Railyn Shane Aguado, born in Manila, Philippines, migrated to the United States at the age of 9 in search of a better life. Growing up, Railyn realized the lack of representation in the media of people who looked like her. This ignited her passion to one day cultivate a new age of media, where representation, inclusivity, and diversity are widely depicted. She hopes to enact this change through Marketing and Entrepreneurship. In doing so, Railyn is pursuing a career in the intersection of mass media communication and technology.

Railyn is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley pursuing a degree in Media Studies and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology. At Cal, she is a student leader at cultural, professional, and immigrant-related spaces. Railyn is a part of the Business Careers and Entertainment Club, Pilipinx American Alliance, and the Undocumented Students program, where she has found community while advocacating for her identities. With this, she was able to widen her network and found opportunities in her desired career. Railyn is a Marketing strategist for two start-ups known as Helpsy Health and Heylo. These two experiences sparked her interest in the entrepreneurship world. Thus, she aims to attain her Master’s degree in Business Administration focused on Marketing and Entrepreneurship. In hopes that one day, she will contribute to the change of representation as a Marketer and create her own startup that supports immigrants to gain upward mobility.

As a DreamSF Fellows, Railyn is placed at the LGBT Asylum Project as a Communications fellow. Railyn is working in collaboration with the founders to develop marketing strategies, media management and grant applications. She believes that this placement will help refine her skills in communications and marketing, and which will later help her in supporting her own start-up. Significantly, she is looking forward to building community and assisting those in need.

In her free time, Railyn enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and surfing. She is a huge music, fashion and food enthusiast. If you ever need to find her, you can find her at your local boba shop enjoying a taro milk tea boba with family and friends.