Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
Meet Vaishali Rana (@facesbyvaish). She’s a Lady Geek powerhouse currently thriving in Silicon Valley. Her areas of expertise? Global marketing strategies, product design, operational process optimization, retention management programs, and commanding a formerly male dominated profession: the world of big data.
Currently, Rana is a Customer Success Specialist at Talend, a data-driven organizations with creative solutions to help clients gather insights from their data and analytics. Rana develops processes and strategies that will help her customers’ growing businesses. Cool, right? To check out Rana’s entire professional background, find her on LinkedIn here.
Rana’s advice for fellow lady geeks working in tech? Lean in, take the plunge, and speak up. Read on for more!
Q: How did you discover your passion for working in data?
A: I actually fell into the Big Data space, so it was a case of the passion growing the more I came to understand the market and appreciate just how pervasive data was becoming. For example, being an avid social media enthusiast I became fascinated with how what might otherwise considered random and frivolous hashtags, Tweets, LinkedIn posts and Facebook status updates, can actually be converted into highly valuable insights that can be used to help improved a customer’s experience or even define a new product line.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration in life?
A: So this is a pretty deep question! My inspiration in life comes from being inspired by the people around me. When I’m at work I’m surrounded by some of the most brilliant individuals I have ever met, and they inspire me to learn a little more, or listen a little more intently every day so I can offer my best to my clients. When I’m around my loved ones, friends and family, their sheer determination and motivation inspires me to be more like them. Whether they’re playing basketball in a spring league, photographing artists around the world or revolutionizing the Big Data space within their well-known tech companies, failure is never seems to be an option, and that pushes me to always go one step further.
Q: In cultivating your own career in technology, what challenges did you overcome and what is your advice for women tackling those same issues?
A: Being a woman in an evolving tech space that used to be dominated by men is pretty interesting. Over the past 5 or so years, I’ve watched an increasing amount of men and woman starting to ‘lean in’, and I have to admit it’s helped to fuel my desire to leave a lasting impact on Silicon Valley. To all the women who are thinking about going into the elusive ‘tech space’ I say “take the plunge!” It’s an enthralling space that is constantly changing and evolving and if you have a thirst for knowledge you will always be satisfied. For women who are in the space and may be feeling as though they’re not a part of the important conversations that are happening in the office I would say speak up – ask the questions out loud, talk to different teams and learn where you could be of some help to others, and most importantly, find a mentor that you can talk to.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: As a child my favorite book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so my fictional character of choice would be Willy Wonka. The man was a genius who hid himself so that he could create the best candies for all the world’s children. He changed the lives of these kids as they waited for the newest treat from Willy Wonka, but he was so engrossed in making candy that he didn’t have his own family, until one day he needed an heir to his throne. I would love to pick his brain, one oompa loompa at a time, perhaps over chocolate martinis.
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: I would tell myself that failure is not an option. There will be a lot of times where things will not go as planned, but these are all learning experiences and you should embrace them openly because in these moments you will learn the most. I would also tell my younger self to look in the mirror and ask, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
