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Samara Mejia Hernandez

InvestorFounder

Founding Partner and Managing Director at Chingona Ventures

Chicago, Illinois

Writes $100K – $250K checks · typically $100K

FoundedChingona Ventures

Find your path to Samara

1,998 people in our graph share verified history with Samara — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Niki PezeshkiunlockedSamara: together at Goldman Sachs (2010)
×5Samara: together at Kauffman Fellows
×5Samara: together at Goldman Sachs
Samara: together at University of Michigan

About

Samara Mejia Hernandez, a Mexican immigrant and daughter of a maid and busboy, backs idea-stage tech for emerging-majority consumers, combining engineering degree, Goldman Sachs experience and cofounding Latinx Founders Collective.

Contact· self-published, not guessed

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningConsumerFintechHealthtechImpact & Social Good

Experience

  1. Chingona VenturesFounding Partner and Jefacurrent2019 — presentChicago
  2. National Venture Capital AssociationBoard Membercurrent2026 — present
  3. SomosVCMember of the Board of Advisorscurrent2025 — presentNorth America
  4. CatalyzeInvestment Committeecurrent2024 — present
  5. Beagle LabsBoard Membercurrent2025 — present
  6. DaptaBoard Membercurrent2025 — present
  7. Optimal AIBoard Membercurrent2024 — present
  8. Linker Finance (TS F23)Board Membercurrent2024 — present
  9. Betterleave BereavementBoard Membercurrent2023 — present
  10. Suma WealthBoard Membercurrent2020 — present
  11. CertiverseBoard Membercurrent2021 — presentChicago, Illinois, United States
  12. Kauffman FellowsKauffman Fellowcurrent2021 — present
  13. Angeles InvestorsFounding Member and Board Advisorcurrent2020 — presentChicago, Illinois
  14. Chicago:BlendMember Of The Board Of Advisorscurrent2019 — presentGreater Chicago Area
  15. Venture ForwardBoard Member2022 — 2026San Francisco Bay Area
  16. Viva EquityBoard Member2024 — 2026United States
  17. Papaya - Spanish & English Tutoring for (STEM) Science, Math, Engineering, and TechnologyBoard Member2023 — 2026
  18. The Aspen InstituteFinance Leaders Fellow2023 — 2025
  19. Oper8r LLCAdvisory Board and Cohort Member2020 — 2023
  20. Camino FinancialImpact Advisory Board2020 — 2022Chicago, Illinois, United States

Skills & more

Board Level2Start-up Ventures13Venture Capital28Entrepreneurship15Enterprise Valuation3Investment Strategies3Business Process Improvement2Due Diligence29Options10Trading16Capital Markets7Business Strategy14
+8 moreBloombergRisk ManagementBusiness AnalysisBusiness DevelopmentAnalysisSix SigmaCross-functional Team LeadershipStrategy

Languages Spanish

  • Series 63 — FINRA
  • Series 7 — FINRA

From Samara's professional profile.

Deals · 1

Papaya Tutoring ServicesBoard seat

via Chingona Ventures · filed Jan 2023 · $2.3M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Other disclosed investments

Board seats

BetterleaveSuma Wealth, Inc.

Investor

Agency AiBetterleaveBlanketCartwheelCertiverseCipheroConnectCareHeroDameEarlyBirdEmpower3dEncantosHoopLinker FinanceScoutSigo SegurosSuma WealthToolchainToplVantage PointViva Benefits

Sources: SEC Form D filings · curated public sources.

Colleagues at Chingona Ventures

Fernando Carranza
Senior Principal at Chingona Ventures
Grisel Hernandez
Senior Associate at Chingona Ventures
Lori DeLuca
Chief Financial Officer at Chingona Ventures
Peri Ehlman
Senior Analyst at Chingona Ventures
Samara Hernandez
Chingona Ventures · Kauffman Fellow (Class 26)
Sonia Sahney Nagar
Senior Advisor at Chingona Ventures
Stella Garber
Senior Advisor at Chingona Ventures
Veronica Crystal Mejia
Chief of Staff at Chingona Ventures

Network1

Adrianna Samaniego
Partner at Cherryrock Capital

Investors connected to Samara in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Samara Mejia Hernandez?
Samara Mejia Hernandez, a Mexican immigrant and daughter of a maid and busboy, backs idea-stage tech for emerging-majority consumers, combining engineering degree, Goldman Sachs experience and cofounding Latinx Founders Collective.
Where does Samara Mejia Hernandez work?
Samara Mejia Hernandez is Founding Partner of Chingona Ventures and Founding Partner and Managing Director at Chingona Ventures.
What does Samara Mejia Hernandez invest in?
Samara Mejia Hernandez invests in AI & Machine Learning, Consumer, Fintech, Healthtech, Impact & Social Good.
What check size does Samara Mejia Hernandez write?
Samara Mejia Hernandez typically writes checks of $100K – $250K.
What companies did Samara Mejia Hernandez found?
Samara Mejia Hernandez founded Chingona Ventures.
What boards does Samara Mejia Hernandez sit on?
Samara Mejia Hernandez holds tracked board seats at Betterleave, Papaya Tutoring Services, Suma Wealth, Inc..
What companies has Samara Mejia Hernandez invested in?
Investments tracked here include Agency Ai, Betterleave, Blanket, Cartwheel, Certiverse, Ciphero, ConnectCareHero, Dame, EarlyBird, Empower3d, Encantos, Hoop, and 8 more.
Where did Samara Mejia Hernandez go to school?
Samara Mejia Hernandez studied at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management (Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Finance, Management in Organizations, Entrepreneurship); University of Michigan (BSE, Industrial and Operations Engineering).

Founder mafias

Betterleave mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Cara AbbottFounderFounded Code Pilot

Same school

Shared employers