Senior Product Manager at i.am+ and advisor to the i.am.angel Foundation, a nonprofit that brings high-impact STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programs to students in over 50 underserved communities where she brings coding and robotics to minorities. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. @lillykam
Words of Wisdom “Be as outspoken when you can. When you feel strongly about something, get your voice heard. People who speak up tend to be perceived as more engaged. There is fear of knowing if it’s my place to be heard. Whenever I am in a meeting, I even speak to myself to remind myself to speak up. There are usually questions that everyone is thinking.”
Power of Being Female? “I think women are more collaborative and that could be an advantage in the way we use our energy. We have to find the tricky balance between being liked and being aggressive. Your background and credibility help a lot. No matter where you come from, if not from a top school, you have to work hard to be the best at what you do and have the confidence to communicate that and establish that with your peers.”
Biggest Milestone “I’m really proud of the growth that we have achieved at Will’s foundation. In 2014 we started with one school, and now we support over 50 schools, and about 50 teams that compete in robotics, to include school, community groups such as Boys and Girls Club. We reached over 300 children a year.”
Secret to Success “I have never been satisfied; I am always trying to do more and better. I am always looking to learn something new and it keeps me passionate. For women who are looking to grow and expand, always be hungry for more and for deeper success.”
The Future “In the tech world, there is so much opportunity for growth. There are so many social impact startups that are creating products to improve the lives of women. If we continue to promote and support women as entrepreneurs and in technology, technology evens out the playing field to create new categories of marketing and wealth. It’s an equalizer to create value to empower.”
