International Women's Day 2023

???? ?? Happy #internationalwomensday ! To celebrate, we are recognizing some of the many women who have inspired our employees in their career journey:

• Mary Jefts , nominated by Jess Iandiorio , Chief Marketing Officer: Jess and Mary worked together at Acquia and she served as an incredible example of a calm and compassionate leader. “The biggest thing I learned is how to show up as a female leader in a tech company. You don't need to lose your authenticity. You can be high empathy while driving high performance.”
• Lauren Moore , nominated by Colleen Tartow, Ph.D. , Director of Engineering: Lauren is the Director of UX at Starburst and she has not only been a wonderful design partner, but she is also a valuable leader, thought partner, and sounding board. “She's also a tenacious champion for women in tech!”
• Amshula Divadkar , nominated by Alexa Soucy , Project Manager: Alexa first met Amshula at Toast while working on the project team, and is one of the reasons why Alexa decided to join Starburst. Amshula is patient, kind, thoughtful, and always willing to work through challenges with her teammates. “Amshula is a light. She is endlessly positive, empathetic, selfless, and truly such an incredible woman to emulate. She lights up every room she enters.”
• Shannon Gallagher , nominated by Alexa Shanahan , Director of Recruiting: Shannon is a true team player who is always willing to go the extra mile. In addition, she is a welcoming force, creates psychological safety, and is an active listener. “She always seeks out opportunities to empower others to share their input.”
• Keavy Murphy, nominated by Rebecca Leavitt , Field Marketing Manager: Keavy and Becca met a Starburst when she was in need of a mentor. Keavy taught Becca that it is not a weakness to ask for help and support. “She always has the most positive attitude and is genuinely happy to see me and ask me how I am. Every time I see her she is so kind and truly cares about anything going on."
• Melissa Fulfer , nominated by Monica Miller , Developer Advocate: Melissa and Monica have been friends since the beginning! Meeting in college, she inspired Monica to work hard and persevere as a woman in tech. “From those late night study sessions together where she kept me motivated, to the constant reassurance she gives me as a fellow woman in the technology space, Mel is who I go to whenever I have a tough day, my code won’t work, or I am proud of myself for speaking up in a meeting with all men.”
• Sarah Cochran , nominated by Erin Rosas , Curriculum Developer: Sarah took Erin under her wing when she began her instructional designer career. She always made time to help out others and showed Erin how to advocate for herself. “To me, the most inspiring thing about Sarah is her natural leadership ability. She always commands the room, and no matter how many plates she has spinning, she is successful.”
• Aliza Mon and Mia M. , nominated by Keavy Murphy, Director of Security: Aliza and Mia are the founding members of our all-female security GRC team, a selfless and moving accomplishment within a male-dominated industry. “Being a woman in STEM can be an arduous path, though these two leaders fearlessly pave the road for those coming after them.”
• Indu Singh, nominated by Vishal Singh , Head of Data Products: Growing up Vishal had stage fright, but his mother played a huge role in growing his confidence and challenge him to join theater to overcome this. When he was accepted into Penn State for grad school, his family couldn’t afford a one-way ticket from India to the US, but Indu said she would make it happen. “She borrowed money from a couple of neighbors and told me, ‘Never give up because things are never easy and it all depends on how one looks at it.’”