Pedro Salazar: A Super Program Manager
When you walk by Pedro Salazar’s cubicle, the first thing you notice are two big posters of opposing superhero characters (Marvel vs. DC Comics) and a few Funko Pop figures, including characters from Star Trek and Game of Thrones. While his love of fiction and fantasy is apparent, it’s Pedro’s quiet confidence and warmth that defines his role as a valued professional.
A veteran financial counselor, Pedro Salazar started his career in the field by conducting numerous financial workshops around the city. He soon found himself wanting to do more than workshops, and to be more involved in helping individual clients one-on-one, so he became a financial counselor. Years after his first financial counselor job, he has now been an Urban Upound Financial Fitness Program Manager since December 2017.
Pedro first heard about Urban Upbound when he was looking for a job with a shorter commute. A few of his friends shared positive experiences working at Urban Upbound and recommended that he apply for a managerial position in the financial programming department that opened up at that time. He was accepted for the position and has since enjoyed his time working here, especially because it requires him to constantly learn new knowledge everyday — from behavioral economics to financial technology.
On top of conducting financial counseling for clients, Pedro manages the operation, integrating financial literacy into the organization’s 6 different programs, such as Jobs-Plus and Youth Pathways, and develops partnerships with allied organizations. He also oversees a number of sites, which allows him to interact with counselors with different personality traits and makes him the human ‘buffer’ for the counselors to direct unpleasant or hard-to-handle clients to.
Pedro has been a long-time superhero fan — even way before they became pop culture through giant production companies such as Sony Pictures and Warner Bros, which now make big bucks from superhero films. He says that, in an oversimplified way, it feels like a gentrification. “I lived in this neighborhood of superheroes when it was not that popular, and now it’s big business.” In terms of his collection, Pedro confessed that it is a way to seem approachable to clients. He wants clients to feel comfortable coming to his cubicle with their problems and able to tell him their stories. “It’s also a conversation starter,” said Pedro, as in the past few months, a few clients who recognized some of the now-famous characters stopped to chat about them.
Some may start to wonder whether the superheroes are helping him with his work too; last month, Pedro was able to double-up on client counseling while working with the team to increase their goals and strategize to acquire more outcomes. He also boosted our collective ability to serve an increased number of clients.
When asked about his motto in life, Pedro referred to his favorite movie: Star Trek. “Boldly go,” he answered — a phrase popularized by Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek. It represents adventure and overcoming challenges, which is how he looks at life and what motivates him when he faces challenges both in the office and at home.
