Ada Tagoe (she/her)

10 Questions with Ada Tagoe, Cloud Technical Program Manager

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Ada Tagoe (she/her) moved to the United Kingdom with her family as a teenager. After studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Imperial College London, she spent 15 years working in the Investment Banking industry, starting first on the operation team, then moving to engineering and eventually landing in management as a technical program and people manager.

1. How did you get into tech?

I moved to the UK from Hong Kong when I was young. When I started school here, I really struggled with subjects that involved writing or reading a lot of English so naturally, I focused more on the STEM subjects and did really well in them.

When choosing what to study for university, I decided on Electronic and Electrical Engineering since I enjoyed Maths and Physics and wanted to study something more practical than a pure science. I wanted to get a job where I could either build robots or get into the electronic medical field.

After finishing my second year, I did an internship at a research lab to work on building a prototype of TV set top boxes (which might tell you how old I am!) I enjoyed the project but hated the working environment. I was on a team of almost ten other engineers, but they were all white men and there was an inappropriate calendar hung up in the kitchen.

The experience really put me off looking for any engineering jobs, so I started looking into Computing- and Information Technology-related roles and got an internship at an investment bank the following year. I really enjoyed my work, writing code to solve problems, as well as the working environment, which was diverse and fast paced. I received a returned offer to join their graduate program and have been in a technical role ever since!

2. Who is one person you looked up to when you were younger?

My dad.

3. Where’s your hometown?

Hong Kong.

4. What’s a time you faced a struggle? How did you deal with it?

When I first arrived in the UK, I really struggled to fit into school. My English wasn’t great, so I couldn’t join in on conversations with my classmates. I didn’t have any friends at school for two years. I was really lonely.

During my A-level [a school leaving qualification in the UK], I moved to a different class and met a group of girls who were very welcoming and tried their best to include me in their group. They would ask me questions about my culture and background, even learning how to sing my favorite Cantonese songs. They also tried to introduce me to the culture here, including all the different boy bands and Nandos!

I started to speak up more, and my English improved significantly. I am forever grateful to these girls for making me feel at home, and this is one of the reasons I dedicate so much time outside my day job to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. I have first-hand experience of how an inclusive environment can make a significant impact on someone’s mental health and overall performance.

5. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

I lacked confidence when I first started working. For the first few years, I barely spoke up and kept my head down to get my work done.

One day, we had a severe outage at work, and it just so happened that many of my teammates were not available, so I had to jump on the outage call and lead resolution of the incident with a few other newbies on the team. I was under immense pressure; there were so many senior directors on the call waiting for me to provide updates. I had to manage the team to work on a resolution, provide regular updates on the call, and answer any questions. It was an intense few hours, but eventually, we managed to stabilize the platform.

At the end of the day, the senior director of my team came over to give me the best compliment I have ever received at work: that I did such an amazing job and demonstrated exceptional leadership. I was really proud of myself.

Although I have handled much more complicated incidents and achieved so much more since then, that day means a lot to me. It was the day I finally started to believe in myself.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Racial injustice on the Black+ community around the world. The lack of representation of people of color for young kids to look up to.

7. Favorite food?

Any seafood.

8. Favorite book?

The Bible.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

A teacher.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t stay at home during your university years. Stay on campus and make more friends!

Alice Lee (she/her)

Alice is an Operations Program Manager on the Google Cloud for Startups team. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Alice moved to the Bay Area 14 years ago to study Human Biology at Stanford University. She then opted for startup life at Peek and Shop It To Me before joining Google 6.5 years ago.

“My dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2015. While he was suffering through 6 months of intense chemotherapy at home in Ohio, I felt helpless in California. So I dedicated my 29th birthday to raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by hiking the Grand Canyon.

I had never done anything this strenuous before and trained for it for weeks, hiking all around the Bay Area and Yosemite’s Half Dome. With the support of my friends, I was able to raise over $12,000 in less than 2 weeks and became a Top Fundraiser that year. It was by far the best birthday present I’ve ever received.”

Erica Li (she/her)

Erica is passionate about creating positive and impactful experiences for people. She’s a program manager who loves understanding issues affecting Asian and Asian American communities. She aims to live life true to herself, which means with a lot of humor!

“The first time that I talked to a therapist, I was vulnerable about what I was struggling with and when I got off the phone, my mind and soul felt so different. I left the call with renewed hope and Post-its full of tips on how to comfort and heal myself during the lows. I was really proud of myself for reaching out, especially considering the mental health stigma in the Asian community, where a lot of pressure is put on an individual to just “don’t be sad.” It was an experience that helped me improve my mental health and it also allowed me to serve as an example to others that you don’t have to pick yourself up alone.”

Paulette Maria Penzvalto (she/her)

Paulette Penzvalto is a Program Manager in Corporate Engineering at Google. She is passionate about Diversity and Inclusion, as she leads Autism Employee Resource Groups at Google and is active in the Google Disability Alliance. Paulette presents internationally as a keynote speaker on issues pertaining to Autism and Employment in tech and previously served of the San Francisco Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities.

Paulette studied Computer Science at Columbia University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Liberal Arts with a focus on Neuroscience at Stanford, where she is also a research assistant in the department of neuroscience and lead on the Stanford Neurodiversity Program.

In addition to her work in the sciences, Paulette has two graduate degrees in Opera. This past season performed a main stage role at Opera San Jose and sang on the album “Kirtan Lounge: Precious Jewels”, which was nominated for 6 Grammy Awards, including best foreign Language Album.

What’s something you’re really proud of?

I am proud of my bachelor’s degree, which I obtained while working full-time at Google.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you handle it?

I have a severe learning disability. In school, I took a proactive approach to overcoming the challenges of my disability by asking for accommodations when I needed them, by using assistive technologies such as LiveScribe Pens/screen readers, and by attending office hours regularly to get the additional support that I needed.

What are your thoughts as we enter National Autism Acceptance Month?

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need to succeed. Remember that you are worth the resources, education and career opportunities you receive. The world needs your voice and your light.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Suezette Yasmin Robotham (she/her)

Suezette Yasmin Robotham is a speaker, educator, connector, coach, and leading “Black Girl in Tech.” She has more than a decade of leadership experience, with expertise in talent acquisition, diversity & inclusion initiatives, leadership development, strategic planning and relationship building across various industry sectors.

Suezette has been tapped as a speaker by a number of organizations across the U.S. and Canada for her thought leadership in authenticity in the workplace and diversity and inclusion. She has been a featured TEDx Speaker (TEDxBeacon Street 2015). Suezette is passionate about the power that can be realized in spaces where vulnerability, empathy and authenticity are encouraged. She is devoted to using her talents to connect others to the people, opportunities and resources that will help them realize their highest potential.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

A quote I live by is: “You are built not to shrink down to less but to blossom into more.” — Oprah

In my career, I’ve come to learn that challenges are a valuable nutrient in the fertilizer that helped me bloom professionally. One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced is finding my leadership footing in spaces where my style is fundamentally different from that of the people who typically occupy the space.

Before joining Google, I did a great deal of work in the educational sector, working with large urban school districts and education reform organizations like Teach For America, The New Teacher Project and The Achievement Network. As I transitioned into tech, I had to look at myself and ask an important question — Do I adapt or do I help this space evolve? It became evident to me that I was brought here because I had tremendous value to add.

What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

I am really proud of myself for traveling the world…BY MYSELF. I think solo travel is, by far, the best thing I have ever given myself permission to do. And I say “permission” because I allow myself to be freely and wholly myself without being held back by fear, worry, doubt or overthinking.

I think that far too often people don’t take the opportunity to see themselves beyond the space they are in or the work that is in front of them. But the options around us are unlimited. I have been blessed to experience new cultures, sights, food, languages, art…even dating…and so much more through my solo adventures to places like Australia, Mexico, Panama, Barbados, France and, most recently, Mauritius.

Brittiney Jones (she/her)

Brittiney Jones is a Senior Diversity Recruiting Program Manager at Oracle. She supports the Oracle Talent Advisory team’s diverse strategy towards recruiting for professional level roles across North America and Canada with an emphasis on roles for Product Development, Corporate Architecture, F&A, and Marketing. Brittiney’s personal mission is to make sure that when a candidate is being considered, they are being considered holistically. An advocate for community service, Brittiney is also the founder of a non-profit in Chicago, Chicago Youth Opportunities Initiative, focused on career development opportunities for youth placed in foster care.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

One of the challenges I’ve faced and overcome is something called “stereotype threat”. Stereotype threat is when you allow your perception of how people see you affect your confidence. My advice is to recognize distraction when you see it; distraction will take you off course. Stand on your integrity — otherwise you can talk yourself into underperforming.

What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

I’m proud of being a first-generation college graduate. I’m proud of breaking through the barriers I’ve faced without letting them break me. Growing up, I was no stranger to life’s obstacles; at an early age I was emancipated and began paying bills, essentially becoming an adult at age 16. While working with a case worker, I realized the lack of resources for people like me and began creating my nonprofit. During this time, I also discovered my passion for seeing people succeed. I noticed the power of being an influencer. As I think back over the past years, I can see how everything tied into the career I have today.

Bethany Pagels-Minor (they/them)

Originally from Mississippi, Bethany relocated to Silicon Valley in 2018 from Chicago. They have worked with both small and large tech companies to increase product adoption, improve their product experience, and evolve their product vision. Bethany is passionate about creating a culture of accountability that allows teams to “just” do the work well.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

Before moving to the Bay Area, I was based in Chicago and felt like I had hit a ceiling in terms of people’s perception of my abilities in late 2017. I realized that I was pretty frustrated and took that opportunity to change my path. I began speaking around the city, and eventually, I was invited to speak around the country. I then turned those speaking gigs into a dream opportunity at Apple, which has led to the journey of a lifetime.

What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

I work extensively with a number of nonprofits, including YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago and Howard Brown Health. I am especially proud of my work at Howard Brown Health; I’ve helped the organization grow into one of the largest LGBTQ-centric health centers, with over $100 million in revenue and treating more than 35,000 individuals annually.