Murmuration: How did you become interested in software engineering?

SG: In middle school I got very into MySpace and started creating custom layouts by manipulating HTML and CSS. I didn’t know it was “coding” at the time, I just thought it was fun. I even started making custom layouts for all my friends. My curiosity grew from there, and I realized it was a special skill I could keep learning more about on my own. Years later, I pursued a degree in computer science.

Murmuration: What were you doing before working at Murmuration?

SG: Prior to Murmuration, I was working as a software engineer for a much larger corporation. It was a big switch for me to go from working at a larger enterprise company to a smaller, start-up political organization like Murmuration. The biggest difference in environments is that people here are very motivated by doing good instead of by revenue. The team here is incredibly passionate and dedicated; they’re not just trying to get in and get out – we’re all committed to building something meaningful together.

Murmuration: Was there a formative experience that brought you to your role at Murmuration?

SG: I have over ten years of experience in the computer software industry, but wanted to work at a company that had a mission I felt passionate about. It’s important to me to make a difference in my work and I value community and grassroots organizing and making a positive impact. I was drawn to Murmuration specifically because I wanted to work with people who are passionate about these same things, and I wanted to create more good in the world.

"Think creatively about your unique talents and how they can contribute to creative positive change in the world."

Murmuration: How would you describe your role at Murmuration?

SG: I’m a people manager on the front end software engineering team, and we’re dedicated exclusively to building Organizer by Murmuration, a CRM platform that provides community-focused organizations with the data and tools they need to foster meaningful connections and activate communities.

I oversee five other software engineers, offering guidance based on their projects and needs. My general approach to managing our team is to prioritize empathy and support, and I enjoy the mentorship aspect of the role. In addition to being a team leader, I also work closely with the product design team with the ultimate goal of bridging the gap between software engineering and design for our Organizer by Murmuration product. This part of my role is important because even if we have the best data in the world – we still need to ensure it looks good and is easy to use for our partners.

Murmuration: Walk us through a day in your life at Murmuration.

SG: I usually start my days by checking in with team members, and that includes both the individuals that I manage and those I don’t supervise but work with closely. From there, the day is often filled with a lot of meetings and touch-bases with other working groups across the organization. We’re usually spending our time making sure design initiatives and project statuses are on track. A large part of my role is troubleshooting and creatively pivoting on the fly – so if we learn that something is off track during those meetings, I need to work with my team and come up with a backup plan to get us back on track. Between project meetings and touchpoints, I also review my team’s code to make sure we’re following best practices and that the code is maintainable and scalable. As we add new features to Organizer, I ensure it’s easy to do so that new developers who may come in at a later time will be able to understand the code and get up to speed quickly. This allows us to get the features into our partners' hands asap.

Murmuration: How do our partners help shape our tools?

SG: Our goal is to provide community-focused organizations with the data and tools they need to amplify their efforts – and partner input plays a huge role in this effort. We consistently take in feedback from our partners to improve and evolve so that our offerings can be more effective. For example, partner feedback has directly impacted the way Organizer’s data management, canvassing, and phone banking features work.

Murmuration: Murmuration offers a wide array of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives for employees. How do you participate in DEIB at the organization?

SG: I enjoy the DEIB buddy program, which is organized by Murmuration’s People Team. People who may not usually cross paths are paired up from across the organization. They meet monthly and discuss provided DEIB topics and questions. My DEIB buddy and I have spent a lot of time together and even met in person at our recent all staff retreat. When we first started meeting we discussed the provided DEIB topics and questions, but soon found that we have a lot of overlap in the movies and tv shows we like so we’re able to mold the discussion to align with our specific interests now. For example, we talk about cool people of color directors that may not be well known, international movies, and b-list horror and comedies.

Murmuration: What is your advice to others who want to work in a similar field or industry?

SG: Think creatively about your unique talents and how they can contribute to creative positive change in the world. When we think about creating change, people usually think of traditional organizing activities like canvassing and phone banking. But, you can use your own skills, in my case, technical and software skills, to make a difference and help others. You don’t have to be the on-the-ground organizer to make an impact – there’s so many other ways. Think outside the box a bit about what you can contribute.