Meet Betsy Aristud, A Customer Strategy & Insights Marketer at Dropbox
Q: What is your name, what office do you work out of and how long have you been at Dropbox?
A: My name is Betsy Aristud, I work out of the San Francisco office and I've happily been working at Dropbox since November 2017.
Q: What is your current role at Dropbox?
A: My role is Customer Strategy & Insights Marketing. I'm primarily focused on understanding Dropbox's audience so that we know how to reach them and talk to them in ways that resonate. Ultimately making them fall in love with our brand/products.
Q: What are your hobbies? or what can we find you doing on the weekends?
A: Oh boy… too many to count. I fluctuate between hiking (highly recommend "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: San Francisco"), reading, binge watching TV shows/movies and board games. My life is pure excitement.
Hiking views: Betsy hiking on Mt. Diablo in CA
Hiking views: View from the top of El Yunque (Puerto Rico National Rain Forest)
Q: Any accomplishments you're proud of outside of work?
A: I recently completed my 3rd year volunteering at the San Francisco SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). I go between being a dog walker, cat socializer, dog/cat matchmaker (starting adoption process) and sometimes I help teach the next wave of volunteers. It's very rewarding to see a dog or cat, you've helped socialize go home to a new family. Seeing the happiness it brings to the family and knowing that the pet will have a warm home to sleep in that night fills my heart with joy.
Dog walking and socializing at the SFSPCA
Dog walking and socializing at the SFSPCA
Q: What's your personal story?
A: I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. My grandparents are a beautiful mix of cultures (Spanish, West African, Taíno…). I was raised mostly by my grandparents, which was ultimately what gave me a sense of maturity and responsibility. They were wise, caring, god-fearing people and ensured all of their kids and grandkids had a strong moral foundation. They tried to give their kids/grandkids everything they didn't have growing up. And for that, I'm very grateful.
Q: What word/adjective best describes your feminist energy?
A: Harmonious Energy
Q: How do you exhibit this energy?
A: By choosing to lead from a place of balanced consensus instead of division.
Q: Who is your role model? Why?
A: My grandmother. She was raised as a poor child in Puerto Rico. She was removed from school when in 2nd grade so she could work (babysitting for a rich family) and contribute to her family's income. She went on to raise a family of six, often times collecting fruits from trees to have a little something to eat. Through it all she remained resilient and positive in the face of adversity. Now battling Alzheimer's, she still remains positive, cracking jokes to whomever will listen. I draw from her strength, and her eternal happiness.
Q: Do you have any thoughts/suggestions on how we can better celebrate women throughout the year?
A: I think we need to celebrate women by empowering them. By creating equity instead of equality. Equality is treating everyone the same. Equity is giving everyone what they need to be successful. Equality aims to promote fairness, but only works if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same help. My wish is that all minorities get what they need to start from the same place.
Q: What is something interesting about you that not a lot of people know?
A: I started playing the mandolin when I was 8. I then consistently played in string orchestras until I left college. What people didn't know was that I didn't know how to read music. I did it all by ear. I would audition by asking the teachers to play the song for me once, or listen to the group play it, then I would pick it up from there.
Check back soon to meet more Dropboxers. In the meantime view our jobs on PowerToFly. Dropbox is growing, grow with us!
Meet Paige Bennett - A Senior Design Researcher at Dropbox
Q: What is something that you have done/accomplished at Dropbox that you're proud of?
A: I am brand new to Dropbox, but on my second week, I jumped in and joined the Tuck Shop hack week team. I didn't know anyone on the team, so it could have been intimidating, but I looked at it as an opportunity to meet new people, learn about a part of our company that is so important and work on a project that touches many people.
Q: What are your hobbies? or what can we find you doing on the weekends?
A: I am a new mom, so much of my weekend is spent with my nine-month old in the park, strolling around our neighborhood or enjoying San Francisco treats like the California Academy of Sciences.
Q: What does feminist energy mean to you?
A: Feminist energy means that I get to exercise my strength as a woman and advocate for creating opportunities for other women. It means fighting for, speaking up for and supporting women. It also means understanding that I am privileged and am speaking from a privileged place. Therefore, I need to listen and better understand how I can support those who are not in places of privilege.
Q: Are there any present-day inspirational Women figures in your life?
A: I'm inspired by women who are creating space and resources for other women to grow and thrive. I'm especially inspired by the number of mothers in tech that have been speaking out. Mothers who are not ashamed of their drive to succeed and recognize that it's not a choice between being a good mother and being a badass at work. Some women that I've currently been inspired by Sara Mauskopf (co-founder of Winnie), Susan Fowler (who spoke up about the abuse she endured at Uber) and Roxane Gay (author of Bad Feminist).
Q: Do you have any thoughts/suggestions on how we can better celebrate Women throughout the year
A: Celebrating women is also about providing the resources and support for women to thrive. It can't be enough for us to want women to grow, thrive and lead in the workplace. We have to create the resources in order for them to be supported in this.
Q: What is something interesting about you that not a lot of people know?
A: I lived and worked in the Middle East for three years as the only woman in my company. I would often work with men who had never worked with a woman before (not an exaggeration). I remember vividly coming into a meeting and having a man look at me and say, "I've never worked with a woman. Will I have to work with you?" My response, "yes, you will. Let's get started." It taught me to call upon a strength that I didn't know I had and prepared me for the strength I would need as a working mother in tech.
In this role, I was trained in hostage negotiation. Not really a skill I get to use on a regular basis (thankfully).
Paige with her son at Point Reyes, CA
Meet Kari Yen, a Program Manager at Dropbox
Q: What is your name, what office do you work out of and how long have you been at Dropbox?
A: My name is Kari Yen and I'm based out of our SF/HQ office. I've been a Dropboxer since August 2017.
Q: What is your current role at Dropbox?
A: I'm a Program Manager under the Trust and Privacy team under Legal. I work on projects that protect our company from those who want to cause us trouble.
Q: What are your hobbies? Or what can we find you doing on the weekends?
A: I'm an ultra marathoner and competed in the Empire State Building run and I'm currently training to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
(left)Kari at the Mermaid Series, an all women's triathlon in Capitola (right) At the San Francisco MarathonQ: What does feminist energy mean to you?
A: To me, feminist energy means realizing you're not alone with your viewpoints and thought process and there's a supportive community of other females here to listen and support you.
Q: Are there any present-day inspirational Women figures in your life?
A: My grandmother inspires me everyday, both personally and professionally to push myself outside my comfort zone and to believe in myself when no one else does.
Kari and her grandmotherQ: Do you have any thoughts/suggestions on how we can better celebrate Women throughout the year?
A: Give women more opportunities to speak and present so they can be seen and heard. We should be encouraging women to speak up in meetings and ensure the mix of speakers on panels and on stages are evenly split.
Q: Anything else, you'd like to share?
A: I'm grateful to be working with such empowering and inspiring women here at Dropbox. I can't wait to see what the rest of 2018 brings for all #womenintech!
Check back soon to meet more Dropboxers. In the meantime visit us our jobs on PowerToFly. Dropbox is growing, grow with us!
