Rise Anyway

There are moments in your career that make you pause, not because you were chasing recognition, but because they remind you of just how far you’ve come.

Being named a Women on the Rise award recipient is one of those moments for me.

Not because of the title, but because of what it represents: growth, obedience, and the quiet decisions to keep showing up, even when I wanted to quit.

And for me, I wanted to quit often.

There have been many seasons in my life where I have navigated more than just career transitions. I’ve had to learn how to show up fully while managing my health, dealing with fibromyalgia, endometriosis, and the unpredictability that comes with both.

There were days I led through pain. Days I showed up exhausted. Days I questioned if I could keep operating at the level I expected of myself.

And most of the time, no one knew.

But that experience changed me.

It made me more disciplined. More focused. More calendared. More self-aware. More empathetic. It forced me to redefine strength, not as pushing through at all costs, but as knowing when to give myself grace and still choosing to keep going.

My career didn’t start in tech. It didn’t start in PR. And it definitely didn’t start with a master plan. What it did start with was a willingness to learn, ask questions, and step into rooms before I felt fully ready.

Over time, that turned into building and scaling global marketing programs, leading high-impact partnerships, and learning how to navigate complex, fast-moving industries.

And now, I’m stepping into a new chapter.

I now have the opportunity to transition more of my work from marketing into communications and public relations—helping shape and support narrative of one of the most important companies, in one of the most important moments in technology.

And honestly, it feels good.

Because at the core of everything I’ve done, whether in marketing, partnerships, or events, it’s always been about storytelling. About helping people understand not just what we do, but why it matters.

At the same time, one thing that hasn’t changed is my commitment to mentorship.

I know what it feels like to be early in your career, unsure, and trying to figure it out in real time. And I know what it feels like to carry something heavy while doing it.

So I’ve made it a priority to pour into young professionals and students, especially those who don’t always see a clear path into rooms like this.

Because access matters. Representation matters. And sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to say, “Let me show you how this works.”

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:

Favor follows faith, work, and obedience.

And sometimes, it also looks like choosing to rise, even on the days your body is fighting you.

This moment is a reflection of all of it.

And I’m grateful—for the journey, for the growth, and for the strength it took to get here.

Rising Anyway. And bringing others with me.

Sincere thank you to NVIDIA and Laura Fay for nominating me and the many many humans who have supported me along the way.

And thank you to, YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley.