Mariana Gonzalez

Mariana Gonzalez brings 10+ years of experience working within the technology sector and most recently working with early-stage technology companies, founders and venture-backed startups. She's on the Startup Banking team in Austin at First Citizens Innovation Banking, where her responsibilities include providing founders with financial solutions, strategic guidance and access to First Citizens Innovation Banking’s national venture network to help companies scale from early-stage through growth.

Prior to First Citizens Innovation Banking, Mariana was a Senior Associate at Palm Venture Studios, a family-office-backed early-stage investment firm. Her responsibilities included deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio talent strategy and supporting founders through critical inflection points with both capital and hands-on operational support.

Earlier in her career, Mariana worked at Google and Yelp. She was also previously at Twitter where she led hiring for engineering, product and data science teams – giving her a deep understanding of how high-growth companies build world-class teams.

She double majored in Spanish and Journalism from San Jose State University to earn her BA and received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business.

Mariana completed three venture fellowships during her MBA, sharpening her ability to evaluate startups, identify market opportunities and help founders scale effectively.

In her spare time, she loves taking salsa classes, outdoor running and exploring art galleries in Austin!