Building a Nonprofit After Corporate Tech with Diana Lee Guzman

Diana Lee Guzman’s story is one that I think so many of us can relate to — she had the corporate tech career, the stability, the title, and yet something inside her kept whispering that she was meant for something different. In this episode, Diana shares how she made the leap from corporate America to founding and leading a nonprofit, and she does not skip over the messy, terrifying middle part that nobody talks about.

We get into what it really feels like to walk away from a paycheck and a clear career ladder to build something from scratch. Diana talks about the identity crisis that comes with leaving a title behind, the financial realities of starting a nonprofit, and how she navigated the loneliness of being a Latina founder in spaces that weren’t built for her. She also shares the unexpected ways her corporate experience became her greatest asset in the nonprofit world.

If you’re sitting in a corporate role right now and feeling the pull toward something more mission-driven, or if you’re in the middle of a career transition and wondering if you made the right call, Diana’s story will give you both comfort and clarity. This episode is a reminder that the middle — the uncertain, uncomfortable space between who you were and who you’re becoming — is exactly where the magic happens.