Bailey Herbstreit

I attribute my success to early mentorship and having someone advocate for me during my internships, which opened the door to valuable hands-on opportunities. Those experiences allowed me to learn by being directly involved in real-world work and developing practical skills in the field. I also credit my commitment to being “in the trenches” and my dedication to people-first design, which continues to guide how I approach my work and decision-making.

I would be very upfront with young women entering my industry because while it can appear glamorous, the reality is that it requires consistent advocacy for human-centered work, especially in environments where people are not always prioritized in product development. It takes empathy, grit, and a strong sense of purpose to keep pushing for better outcomes without always having external validation or support. You need to truly believe in the value of what you’re doing and be willing to stand by it independently. At the same time, I would encourage them to pursue this path if they feel called to it, as it is meaningful work with real impact, but to remain nimble, adaptable, and open to how quickly technology and the field continue to evolve.

The gender effects come from a larger corporate and technological focus, and you still are dealt with the challenges of not being heard in the room, even though you're talking. In tech, there is just not a lot of women, and so sometimes you may feel like your issues or challenges, daily challenges, are independent of your gender, but I think it's just because you don't have an echo chamber to speak to. But I've also found the women that are open to collaborating and open to creating a safer space for you tend to be there to find you. And so I think that's also having to just advocate for yourself, and be, in a sense, like, no one's going to go out of their way to be an advocate for you, or be an ally. A lot of times, you need to be the one to ask for those things, or to actually build the relationships with your, with people that you work with. To overcome these challenges, I joined and started, actually, an affinity group here at BCG for just women in tech. We meet quarterly and come up with topics, we'll bring in speakers, sometimes we'll even bring in just allies who work in our departments and have open and candid conversations about what we're experiencing, which has been such a huge help for me. Additionally, I just try to build independent relationships with stakeholders and engineers and product owners, and make sure that they are getting to know me, and I'm getting to know them beyond just the day-to-day, and you know, sharing your motivations, sharing your wants, sharing your dreams, and you start to really see people putting themselves out there and helping you get there.

The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are integrity, empathy, and a commitment to doing meaningful work that benefits others. A pivotal experience for me was moving beyond interviews and into internships where I could fully understand the reality of the role, thanks to mentors who advocated for me and saw my potential. That hands-on experience reinforced my dedication to prioritizing people in the design process and ensuring that inclusivity, accessibility, and thoughtful decision-making are embedded in the work I do. At my core, I practice design thinking—approaching problems creatively, collaborating with others, and focusing on solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives. I also deeply value teaching and mentorship, and I hope to support and guide future professionals entering this evolving field, especially as technology continues to change how we work and create.