Look, I could give you the polished LinkedIn version of who I am, but that’s boring as fuck. So here’s the real tea about Génesis Michelle Rivera Candelaria– the person behind the events, the hustle, and the carefully curated Instagram grid.
The Professional Fuck-Up That Changed Everything
My biggest professional mistake? Launching the first Sobremesa Chicago event in Puerto Rico – after years of successful events in Chicago – thinking my friends would show up and spread the word. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. The event flopped hard. Nobody came.
What I learned: Your friends and acquaintances aren’t always your first fans. Sometimes strangers become your most fierce supporters before the people closest to you even pay attention. That’s just how it is.
The Cultural Contradictions
What pisses me off: When I say I’m from Puerto Rico and people respond with “ahhh pueLto lico” in that fake accent. We don’t talk like that, fuckers.
What secretly applies to me: Speaking Spanglish constantly. Can’t help it, won’t apologize for it.
What I miss from Chicago when I’m in PR: The weather (that perfect 50-75 degrees WITH sun), the food scene, walking everywhere, and that magnificent public transportation system.
What I miss from PR when I’m in Chicago: The people, the language, the beach, my friends, my family. Todo.
The Random Shit You Didn’t Ask For
I talk to myself. All the time. And whenever I can, when I buy food for myself, I try to get something extra to give to someone on the street who needs it.
My guilty pleasure? El Señor de los Cielos. I’ve watched it so many times I can tell you what season any random episode is from. Aurelio and Rutila Casillas are my people.
Current rotation: Salsa, Gustavo Cerati, and Bad Bunny. That’s the vibe. My one useless talent: Knowing random facts about… everything? I think that’s it.
Hot Takes That’ll Make Me Enemies
On the events industry:
∙ Low salaries for everything we actually do
∙ This myth that you need connections to grow (it helps, but it’s not everything)
∙ The “go go go” culture and the refusal to let people rest
Job posting red flags that make me close the tab immediately:
∙ “We’re like a family” (translation: we’ll guilt you into unpaid overtime)
∙ No salary listed
∙ Any indication they don’t believe in work/life balance
What Actually Matters
Here’s something that doesn’t come up in normal conversations or on LinkedIn: I care so much about people. Like, deeply.
My dream? Having a nonprofit to feed kids and help pass laws ensuring school meals are nutritionally good. A kid shouldn’t spend all day thinking about not having food at home, worrying that their only meal is what they get at school. They should have nutritious breakfast and lunch. It shouldn’t be like this.
The Future I’m Manifesting
Picture this: I’m in Puerto Rico, looking out at the beach with mountains in the background. It’s morning – soft, slow. I’m reading emails with my second coffee of the day, planning out what’s most important versus what’s least urgent.
I’m running a global food business from the island, operating para el mundo. I’m alone in that moment, but backed by a battalion of mentors and entrepreneurs who came before me.
The version of myself I’m most afraid of becoming? Not this one. The opposite of this one.
My Event Philosophy
Keep people happy, respect the budget, and don’t let them see you sweat.
It sounds simple, but it’s everything. The organization, being clear from the beginning, getting the right people for the event’s objectives – that’s what I learned from 7+ years and 50+ events. From intimate dinners to programs with 1,000+ attendees.
Advice to Past Me
To the Génesis from 9 years ago who was just starting with events: Try to absorb everything you can about advertising, logistics, vendors, all of it. Try all the trends. And for fuck’s sake, ask for help.
The Essentials
Comfort food/celebration food/hangover food: Pizza. Any pizza, but tavern style for sure.
Most overrated fancy food: Caviar. Fight me.
If I could only eat at one Chicago restaurant forever: Lula Cafe.
Death row meal: Arroz blanco con picadillo, aguacate, and ají amarillo hot sauce.
Downtime activity that looks productive but isn’t: Writing. It’s how I disconnect.
Last book I read: Re-reading El Libro de los Abrazos by Eduardo Galeano.
The Bottom Line
I’m a bilingual logistics and events consultant who’s done everything from managing national conferences to coordinating crisis response during a pandemic. I’ve built event operations from scratch, scaled underground dinners into cultural movements, and somehow always made it look easy (even when it absolutely wasn’t).
I’m currently freelancing, job searching, and building something bigger than myself. I operate between two worlds – Chicago and Puerto Rico – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The question people ask me most in networking that I’m tired of? I don’t even know anymore. But whatever it is, I’ll still answer it with a smile because that’s the job.
That’s me. No filter, no bullshit. Just Génesis.
Graciasss por leerme.
Besitos 😘
Génesis 🍒❣️
