Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is a storyteller, advocate, and the author of "My Side of the River," a memoir published by St. Martins Press/Macmillan in February 2024.
Born and raised near the US-Mexico border in Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth's upbringing was marked by resilience and determination. At 15, when her parents were forced to return to Mexico due to issues with their immigration status, Elizabeth chose to remain in the U.S., navigating homelessness while fiercely pursuing her education. Her journey from adversity to achievement culminated in her graduation as valedictorian, a testament to her unwavering resolve.
Elizabeth then pursued higher education at the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated in 2018, earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. During her time at Penn, Elizabeth was selected as The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Scholar of the Year, a U.S. Department of State Gilman Scholar, and a part of competitive business programs at Harvard and Stanford.
Upon graduating, Elizabeth worked in finance as one of the few Latinas on the trading floor within Wells Fargo’s Markets division. In February 2020, she was selected out of 1000 internal Wells Fargo applicants to participate in Wells Fargo’s Ignite partnership with the TED Institute.
Her TED Talk, recounts her story of finding opportunity and stability in the U.S. while examining flaws in narratives that simplify and idealize the immigrant experience. Within a month, her talk reached over a million views. In June of 2021, Elizabeth transitioned from working in finance to technology, becoming a Product Manager at Meta, where she hopes to continue to use her background and knowledge to empower communities.
Since the publication of her memoir, My Side of the River, in February of 2024, she has been featured on Hola Magazine & NPR. Her book has also been praised as a New York Times Editor's Pick, People Magazine Best Book to Read in February, and one of Goodreads' Most Anticipated Books of 2024.
Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez discusses the importance of activism in achieving social justice, emphasizing the role of community involvement and personal commitment in driving societal change.
