Speaker: Anita Kibunguchy-Grant, Head of Product Marketing, Databases, Google Cloud
Happy Women’s History Month/International Women's Day - How are you celebrating?
Anita Kibunguchy-Grant: Happy Women's History Month. This month is especially special for me because I get to think about two incredibly strong women in my life. That is my mother and my grandmother. I mean, if you think about the embodiment of hard work and selflessness, these two women were it. They taught me to be who I am today. They made me who I am today. And you know, I am grateful for it and I get to thank them this month. But even more so special, especially for my grandmother who passed away last year, but her impact is still felt across the family and you know, when I think about growing up, you know I want to make sure that I leave that type of impact, you know, for everybody behind. So such a fantastic month for me to honor the people I love.
2023's International Women's Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. How do you think (the collective) we can work together to impact positive change?
Anita Kibunguchy-Grant: You know, I looked up the word equity and it means fair and impartial. So when I think about the words embrace equity, you know, what comes to mind for me is that, you know, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's truly embracing equity.
What advice would you give to the next generation of women as they begin their careers?
Anita Kibunguchy-Grant: When I think about the next generation of women, I get incredibly excited because the opportunities we have are massive. And so if there is one piece of advice that I would give, you know, that next generation is to truly think about, you know, what you deserve. And if you think you deserve something, then go for it, ask for what's yours, right? Let people know what it is that you want. Of course, it's always easier said than done. But when you get the opportunity to advocate for yourself, put a business case for yourself, it will open so many doors to your success. And so that's a piece of feedback I have for the next generation of women.
Bonus question: Share a favorite Google Workspace hack/tip for running your business or your personal life?
Anita Kibunguchy-Grant: I don't know if this is really a hack or a tip, but if there are a couple of workspace tools that I cannot live without number one, the calendar. And my goodness, you'll be surprised how much it helps organize my husband and I, and so it comes in incredibly handy when we have to both work on joint projects or joint things for the household. And I can just plop it on the calendar and it keeps us both organized and knowing what's going on. The next one I have to say is Sheets. I mean, Sheets is incredible from just a sharing perspective. And so, you know, when you think about, you know, when we did wedding planning, that was a few years ago, Sheets to the rescue, it was the best thing to keep us organized during wedding planning. So again, not necessarily hacks or tips, but you know, Google workspace is central to who we are.
