
Bringing experience from her role as a senior product owner at ThoughtWorks Brazil, Isabella is now leading Meedan’s programs in Latin America. The new Program Associate roles at Meedan are part of a global restructuring that formalizes our presence in different parts of the world, including Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Isa is bringing fresh product practices and visions to our users already. Below is a Q&A with Isa by our Program Manager Wafaa Heikal. Welcome Isa!
Q: Welcome to Meedan! Can you tell us a little bit about you background?
My background is in journalism. Years ago I had the opportunity to go to Portugal, to study journalism, and [as I was studying] I was worried about how we present information to consumers. In 2007, in Brazil, we stuck to the old way of telling stories. I travelled to Portugal to learn about new design strategies as part of user experiences, and how we can make the web more accessible, and how to make a story more accessible. I didn’t ever work as a journalist, I worked in ad agencies as a social media analyst. My previous job focused on how we can present content using data, and I was always guided by the question: How can I make content interesting to users?
The advertising industry didn’t fulfill my passion. I wanted to participate more and to have an impact on the world. So I left my career as a social media analyst, and decided I want to help people through technology. I started coding, and looking at how to build products and user experiences.
Q: Super! How do you see yourself working between journalism and tech?
I have been coding for fun my whole life but I’ve never seen myself as a “woman in tech.” I am interested in a feminist internet, but I didn’t see myself landing a position in the tech industry.
Coming from a journalistic perspective, I’ve learned how to listen to people and how to organize my ideas. I understand the ethics of covering stories. Now I carry all those skills with me when I am approach technical challenges too.
While doing my media master’s degree, I was studying design during the day and at night I was studying information systems. As a woman I believed that I needed an academic degree to jump into tech. I see the difference of how men can easily be in tech sector, but it’s so hard for a woman.
There’s a part of tech development called product. I really love it and I’ve found myself in it, and I started focusing on human design in my studies.
Q: How do you see your position now at Meedan?
I am now developing more of my program skills based on my long experience in product. I am interested in social development. I learned a lot about how to scale processes and how to communicate better and respect different views. I feel a little bit settled in Meedan.
Q: Why do you think a LATAM program associate role is important at Meedan right now?
I want to see Check users all over South America. Check is Meedan’s collaborative verification toolkit, and I want to help people from South America use open source technology to verify information and breaking news online. I do believe in Check as a tool. I think Check is helpful. Disinformation is a problem for journalists right now that they can’t scale solutions for it, now I am working on creating partnerships that can scale those solutions.
Q: What does disinformation in LATAM look like?
Disinformation in LATAM looks like lots of groups on Whatsapp, political rumors, and there’s a machine to establish propaganda in every aspect of consuming information online. There’s a huge fact-checking effort that needs to be done to face the very aggressive techniques of disinformation in LATAM. Disinformation is escalating in LATAM an it’s impacting the integrity of elections trust in the media.
Q: What’s a project you’re excited about right now?
There are a few things. I created a workshop that showed journalists how to work collaboratively. It was very interesting and I really liked the experience of watching how journalists communicate and solve issues. I’m also a big fan of our Pop-Up Newsroom work. I am a people person and I also like when a process works. When we build processes collaboratively it works, and you can exceed all expectations. I love playing the role of mediation to build collaboration through my role with Meedan.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to paint, watercolor painting. I am a plant lady and I also like playing board games with my friends, and I like yoga.
Q: We would like to know you more as a person. What’s your playlist looks like? Can your share some songs with us?
My friends describe my playlist as something to cry to, but it’s pop songs and Brazilian pop & rap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xFz8zZo-Dw
Q: What is your first impression about Meedan’s work culture?
I think that it’s very open and it’s very decentralized. It’s very supportive and I am still trying to understand the culture.
