New Job, New Country! Embracing and Empowering A Multi-Cultural Work Environment

An event organized by ISW WEW- Women Empowering Women

September 10^th 2022

This event brought together women from different professional backgrounds to discuss how they succeeded in their personal and professional endeavors when they moved to the US.

Dr. Saritha Venkatesh, a practicing OB/GYN in India, switched her professional trajectory by joining pharmacovigilance and drug safety in pharma industry after moving to Unites States. She commented on never losing your identity in any environment.

Vishakha Khamankar, a bank officer in India moved to the US to start her new family. Starting as a volunteer at the public school system, she is currently a personal financial representative. Her two cents was that family caretaking and professional career can go hand in hand.

Madhavi Vaddi, a senior architect, IT by profession was able to maintain her professional career after hers move to US. She mentioned that a strong family support was crucial for her success. She highlighted that staying strong and making your voice heard is crucial steps that helps you grow.

Suchitra Shinde had her own successful architecture business in India before moving to US. Here, she decided to switch to IT field as she found the flexible work-life balance helped her keep moving forward. She mentioned the need to maintain the enthusiasm of being always a learner.

Kiran Kewalramani was in financial sector after completing her MBA in India. After her move, cooking and celebrating with family and friends helped her initially before she found her calling in the workforce as a financial manager.

All panelists discussed about unintentional and unconscious biases against women and how we need more awareness of this issue. They reiterated the point of being strong and having a strong support network of family and friends that helped them succeed. The panelists and the audience discussed how everyone’s journey was their fingerprint within the community and sharing our stories can help women empower themselves to learn from each one of us.