About the Mentor
César Rengifo is a Head of Design and Design Director with 15+ years of experience leading remote product design teams for US startups and Fortune 500 companies including Pepsi, AstraZeneca, Nestlé, Telefónica, and Roche. He has mentored 50+ designers across Latin America on career growth, portfolio strategy, and the transition from individual contributor to design leadership.
César founded Friends of Figma Guatemala, the largest Spanish-speaking Figma community in Central America with 1,200+ members. A hybrid designer-engineer who ships production code, he brings a practical perspective that goes beyond theory.
Based in the CST (UTC-6) timezone, mentorship sessions are available during US and LATAM business hours. Read full bio.
What I Can Help With
Mentorship sessions are tailored to where you are in your design career. Whether you're a junior designer building your first portfolio or a senior IC preparing to step into leadership, sessions draw from real experience at startups and enterprises.
Career Growth & Transition
Navigating the path from junior to senior designer, or from individual contributor to design leadership. Building a design career in LATAM with access to US and global remote roles.
Portfolio Reviews
Presenting your work effectively through case study storytelling, visual hierarchy, and clear problem-to-outcome narratives. Standing out in a competitive market.
Design Leadership
Transitioning into management, building and hiring design teams, running design critiques, and establishing design as a strategic function inside an organization.
Design Engineering
Bridging design and code — learning front-end development, building technical depth, prototyping in real codebases, and understanding engineering workflows as a designer.
Job Search & Interviews
Preparing for design roles at US and global companies — whiteboard challenges, design exercises, salary negotiation, and positioning yourself as a nearshore or remote candidate from LATAM.
AI-Powered Design Workflows
Integrating AI tools into your design process — from AI-assisted prototyping and research synthesis to building workflows that connect design output to engineering and marketing.
How Mentorship Works
All sessions are virtual by default, making them accessible to designers anywhere in the world. Sessions are conducted in English or Spanish.
1:1 Video Sessions
45–60 minute live sessions via Google Meet or Zoom. Focused conversation on your specific challenges, career goals, or design problems. Available during US and LATAM business hours (CST/UTC-6).
Portfolio Review Sessions
Structured feedback on your portfolio case studies, presentation flow, and positioning. Walk through your work together and identify specific improvements to make it stand out.
Career Strategy Sessions
Goal setting, career mapping, and job search planning. Define where you want to go and build a concrete plan to get there — whether that's a senior IC role, a leadership position, or your first remote US job.
Async Feedback
Written portfolio or resume feedback for designers who prefer asynchronous communication. Submit your materials and receive detailed, actionable feedback within a few days.
50+ Designers Mentored
Over the past decade, César has mentored designers across Latin America and globally — from junior designers building their first portfolios to mid-career professionals transitioning into leadership.
Career Guidance & Coaching
Helping designers define their career direction, set professional goals, and build the skills needed to advance — from first design job to Head of Design.
Portfolio Reviews
Structured case study feedback, presentation strategy, and positioning guidance that has helped designers land roles at US companies and international teams.
Job Search & Interview Support
Preparing designers for the interview process — from design exercise walkthroughs and whiteboard challenges to salary negotiation guidance for LATAM remote roles.
Leadership & Team Skills
Guiding senior ICs and new design managers through org navigation — running effective critiques, hiring and onboarding designers, and partnering with product and engineering leadership.
César also speaks at conferences and leads workshops across LATAM, and has built a community of 30K+ designers across social media and the Friends of Figma Guatemala community.
Request a Mentorship Session
Interested in a mentorship session? Fill out the form below with what you'd like to work on. Sessions are limited and prioritized based on fit.