Yazmin Feliz grew up in the Bronx, New York, with her hardworking mother, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic. Despite the challenges of holding two jobs to make ends meet. Yazmin’s mother always pushed him to strive for excellence because she had to forgo a medical school opportunity in Cuba to care for her nine siblings.
This sacrifice deeply inspired Yazmin. In 2015, Yazmin embarked on her journey to pursue a PhD at Columbia University.
Her groundbreaking work led to the development of the first handheld ultrasound machine capable of producing low-cost 3D sonograms. She was featured on the cover of Hispanic Engineer magazine in the spring of 2022.
After completing her postdoctoral studies in biomedical engineering at Columbia University Medical Center, where Yazmin focused on creating affordable medical ultrasound imaging technology, she secured $460,000 from the Schmidt Family Foundation to develop low-cost ultrasound prototypes.
She also established her own company to further her research in this field.
Yazmin, a recipient of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP), is actively involved in advancing technology from the laboratory to the market.
At Columbia University, she supports the commercialization efforts of early-stage companies in collaboration with Columbia Tech Ventures.
Additionally, Yazmin serves as a lead mentor and adjunct instructor for the NSF’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) in the Northeast Region.
She has been an adjunct instructor for the Columbia Start Me Up Bootcamp, and currently holds the chief of staff position at Investors of Color Network, an investment group focused on diversifying startup capital.
Furthermore, she sits on the investor panel for PitchForce, offering valuable advice to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and networking opportunities with BIPOC Angel and VC investors.
Yazmin has previously participated in the NSF’s regional and national I-Corps programs as an Entrepreneurial Lead and is actively involved in diversity student recruitment.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics of Computation from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and obtained her master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University.
Additionally, she holds supply chain and project management certifications. She has a background in leading consumer product reformulations and product lifecycle management at pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies in the United States and Latin America.
In 2016, Yazmin became a National GEM Consortium Fellow. After obtaining her master’s degree in mechanical engineering, she embarked on her PhD journey while exploring entrepreneurship.
She launched a startup, Ultrasonos, to provide a more user-friendly and economical imaging system that can be handled in the comfort of the user’s home.
In an episode of High-Tech Sunday, a podcast by Career Communications Group, Yazmin discussed her motivation.
“I’m a scientist and engineer passionate about learning,” she said. “I enjoy solving engineering challenges related to healthcare in low resource areas that can improve the quality of life, so I enjoy giving back and helping others in my community work towards their professional dreams as well.”
In school, Yazmin enjoyed science and math. She said these were the most “fun” subjects to her, unlike some of her other classmates and friends.
When she was in the sixth grade, Yazmin attended her first STEM workshop. She was enamored with the thought of being able to build things but felt like it was out of reach.
She said it was when she had the opportunity to work with mentors that she believed she could achieve remarkable things in the STEM world.
In her first year of college, Yazmin learned a lesson that has still stuck with her. One of her professors allowed her to assemble a team of students to create an antibacterial surface. She cleared out a lab in the basement of her school, gathered equipment, and got to work.
“I wanted the most rewarding experience and to be able to make that impact,” Yazmin said. By approaching her professor, she made a connection and opened doors to other opportunities, such as internships and future jobs.
On the other hand, Yazmin also learned about the disadvantages of being a woman in science. She recalled a colleague she was training who she said refused to be taught by her.
Yazmin observed that he walked out of the room when she tried to teach him something but was much more receptive to others. She took it personally and realized she had obstacles to overcome to get where she wanted to be.
Yazmin said she even overheard some of her peers invalidating her credentials or questioning her success.
“It sucks because those are your peers that are with you in the same lab, working towards this Ph.D. together,” she said. “These are the peers that have seen you go through all the coursework just as hard as them, and they will still say these things.”
When asked what advice she would give other young women facing the same obstacles, Yazmin said, “When you’re in a classroom, and you’re the only woman of color in that classroom of 30 plus, every time, raise your hand, I assure you everyone’s going to look, and everyone is going to listen.”
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