Stanza Employee Profile: Meet Smitha Pallaki
When you work at a startup, everything moves fast: there’s very little red tape, there are few barriers to employees connecting in person, and everyone gets to be a part of the process. We’re really proud of the work that we do. In an effort to share that work with the world, we’re kicking off a regular profile series to highlight our employees and their stories. Questions? Hit us up on twitter @stanzacal.
And now, our first superstar, Smitha Pallaki:
How long have you been at Stanza and what about the business has changed since you arrived?
A little over 2 months. It’s been cool to be part of the interview process as the Stanza team looks to grow and the engineering team further diversifies.
What’s your title and who do you work most closely with?
Jr. Full Stack Engineer and the engineering team as a whole.
What are your primary responsibilities at Stanza?
Work on front end and back end tickets that come through engineering from BD and CS teams.
What were you doing before you came to Stanza?
I graduated from Bryn Mawr College in spring 2017 and then attended a year-long web dev focused software engineering fellowship program. I joined Stanza shortly after finishing that up.
What’s the best part about working at a startup?
Being able to speak with anyone in the office to find out why what I’m working on is important and what everything means to the end user has been great. As a developer it’s also pretty cool to see the changes I’ve implemented reflect directly within the Stanza product and it’s been great having the freedom to work within our entire codebase.
What are three words that describe working at a startup?
Fast, fun, collaborative.
What’s your dream job and can you please call me when you get it?
You’ll be the first to know! I’m passionate about K-12 education, healthcare and how tech can bring positive disruption to those fields. I hope to bring my development and product knowledge from Stanza to make change within a different type of user base.
What’s possible at Stanza in the next few years?
I’m excited to see Stanza Cal used more widely outside of the sports vertical which I think is definitely possible as Stanza grows! Among other spaces, I see it as a great tool for social justice and community organizers.
What’s the most memorable event — sports, theater, celebration, music, whatever — you’ve ever attended and why?
I went to this outdoor music festival in the pouring rain a few years ago where I got to live my middle school dreams and see a Fall Out Boy show. The crowd didn’t really care about the weather, people were into the whole experience, and they put on a great show despite everything. 10/10 would be to see a show in the middle of a storm again. Anything can be fun with the right people.
And now for some fun….
What’s a book or TV show or movie you plan on reading or watching?
Looking forward to the newest seasons of Shameless and This is Life with Lisa Ling.
What do you love on your pizza?
Pineapple and jalapenos always.
Weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
I tried a durian once, it’s supposed to be one of the worst smelling fruits that’s actually banned on certain public transportation in Singapore. It doesn’t smell great…but I probably would still eat it again. Not sure if I would describe it as weird, but it is a delicacy.
Favorite band or artist?
Jorja Smith and J. Cole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUTI4bPdlgE
If you could master one instrument what would it be?
The harp.
What country in the world would you love to visit?
Iceland, but in the summer!
If you had it your way, what country would Stanza be located in?
Definitely Iceland…but only during the summer.
Name two things you can’t live without.
My friends and mangoes.
