Alaina Lamberson
Alaina Lamberson is an API Integration Specialist and Prompt Engineer at Portable, based in New York City, where she focuses on helping data teams connect, evolve, and operationalize the systems that power their businesses. With a background in finance and early experience in mutual funds at Lord Abbett, she transitioned into SaaS and data after discovering a passion for client-facing work and technology-driven problem solving. She attended Eastern Washington University, where she studied finance, accounting, and economics, entering college early through the Running Start program.
In her current role, Alaina works across go-to-market strategy, community building, and data integration initiatives, helping shape how companies think about data pipelines and customer intelligence. She previously worked at ThoughtSpot in analytics and visualization, where she developed a deeper understanding of how organizations transform raw data into actionable insights. At Portable, she also contributes to building a growing data community, including hosting roundtables and events that bring practitioners together to share challenges and best practices.
Alaina is known for her curiosity-driven, collaborative approach and her focus on building resilient and meaningful data foundations for organizations. She is passionate about improving how businesses handle increasingly complex customer journeys and data ecosystems, especially in the era of AI and omnichannel commerce. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and live music, and is energized by opportunities to connect with people building impactful systems and ideas.
• Business User
• Series 65
• Series 63
• Series 7
• SIE License
• QuickBooks Certification
• Microsoft Word 2019
• Office 2019: Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Expert
• Office 2019: Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate
• Eastern Washington University- B.B.A.
• Arwit Retail Women in Tech
• Trinity Church on Wall Street in Manhattan
• The Data House
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say that so many people have taken bets on me in my life, and that's my favorite thing to do - pay that forward. Anyone who reaches out and asks for help, like 'is there any way that you can introduce me to someone in your network?', I am the first person that's more than willing to do so, because so many people have taken bets on me at random. You just have to keep trying. I got hired at Lord Abbott because one person gave me an email address and I ran with it. It's about doing those things and staying on top of that. I also tell everyone who's in the generation behind me to network, network, network. And I would say don't be afraid of rejection - you have to keep putting yourself out there, no matter what. I think people get really hung up on the what-if, what-if, what-if, and they're so scared of it not working that they never even end up trying.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is not to be afraid of rejection and to keep putting yourself out there no matter what. People often get stuck in “what if” thinking and become so afraid of failure that they never take the chance to try in the first place.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to network as much as possible, keep putting yourself out there, and don’t hesitate to reach out to people—most opportunities come from the connections you build.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now is how quickly AI is changing the landscape, often month to month. There’s no single “silver bullet” for winning meetings or closing deals, so teams have to constantly adapt and refine how they identify and deliver the specific value that data professionals actually need.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I really love music - I go to as many live shows as I possibly can, and you can catch me at any of the music venues in New York pretty often. I also love traveling and experiencing other cultures. Most recently, I was in Istanbul for two weeks. I would say those are my two big things - music, like concerts and festivals, and then just traveling and seeing the world. In my work, I'm really passionate about community building and paying forward the help I've received. So many people have taken bets on me in my life, and my favorite thing to do is pay that forward. Anyone who reaches out and asks if I can introduce them to someone in my network, I am the first person that's more than willing to do so.