Ricardo oversees human resources, community impact, and internal communications at Shipt, a Target-owned company connecting customers to personal shopping and delivery. He has created an ecosystem that showcases every employee’s worth through continuing education opportunities, mental health services, and a peer-nominated recognition program.
Keenly aware of his affinity for business, he explored accounting, finance, and real estate before discovering his calling with WSB’s management and human resources major. “It appealed to me and my desire to understand the role that leadership plays within corporations and in people’s lives,” he says. “Although I wasn’t going to be an expert in every area, HR would give me a seat at the table across many business functions.”
Ricardo also credits foundational HR coursework for kickstarting his decades-long human resources career. During his internship at Target, he employed key learnings to successfully increase the attraction and retention of his store’s workforce, an achievement that launched his career.
As a first-generation college graduate and the son of immigrants, Ricardo learned the value of lifelong learning at a young age. “I have memories of sitting in the backyard with the chalkboard and my mother teaching me how to read and add,” he says. Building upon this foundation, he earned a coaching certification through UW–Madison’s Continuing Studies program and now applies his expertise to professionals navigating career and personal transitions.