Meet Cecilia Fischer-benitez

We were lucky to catch up with Cecilia Fischer-benitez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cecilia, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I learned my work ethic from my parents, and I’m incredibly proud of their dedication as hardworking individuals. For as long as I can remember, they were always working. I grew up in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when I turned 12, but during those first eleven years, I was already a farmer. My family owned a mango farm in Mexico—our family business—and we were all required to pitch in as soon as we could climb trees and carry baskets.

I loved working with my family, getting the ripe mangos ready to package and sell to distributors. We also cultivated corn and lime. My dad was always planting something, whether fruits or vegetables, and making sure we cleaned the land for the next season. Being a girl was never an excuse—my three older brothers, my twin sister, and I were all involved in our family business in one way or another. Looking back, I’m deeply thankful for these early lessons in responsibility and hard work. My parents didn’t just tell us about the value of work ethic; they showed us through their daily actions, and that’s a gift that has shaped who I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the Director of Startup Programs at 1871, a nonprofit global innovation hub that exists to inspire, equip, and support early-stage, growth-stage, late-stage, and corporate innovators in building extraordinary businesses. My top priority is supporting founders as they build and scale their businesses. Through curriculum and programming, we guide entrepreneurs through their growth journey, whether they need assistance securing funding, expanding their team, or navigating the complexities of the startup ecosystem.

What makes this role especially meaningful to me is how my journey evolved from my previous position at a different organization as a Sr. Program Manager. In that role, I primarily led programming for Latina women advancing their careers in tech, and I was also tasked with developing new entrepreneurship programs specifically supporting Latina founders. What started as a responsibility became a passion—I fell in love with the entire founder journey, seeing it from both the entrepreneur’s and investor’s perspectives. This dedication led me to complete a venture capital fellowship with Chicago:Blend and a startup experience program with Colorwave. These experiences ultimately paved the way for my current role at 1871, where I exclusively work with entrepreneurs, supporting them as they build their dreams into successful businesses.

The programs we offer are built for everyone. We work with folks who are very early on with an idea to solve a problem with technology, and they want to turn it into a proof of concept. We work with folks who have already validated and deeply understand a problem worth solving, including the business model to prove it. Typically, these founders have a product in their customers’ hands with early market signs that they are on the right track but need a push to scale and grow further. For me, it’s truly exciting to be on the frontlines witnessing innovation every day and getting to know the founders and learn from them—that’s what makes it even better.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have three clear ones that come to mind, adaptability, communication, and resiliency.

Adaptability, being adaptable means being open to change and embracing continuous learning. The world, industries, and workplaces evolve rapidly, and those who remain curious and willing to learn can navigate shifting landscapes with confidence. Whether it’s learning new skills, adapting to new technologies, or adjusting to organizational changes, adaptability enables you to stay relevant and thrive. My experience has taught me that embracing change, rather than resisting it, leads to both personal and professional growth.

Communication, it may sound basic but effective communication is multifaceted: it involves clearly expressing your thoughts, sharing your vision, and articulating emotions in a way that fosters understanding. Beyond verbal and written communication, I include emotional intelligence as part of communication, it plays a critical role here. Emotional intelligence encompasses empathy, self-awareness, and relationship management—all of which are key to building trust and leading with influence. By becoming more self-aware of my communication style and learning how to tailor it to different situations, I’ve been able to strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and address challenges more effectively.

Resiliency, resilience is the ability to recover from setbacks and keep moving forward despite obstacles. In any long-term pursuit, challenges and failures are inevitable. Developing resilience has allowed me to maintain focus on my goals even in difficult circumstances. Resilience isn’t just about getting through the hard times—it’s about learning from setbacks and using those lessons to become stronger and more determined.

As far as my advice for others who are early in their journey, I would say embrace your authenticity, while remaining open to growth. Understand your unique strengths and areas for improvement, and be intentional about how you want to evolve. Seek feedback, reflect on your experiences, and don’t shy away from challenges, they are some of the greatest opportunities for learning, and probably one of the most important lessons for me was to focus on building meaningful relationships, as collaboration and trust are fundamental to long-term success.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes! I am always looking for folks to collaborate with, particularly in my role. I am looking for experienced professionals who want to give back to the Chicago startup ecosystem and help founders reach their goals. I’m looking for mentors with experience in several fields such as Product Management, Engineering, Data Analytics, Sales, Leadership, Marketing, Operations, People & Culture, and overall technology verticals. If you are in Chicago and want to get involved with the 1871 community, please reach out. I can be easily found on LinkedIn!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chicagotechiespodcast.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfischerbenitez/
• Twitter: https://x.com/cfischerbenitez