Manny Boralessa(he/him)

Manny Boralessa is a Senior Product Manager at Amazon who works on the supply chain and international shipping side of the business — basically building the tech systems that help products move across borders smoothly and legally. He grew up in an immigrant family from Sri Lanka, and his parents sacrificed a lot to give him and his brother the best education they could. That immigrant drive shaped how seriously Manny takes opportunity, even when it doesn't look like opportunity at first. Manny's path was anything but straight. He went to college as a pre-med student because his parents wanted it, then switched to history and journalism because that's what he actually loved. He graduated in 2008 — right into the financial collapse — and spent years grinding through cold-calling jobs at the LA Clippers, delivering pizzas, working at a Nordstrom café, and even applying for a custodial job at the University of Washington just to get access to free grad school. He wasn't too proud to hustle. Eventually, a family connection got him a foot in the door at a small shipping company, and from there he worked his way to Expeditors International and then Amazon. What really launched Manny's career wasn't a degree or a fancy credential — it was initiative. While he was hourly at Expeditors, he came in early off the clock and stayed late, quietly building out documentation and process improvements for a global director who needed them. That director basically told him he had created his own job. That scrappy, show-don't-tell approach is exactly how Manny broke into product management without a tech or business degree. For students of color, Manny's story is a real-world reminder that formal education is just one path in. He's a history and journalism major earning $200–250K a year in tech. He talks openly about always having had white male bosses and how that shaped the way he communicates and carries himself — not bitterly, just honestly. His advice is practical and grounded: be willing to go anywhere, keep learning on your own, and don't wait for someone to hand you a role — build it yourself.