Alissa Chavez

UNM Graduate (B.s.)

Founder & CEO of Assila

Inventor of “Hot Seat”

public speaker

Keynote Speaker: Alissa Chavez

Alissa won a science fair with her “Hot Seat” product and knew she wanted to turn this project into something more. Alissa applied for a patent that same year which was granted 3 years later. She is believed to be the youngest Latina Patent holder in the US, receiving her first patent at just 17 years old.

Since founding her company Alissa has received national recognition and accolades including Glamour Magazine Women of the Year, American Business Award winner, Teen Business Top 20, Albuquerque Business 40 Under 40, Albuquerque Business Innovators Under 25, and more.

Assila has continued to grow with the launch of Alissa’s newest product EasyFlo, an eco-friendly baby bottle designed to reduce plastic waste associated with making a baby bottle on the go. EasyFlo has already begun receiving national recognition winning 5 collegiate business competitions to date including the best Elevator pitch at the World’s Largest Business Plan Competition at Rice University.

Alissa is so grateful for the support that her company has received and feels a great responsibility to pay it forward. She is an ambassador for Technolchicas, an organization that promotes young Latinas to explore careers in STEM. She is a speaker for Microsoft’s Digi Girls and Boys camp, TEDX speaker, and has dedicated time to speaking at schools to share her story in hopes of inspiring the next generation of innovators. Alissa is also featured in the children’s book “Girls Think of Everything” by award-winning author Catherine Thimmesh.

Alissa is also a recent graduate from the University of New Mexico earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Communication. In her free time, Alissa enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors (the beach especially) spending time with her family and friends, and is an animal lover and activist. Going into the future, Alissa plans to continue to grow her company with a desire to leave a positive impact on our world.