Her Story
About vanessa
Vanessa Vargas serves as a Senior PM at AWS, Amazon Web Services, where she has spent the past 7 years providing programmatic support to the specialist organization and organizing large-scale events including Reinbend and the Partner Summit in New York. Her career began at a nonprofit in Seattle funded through Public Health King County, where she developed her project management skills before the organization's budget cuts prompted her move to tech. Starting at the bottom as a recruiting coordinator, she progressed through roles as an executive assistant and program manager before earning her recent promotion to senior PM. Based in Austin, TX, Vanessa is deeply engaged in professional affinity groups such as Women at Amazon in Austin and Latinos in Tech, which have helped her build connections and access mentorship opportunities. She credits her success and drive to her family, especially her mother who worked hard to support them and her sister who also works in tech, noting that being the first in her family to attend college shaped her determination to set goals, ask questions, and ensure her voice is heard in male-dominated environments.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with vanessa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I feel like probably my mom, my family. Because of her, I'm where I'm at, and she's worked very hard. My sister actually also works for tech. She's always pushed us, and being the first ones going to college, I feel like that definitely made a dent in me as we were growing up, and then I pushed myself, and that's kind of my drive.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think the biggest advice would be not to be afraid and ask questions. Working in tech, and with a lot of males, sometimes women in a room, or even if I'm in a call, you just have to make sure your voice is heard. That is the main thing, and ask the questions, and set a goal for yourself. I've been with the company for 7 years, and I said by this time, give yourself a timeline that you want to evolve in that role and level up and get promoted, and it really helps who your support systems are, and management team, and building those relationships. I'm very involved in affinity groups, a woman in Austin, so that definitely has helped me to open up doors and make those connections with other women who are in tech, as well, and see what they're doing, what's working for them. There's a lot of trainings out there, a lot of folks who are willing to help and mentor you, and mentor is a huge part of my improvement in the way I have grown.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.