Though raised in extreme poverty as the sixth of seven children, she received a scholarship at the age of five to attend a private school run by Catholic nuns, along with her older siblings.

[2] She credits much of her success and accomplishments to this pivotal moment in her life, and is passionate in her belief that education enables individuals to fulfill their dreams and maximize their potential:[3] Tuminez first came to the United States at age 18 in 1982 on a student visa.

Tuminez joined AIG Global Investments as a research director and ran the Moscow office of the Harvard Project on Strengthening Democratic Institutions, where she worked with leading reformers of communism.

[11] She was previously Microsoft's regional director for corporate, external and legal affairs for Southeast Asia, leading a team supporting 15 markets.

[12] Her role was to strengthen government relations, cultivate corporate citizenship,[13] and enhance understanding of trending issues shaping regulation and policy, specifically drivers of inclusive growth in the 4th Industrial Revolution.