Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, I spent the first 18 years of my life immersed in a culturally rich and diverse environment before relocating to the United States. From a young age, I had the opportunity to travel extensively—both with my family and through various school programs—which fostered a deep appreciation for different perspectives and a natural adaptability to change.

I spent six formative years at an all-girls school, where I was actively involved and ultimately served as the vice commander of a nationally awarded marching brass team. This experience instilled in me a strong sense of discipline, teamwork, and leadership that continues to influence my personal and professional journey.

Growing up in a developing country like Indonesia, I became aware of the many systemic challenges that needed solving. During my formative years, I was driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a vivid imagination for designing impactful, scalable solutions to help those around me.

Pursuing my undergraduate studies in the United States, I enrolled at Iowa State University, majoring in Food Science and Technology while also undertaking a five-year concurrent MBA program. It was a leap into the unknown that became a defining chapter of growth, resilience, and self-discovery.

Eager to make the most of my college experience, I dove headfirst into unfamiliar territory—literally. One of the most unexpected (and surprisingly fun) adventures was joining the Dairy Judging Club. Every morning at 7 AM, I’d find myself evaluating milk, cheese, and ice cream—something my younger self would’ve found absolutely unthinkable. But the early mornings and odd-sounding practice paid off: I took home first place regionally in Milk Judging and third place nationally in Ice Cream Judging. For someone who grew up in Indonesia, where premium dairy products are practically a novelty, the whole experience felt surreal—and deliciously satisfying.

This chapter taught me to trust the process, embrace ambiguity, and lean into challenges—even when I didn’t have all the answers. It affirmed that with curiosity, hard work, and discipline, even the most uncertain paths can lead to unexpected success.

Life at MIT was incredibly dynamic. I worked as a computational researcher at the Device Realization Lab under Prof. Brian Anthony and was fortunate to receive a full assistantship that covered my tuition. On the flip side, I had to push myself to learn many things from scratch, including Machine Learning and Data Science. Every hour of my 24-hour day mattered. For the first three to six months of grad school, I often stayed up watching YouTube tutorials until 3 AM, determined to close the gap.

MIT also offered countless networking opportunities. I was lucky to meet thoughtful, critical, ambitious, and humble individuals—people who challenged my thinking and helped shape my growth. Who you choose to spend time with deeply influences your mindset and personal development, and I found that to be especially true during this chapter of my life.

After graduating from MIT, I moved to the Bay Area to join a mortgage technology company as a Product Manager. In this role, I lead the Analytics and Reporting tools within the Business Intelligence and Data Science team.

Building a great product truly takes a whole ecosystem—executives, engineers, data scientists, business stakeholders, designers, and more. Everyone contributes their own expertise, and it’s the Product Manager’s responsibility to understand the requirements and connect the dots. The role also involves project management—ensuring timelines are met and actively removing blockers to keep things moving. I genuinely enjoy my current role and hope to continue growing in this space while developing even more impactful products in the future.