My Story
My life has been rich in experiences, full of challenges as well as successes. I have met many people, from different cultures and walks of life, and I always lived following this principle: to make a positive difference in the life of every person that I was given to meet.

My journey began in Ethiopia where I grew up in a large family with traditional values. My parents taught me the importance of family life and supporting others; I remember our household growing over time, including many extended family members as well as people from the local community who needed a place to stay during the hard times my country was going through. When I left my family home, I carried with me the importance of helping others and giving back to the community.
I came to the United States as a young woman with the dream of becoming a software engineer. However, I soon realized that my limited knowledge of the American culture and lack of money made my dream almost impossible to reach. Instead of giving up, I decided to fight for it. That experience taught me the resolve needed to relentlessly pursue one’s dreams. I learned that setting goals, no matter how ambitious, remaining true to my values and staying positive were prerequisites to a meaningful and rewarding life. I also realized that no meaningful journey can be free of challenges and hardships and it is up to us to turn those into positive learnings - as they say, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”. Read More ...As a first year university student, I worked multiple jobs as a waitress and part time software engineer in test, while also staying active in supporting my local community, including as a youth and relationship counselor. Before graduation, I got my first software job at a college and later in software startups. After graduating from the University of Washington I grew my career, working for several startups as well as established companies, eventually becoming a senior software engineering manager for tech giants Microsoft and Amazon. While actively developing my career and working hard I remained true to my values and always looked for ways to make a positive difference in the lives of people I met. I found purpose in supporting my friends in following their dreams, and when I saw them struggle I motivated them and set a positive example that they could get inspired by. Now, as I reflect back, I realize it is time for me to give back and contribute to the bigger community of people looking to make a meaningful transformation in their lives. It gives me great pleasure to see a person pick a dream, transform it into reality and live it! If I could get to where I am, staring from nowhere, then you can do it too!