Karla Avila explains her love for the Austin office, Tuck Shop desserts, and the Latinx community at Dropbox
Through uncertain times, even though we’re currently apart, we can still be together. Our Latinx Heritage Month theme for 2020, “¡Salud y Unidad!,” celebrates the ways we can foster health and community at Dropbox, regardless of distance or differences. Business Development Representative Karla Avila gave us a peek into how she and our Latinx ERG are focusing on inclusivity, giving back to their communities, and making the most of their time outside of our offices.
What is your job title and what team are you on?
I’m a business development representative on the Latin American team. We’re a very small but mighty team!
What office do you normally work in?
In the Austin office.
Did you have any assumptions about Dropbox as a product or a company that proved untrue once you started working here?
As far as the product itself, I had no idea up until I prepped for my interview that it had so much reach in the enterprise space, and that people use it for so many different things than aren’t just file sync and sharing of your photos. As far as the company itself, I had heard from people who worked there before that it was a great environment. It’s a very special company to work for, where you feel heard. That didn’t change — in fact, it exceeded my expectations.
Do you have any memories that stick out from your first day at Dropbox?
I felt really welcomed. I got to my desk and there were cards and balloons. Everyone came up to me, telling me that they were excited to work with me. Coming from a previous role where they hired a bunch of people for the same position, being hired as just one person for this position in a small team felt very special.
What does this year’s theme “¡Salud y unidad!” or “Saúde e unidade” mean to you?
Any celebration of this kind is a time to bring everyone together. It’s more than just the Latinx population. Anyone can be welcome in this space; it’s very much a part of our culture to be welcoming.
What’s your favorite part of the Latinx ERG?
Everyone is so driven. Everything is well planned and delegated; the planning that has gone into this month has been outstanding, with everyone wanting to put in a little bit of work to make this happen, which is really hard when you’re trying to put on an online event. It does show how, as Dropboxers, we’re able to not only able to work remotely but do it very well, especially when it’s for a cause.
What office would you most like to visit post-quarantine?
I wanna go to the Seattle office. I’ve always wanted to go to Seattle and visit the city.
What part of the office do you miss most during quarantine?
I miss the Tuck Shop. Everything there is so perfect, but I’m a sucker for dessert. All the desserts are so good, I have to limit myself to one or two a week. Also the orange juice at the office is so good!
Are there any hobbies you have been using to fill your time during distributed work?
I tried renting a cello to teach myself how to play the cello, which was a bad idea, because I don’t play anything else! I failed at that! But I’ve been doing photography for a couple years, so I did get out and photograph a couple of the Black Lives Matter protests.
If you were in a band, what would it be called and/or what type of music would you play?
Probably some feminist name. And it would be indie-pop music!
Our ERGs are the backbone of our culture at Dropbox. You can learn more about how they support Dropboxers of all backgrounds here.
