Airtable Women's History Month Employee Spotlights: Jess Amortegui and Sarah Barner

During each Commemorative Observance Month, we spotlight two amazing colleagues who are nominated and voted for by a focus group of employees who identify with the given month. We are delighted to celebrate Women's History Month by spotlighting Jess Amortegui, Head of Learning and Culture, and Sarah Barner, People Programs Specialist!

Please tell us your name, pronouns, role and time at Airtable along with a weird or interesting fact about yourself.

Jess: My name is Jess Amortegui and my pronouns are she/her. I am on the People team and have the amazing privilege of heading up our Learning and Culture function. I have been here five months now, but it feels more like five years (in a good way)!

My weird and interesting fact is that I have been a raw vegan for two years. I've only eaten raw fruits and vegetables (no grains, oils, seeds, or nuts either), and I never would have thought it was possible when I started! I went on this crazy diet for health-related reasons, and I am excited to say it is the only thing that actually worked!??

Sarah: My name is Sarah Barner and my pronouns are she/her. My role is People Programs Specialist, and I've been at Airtable for two and a half years. I think my favorite personal fun fact is that I’m a die-hard Philadelphia sports fan, and in 2018, I flew back home to go to the Eagles Super Bowl parade. I lined up on Broad Street just before sunrise, and it was freezing all day. I would 100% do it again!

What is your favorite part of working at Airtable?

Jess: I have to start off with the oh so trite (but oh so true) answer: the people. Airtable has the most amazing folks that I've had the opportunity to work with in my career - and that makes each day incredibly meaningful, no matter what comes my way.??

The other thing I love is the pace. I can remember when I was interviewing, I asked, “Is it possible to go too fast?” When I heard the word “no,” it was music to my ears! My default gear tends to be in overdrive, and I have never felt more in my element. But, do I need to slow down, even here? Yes!?

Sarah: After the close relationships that I've been able to develop with some of my colleagues, a close second would be the adaptability of the company. When we moved into a remote working environment, Airtable tried (and is still trying!) to make sure that employees are set up for success at home. We've rolled out some really great new benefits, including family planning, wellness stipends, and mental health resources. I appreciate that while everything can't be perfect, Airtable is making an effort to ensure that employees feel psychologically safe at home or in the office, and continues to roll out programming that allows Airtable employees to feel a sense of belonging.

What is it like being a woman in tech? What do you enjoy and what would you like to see more of?

Jess: This question is hard, as I know I am just one experience, and don’t want to generalize for other women. That said, I am acutely aware that women have long been underrepresented in tech, crave opportunity, and still encounter inequity. That simply has to change. There are two experiences I had within my first six months in tech (back in 2011) that really opened my eyes.?

I worked in a Learning and Development function and was charged with creating a “high-potential” program for sales leaders. I walked into the room and quickly realized of the 30 people there, three were women - a much smaller percentage than the female representation in the sales organization.

As I reflected on that moment, I realized that these selected high-potentials would get more exposure, more training, and more resources, which would further fuel the gap between them and those not sitting in that room. I was seeing first-hand why our progress was so meager.

A few months later my manager had feedback they thought was important to help “my brand”: that I should smile less so that I would be taken more seriously. I tried for a solid week and a half to not smile! I remember walking down the halls and thinking to myself, “Don’t do it, hold it in, put on the poker face.” The effort it took to NOT smile became too much and I finally said forget it!

When I think back to that moment it was a critical juncture in my career as I wrestled with balancing authenticity with adaptability; sure, I want to adapt, but I never want to lose myself in the process. In Brené Brown’s book, The Gifts of Imperfection, she says,? “Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” I realized I wanted to create more spaces for people to feel that deep sense of belonging instead of feeling they had to morph themselves into an Auntie Anne’s pretzel to fit in.

Sarah: I think across industries and especially in more supportive and cross-functional roles, there is room for scrutiny about communication style in particular: “Could my tone be perceived as unprofessional? Will I be considered abrasive if I respond in a way that a man would? Am I being upbeat enough?” I think that holds true in tech. All of that said, I do appreciate that Airtable has women in executive and leadership roles who are advocating on behalf of underrepresented people at the company. I’d like to see more resources available to women with respect to negotiating tactics, work/life balance, and pay equity across the industry!

How has your experience as a woman shaped your present-day identity?

Jess: There is part of me that feels that as a cisgender woman, I have had an incredible amount of privilege. On the other hand, I realize I haven’t always had the full set of opportunities available to me because of my gender. In many ways I am torn between the privilege I’ve had, while also being cognizant of the opportunities I haven’t. I realize that those can both exist and be mutually exclusive.

So much of my identity as a woman was shaped by my childhood. I was your typical “tomboy.” I was athletic, so I played football and dodgeball and all of those sports at recess with the boys, while also being interested in “girly” things - like shopping and makeup and wanting my ears pierced. I did those things too, all the while feeling so proud that I could beat most boys in a 100-yard dash.?

This early experience shaped who I am today; this sense of being able to have multiple identities, and to be proud of all parts of myself. I don’t want to have to hide the more “masculine” side of myself or artificially play up the more “feminine” side. These binary distinctions of feminine/masculine traits did not limit my identity, but rather helped define it.

Sarah: As a woman of color, I’m often questioning whether habits I have or duties I’m given are stemming from my genuine interests and strengths, or whether they’ve somehow been ingrained in me because of stereotypes. I enjoy being part of event-planning committees and in diversity-related focus groups, but I do think there’s an overrepresentation of women in those roles. I think a lot of women, subconsciously or consciously, sometimes question whether they can show up as their full selves in professional or personal settings. I think that, over the years, having these questions has led me to work towards making space for people from other underrepresented backgrounds and building community as much as possible.?

What does Women’s History Month mean to you? Is there any particular way that you like to celebrate?

Jess: I think of the many women who have positively impacted my life and shaped who I am today: from my mom, to my grandmas, to coaches I've had, to English teachers who believed in me when others didn’t. Part of this month is a time to pause, reflect, and express my gratitude for those who have given me the courage to be the woman I am today.?

The other piece is about celebrating women’s voices around the world and acknowledging the struggles that have happened for their voices to be heard and valued. As an emphatic soccer player growing up, I eagerly await watching the SheBelieves Cup, a moment to celebrate women’s progress on the pitch. But these games are happening alongside a struggle to get equal pay for players and a recent wave of allegations of sexual abuse and harassment by coaches in the National Women’s Soccer League. For all the progress there is to celebrate, you get smacked in the face with the reminder of how far we still have to go.?

As Wharton professor and best-selling author Adam Grant said, “The responsibility of each generation is not to please their predecessors. It's to improve things for their offspring. It's more important to make your children proud than your parents proud.”?

In many ways, this is what Women’s History Month is about to me. It’s the desire to look both of my sons in the eye and know that I've made them proud.

Sarah: I think Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to not only celebrate women’s accomplishments, but also to apply an intersectional lens to these efforts. This month is a time to very intentionally learn about, celebrate, and bond over the unique lived experiences of women from a variety of backgrounds. We should take time to reflect on how far women have come, and think about what work there is to be done (and, whenever possible, take steps to achieve it). This is a great time to seek out community leaders advocating for women’s rights, buy from women-owned businesses, and discover women authors, artists, and creators - and then continue to do so year-round.