Women Who Build — Molly Darr

An interview with Molly Darr of our Houston Build Center

Slalom’s company motto is Love Your Future. And that applies to people of all backgrounds and demographics. As a company in Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For since 2016, we live every day with the core belief that an inclusive, diverse workplace is not only good for us and our clients, it’s simply the right thing to do.

Women Who Build (WW_B) is an internal Slalom Build community focused on recruiting and retaining the best technical talent and dispensing with the idea that tech is non-inclusive. We foster an environment that goes above and beyond our competitors’ and sustain a culture of accountability and openness.

” We are constantly searching for people to join us in the mission of building innovative technology for our clients and want people from all backgrounds”

Sharon Lynch — Slalom Build MD and Executive Sponsor of Women Who Build

WW_B’s mission — to engage, inspire, and encourage every Slalom woman to achieve her full and unique potential — is core to our focus on personal and professional growth.

We’d like to introduce you to Molly Darr, a Senior Engineer from the Houston Build Center. We hope you find her journey both interesting and inspiring!

Where did your career start?

I studied Materials Engineering in college and then worked at a small manufacturing company for a few years before transitioning into tech and joining the Slalom team. I wore many hats at my previous company and one of those hats was helping to implement and run our ERP software system. That was my first introduction to the tech side of things and I absolutely fell in love with it.

What drew you to the tech industry?

Growing up I had always been drawn to math, science, and the more technical subjects in school and so when a high school math teacher suggested I major in engineering in college, I didn’t think twice. I found the traditional engineering work interesting, but truly didn’t feel inspired until I started working on software. I love building and creating things, however I’m not particularly handy in any sense of the word, so software is a great fit!

Was there a high-impact event in your career that’s shaped who you are today?

This might be a cop out, but I don’t think I can point to a single, high-impact event. It’s a culmination of all the little things that have shaped my career today. Coming from a non-traditional tech background, it would be a disservice not to mention that I suffer from imposter syndrome from time-to-time. So it’s all the times a colleague encourages me to take on a task I don’t feel prepared for, to step up to the challenge, it’s these events added together that have had a big impact as I progress through my career. The support I feel from my fellow Slalomites is huge and it allows me to step out of my comfort zone, expose me to new opportunities, and grow personally and professionally.

What brings you joy in your work?

I love how there’s so many ways to get involved outside of my project work. Whether I’m helping to plan an event or just participating, I find joy in the abundance of opportunities to connect with people outside of my project team. I have to give a shout out to our Houston Culture Committee because they put on amazing events that cater to such a wide variety of interests and I’m confident they bring joy to all Houston Builders.

What brought you to Slalom?

I was initially interested in consulting because I loved the idea of working on varying types of projects across different industries. After reading about Slalom on Glassdoor, I was hooked. I had to work here! It was important to me to find a company that has a vibrant culture, truly values its employees, and fosters growth. I have found all of that at Slalom.

What’s the vibe of your market?

One word: boisterous. We have a good time in Houston! Not only do we do fun things, but everyone is incredibly passionate about the work and the collaboration level is high. I truly look forward to coming into the office every day and every day I leave having learned something new from a fellow Builder.

If you were queen for a day, what are the top 5 things you’d do?

• Throw the biggest baddest tea party.
• Fund clean water initiatives for developing countries.
• Ban single use plastic.
• Fill my closet with pastel power suits.
• Implement mandatory community service days.

Molly is one of many inspiring women that Slalom Build is proud to have as part of the team. We’ll be bringing more stories from these exceptional individuals as we continue in our series of Women Who Build.