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Spotlight On Us: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021

Every year, International Women’s Day offers us a chance to recognize the genius, inventive, compassionate, collaborative, pioneering women-identifying people in our families, friend circles, workplaces, and beyond.

As the Director of Marketing at Atrium, I’m fortunate to know a number of such women right here. And to raise more awareness around this day within Women’s History Month and our own talented Atrians, I asked several of my teammates about their mentors, what pro-women media they’re engaging with right now, challenges within our industry, and more.

Megha Chauhan, Senior Analytics Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I work as an Analyst who also loves to code. I love how we are challenged to pace up with the ever-changing technologies and platforms replacing older ones. Every day teaches something new and brings out the kid in me who is tasked to fill in the coloring book before dinner. My teammates are very supportive when it comes to technical challenges and the leadership team in Jaipur is very flexible and easy to talk to.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

At work, my manager Ankita has been a very understanding person who asks me about my concerns and has motivated me to come out of problems stronger.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

I feel working women are not valued enough. Even if companies have implemented equal pay, equal respect is not always given to our work. Many working women play multiple roles — a caretaker, a homemaker — other than her profession. Even then at work, women are often looked upon as more sensitive, even helpless.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

My most rewarding experience has been delivering sessions in Atrium’s Women in Technology group — meeting other women and learning how they manage everything so smoothly.

What podcast are you listening to?

No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis.

 

Rebecca Seymour, Director, Project Management

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I am fairly new to Atrium and have been working as a project manager since I was hired in August 2020. The best things about Atrium in my opinion are the people I get to work with — everyone is not only very smart, but also humble and so willing to help out with anything. Just reaching out through chat will get you a myriad of instant responses.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

Georgia O’Keeffe. I’m a painter and she has always been a source of great inspiration for me. Talented, independent, and a true free spirit.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

Women in technology are still underrepresented, although it is better than it was 20 years ago. This lack of other perspectives has made career advancement difficult.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

I enjoy reaching out to younger women to hopefully provide them with the benefit of my experiences in the workplace.

Any pro-women media to mention?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is my secret hero.

 

Shefali Sethia, Salesforce Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I work as a Salesforce Consultant. Atrium is my first company, which helped me to dive into the IT world just after my graduation. I feel happy to be part of Atrium as it has provided me with ample opportunities to learn and grow. The culture and work environment here is amazing.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

Shivani Goswami. She gives the best of advice and is always full of energy. She always motivates me to do more.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

I have not faced any such challenge yet, but I have come across issues in which women struggle to get back into the IT world after a gap.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

For me, mentoring a Luminate class was an amazing experience. It was all virtual. Mentees asked me simple and basic questions earlier and then very complex questions. We had some doubt clearing sessions, we googled together, asked for help from more senior teammates. It was a fun exercise. Now seeing them clear certificates and solving some real project scenarios so effectively is the best reward.

What shows are you watching?

Nothing at present. But I really liked one Hindi series called Sadda Haq. It is a story of a girl who fights with her family to attend an engineering college. And then again she struggles in college because of the orthodox mentality of men — that women belong in the kitchen and that engineering is not meant for them. And at last she succeeds with flying colors and proves everyone wrong.

 

Kritika Kelawat, Salesforce Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

Being a consultant, I am the part of Elevate Jaipur India team. Every day I get new tasks on my plate, keeping me growing in my career. Even with Covid, we are implementing many ways to keep our wonderful culture at Atrium. 

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

Tammy Vierkant. I met her in India last year — she was full of energy, emotional intelligence, charm. (We all love you so much, Tammy!) Being a mother, the way she handles her work life and personal life is really admirable.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

My mother is the powerhouse for me. Whenever I lose my charm, she is always present to keep me up. 

Pro-women pop culture icon?

Wonder Woman.

 

Sarah Young, Lead Strategy Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I work with clients to identify strategic ways in which their business can improve using Salesforce, analytics, and data science. I also work with our team members to help them grow in their consulting careers by passing off the knowledge I have learned over the years.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

My mom. Since I was young I’ve learned a lot of professional and office mannerisms from my mom and she works now as a court reporter, which has immensely helped me focus on the type of speech I use when speaking with clients and team members.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

Having your knowledge and skills second guessed — with the recommendations you are making around the uses of technology being delivered. I’ve been in rooms where it’s not until a male colleague says the same thing I have just said do others (men and women alike) take what I was saying into account.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

My favorite part about mentoring other women is raising them up and watching their growth. Looking to raise women up and encourage their growth is rewarding. I’ve seen women step in and get to learn technology even if their background is in another field and it’s amazing to see how well they pick it up.

What pro-women podcasts, organizations, books, etc. do you recommend?

You Can Sip with Us, empowerHER, anything by Rachel Hollis, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed, and I could go on with the books… 

 

Laura Koch, VP of Customer Engagement

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I am a VP of Customer Engagement. That means I am in sales with responsibilities for delivery assurance. I love the continuous learning here at Atrium. We are helping Salesforce customers to unlock their data — to drive prioritization of customer engagement activities through descriptive and predictive insights within their business processes.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

I cannot say that I have just one mentor, or even a formal mentor. I think you become fortunate enough to meet and work with many women that both inspire you and coach you along the way. Women in leadership positions at my customers, the many amazing leaders at Salesforce, and of course my sisters — I learn a little something from each of them in everyday interactions. 

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

This may be controversial, but I think the biggest issue can be ourselves. Taking notice that we may be the only woman on the team or the only woman in the meeting, in my opinion, perpetuates the mindset that there is a barrier to break. My mindset is to just go! Go, don’t think twice about overstepping, being too aggressive, presenting your point of view, leading a conversation, presenting alternatives… Do the work you set out to do and go. And by all means, help fellow women be successful! Encourage, support, coach, and celebrate their success!

 

Aakriti Jain, Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I joined Atrium as a consultant a few months ago and the journey has been so eventful since then. From getting placed during a pandemic to learning and beginning our careers online throughout. This was all a new dimension of work that was never seen before and the team has been supportive in helping me get adapted to this new normal. The thing that keeps me going and that I love about Atrium is the transparency and comfort to reach out to anyone if you seek guidance. It’s just a click away.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

My mother. After the passing of my father, she worked really hard for us (my brother and me) to complete our education and help me get where I am now. She is a teacher by profession and we incorporated discipline, hard work, and punctuality from her. I owe everything I achieve to her, for she supported me at my worst and appreciated me in my best.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

I have observed that people assume that a woman is less likely to take the offer of an onsite assignment as easily.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

Shefali was assigned as my mentor when I joined Atrium and I couldn’t be more thankful, for she helped me from my first day till now. Joining virtually was something that was new for everyone, yet she managed to help us get familiar with the work environment — resolving our doubts, giving her best in projects, and passing some difficult certificates. Her time management skills are something I hope I will learn over time.

Are you part of any pro-women organizations?

I am a part of #SheforceWIT community.

 

Gabbi Forsythe, Analytics Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I started at Atrium a few months ago as a member of the Luminate program. In these past few months, I have received training and guidance that made my transition to Atrium really smooth. I have also really grown to love the culture here. I find it fascinating that while the Atrium team is scattered around the world, we can still come together and get to know and encourage one another.

Who’s your woman-identifying mentor?

Someone I have always looked up to is my manager at an internship that I had. She was one of the only women executives at the company, and it was clear that she was a key part of the company’s operations. She was extremely driven and wasn’t afraid to speak up. I also really valued the fact that she would take time out of her day to talk to me about her role and the different skills she learned along the way. 

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

I think it is really easy for women to be intimidated by others in the industry. Oftentimes we meet people who are more educated than us or appear more confident in their work than us and it makes us feel undeserving of our position. Imposter syndrome seems to be more and more common among lots of people in the workplace, particularly with women.

One thing I really love about Atrium is that we have lots of different ways to publicly encourage and cheer each other on. It really helps to build confidence and put a smile on people’s faces.

Anything you want to tell the world about your most rewarding experiences mentoring or being mentored by other women?

I think it is really important to have multiple women as mentors for different aspects of life (personal life, work life, spiritual life, etc.). All of my experiences being mentored by other women have been really rewarding in different ways and I highly recommend that you seek out mentorship if you don’t have a mentor.

Any pro-women organizations we should know about?

One organization that I have really admired over the years is Girls Who Code. For a lot of kids, the access to computer science education is very limited and it can be especially intimidating for girls, since computer science is a male-dominated field. Girls Who Code works to have girls-only coding clubs at schools across the country. My goal is to start volunteering at my local Girls Who Code club when they begin meeting again in the future.

 

Katie Toyoshima, Analytics Consultant

What do you do here? What keeps you at Atrium?

I am a consultant on the analytics team and I absolutely love it. The work is intellectually challenging and seeing our work help our clients is so incredibly rewarding. Even though we’re all currently remote, I have gotten to know more people in a greater capacity than I ever have in previous in-office positions, which is an incredible testament to Atrium’s culture and our employees.

What do you think is the most important issue women face at work in the technology industry today?

The wage gap is real! Women are far less likely to negotiate their salaries and are typically underpaid in tech, even in women-dominated fields like HR and recruitment. 

The number of women in leadership in tech is growing but is still minuscule. Women and people of color want to see themselves reflected in their leadership team and when they’re not, oftentimes they’ll take their experience and go somewhere that’s willing to show commitment to diversity. The explanation that because the tech industry was initially dominated by white men and that’s why there are not as many women or people of color in leadership isn’t enough. Diversity and inclusion is more than just saying that you want to be more diverse and inclusive. Actions can tell you everything you need to know.

There’s more where that came from… Interested in joining our team?