Her Story
About Michelle
Michelle Karangu serves as an Executive Assistant at Google, based in Alpharetta, Georgia. With more than a decade in the administrative industry, she brings a background in marketing, having earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Tampa in 2016. Karangu began her career at the tech startup Springbot, initially focusing on sales before taking on receptionist duties and gradually assuming greater responsibilities, including vendor management, trade show coordination, and executive support. She now operates as a strategic operations partner, anticipating needs and contributing to future initiatives. Karangu attributes her success to being the first in her Kenyan family to pursue higher education. She values servant leadership, innovation, and investing in people, and she remains active in her community through Girl Scouts involvement with her daughter and monthly church volunteer work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
Being first generation with family from Kenya and being the first in my family to get an education and go to college.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Try different things while you can while you're younger to figure out what you like and don't like, such as through interning, because something that sounds cool on TV might not be worth it if you hate it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Feel confident and know your abilities and strengths. Have a strong voice, don't feel intimidated in a room full of men, be strong and opinionated, share your thoughts, maintain professionalism, and respect will come.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Saturation in the field makes it tough to find new roles as the job market is super competitive, but opportunities include making a lot of money depending on the organization and city, and the ability to work fully remotely.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Functional faith is important, bringing devotionals into everyday work. Servant leadership, trust, innovation, thoughtfulness, investing in people for growth, and an open door policy from managers.
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