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About Me

With a proven track record of building successful startups and assembling high-performing diverse engineering teams, I bring a unique blend of entrepreneurial vision and engineering leadership to the table.

 

As the Founder of Upward, I have built a premier boutique recruitment agency that connects startups with diverse tech talent, achieving rapid revenue growth and becoming a trusted partner in the startup ecosystem. My passion for advancing women in tech, born out of personal experiences as the only software engineer woman in the room, drives my commitment to creating a more inclusive industry. 

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With a decade of experience building and scaling diverse and high-performing engineering teams at VC-backed startups in Silicon Valley, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges and triumphs that come with building and scaling a successful company. Guiding engineering teams through 5 successful acquisitions and an IPO has provided valuable insights into market dynamics and effective business strategies. By leveraging my expertise and entrepreneurial vision, I am dedicated to helping startups thrive in the dynamic and competitive business environment, ensuring that they can achieve sustainable growth and success. 

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Career

Experience

2021 - Present

CEO & Founder

Upward

Founded and led a premier boutique recruitment agency connecting startups with diverse tech talent.

 

  • Achieved rapid revenue growth, scaling the business to $1M in revenue within 2 years.

  • Successfully placed over 25 candidates at VC-backed startups, contributing to their growth and success.

  • Built a network of over 4000 Software Engineers, fostering strong connections between startups and top talent.

  • Developed a comprehensive platform from scratch, including member area, job board, ATS, and employer area.

  • Streamlined operations and empowered employees, resulting in minimal engagement required for ongoing business management.

2023 - Present

Advisor AI is building an AI-powered tool to help students navigate their career.

Technical Advisor

Advisor AI

2023 - Present

Technical Advisor

Flutter Connect is an innovative platform exclusively designed for healthcare professionals to foster connections, promote fruitful collaborations, and participate in activities for emotional and mental well being.

Flutter Connect

2022 - 2023

Interim VPE 

Crystal

Built the engineering team at Crystal, a stealth startup focused on building a serverless database.

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  • Joined the company as the first employee after it successfully raised a $7M seed round led by Amplify Partners.

  • Assembled a high-performing engineering team, ensuring the right talent was in place to execute the startup's vision.

  • Collaborated closely with the CEO to define engineering needs, establish scalable processes, and drive technical excellence.

2018 - 2021

Director Of Engineering

Mindbody

Led the Mindbody Marketing Products Group, offering a suite of marketing and Demand Gen tools.

 

  • Led the successful integration of Frederick, a recently acquired startup, with Mindbody seamlessly blending the teams and technologies.

  • Scaled the engineering team from 7 to over 50 talented engineers across SF, NYC, and Pune.

  • Owned the development and execution of product and technology roadmaps, aligning the company's growth initiatives with market demands and customer needs.

2017 - 2018

Head Of Engineering

Rocksbox (Acquired by Signet)

Led engineering and data functions at a Series A startup offering a jewelry membership service.

 

  • Drove YoY 2X subscription revenue growth through scaling and operational improvements, leading to a successful acquisition.

  • Established robust engineering and product processes, aligning the product vision with the engineering capabilities to drive innovation and efficiency.

  • Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, including Marketing, Operations, and Finance, to establish and execute a comprehensive technology roadmap that supported business objectives.

2015 - 2017

Lead Software Engineer

If (we) (Acquired by Meet Me)

Led and established the API group, overseeing a centralized backend layer for a popular social network with 300M+ users called Tagged.

 

  • Played a key role in the acquisition of the company by the Meet Me Group, driving its success.

  • Scaled the API team from zero to 30 engineers, building a robust and high-performing team.

  • Defined and implemented engineering processes and hiring strategies to support company growth.

2013 - 2014

Lead Software Engineer

New Relic (IPO)

Led the data function team, collaborating with the finance department to ensure regulatory compliance and facilitate the company's IPO.

 

  • Worked alongside the head of finance to prepare the business for the IPO process, shaping the company's financial and data strategies.

  • Spearheaded the data function, providing valuable analytics pipelines and event streaming service.

2012 - 2013

Lead Full-Stack Engineer

Bitgravity (Acquired by Tata)

● Built and maintained BitGravity's CDN Management Console.


● Championed the implementation of an agile development process across
all of engineering.

Education

2007-2011

McGill University

B.Eng Software Engineering

Montreal, Canada

2005 - 2007

Andre Grasset

Diploma in Business Administration

Montreal, Canada

Professional skillset

Startup Scaling

Product Development

Engineering Leadership

Recruitment & Talent Acquision

Strategic Planning 

Technical Raodmapping 

Languages

English

French 

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