Motivation to Speak at the Conference
Are you excited to speak at the Women in Tech Global Conference and what motivated you to join our community of 100,000 women in tech, minorities, and allies?
I am thrilled to be a part of the Women in Tech Global Conference. My passion lies in building and leveraging diverse teams to be at the forefront of the digital revolution. Having worked in technology for over two decades, I've observed how organizations often recognize that women leaders at all levels bring strategic value to the business but struggle with how to make the transformation. This is a challenge we must address together, as the current leadership style is predominantly defined in masculine terms. We need a new playbook for gender-neutral leadership. At Opendoor, I am committed to driving and hiring a diverse team to build a durable generational company. As a speaker, I am eager to share my experiences and insights with everyone at the conference.
Background and Inspiration
Share with us about your background, your journey in tech, and what inspired you to develop your career in this direction?
I have been a builder and innovator at heart for as long as I can remember. But, when I was growing up in India, it was uncommon for girls to pursue engineering. Luckily, my parents not only supported me but inspired me - telling me, “You can do anything you want, all you need is the courage to embrace the consequences.” I knew it was inevitable that I would go against the grain and hopefully be a role model for other women who want to pursue careers in tech.
For over 25 years, I led teams pioneering the digitization of large-scale consumer, SaaS, and other experiences. This breakthrough work - for Amazon, Yahoo, and others has touched hundreds of millions of lives, and transformed industries.
Currently, I serve as the Chief Technology Officer at Opendoor, where we're digitizing and automating the entire residential real estate transaction - making it simple and certain for people to buy and sell homes.
Why is the topic “Leading Through Change & Uncertainty” important to you?
For those who are unfamiliar, Opendoor is a digital real estate platform that allows people to buy, sell, and move as easily as booking a flight or hailing a ride. However, the once-in-forty-year interest rate shock has had an outsized impact on the real estate industry. As CTO, I have been particularly aware of those economic shifts and have had to adapt through innovation quickly—we ensured that our business model worked across different macroeconomic scenarios, and adapted our business to rely on levers we could control while ensuring our customer value proposition continued to remain strong.
Since the tail end of the pandemic, many of us have been confronting uncertainty across industries, companies, jobs, and, subsequently, our lives. However, my favorite quote from Albert Einstein is, “In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.” I strive to be efficient, effective, and empathetic as a leader, especially during odds and hardships. Personally, having a growth mindset has helped me turn adversities into opportunities. I hope my perspective on navigating uncertainty can inspire companies and individuals on how to stay forward-thinking in the face of challenges.
Who could you advise to attend the Women in Tech Global Conference and why?
I encourage women currently navigating or aspiring towards innovation and technology careers to attend the Women in Tech Global Conference. This conference is a unique opportunity, especially for under-represented communities looking to break through in tech or aiming for leadership positions. Besides learning about the latest tech advancements and networking for connections, it’s also helpful to hear stories of others who’ve navigated similar paths—you might pick up bits of inspiration or advice that resonate with you.