My journey in the US began with a thirst for education. Despite financial challenges, I started with business classes at UMass Lowell, working towards my associate degree.

Relocating to California, I transferred to Cal State East Bay and earned my bachelor’s in Business Administration. My passion for technology led me to a job at the Warren Hall lab, assisting students with computer issues. I also delved into library technology, repairing machines and building new ones.

One of my proudest achievements was working on the library’s search engine. Using an MS Access database, I meticulously inputted information about every book, making the library’s collection more accessible. These early experiences ignited my passion for technology.

My journey continued with a full-time job at Niku Corp. as a System Administrator and Build Engineer. My dedication even earned me the “Fastest Build and Release Engineer” award! However, the dot-com bubble burst, and Niku Corp. faced layoffs, reducing its workforce from 1000 to 100.

I vividly remember that day, with coworkers’ cubes emptying one by one. Around 4 pm, the CEO summoned me, and I expected to be let go. Instead, he offered me a Support Engineer position. Initially hesitant, I accepted, remembering the wisdom of “taking what you’ve got.”

From Niku, I moved to Vitria, Amobee, and Soasta, where I embraced DevOps Engineering and built a team from scratch. Later, at Treasure Data, I took on the challenge of building another team across multiple regions, including the US and UK, and collaborating with the main office in Japan. This is where I officially stepped into a management role, confirming that leadership was my true calling.

Now, I eagerly await the next opportunity, ready to continue my journey of learning, helping, and growing. This is my story, a pursuit of knowledge and leadership, driven by a passion for technology and dedication to empowering others.

Yours,

Praveena Jogi