Women in Tech: “It’s about inclusion in general”

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Technology

A research study by The National Center for Women & Information Technology showed that “gender diversity has specific benefits in technology settings,” which could explain why tech companies have started to invest in initiatives that aim to boost the number of female applicants, recruit them in a more effective way, retain them for longer, and give them the opportunity to advance. But is it enough?

Four years ago, we launched a diversity series aimed at bringing the most inspirational and powerful women in the tech scene to your attention. Today, we’d like you to meet Eveline Buchatskiy, VP Special Projects, airSlate.

Today’s Woman in Tech: Eveline Buchatskiy, VP Special Projects, airSlate

Eveline leads special projects at airSlate, including the airSlate Academy with a mission to educate and empower a community of airSlaters that are passionate about workflow process automation.

Eveline has worked with fast-growing startups for over 10 years, initially as CEO of a cleantech startup and then as an investor at a seed fund and accelerators, including as Techstars Director for their Boston accelerator. She was also CEO of the most influential media company in Ukraine, Ekonomika, where she spearheaded their digital transformation. Prior to startups, Eveline worked as an advanced control systems engineer and process engineer for the leading global industrial gases producer Linde (former Praxair).

Eveline received a BS in Chemical Engineering from University of California – Berkeley, a master’s in engineering from University at Buffalo, and an Executive MBA from INSEAD.

When did you become interested in technology? What first got you interested in tech?

I was obsessed with my studies from a very early age, especially science. During my senior year of high school in Brazil, my Chemistry teacher took notice of my passion. He was highly intrigued by a girl that managed to be top of the class. I also excelled in Physics and Math. He became one of my most consequential mentors as he advised me to major in Chemical Engineering, a decision I have never regretted.

After 10 years working as a chemical engineer for the industrial gases industry, I moved to Ukraine, where I was surrounded by tech talent. I did not know a single person in Kyiv at the time. The first opportunity that crossed my path was with a deep tech company, which is how I entered the tech startup world, and I have never left. I later launched a startup accelerator, primarily focusing on the digital space. And today, I am the VP of Special Projects at airSlate, a SaaS company. I continue to be interested in tech because of the energy of the people in this space – their ambition, their ability to shape the future, and of course the fact that I am still a nerd and an engineer at heart.

Let’s talk about your background. How did you end up in your career path? What obstacles did you have to overcome?

My career path was a healthy balance between being intentional and seizing opportunities. I started as an advanced control systems engineer working for a leading chemicals company in the US. I knew I wanted to eventually oversee large projects and lead teams, so I went to business school. That was an inflection point in my career. It coincided with my move to Ukraine, and I felt empowered to handle any challenge.

I encountered a few challenges when I first became the CEO of a deep tech startup that had a pilot plant of 60 people, a team of celebrated scientists, and a legal fight over a patent that cost me almost a million dollars to fix. The main investor later invited me to lead the turnaround of his media company. I had zero experience in this space and inherited a newsroom of dozens of print journalists I had to persuade into embracing the digital world. With these random and wild experiences, I developed an eye and a desire for venture investing and created an accelerator for Eastern European startups. I then joined the largest accelerator in the world, Techstars, as the director for their Boston program. It was only natural to launch my own VC fund, focusing on immigrant founders. After 7 years of venture investing, I was invited to become an operator again and I am back in the trenches of a fast growing startup, wearing many hats.

Did you receive support from your family and friends? Do you have a role model?

I am the second youngest of 15 children in my family, and I was the first one in my family to go to college. Each of my siblings were all entrepreneurs in traditional businesses, and so were my parents, grandparents, and pretty much everyone I can trace in my family tree. Although my parents always went above and beyond to provide opportunities for me to grow, they were a little puzzled as to why I was so passionate about education.

As my mom once told me, a degree in engineering most likely would mean I would work for someone else. Why would I want that over running my own business? I had to pave my own path without much of a reference point. But it was from her that I learned what I value the most today: a life of civism. I strongly believe that leaders in the private sector have the responsibility to do more than business and absolutely need to have a mission that advances society. I am highly inspired by managers and companies that leverage the power of their business decisions to impact the most pressing social issues of our time.

I strongly believe that leaders in the private sector have the responsibility to do more than business and absolutely need to have a mission that advances society.

Did anyone ever try to stop you from learning and advancing in your professional life?

I believe I am the only one that could stop myself from advancing and that hasn’t happened. There were various degrees of nurturing in the many environments where I worked, from small to large companies, across the globe, and in multiple sectors. During my early engineering years in the US, I felt I was part of a team that genuinely wanted to see me succeed, especially because I was a woman. When working for its subsidiary in Brazil though, I realized that not a single woman had risen to the level of director despite the fact that the company had been in business for almost 100 years. I chose to continue my advancement, just not there.

A day in Eveline’s life

You could never guess what I do from my title alone: VP of Special Projects. From channel partners to business development to corporate marketing and content, I am the “fixer.” I begin every day by running, biking, or swimming, which is essential for my productivity. My workday usually starts early with meetings due to the time zone difference with my team in Europe, and ends late with meetings with people on the west coast. I have about 10 to 15 meetings a day for reporting, connecting with airSlate partners and customers and covering operational and strategic tasks with various airSlate teams. Instead of seeing this as my job, I look at my role as a never ending learning opportunity with the unique challenges that come my way every day, especially since my career has been so dynamic. It’s energizing!

What are you most proud of in your career?

The most gratifying part of the job is to support and watch people grow. This was particularly the case when I was an investor. Founders with the most varied backgrounds would come with just a vision and a half-baked team, hungry for opportunity. We would go through the ups and downs together and I could see how they would mature in their roles, and they would amaze me in the most memorable ways.

Even if they didn’t necessarily succeed with their companies (although most did), they would move on to make a big difference in the tech ecosystem in other ways that I never imagined. The CEO/founder of one of my very first investments didn’t quite make it as an entrepreneur, but is now part of the Ministry of Digital Transformation in Ukraine, taking his country into a new era that will benefit generations to come.

Why aren’t there more women in tech? What’s your take on that?

Broadly speaking it comes down to having more role models and mentors to show the way into tech and remove barriers. The tech world needs to feel welcoming, familiar, relatable, all of which can happen if we see more of ourselves in it and allies that will champion our advancement in this world. During one of my very first internships as an engineer, there was only one female senior engineer at the production facility where I was stationed. She was perceived by the other (male) engineers as “overbearing”. To me, she was a powerhouse, an inspiring, smart, and energetic engineer from whom I learned in six months more than I had from any of my college professors.

To increase female representation in tech, we also need to provide an environment that will unveil and nurture an innate talent for science at a very early age. From the toys and activities we are exposed to, to the way we are challenged by our educators, these early developments can have a profound impact on the choices girls make for their future. I was fortunate to have encountered these angels in my life that guided me when there was a fork in the road, both at school and at work.

Could you name a few challenges (or obstacles) women in tech face?

Unconscious bias. Even with a BS in Chemical Engineering, an MS in Engineering, and an MBA with heavy focus in finance (yes, lots and lots of numbers), I am still at times questioned if I am technical or analytical enough. In a meeting just last week with a branding agency I was going to hire, I was asked if we could get a decision maker involved. It never occurred to them that I was the one!

How would our world be different if more women worked in STEM? What would be the (social, economic, and cultural) impact?

It’s not just about women in STEM, it’s about inclusion in general. With more representation, we could unlock human potential, solve tight job market conditions, and come up with more balanced and creative approaches to any business challenge. For example, if we had more representation in the medical field, more people would bring their lived experiences and perspectives to come up with unique approaches to patient care that had never been considered before.

With more representation, we could unlock human potential, solve tight job market conditions, and come up with more balanced and creative approaches to any business challenge.

The discussion about diversity is gaining momentum. How long will it take to see results from the current discussion?

Results have been meaningful and measurable already for quite some time. But of course, it will continue to be a work in progress for years to come.

What advice (and tips) would you give to women who want a tech career? What should they know about this industry?

The tech world needs you. It needs your disciplined multitasking, your resilience, your empathy, your eagerness to succeed, and yes, your analytical skills. There are more of you in this world than ever before and that’s how we’ve been able to advance science at an accelerated pace. And I must say, the tech world is one of the few places where the upside can be relatively quick and at times so substantial that it will allow you to be in a position of financial independence where you dictate the rules for the rest of your life.

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