At TRaiCE, we are proud to call ourselves a pro-women company. Our organization is co-founded by a woman, Geetha Ramaswamy, who is also the company’s CTO. We also have other highly capable women in our ranks who play a big part in TRaiCE’s evolution and day-to-day operations. As March is Women’s History Month, what better way to celebrate than to shine the spotlight on some of them! Here are 6 TRaiCE women answering some incisive questions:
Sangeetha Mathew - Senior UI/UX Designer
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I was born and brought up in Kottayam, Kerala. Growing up, my mom was my best friend and constant support. As a child, I loved doing arts and crafts and always took part in school-level exhibitions and competitions. My greatest ambition and thrill came from making or drawing something of my own design. This passion and desire remain with me even today.
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
The quality of the work done by people is sometimes judged by their gender. By this, I mean that society sometimes has a stereotypical approach that the quality of work done by men is better than women. I would like to break this approach.
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
I always dreamt of becoming someone who is connected with art, designs, etc. My primary dream was to become an architect. However, many people discouraged me from pursuing that saying it is a career choice more suited for men. I was introduced to web designing when I was in 10th grade when I interned at a startup and learned how to design a web page using only HTML. The designing aspect of it brought me a lot of joy. That is how I got into UX design and I am very happy I did.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the UX industry?
The best thing I like about UX is that I am converting the written requirements given to me as words and sentences into shapes and designs which everyone can see and use later.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the UX industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
The challenge I have faced as a woman in the industry is that the quality of work done by people is sometimes judged by their gender. As a woman, I think all are equal and no one can defeat us if our decisions and determination are strong. When I started believing that myself everything else became less of a challenge for me.
6. What is the best advice you have received?
The best advice I have got is ‘not to give up’ and ‘chase your passion’. I have received this advice multiple times from my mother, my husband, and a beloved teacher of mine.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Do everything with love and chase your passion. Never ever give up. Stop customizing yourselves for someone else's sake, love yourself.
8. Name someone who inspires you
Helen Keller. Despite being blind and deaf, she overcame all her huge limitations to achieve so much in her life.
Mehra M.S. – Senior Full-Stack Developer
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I am a native of Kozhikode, Kerala. I am the eldest of 2 siblings. As a child, I was an introvert who started coming out of her shell only in high school. Growing up in a middle-class society made me realize the importance of education. I think that education is a must if you want to have a voice, especially if you are a woman.
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
For me, this means every woman should be aware of the bias that exists in this patriarchal society and should strongly fight against this. When you know something exists it is more important to stand against it. I really wish feminism was a part of everybody's life. Let us be strong and break the bias!!
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
In my school days, when I started learning the basics of IT and programming, I realized that it gives me great pleasure to learn this topic. I found it more interesting than all the other subjects in school. With programming, I could see the output of my effort instantly on the screen which was very exciting as a student. That is when I decided to pursue a career in IT and I continue to love coding.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the tech industry?
Solving problems logically makes me more excited. Also, developing things from scratch always feels like a wonderful journey.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the tech industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
Till now I haven't faced any challenges as a woman in the tech industry. But I believe there are challenges on the way, and I should be prepared to overcome those.
6. What is the best advice you have received?
‘Be independent' is the best advice I ever received. This is something I read in the past and it made me think a lot. I think it is applicable in our personal as well as professional life. As a teenager, I believed being physically and mentally independent was the most important thing in life. But as I grow older as a woman, I realize that financial independence is more important. It brings more confidence and power.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
As a woman coming from a middle-class family, I would like to advise young girls that education is most important. Be educated and get your dream job. Stand on your own and don't let others make decisions for you.
8. Name someone who inspires you
I don't have a single name to tell but every single woman I have met in my life journey is my inspiration. Each one has helped me understand life one way or the other.
Aksa Jose - Senior QA Engineer
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I was born and brought up in Wayanad, Kerala. I did my schooling in Wayanad and my engineering degree from Anna University, Coimbatore. I am the eldest of two girls. I have 5 years of experience in the tech world. In my previous job, I never got the recognition that was due to me. But that changed when I joined TRaiCE. Here, I am always appreciated and recognized for the work I do, and this has inspired me to work harder, upskill myself, and be more confident in my abilities. This has taught me the importance of a supportive environment.
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
Women everywhere have so many ideas, insights, and thoughts that can bring much-needed change in society. But most societies are patriarchal and ignore these. This should change. If we can create a space where women have the freedom to design and innovate, they can be independent and make society better as well.
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
As a child, my dream was to become a doctor but since it was not an option financially, I chose to pursue a career in engineering instead and am enjoying what I am doing now.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the tech industry?
The work environment is very comfortable, and I get to learn many new skills from my tech life.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the tech industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
The challenge that I have faced is in managing some team members. Sometimes team members don’t want to do the work I assign them. This may be because I am a woman. My solution very much depends on the person's attitude towards the work. If they are willing to change, I help them, otherwise, I have learned to let it go.
6. What is the best advice you have received (can be professional or otherwise)?
I am someone who gets stressed easily. The best advice I have received from family, friends, and mentors is to relax and let go of things I cannot control.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
A girl should be bold and strong when a crisis/issue happens. She should speak up and try to solve issues instead of giving up on life. Choose a winning attitude as you chase your dream and wait for the end result. Inspire the next generation by celebrating your wins.
8. Name someone who inspires you
My inspiration is my sister because she achieved her dreams despite many obstacles. She had a lot of health issues and her doctors advised her not to choose a course that is challenging and stresses her out. But she wanted to become a doctor and ignored that advice. She is now about to complete the first stage of her dream.
Sandhya M.S. – Business Analyst/Project Manager
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I am a native of Kochi, Kerala. I was born, raised, and did all my education here. I have an elder sister, whom I admire very much. I am a very helpful person by nature. I think I get this from my mother, whom I have watched helping others many times. Taking care of family members and friends when they are in need of it gives me great pleasure and satisfaction and I follow this same approach in my workplace as well.
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
As women, all of us are put in boxes by our religion, our society, our culture, and many other rules and regulations. #breakthebias to me means to get out of all these. I think it’s our responsibility to ourselves to speak up and confidently say NO to someone who makes us feel uncomfortable.
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
My career dream kept changing as a kid. First, it was to become an air hostess, then it changed to becoming a doctor (pediatrician), then to a chartered accountant. You can see the zig-zag way of my dreams! So, nothing has foreshadowed my career choice. In the end, I did my master's in MBA. And now I am working as a Business Analyst/Project manager here. I am so happy about it, and I love what I do.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the tech industry?
This is my first job. As I do not have any prior experience, I don't know what's happening in other industries/areas. But I am learning a lot of new technical skills here, which is the best thing for me.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the tech industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
Till now I haven't faced any challenges as a woman but it was very difficult to get a job as a fresher. What I learned from my experience is that no one is interested in hiring freshers even if they are talented or skilled. No one remembers that they were also freshers once. So, it is tough to get a job with good or at least minimum pay for someone fresh out of college. I am so thankful to TRaiCE for hiring me as a fresher and giving me an opportunity to prove myself.
6. What is the best advice you have received?
I am not sure whether I can call this as advice received. It is more feedback from people who know me well both personally and professionally. They tell me to keep on doing things as I am doing now, keep up the way I am treating everyone, the can-do attitude, the openness, and to continue to stay cool when things are tough. And finally, to be a good human being.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
The best protection any girl/woman can have is courage. Be bold, be kind, be positive, and be YOU - never change that for anyone. Trust yourself - Never lose hope in yourself, love yourself, speak up confidently, and be a good human being.
8. Name someone who inspires you
I would like to choose people in my life for this answer. My mother is the first person who has inspired me. She is the one who made me what I am today, and she helped turn the impossibilities of my life into possibilities. Secondly, my sister. She inspires me every day because she has a strong aim and focus. She worked hard to achieve her dreams. She is now an Aerospace Engineer in Australia, and I am so happy for her.
Suman George – Software Engineer
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I am a middle child, the second of 3 siblings. I am married and have 3 kids of my own now. I did all my education including my bachelor’s and master’s in technology in Kerala. I love to work. Growing up, my mother was my school’s principal. I learned a lot from watching how she conducted herself at home and at school. Her dedication and ability to maintain a work-life balance are what helped me develop my own work ethic.
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
To change the outlook of people towards others, be it in society or in a workplace, instead of needless prejudices.
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
I wanted to become a doctor when I was a little girl. But I followed my mother’s footsteps and started my career as a lecturer after completing my master’s degree. My penetration into the technical world was not planned. I took a 5-year career break to look after my kids. When I decided to return to work, the technical world had better career options for me.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the tech industry?
Remote work and the opportunity for constant skill enhancement.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the tech/UX industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
Not as a woman, but as a person in the technical field, continuously changing technology is always a challenge. Techies always need to keep pace with emerging technology. I am trying my best to keep up with the need of the hour.
6. What is the best advice you have received?
Be yourself, which was advice I got from my best friend.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Never stop learning.
8. Name someone who inspires you
Molly Sleeba - my Mother. She is a retired headmistress and my teacher. I still find it fascinating how she kept her work-life balance. Her unwavering determination and the fact that she continues to study even today are what inspire me.
Betsy Jacob - Content specialist
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your formative years
I was born in Mumbai, India but did most of my schooling in Fujairah, UAE. I have an elder brother, whom I used to worship as a kid. My parents raised both of us as equals, something I am most appreciative of looking back. I developed a love for reading as a child and my mom says I always had a book in my hand everywhere I went. Even now, reading a good whodunit while sitting in a cozy, quiet corner is my idea of a perfect evening (though such peaceful evenings are hard to come by now that I have 4 kids of my own).
2. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was #breakthebias. What does this mean to you?
Professionally it means assessing someone based solely on the work they do and what they bring to the table without considering their gender, age, religion, orientation, etc. Personally, it means raising my 4 girls in a bias-free home, teaching them to respect everyone equally. Breaking biases always starts at home.
3. What did you dream of becoming as a little girl? Looking back at your childhood, were there any incidents that foreshadowed your career choice?
My first career dream was to become a bus conductor. So, I am very glad that did not work out! I always loved reading and writing. In college, I won an essay writing competition and was commissioned by a senior to write a love letter for him. I guess you could say that was my very first writing client! Due to a motley mix of circumstances, I started my writing career only in my mid 30’s but, as they say, better late than never and I am loving it so far.
4. What is the best thing you like about working in the content industry?
That you are always learning something new every other day as good content requires that you do a lot of research as well. The thrill that comes from creating content that an average reader enjoys reading and gains value from is unparalleled, especially if it is a complex topic I am writing about.
5. Name a challenge you have faced as a woman in the content industry. Have you overcome this challenge? If so, how?
This is not industry-specific, but the biggest challenge for me has always been maintaining a good work-life balance and doing justice to my many life roles as a writer, wife, mother, daughter, etc. I am learning to overcome this challenge by being organized, scheduling my time, and setting clear boundaries whenever applicable.
6. What is the best advice you have received?
‘Prioritize and execute’ – which simply means that when you have a lot of tasks to do, get the most important one done first. I got this from a leadership book called Extreme Ownership. It has helped me stay organized and focused both professionally and personally.
7. What advice or words of wisdom would you give young girls who would like to follow in your footsteps?
Like with most industries, there is an initial struggle here too but keep practicing, learning, and reading and your breakthrough will come. Writers tend to be an insecure bunch so be confident in your abilities, stay true to your values, know your worth, and don’t settle for less.
8. Name someone who inspires you
Activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. She stood up for her beliefs even when her life was in danger.
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