We have an awesome team of women in leadership and development roles here at Logojoy, so we rounded them up to talk about their career paths, their love of tech, and their advice for others who want to jump into the world of startups.
Felicia Cusi, Head of Customer Success
“I run the customer success department at Logojoy and manage customer communications, whether people are emailing, messaging the site, or calling us. I also report bugs, take care of charge disputes, and brainstorm better ways to reach out to customers and improve the product.
I originally wanted to be a French teacher until I did a summer internship at the Ministry of Health for the Ontario Government. The only position available was in IT helping to create websites, and I fell in love with it. I ended up changing my major to computer networking, and since then I’ve loved the tech and mobile industries, and working in startups. I feel like most startups are happy to know you can do a deep dive into a brand new company, and that’s the appeal for me. It’s exciting to watch a company grow and to wear a lot of different hats so that you get to grow, too.
What I love most about my job is that I get to talk to hundreds of people around the world and hear their stories. Some of Logojoy’s fastest-growing markets are in Southeast Asia and Africa, where a lot of the tech community and designers have left, so there aren’t many options for budding entrepreneurs — it made me feel so good to work with the Chibote Women in rural Zambia. I also love working for a company at the forefront of AI and machine learning. We’re working on something that gives freedom to our customers and makes professional design accessible to virtually anyone.
The tech industry can sometimes feel like a boys’ club. But there are a lot of communities that embrace women in tech and show that they can kick ass in this industry, too. If there’s a role you know you have a passion and drive for, and you know you can grow from it, don’t be afraid to take a risk. Every day I come in, and I’m a little shocked and surprised I have this role — growing into any kind of leadership position as an introvert is daunting. It’s not always easy, but I have an amazing team who bring their A game to work, and trust and care just as much as I do.”
Nat Cooper, Front End Developer/Designer
“I’m a designer and developer — what I do at Logojoy is focused primarily on design, but I can prototype my designs with code, which means I can see the designs through to implementation. I work on everything from the design of the app to UX and UI flows to marketing. I also have a niche interest in web animation, so I work on bringing our app to life with animated features.
I bought my first computer with babysitting money when I was 12, and in high school, my teachers asked if I wanted to be a webmaster. Instead, I ended up getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts and studied set design. After graduating and working as a data analyst, I decided to take a few coding courses at Ladies Learning Code, and eventually signed up for an immersive boot camp at HackerYou. After the boot camp, I became a front-end developer and ended up freelancing so much with Ladies Learning Code that I became their Creative Director.
I’ve been interested in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) for a long time because of where they sit in the middle of development and design. When I saw that the role at Logojoy involved primarily SVG-related work, I felt lucky to join. It’s hard to find these hybrid roles, so I love the fact that I can be a unicorn at this kind of company and this size of company — it allows me to have a lot of creative freedom and feel empowered. I can jump into design projects, write JavaScript, and work on an illustration all in one day.
I also love that Logojoy helps people and removes barriers — seeing my friends who aren’t designers use the product makes me believe that what we’re doing is really important.
Often in tech, there are multiple ways to go about things, but it’s usually the loudest opinion in the room that wins. If you’re a woman in the industry and you have opinions, express them loudly. If you’re looking to get into the industry, my advice would be to learn to code, even if you’re not a developer. The more you understand about what goes into the technology, the more effective you’ll be at communicating cross-functionally in your organization.”
Ritu Ashrafi, Director of Customer Marketing and Advocacy
“I do customer marketing and advocacy at Logojoy. My job includes talking to our customers, telling their stories, and serving them through effective communication, so they get the information and inspiration they need to become empowered users.
My undergrad is in social development studies and HR, so it has little to do with what I do now, but one thing it has in common is that it’s all about people. One of my first jobs was at a health startup in Brooklyn, which was more advertising focused. After six years of various roles in digital advertising, I felt like I hit a ceiling and wanted to get back into helping people through communications. I took a short break and started to completely own the fact that I thrive on working with people.
I was about to move to Australia for a year when a mentor of mine invited me to his office at the Centre for Social Innovation. I went and got a taste of the startup and co-working space vibe — it was so laid back but also down to earth, and the people were all hungry and hard-working. That seeded my desire to work in this type of environment.
Storytelling is what I like best about my role at Logojoy, and gathering data and information from our customers. There are amazing stories in the data, and I love sharing those stories. I also like the challenge of my role here. I’m definitely doing things outside of my comfort zone, and that’s woven into the culture. I think one of the best ways to grow is to work outside of your comfort zone often.
I truly believe you have the power to shape your future, your career, and your income level. I also believe work can be fun and should be fun. Just because your parents have done something a certain way doesn’t mean your career is dictated by the company you work for or trends in the industry. If you’re slightly unconventional or feel like you’re different than people around you, you’re probably the kind of person who’s going to fit in really well in a startup.”
Melissa Grosser, Director of PR
“As the PR director at Logojoy, I’m responsible for the company’s internal and external communications, as well as leading and executing a global media relations strategy to get media coverage around the world. A big part of my job is pinpointing how Logojoy can contribute content and provide interesting angles and thought leadership from our co-founders.
I found my passion for PR when I sat on student government in university. I didn’t start out in tech — I thought I wanted to become a lifestyle publicist in fashion and beauty. Then three of my friends from school started a company. I joined, and that’s when I fell in love with the tech and startup space. I saw so much potential in millennials taking their ideas and transforming them into businesses. After that experience, I worked as an independent PR consultant and then as a marketing manager on the product side at Microsoft.
I love forging and nurturing relationships around the world with media, bloggers, and influencers, and I love the challenge of carving out different angles for different markets. There’s a lot of ground to cover here — no day is the same. I also feel very connected to the idea of allowing people to be creative without necessarily having the proper training to design. And what we offer at Logojoy is something that’s only at its starting point.
My advice for other women in the tech industry is to not be afraid to use your voice and share your insights and opinions. Always look for challenges or tasks that help you grow, even if they’re not inside your skill set. And enjoy the fact that in a startup, you have a lot more opportunities to lead and own projects, as well as be a team player to help your colleagues succeed.
Tech is exciting because there’s always something new on the horizon. It might seem overwhelming as new things come up, but the change is what makes it exciting. I want to grow as someone who can provide knowledge and teaching because I’ve gained so much from bosses and mentors I’ve worked with — I feel like it’s my duty to give back.”
Emma Hunt, Head of Talent Acquisition
“I run talent acquisition at Logojoy, so I’m responsible for recruiting into every department and also things like onboarding, benefits, and building our brand as an employer to make sure we’re attracting the right people.
Like most people working in talent, I started out in a recruitment agency. I was recruiting for design agencies in London, and that’s when I fell in love with digital and social media. After doing that for awhile, I decided I wasn’t close enough to the work and wanted more knowledge. I transitioned in-house to be more embedded in organizations and did a year of freelancing at different companies, where I recruited across EMEA, APAC and the US. Then I went into a full-time role where I implemented an in-house recruitment model into a design agency. I eventually ended up moving to Toronto to work in a design agency as their first in-house recruiter in the Toronto office before getting into the startup world.
I like that there’s a lot of variety to my role at Logojoy — it’s not a typical recruitment role, so I’m doing lots outside of that and flexing my brain muscles. I also like getting a diverse range of talent to make something new happen that hasn’t been done before. I run a transparent and authentic recruitment process, so I have to really believe in what I’m recruiting for. And being able to recruit into any department in tech, I have a better understanding of the whole process.
If you’re trying to get into the industry, it’s good to immerse yourself in it. Go to networking events — there are so many free ones — and make sure you’re able to keep on top of the latest trends and know what people are talking about. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice — most people are more than happy to help.
As a woman in tech, it’s important to speak up and assert yourself. If you have an idea and you think it’s good, make sure you share it and get credit for it. It’s also important to find a woman in a senior leadership role at your organization who can be a buddy and an advocate for you. There are also so many great “women in tech” events where you can share experiences and make connections.”
Interested in joining Logojoy? See our open positions here!
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