Born in Ethiopia, Yordanos became the head of her household at a young age when her parents came to America before her. Moving among family members during this time, Yordanos and her sisters finally joined their parents in the US when she was 10. As the first person in her family to become fluent in English, Yordanos’ parents relied heavily on her to make doctor’s appointments, fill out job and health insurance applications, and take care of her siblings. She was sometimes mistaken as her sisters’ mother at parent-teacher conferences. In high school, Yordanos worked over 30 hours a week as a manager at Subway to contribute to family finances, dedicated significant time to her Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Youth group, and raised awareness about issues affecting the local, Black community through Black Youth Denver.
Her desire to major and succeed in business has been instilled in her by her family in Ethiopia. She is determined to become a CEO while also addressing the gender and racial inequity that contributes to only 1.5% of private sector, senior-level positions being held by African American women.
