It's time to celebrate our newest Salesforce Woman of the Month! She's a fearless pioneer, non-stop innovator, and dedicated mentor in the male-dominated field of software engineering. Congratulations to Pratima Nambiar!

Pratima discovered her capabilities early on while taking after-school programming classes in high school. With laser focus and clarity, she pursued a degree in Computer Engineering and hasn't looked back! We're lucky that she's chosen to be a part of our Ohana for 10 remarkable years. We connected with Pratima to hear about her journey, learn how she overcomes challenges, and what she does to give back to the community. Here's what she had to say: 

Q: How has your career evolved at Salesforce?

A: I joined Salesforce as a Force.com developer and eventually led the team that built the AppExchange, Success Community, and Partner Community. Salesforce has offered me the versatility of transitioning from building on the platform to actually building the platform. Now I'm a software architect in Kernel Cloud, involved in everything related to microservices.

Q: Were there moments in your career that were pivotal to getting where you are today?

A: Starting to think of a product from the outside in, from the consumer's perspective, was one of my most important moments. I'm able to have this perspective due to the variety of my roles: from being the consumer of a product to building the product. It's easy to get buried in the details of building software, but with this consumer-focused approach, we can build a product that adds as much value as possible.

Q: We understand you're an active mentor, what do you enjoy most about mentoring others and have you benefited from a great mentor yourself?

A: Helping others reach their full potential is very rewarding. I lend an ear to the issues they're encountering, openly share my experiences, and guide them towards possible solutions. During my time at Salesforce, I've worked with several individuals that I respect. Rather than one single person, these people are part of the support network I turn to for advice. Building this network has been instrumental in my success, and it's nice to be able to offer my support in return.

Q: What's your advice for women in male-dominated fields?

A: Focus on bringing value to the team you're on and making what you own a success. Find mentors! Deliver your goals. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Embrace opportunities that come your way, even if you don't feel ready for it. Take input from all stakeholders and try to get to the root of why someone doesn't agree with an approach. Focus on your personal growth, both professionally and personally, and learn how to overcome challenging situations with ease.

Q: What inspired you to become an engineer?

A: My parents set very high expectations for doing well in school. They encouraged me to go to after-school programming classes. I had a great network of friends to motivate me, and I ultimately really enjoyed the classes and went on to do my bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering. I’m logical and structured in how I think, and I really like to build, which is why I enjoy building software and chose to become an engineer.

Q: What is the best part of your job?

A: I enjoy working with, and connecting with, dedicated, hardworking, smart people to build products that add value to our customers. I also love that I have the opportunity to learn something new every day! I love the process of building software — including problem-solving, making design decisions, compromising, and balancing short-term value without losing sight of the long-term objective.

Q: We've heard that you coach a robotics team for middle schoolers and that you brought the team to a state competition this year. Can you share more about giving back and this recent success?

A: I co-coached a rookie robotics team to compete in the First Lego League challenge. It was interesting to watch how kids deal with conflict, and I noticed similarities between this team and my team at work! They eventually won regionals, districts, and made it to states. I loved the challenge of bringing things to their level. I enjoyed teaching them how to observe, problem-solve, brainstorm, and overcome seemingly daunting tasks.

Q: What's next for you in 2018?

A: I look forward to an exciting year with my team as we deliver the building blocks and frameworks for microservices at Salesforce, thereby enabling development teams to build and deliver faster.

To hear more from Pratima, make sure to connect with her on LinkedIn. And stay tuned for our next edition of Salesforce Woman of the Month, coming your way in June.

The Salesforce Woman of the Month campaign turns the spotlight on the amazing women who help make Salesforce one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies according to Forbes and one of Fortune Magazine’s Best Companies to Work For. Honorees are nominated by fellow employees and selected by a dedicated committee that works to ensure a variety of roles and regions are honored.