Whitney Skye O'Brien

Resilience and grit. That’s what I attribute my success to. I grew up in difficult circumstances, with no role models to guide me, only a clear picture of who I didn’t want to become. I became stronger not because of those circumstances, but in spite of them. I’ve never believed that “everything happens for a reason” or that hardship made me stronger. The truth is, those challenges set me back. They put me at the back of the line. And overcoming adversity is brutally hard—it doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. That’s why I want people in similar situations to know this: your circumstances do not define you. Every step you take forward, every success you earn, is yours. You fought for it. You claimed it. And it belongs entirely to you.

The best career advice I’ve ever received was to always bet on myself and to advocate for myself. Early in my career, I realized that if I waited until I felt fully ‘ready,’ I would hold myself back. Instead, I started saying yes to opportunities, even when they felt bigger than me, and I learned how to grow into them. That mindset is how I went from an entry-level role to becoming a founding member of the team that built out onboarding for GoDaddy Social, a new product line, helping design processes and strategies that scaled the solution from launch. Advocating for myself and believing that I belonged in the room changed the trajectory of my career.

When you enter tech, people will tell you to EARN your seat at the table. But here’s the truth: those tables were never made for us. Don’t wait for permission to join. Build your own table. Create new spaces where your voice is not just heard but valued. Invite others in, make room for collaboration, and show what leadership looks like on your own terms. We have the power to design the table, set the agenda, and change the entire room.

One of the biggest challenges in tech right now is the rapid rise of AI and the lack of clear governance around it. We’re seeing incredible innovation, but the rules, standards, and guardrails haven’t caught up. That creates real risks around bias, ethics, and how responsibly these tools are applied.

But it’s also one of the greatest opportunities. When used thoughtfully, AI can unlock personalization at scale, accelerate decision-making, and free teams from repetitive work so they can focus on strategy and creativity. For me, the key is balance: embracing the benefits of AI while also advocating for responsible frameworks that ensure the technology is used to empower people to do things we've never been able to before, not replace people or disadvantage them.

The values most important to me are education, advocacy, and giving back. Education and awareness empower people to grow, adapt, and navigate change with confidence. I use my voice to champion others, create opportunities, and make sure underrepresented perspectives are heard. Giving back through mentoring and volunteering allows me to live those values in action, because success isn’t just about what I accomplish, it’s about how I help others rise with me.