experience. I recently bought a giant body pillow for better sleep—so usually at night, it’s just me and the pillow!

But one night, I decided to cuddle with my husband instead. As soon as I did, the baby started moving so much more. It was like the baby could feel the warmth and connection—and it made me smile. It reminded me of the magic of biology, of life happening inside me that I don’t fully know yet, but can already feel.

It was a beautiful, awe-inspiring moment—and one I’ll always remember.

Editor’s note: Alex is now the mother of a beautiful baby boy!

How can someone who is interested in entrepreneurship get in touch with you? 

Office hours! I love meeting with students.

Some come to talk about a business or an idea they’re developing. Others just want to hear about my journey and how I ended up here. I’ve learned to really embrace those conversations.

We live in a world that craves certainty, but real paths are often messy and nonlinear. If sharing my story can offer even a small reference point for others, I’m more than happy to be that resource.

You can book virtual office hours with Alex here. 

 

This piece was written by Athena Center Editorial Student Leads Claire McDonald ‘26 and Akeila March ‘26.