What we’re about
Mission:
Voices of Product seeks to inspire, provoke and teach by showcasing women and diversity in product development and by creating an inclusive environment in which to share and learn from each other’s experiences in product development.
Vision:
We envision a world in which product organizations hire, equip and recognize women and diversity in product development roles, in such a way that they are visible decision-makers and leaders at all levels of an organization.
Key Initiatives:
Thus far our core team has organized and hosted panel discussions in collaboration with Women in Product on the topics of Building Products of the Future Within Legacy Systems and Cultures, Product Women in Civic and Government Tech, and Product Challenges & Opportunities in Edtech.
Future initiatives will include panel discussions, lightning talks, fireside chats, events featuring influential product industry experts and investors, networking, career and leadership development.
If you have any topic and/or speaker suggestions, please reach out to us!
Current and aspiring product development job families are welcome.
About the Organizers:
Caroline Hane-Weijman is a Product & People Manager at Pivotal Labs working with large enterprises and startups to help transform the way their teams build software and co-leading the product practice team in the New York office. Caroline came from product management at the fintech startup, LearnVest, during which they were acquired by Northwestern Mutual. She was previously a business management consultant at McKinsey & Co, serving Fortune 500 companies across industries and functions, and has a mechanical engineering degree from MIT, with a focus and strong passion for international development.
Kate Alfano is a Senior Product Manager at Vroom, a startup making buying and selling cars online easy and transparent. Kate was previously at the fintech startup, LearnVest, during which they were acquired by Northwestern Mutual. There she developed financial planning and engagement products to help users achieve their goals and become financially secure. She studied economics and finance at Simmons College and admits to having a nerdy crush on behavioral economist, Dan Ariely. In her free time Kate makes ceramics and will gladly gush over glazes and firing techniques.
Preety Bhardwaj is a Product Manager at Conde Nast, working on the brand side to ensure users can access, consume, and interact with top-tier media content. Previously, she worked at Prognos, a healthcare AI company, where she works closely with payer clients to eradicate disease by driving decisions earlier. A graduate of Georgia Tech, Preety couldn't resist the calling of product management for long. She started her career as an analyst in an organization focused on increasing product accessibility for students with disabilities and became hooked on serving as the 'voice of the customer.' She is passionate about data, superior user experiences, and mindful leadership. In her spare time, she likes coming up with acronym'd frameworks for product critiques and trying out new wellness trends, usually with highly comedic outcomes.
Marisa Schuler is a Product Manager at Capital One in New York City as a member of the newly formed Enterprise Customer Intelligence team. As a part our mission to change banking for good, ECI seeks to equip our associates with high quality customer insights and analytics to better anticipate and meet customer needs. With roots as a scrum master in Capital One's Management Rotation Program, Marisa is an avid agile practitioner and advocate of lean product development. Hailing from the University of Virginia with a degree in Leadership and Public Policy, Marisa is passionate about bringing innovation practices and technology to the social sector.
