Thaís Herrera, the first Dominican to climb Everest, will speak at INTEC's graduation ceremony.
La seventy-first graduation ceremony of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) will be held on Saturday, October 11 at the Sans Souci Convention Center starting at 10:00 a.m.
SANTO DOMINGO. –Thais Herrera, engineer, entrepreneur and The first Dominican and Caribbean woman to conquer Mount Everest, will be the guest speaker at the seventy-first graduation ceremony of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), which will be held Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Sans Souci Convention Center, starting at 10:00 a.m.
Herrera will share her message of resilience and self-improvement with the 763 undergraduate and graduate students. An industrial engineer graduated from the National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), who also has a Master's degree in Senior Management from INTEC, is one of the most inspiring figures in the Dominican Republic, as she has not only climbed Everest, but also the "7 Summits,” which are the highest peaks on each continent, becoming the first Dominican woman to achieve this.
She was also the first person from the Caribbean to ski to the South Pole and the first Dominican to complete an Ironman, a feat she has repeated six times. She is also the creator of the international Pico Duarte Express/Ultra event. These sporting achievements project her as a symbol of resilience and self-improvement, a facet she balances with her role as a mother.
Herrera has a multidisciplinary profile that combines strategic management, inspirational storytelling, and experiential learning, qualities that have led her to positively impact both the corporate and social and educational spheres.
With over two decades of experience, Herrera began her career in the corporate sector at Hanes Caribe and Verizon RD, before moving on to entrepreneurship and training, leading Asertiva RD, a company specializing in team building, outdoor education, and motivational speaking, since 2006. She has also served as executive director of the St. Jude Foundation & Futuro Posible, teaches at Barna Management School and UNPHU, and serves on the boards of directors of educational institutions.
Her story has been recognized with awards such as the Freddy Beras Goico Medal (2023), the Women Who Change the World Award from Banco BHD (2024), inclusion in the “50 Powerful Women” of Forbes Dominicana (2024) and a Certificate of Recognition from the United States Congress (2025).
Thaís Herrera's life story will motivate INTEC graduates to dream big, prepare for excellence, and climb their own "Everest" in their professional and personal lives.