Shweta Keshavanarayana

I attribute my success to my 16 years in the tech field managing strategic accounts at AWS, where I discovered that my superpowers are building executive relationships and driving strategies. My strong educational foundation in computer science and engineering from Bangalore gave me the technical understanding to break down complex topics into smaller blocks and continue learning. That solid foundation taught me that if I put my mind in the right place, irrespective of whether something is familiar or unfamiliar, I can get the results that are expected. What energizes me every single day is when customers bring their problems to my organization and I get to be the creative one solving those challenges, tying their business outcomes to technical architecture, and giving them joy. I've also had to navigate being one of very few women in the field. In a room of 25 to 30 people, I can count the number of women, and the women actually making an impact are even fewer. I don't occupy the space to be the fly on the wall - I am a firecracker. I go extremely well prepared, more than my male counterparts, because I know my chances to speak up are limited, and whatever limited chances I get, they are impactful and people want to listen to me more. I put in extra effort to prepare for every conversation, every meeting, internal or customer-facing, and I do my homework. I am always prepared to show that I have earned the seat at the table and to inspire other women in the room, especially those early in their careers, to show that this is possible.

The best career advice I've received centers around three key principles. First, it's a very competitive field, and having the mindset of a student is very important to be relevant in the industry. Every day is a new day, every day you learn something new. You need to be equipped with the latest, because if you don't catch it, you're way too behind. A couple of weeks of break feels like a century has passed in terms of advancement of technology and AI. Second, have mentors and sponsors - and you don't have to have only one, have multiple mentors. I have a technical mentor, I have a mentor when I want to do large speaking events. Those are short duration because I know what I want out of it. And there is someone I look up to who has seen me over a decade now, seen me get married, become a mom, and succeed in my career. When I feel like I'm being complacent, I consult with her and she tells me I need to get out of this, that I'm way too comfortable and have the hunger to do more. You need to find that supportive network and build your brand to get sponsorship. Third, a lot starts with you. A few years ago, I attended a workshop called I Am Remarkable, which is a Google initiative that teaches self-advocacy and self-promotion. I had been in tech and done well, but I never advocated for myself because I always believed my work should speak volumes of the impact and I should not be blowing my own trumpet. But in a competitive organization, you need to blow your own trumpet. Not take credit for somebody else's work, but if you want the opportunities you're eyeing, you need to be visible to get those opportunities. I applied that principle for almost a year before becoming a facilitator myself, and I've helped more than 800 to 900 women through my workshops in helping them build the muscle of self-advocacy and self-promotion.

My advice to young women entering this industry is to maintain a student mindset and have that hunger to continuously learn. In this field, you need to be equipped with the latest because technology and AI advance so rapidly. Find mentors and sponsors - have multiple mentors for different aspects of your career, whether technical guidance or help with speaking engagements. Build that supportive network and create your brand to attract sponsorship. Most importantly, learn self-advocacy and self-promotion. I learned this through the I Am Remarkable workshop, which taught me that in a competitive organization, you need to be visible to get the opportunities you're eyeing. It's not about taking credit for someone else's work, but about making sure people know about your impact. As a woman in tech, you need to go extremely well prepared, more than your male counterparts, because your chances to speak up are limited. Whatever limited chances you get need to be impactful so people want to listen to you more. Do your homework, be always prepared, and don't occupy space as a fly on the wall - be a firecracker. Show that you have earned your seat at the table and inspire other women to see that this is possible.

The biggest challenge in my field right now is that there are still very few women. I am one in a room of 25 to 30 people where I can count the number of women, and the women actually making an impact are even fewer. This heavily male-dominated environment means that as a woman, I don't get to occupy the space as a fly on the wall - I have to be a firecracker. My chances to speak up are limited, so I have to go extremely well prepared, more than my male counterparts, to ensure that whatever limited chances I get are impactful and people want to listen to me more. I put in extra effort to prepare for every conversation and meeting, both internal and customer-facing, to make sure I'm not just occupying space but have earned my seat at the table. On the opportunity side, the rapid advancement of technology and AI means that every day brings something new to learn. A couple of weeks away feels like a century has passed in terms of technological advancement. For those who maintain a student mindset and stay equipped with the latest developments, there are tremendous opportunities to push product boundaries with strategic customers in areas like cloud migration and AI strategy.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life center around preparation, impact, and authenticity. I believe in going extremely well prepared for every conversation and meeting, doing my homework so that I'm always ready to make a meaningful impact rather than just occupying space. I don't want to be a fly on the wall - I want to be a firecracker who has earned her seat at the table. I value making a lasting impact and inspiring others, especially young women early in their careers, to show them that success in a male-dominated field is possible. I also value genuine commitment - I don't want to join something for the sake of it or as a checkbox. I only join or commit to something when I know I can make a meaningful impact. In my customer work, what drives me is bringing calm to the chaos through organization and communication, identifying risks before they become problems, and ultimately giving customers joy by creatively solving their challenges and tying their business outcomes to technical architecture. I value continuous learning and maintaining a student mindset, always staying equipped with the latest developments. And I value building supportive networks through mentors and sponsors, and paying that forward by facilitating workshops that help hundreds of women build their self-advocacy skills.