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The DataRobot Belong Community Women@DR was established to bring together women and allies at DataRobot for support, networking, encouragement, resources, and community. We’ve celebrated successes and accomplishments, created safe environments to support each other through difficulties, and created both space for vulnerability and a sounding board for ideas and action.
We developed a mission to serve our community thoughtfully.
Women@DR seeks to create, promote and expand an inclusive culture that connects, educates and advances the needs, professional goals, and aspirations of female-identifying members and allies.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month and the International Women’s Day in March, we look to our community of strong, resilient, and skillful leaders to set the tone. In our February 2024 global company kick off, 7 women were celebrated as DataRobot AI Legends. They were honored as the embodiment of DataRobot values and success.
We caught up with some of these trailblazers and asked them questions that might inspire others to become legendary:
- How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
- What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
Here’s what they had to say …
Ina Ko, Senior Product Director, Customer Engineering
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
Building confidence and resilience over the course of my career has involved embracing humility, seeking new challenges, using a supportive network for guidance and feedback, and focusing on the impact of my work. Recognizing the fluidity of life and career paths as growth opportunities rather than setbacks has been essential. This mindset has helped me navigate uncertainties, turn failures into lessons, and embrace continuous learning and adaptation.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
For women just starting their careers, my advice is to focus on your unique journey without comparing yourself to others. Embrace change, as it brings valuable lessons that refine your path to success. Cultivate a mindset of positive intent and seek to understand the motivations of your colleagues and peers. This approach will help you foster a collaborative environment by building deep and authentic connections with those you work alongside. Embrace every opportunity to grow, lean into changes, and remember that your unique contributions and resilience will define your path.
Julia Townsend, Director, Revenue Strategy & Execution
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
When I first started out back in the day, I had a big goal I wanted to achieve and everything I did was chosen to chip away at the goal. This really helped me see a bigger picture and not get too down when stumbling blocks came along. I also have a personal mantra that ‘this is one moment, and will pass with time’, that really helps!
Embracing new opportunities when they come up, even if you think you might not have all the skills you think are needed, has led to some interesting career experiences for me. This has made me feel confident that I can turn my hand to new projects even if I do not have all the answers right away.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
I would recommend really taking the time to invest in building relationships and champions across the business. This is such a great career and life skill that is essential to master in order to get things done and have trust and influence. This has a lasting impact for every new move you make.
Brook Miller, Senior Director, Demand Planning, Creative, & APAC Marketing
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
For me, confidence comes from knowing that mastery isn’t the end goal for me. Instead, I choose to embrace a mindset of continual learning and build confidence through collaborating with people who can teach me new things as well as sharing my own experience with others.
In the times where I need to draw on resilience, I find that zooming out to the bigger picture to gain some perspective really helps. By viewing the tough times as just a chapter in the overall story of your career, you can keep moving forward without being consumed by what’s happening in the present moment. It’s also ok to ask for help, say you don’t know the answer or take some time out to reset when needed.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
Take the time to understand yourself, your strengths and where you can contribute and then put your hand up for something that scares you every year. The right mindset will take you very far while you’re building your skillset. Align yourself with the people you admire and want to learn from and don’t be afraid to ask them for guidance. One day you’ll be able to give that same gift to someone else.
Katherine Stepanova, Senior Director, Legal – Lead Americas Commercial Counsel
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
Building confidence and resilience is a process that requires a lot of patience, support from others, both professionally and personally, and lots of hard work. My confidence and resilience, first and foremost, come from my grandma, an incredibly strong woman who had gone through a myriad of challenges in her life and was able to embrace the challenges and overcome difficulties and failures. She taught me from early childhood that girls can do anything they set out to do if they get educated, work hard, practice commendable work ethic no matter what they do, and believe in themselves. She’s been my biggest cheerleader all my life, and I’m eternally grateful to her for that, and that’s something I will try to pass onto my daughter as well.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
Build a strong support system, both professionally and personally. There will be good days and bad ones, bumps on the road, but with a strong support system you’ll never lose the desire and ability to move forward, reflect on the challenges, and overcome difficulties. Don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
Sahana Sreenath, Lead, Database Engineer
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
For me, it has been through stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on tasks I found challenging initially. Reaching out readily when in need of guidance and not being afraid of making mistakes in the beginning all make for a solid foundation to build on.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
I found the following very helpful when starting out: 1) Remaining curious everyday will carry you far and help you to learn the intricacies of your roles and responsibilities better, 2) Frequently soliciting and incorporating feedback will enable you to become more efficient in the workplace, and 3) Continue to stay motivated and dedicated, develop a strong work ethic, challenge yourself whenever possible and your work will speak for itself!
Teresa Gearin, Marketing Operations Project Manager
How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?
Embracing change! Change is inevitable and sometimes feels constant but learning to adapt and being open to learning and enhancing your skills makes change feel less cumbersome and more like an opportunity. I am always actively seeking ways to improve my environment whether it is processes, organization tactics, or just in the way I think and perceive any situation. This has helped me build the confidence needed to navigate male dominated industries/teams, tough situations, and advocate for myself. At the end of the day I am my greatest ally and worst critic, practicing balancing the two helps.
What advice would you give a female identifying person who is just starting their career?
Your voice matters! Learn to embrace the power of advocating for yourself and others confidently and assertively. Your time, experiences, and thoughts are valuable. Always be coachable, proactive in your learning and development, and honest with yourself about what you truly value and strive for it.
About the author
Angie Sullivan is the VP of Accounting at DataRobot. She also is a core member of the Women @DR Belong community. Angie has worked in Finance for close to 20 years. DEI is especially important to her and she focuses on encouraging women to pursue and grow in their careers in Finance and in the Technology industry. Outside of work she enjoys her family and home in Seattle, WA, and loves spending quality time with her two daughters (i.e. future trailblazing women leaders)!
Meet Angie Sullivan
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