Member Spotlight: Product Manager Ainley Peña
UW Blueprint is a student-run club that provides top-tier tech for non-profit organizations. Founded at the University of Waterloo in 2016, we could not have provided strong partnerships with NPOs without the dedication, passion, and time of our members. Throughout this term, we’ll be spotlighting different members and teams that have left a tremendous impact on Blueprint as well as the projects they’ve worked on.
Tell us about yourself and your background with Blueprint!
Hey, I’m Ainley! I’m a third-year Systems Design Engineering student and a product management intern at a startup called Uplift.
I’ve been volunteering at Blueprint for about 2 years now — 3 terms as a project developer and 3 terms as a product manager, so I guess you could say I’m an oldie here!
When it comes to explaining why I joined Blueprint, it comes down to my goal of using engineering as a way to reach underprivileged communities. The summer before university, I actually went on a humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic to facilitate a children’s summer camp for two villages in San Rafael and Copeyito. What really made a lasting impression on me was the ability to serve these children, see them grow and come out of the summer camp with new skills and a sense of community!
Upon entering university, I wanted to find a way to build upon this experience and bridge my academic life with the opportunity to serve others in a meaningful and impactful way. And at first, it was really hard — I’m pretty sure we all know about that dreaded Waterloo grind. But that’s when I heard about Blueprint — a group of passionate students building tech solutions that empower the community.
Could you explain your role within Blueprint?
I’m currently one of the product managers on a project called Community Fridge! I can probably break down my role into three categories: problem discovery, product execution, and team building. For problem discovery, I uncover the situation, context, and pain points that our clients and their users are struggling with by leading client meetings, talking with users, and conducting usability tests. For product execution, I shape the product by creating a product roadmap, establishing OKRs, putting together user stories, prioritizing features, working closely with designers and engineers, iterating like crazy, and coordinating project handoff. Finally, the most important part of my role is collaborating with my project lead to establish a world-class team culture — everything and anything from refining design & dev collaboration, to leading retros on FigJam, to organizing GeoGuessr and DrawBattle socials!
What has Blueprint taught you, and how has it helped you grow as a product manager?
When I first joined Blueprint as a project developer, I honestly had no clue how to code. I remember sitting beside my project lead as he walked me through how to “git merge” 😅. Even as I transitioned into the product manager role, I once again had zero experience and felt like I knew absolutely nothing. However, I got to co-lead the team with an upper-year who mentored me on how to effectively lead client meetings, how to be confident with my actions and decisions, and how to drive forward a product. And now that I have more experience under my belt, I’m currently mentoring a younger product manager at Blueprint!
For both my experiences as a project developer and product manager, Blueprint gave me the space to try new things, be comfortable with making mistakes, and learn specific skills that I wanted to further develop! I would also say that Blueprint helped me break into product management as I was able to gain relevant experiences by leading and launching an end-to-end product.
What’s your favourite part about Blueprint?
In my two years at Blueprint, I’ve worked with so many passionate and talented people. And when you put together the brainpower, the hard work, the occasional 2 AM grinds, and the overarching desire to create an impactful solution — you get a truly rewarding and meaningful experience that makes you want to come back for another term.
Moving forward, what are your plans and goals for the future?
That’s a great question, I’m not 100% sure! I love my work in product management, but I also really want to tap into working in international development. It would be a dream to start my own tech startup that focuses on providing accessible opportunities to these developing communities — but until then, I want to keep learning how I can be a better servant leader!
What can we catch you doing outside of school and work?
I’ve always been interested in content creation! In my free time, I like to cover songs and write/perform spoken word poetry on my Instagram account. I’m hoping that one day I could perform a spoken word at a large conference or a Ted Talk!
Tell us about your favourite memory with Blueprint!
While I’ve had many memorable moments the past 2 years ranging from receiving positive feedback from users to successful launches, one memory that sticks out to me was when my team on The Pregnancy Centre project stayed up until 2 AM to finish a 1000-piece online puzzle. That might sound lame — but it’s really not! I promise! It was 5 hours of us just chatting about life, TV shows, Valorant, passions, anime, traveling, food, etc. I appreciated this moment a lot because it really showed me how vibrant, open, and fun Blueprint’s culture is!
