Life At Cadent Archives

Women’s History Month: Inspiring Inclusion

Posted on March 29, 2024March 29, 2024 by Christina Nuti

Check out the Q&A below to learn more about members of our women’s ERG, Women at Cadent. Each of these women bring important and diverse views, experiences, and expertise to the table, enriching our company culture towards equality and empowerment.

Heena Otia is a Senior Data Scientist on the SSP side for Aperture MX and has been at Cadent for about a year. Her job entails data modeling and forecasting using machine learning models to maximize revenue and optimize ad exchange services for ad traffic efficiency. She also focuses a lot on data analytics, extracting insights from real-time data to split the signal from the noise and translate value to business stakeholders.

How have you built confidence or resiliency throughout your career?

My mom is my biggest inspiration- a fearless woman herself, she always instilled a sense of confidence in me and made me dream to fly higher. I love this book called “Audacity to Be Queen” by Gina DeVee. I have learned to be a resilient person by looking at setbacks as another opportunity to jump higher. It’s how we react to adversity that determines our life story.

What women inspire you the most and why?

My biggest inspiration is Malala Yousafzai, she always advocates for women’s education rights. I find her journey so motivational, from being under fire to never stopping herself.
Nowadays, I seek inspiration from all the amazing moms out there who guide me on work/life balance, parenting (I have a 2-year-old, so please pass on all the toddler parenting advice!) and carving out a position for yourself in the industry. It can feel daunting at times, but the thought that keeps me going is, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my destination.”

What advice would you give to women navigating their careers within the advertising/ adtech industry?

We as women can uplift each other a lot by sharing our stories and networking. So far, networking and reaching out to people has been my mantra to seek interesting opportunities in my career. I never shy away from setting up quick Zoom chats with people from the industry or coworkers as well, now that most of the people are remote. I remember when I started in AdTech back in 2016, I didn’t know all the adtech lingo, but attending conferences, reading blogs, and networking helped me a lot.

Katie Adamcik is a Senior Scrum Master and has been at Cadent for about 1 year. Shes integrated with the Data Engineering teams to help run their day-to-day operations including tracking metrics and project progress, implementing process improvements, removing blockers, and ensuring they’re prepared for the upcoming planning cycle. I also lead our internal Agile metrics automation effort and work closely with the Audience and Identity teams to help instill best practices and provide coaching as needed.

How have you built confidence or resiliency throughout your career?

The most essential skill I’ve gained is how to effectively and regularly ask for feedback through check-ins with management and peers. While positive feedback is always nice – and a good confidence boost − critical feedback is where I find the most value. Constructive feedback provides concrete action steps to take which can lead to better work outcomes that maximize both your personal development and team value. Getting constructive criticism in a formal way can help you handle unexpected negative feedback and react rationally instead of emotionally.

What women inspire you the most and why?

Professionally, I’ve been inspired this past year by our own SVP Product, Management Marcy Pentoney! Not only is she an exceptionally strong and knowledgeable leader in our product organization who helps to drive the company and culture in a positive direction, but also manages to balance the demands of her senior role while still taking time to be very involved with her family. On the personal side, Dr. Jane Goodall has held my fascination since I was young (I even dressed up as her for a presentation in 8th grade!). She inspires me with her commitment to wild places and animals, and her radical change of how fieldwork had been done for decades.

What advice would you give to women navigating their careers within the advertising/ adtech industry?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! I knew nothing about the adtech industry before working at Cadent, and while there is plenty of material to read online, nothing gets you up to speed like the color and commentary that comes from a discussion with your peers or leaders. This is also true no matter how long you’ve been in the industry as consumer behaviors, new technology, and regulations are changing how we work at an ever-increasing pace.

Ayaka Hayashi is the Director of Product Marketing and has been at Cadent for almost 6 months. She is responsible for developing GTM strategies of products and solutions within the Activation pillar, working closely with cross-functional teams across the organization.

How have you built confidence or resiliency throughout your career?

I’ve grown more confident and resilient by embracing the feeling of discomfort in challenging environments, including working in Tokyo and New York. Adapting to new companies, teams, and cultures has taught me that discomfort can signal growth and learning and embracing this discomfort has been key to discovering new things about myself, organizations, and diverse cultures, turning challenges into opportunities for personal and professional development.

What women inspire you the most and why?

The women who have truly inspired me are those who embody their support for women through actions, not just words (they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk!). They have made time for me, offering guidance, mentorship, and a safe space to be authentic and feel valued. In leading by example with humility, positivity, and sometimes stepping back by offering me the space to be heard or speak up—these are the women who encouraged me to be confident and take pride in who I am.

What advice would you give to women navigating their careers within the advertising/ adtech industry?

1. Always remember, be your authentic self. Don’t worry too much about trying too hard to be too serious or too cookie-cutter perfect. Be silly sometimes!
2. Find the people who give you the space to fail and give you the guidance to learn from your mistakes.
3. Surround yourself with people and teams that help you grow. Be a cheerleader for people and find people who will do that for you.
4. Remember all the big and little things you’ve experienced from others—mirror the things you liked and be mindful of the things you didn’t.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Stephanie Hernandez

Posted on October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Stephanie Hernandez, an Associate Media Buyer, has been with Cadent since January of this year. Growing up in Westchester County, Stephanie later received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport. Prior to working at Cadent, Stephanie held positions at ICON International, Inc. And Canadian Media Sales.

To learn more about Stephanie, check out our Q&A below.

Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15th to October 15th and serves as a month to celebrate the history and diversity of Hispanic cultures. It invites us to remember all the contributions Hispanic, Latina/o/e/x, and Afro-Latina/o/e/x people made in the past and will continue to make in the future. This year’s theme, “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation,” encourages us to ensure that all voices are represented and welcomed to help build stronger communities and a stronger nation.

This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.

Tell us about your role at Cadent.

I’m currently an Associate Media Buyer for the Broadcast Department. My role is to construct TV media buys and send schedules to stations.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the Latino and Hispanic American communities.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

I’m either at the movie theater watching the latest film that came out or spending time at home with my husband and dog!

Are there any mentors or experiences that have shaped you – either professionally or personally?

Dr. A was the chair president of the Mass Communications department in my college. He always pushed me to be the best version of myself.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

I feel that food is the perfect example because we use food to celebrate and for comfort. Different foods evoke memories and emotions. Food can bring people together, in a community and also in the workplace.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

One Disney movie that I relate to is Coco. It speaks to my Mexican heritage and the traditions that we follow.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

There’s a solution to every problem, try your best not to stress, and enjoy the moment!

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Samuel Castillo

Posted on September 22, 2023October 6, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Samuel Castillo, a Media Assistant on the Media Buying team, has been with Cadent since August 2022. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Samuel attended NYU, receiving his BA in History. Prior to working at Cadent, Samuel spent several years working in art galleries, where he gained firsthand in marketing and business operations. To learn more about Samuel, check out our Q&A below.

Tell us about your role at Cadent.

As a Media Assistant, I assist Media Buyers in the scheduling and management of client orders and accounts. Eventually, I’ll grow into the role of a Buyer and handle my own accounts!

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

I appreciate how Hispanic Heritage Month enables people from different Hispanic and Latin cultures to celebrate their unique traits and values while connecting over unifiers such as language and food.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

Chowing down on a bowl of ramen downtown or shopping around St. Marks Place.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

In my opinion, transparency and acknowledgment. It is important to communicate changes and what they mean for everyone, whether the situation is good or bad.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

Junot Diaz was an important author during my formative years. Books like “Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” and “This is How You Lose Her,” helped me understand how to find balance between two cultures as an immigrant in the U.S. – by just being myself.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Ask questions and embrace the joy of learning and growing!

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Allison Coston

Posted on September 15, 2023September 27, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Allison Coston, a Senior Manager for Product Innovations, joined Cadent in March of this year. Growing up in Massachusetts, Allison attended Fitchburg State University and later earned her MBA in Information Systems at Fordham University. Prior to working at Cadent, Allison worked at AdTheorent as a product manager. Allison also served in the US Navy, specializing in ships’ radar, navigation, and communications equipment. To learn more about Allison, check out our Q&A below.

Tell us about your role at Cadent.

In my current role, I get to work across many teams such as with Sales, Marketing, and Product. Getting to collaborate with colleagues during the Product development Lifecycle keeps me excited and engaged at work. Working on go-to-market plans, client onboarding, and analysis of product usage are some of the highlights that keep my days interesting.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

I appreciate Hispanic Heritage Month because it dedicates time to celebrating, sharing, and learning more about different Hispanic cultures and traditions. There are more than 20 Latin American countries that have rich and diverse histories to explore.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

I love getting outside and being active! In the summer you can find me kayaking, biking, or hanging at the beach. In the winter, I’ll be in the mountains as often as time allows. I’m also a foodie who loves trying new restaurants and sharing a good meal with friends and family.

Are there any mentors or experiences that have shaped you – either professionally or personally?

Over the years, I have greatly benefited from formal and informal mentorship. I am always inspired by people who are authentic and true to their words. Honest leaders with a strong vision and willingness to support their teams are qualities I value in my mentors. A good sense of humor also goes a long way.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

Being in a workplace that values and celebrates the contributions of its employees is important. Additionally, I think it’s crucial for organizations to create space for their members to have opportunities to be open, curious, and learn from peers who have different backgrounds and perspectives than their own. Cadent’s ERGs are a great place to see these values implemented.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

There are so many talented Hispanic creators, that it’s hard to choose! Some of my favorite artists are Victoria Villasana (@villanaart) and José Parlá (@joseparla). I also love listening to Bachata and dancing to Salsa music — it’s nearly impossible to not have a great time!

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you need help or support, be open to receiving constructive feedback, and seek mentorship from people who inspire you.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Eleanor Andresen, Marketing Intern

Posted on September 6, 2023September 27, 2023 by Christina Nuti

Meet Eleanor Andresen — originally from Ridgefield, Connecticut. She currently attends the University of Miami with a major in communications studies and a minor in political science. Eleanor joined the Cadent team in the 2023 Summer Intern class as a Marketing Intern where she supported our marketing team by writing blog posts, conducting market research, and more! After she graduates, she mentioned she wants to use her communications degree to work in the entertainment industry. Recently, we sat down with Eleanor to learn more about her and her experience as an intern at Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I am a singer! I perform in an A Cappella group at the University of Miami and have spent most of my life taking voice lessons and performing.

Where can we find you if you’re not at work or school?

In my free time, I love traveling, trying new restaurants, catching up with my favorite TV shows, and spending time with friends.

What was your favorite project you worked on during your internship and why?

My favorite project this summer was our final project because it allowed me to see so many sides of the company and learn new things. We worked with the media planners to create media plans that suited our audiences, worked with the sales team to understand how to successfully pitch our ideas, and the marketing team assisted with presentation skills. It was extremely rewarding to receive valuable feedback from executives, and it felt like the best accomplishment to show at the end of my summer!

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

I didn’t know how much goes into the world of television advertising and AdTech overall. Everyone helped catch us up to speed, but in the beginning, there was definitely a learning curve.

What advice would you give to an incoming intern at Cadent?

Don’t be afraid to meet people from other teams and find ways to collaborate! Even though your internship is specialized, connecting with new colleagues is always possible.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Patrick Lucas, Sales Intern

Posted on September 6, 2023September 27, 2023 by Christina Nuti

Meet Patrick Lucas — born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California. He moved to New York City to attend NYU for his undergraduate degree and fell in love with the city. He joined Cadent as a Sales Intern in the summer of 2023 to support the sales organization. After he completed his internship, he mentioned how the experience was extremely helpful in preparing him for a full-time role. He plans to continue his career in advertising or media sales. Recently, we sat down with Patrick to learn more about him and his experience as an intern at Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

Following my graduation, I decided to take a gap year traveling across the U.S. in my car. I visited 38 states and I’m hoping to get to all 50!

Where can we find you if you’re not at work or school?

In my free time, you can find me running on the West Side Highway, cooking with friends, or playing pickleball. I did the NYC half marathon in March 2023, and I’m now training for the full 26-mile marathon.

What was your favorite project you worked on during your internship and why?

My favorite project I worked on during my internship was the final intern project. We were separated into two teams and created a full sales pitch presentation to a prospective client. The project pushed us to learn and put into action all aspects of the Cadent value proposition. It also was a fantastic way to learn as a team and a fun challenge to have a friendly competition with the other team.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

The summer interns were very fortunate to join the team at a pivotal part of the year for the industry. I wish I had done more research and had a better understanding of the TV advertising upfront prior to joining.

What advice would you give to an incoming intern at Cadent?

Cadent has a great team environment. Everyone here is committed to your growth and learning. Speak up and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Esha Nakodkar, Product Management Intern

Posted on September 6, 2023September 27, 2023 by Christina Nuti

Meet Esha Nakodkar — born in Philadelphia and raised in the Pennsylvania suburbs. As a senior student at Penn State University, she studies Information Sciences and Technology and Digital Media Trends and Analytics. Esha joined the team as a Product Management Intern and spent the summer learning the ins and outs of a Product Manager’s responsibilities at a company like Cadent. After she graduates, she mentioned wanting to explore the AdTech industry and find a CPG marketing or product management role. Recently, we sat down with Esha to learn more about her and her experience as an intern at Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I went vegan (and pescatarian) 3 years ago! In 2020, I started reading more about sustainability and the impact that the meat and dairy industry has on the environment. Based on my research, I decided to try going vegan for a few months. While being fully vegan was difficult to maintain as a college student, I could clearly notice the positive impact it had on my physical and mental well-being, and have been pescatarian and (mostly) dairy-free ever since! While it began as an effort to help the environment in my own small way, it allowed me to take a closer look at my lifestyle and made health and wellness a huge passion of mine.

Where can we find you if you’re not at work or school?

As an active member of my dance team, you can find me at dance practice most nights of the week dancing. I also like staying active by lifting at the gym and taking fitness classes. If all else fails, I can almost always be found cooking, shopping, or spending time with my friends.

What was your favorite project you worked on during your internship and why?

I spent most of my internship working with my manager to learn about the numerous responsibilities and projects of a Product Manager at Cadent. The tasks and meetings related to user experience (UX) and working with the design team were my favorites! It was a lot of fun looking at different interfaces for Aperture platform and finding simple but impactful ways to improve them. I also gained hands-on experience with Jira and Confluence exploring both platforms. Overall, my internship gave me valuable insight into what it means to be a successful Product Manager.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

I wish I had known more about AdTech to appreciate the Cadent company structure and purpose sooner. Luckily, my manager did a wonderful job of filling in any knowledge gaps and now I can confidently see myself returning to the AdTech industry.

What advice would you give to an incoming intern at Cadent?

Be sure to ask questions! The inner workings of AdTech are complicated and not easily understood from the outside looking in. Never feel bad about being confused or asking about something you don’t quite understand. And there is always something new to learn in every project and meeting no matter how small.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Annissa Mu, Frontend Engineering Intern

Posted on September 6, 2023September 27, 2023 by Christina Nuti

Meet Annissa Mu — a rising senior majoring in Computer Science and Environmental Studies at Wellesley College, MA. She joined Cadent as a Frontend Engineer Intern in the 2023 Summer Intern class and assisted in creating user interface (UI) components. In the future, she mentioned she’d love to get more experience in backend engineering and pursue a career path in full-stack development. Outside of work she enjoys dancing, playing video games, and crocheting. Recently, we sat down with Annissa to learn more about her and her experience as an intern at Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I’ve been a competitive tennis player since I was 12 years old and I’m now captain of the Wellesley College Women’s Varsity Tennis Team.

Where can we find you if you’re not at work or school?

You can find me training on the tennis court or practicing in the dance studio.

What was your favorite project you worked on during your internship and why?

During my internship, I created a proof of concept for a timeline UI component in Aperture Platform. The purpose of the timeline is to give users a better visualization of their traffic instructions within their ad campaign. I enjoyed working on this project because the feature could be implemented and positively impact many users. It was also the perfect project scale where I felt both accomplished and challenged!

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

I wish I knew more about source control since I’ve actually never had to do a collaborative project that required me to create branches, do merges, and pull requests. It would have saved me a lot of hassle.

What advice would you give to an incoming intern at Cadent?

When you start your internship, you’re going to feel overwhelmed and feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t panic, trust your own ability to learn, and ask questions! Managers don’t expect you to be an expert at your job right away, so don’t be worried if there’s something you don’t know.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Emily Toner, Advanced Reporting Manager

Posted on April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 by Cadent Staff

Meet Emily – a lifelong New Yorker, Emily attended Binghamton University where she received her degree in Financial Economics. After holding several sales roles at CBS, Emily found her way to Cadent. Joining the team as a Sales Planner in April 2019, she later pivoted to the data side of the house as a Sr. Media Analyst. Emily has been an Advanced Reporting Manager for over two years, and her colleagues can attest to her teamwork and invaluable contributions to Cadent’s platform business. When Emily is not supporting the Product Innovations team, you are most likely to find her spending time outdoors with friends or enjoying a meal at a new restaurant in NYC. Recently, we spoke with Emily to learn more about her role and experiences since joining Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

Henrik Lundqvist, the former goalie for the New York Rangers, tapped me on the shoulder in the Delta lounge at MSG and told me he liked my jersey – which was his 2012 Winter Classic Jersey. I cried since he is my all-time favorite player.

Where can we find you when you are not at work?

When I’m not working you can find me on the Upper East Side, usually walking the East River or in Central Park, or trying new restaurants around the city.

What is an organization or cause that’s important to you?

One of my best friends was diagnosed with cancer while we were in college, but she has now been cancer free for 6 years! She formed a Cycle for Survival team, Fight Like a Girl, and each year we raise money for rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering. To date, our team has raised over $87,000. This year we are doing two rides – one earlier this month and our second at the end of April, at Wollman Rink in Central Park. In 2021, to celebrate her five-year anniversary of being cancer free, she wanted to go sky diving, which is where the picture is from.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

The most interesting part of my job is that it’s always a puzzle. A big function of the Product Innovations team is nimble problem-solving. I can be working on a data processing issue with the engineering team at the beginning of the week, develop reporting solutions for a new client request in the middle of the week, and finish the week outlining a new product offering.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

Looking back, it would have been interesting to gain insight into how much my career path was going to evolve by joining Cadent. I started as a sales planner coming from a background of traditional TV buying on the Client Services team. I was then able to take what I was learning with Addressable TV reporting and pivot onto what was our Analytics team, which is where I discovered how much I enjoyed curating a story via data.

Since starting to work at Cadent, how has your view on TV changed?

Since starting at Cadent my view of the power of TV has changed. Coming from a traditional media background, I wasn’t exposed to the idea of the path of viewership leading to consumer actions. At Cadent, by overlaying data on TV buys, we are able to provide clients with deterministic findings that demonstrate the impact of their media. Seeing how data can be leveraged to highlight how consumer behavior is affected after ad exposure has been both eye-opening and fascinating.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Black History Month at Cadent: Visiting the African American Museum in Philadelphia

Posted on February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

February is Black History Month. Over the course of the month, Cadent has dedicated time to celebrating the accomplishments, stories, and legacies of those in the Black community. It is important to remember the efforts, events, and people that combated inequality and promoted success among Black Americans. This February also marks the first full year of Cadent’s Black employee resource group, the Black Employee Network (BEN)!

DiShawn Vance (left) and Khadijah Freeman (right) at the AAMP

Recently, members of the BEN team visited the African American Museum in Philadelphia to understand how it connects black history with the community. Below, Khadijah Freeman, Senior Support Analyst, and DiShawn Vance, Talent Acquisition Specialist share their reflection on the group’s experience at the museum.

Khadijah: I had a great day at the AAMP. The first thing that stood out to me was simply how much I didn’t know. Philadelphia has a rich history – one that goes far beyond William Penn, Independence Hall, and the Liberty Bell. While America was being formed in the 18th century, Philadelphia was the center of the abolitionist movement and had the largest free Black population.

It was powerful to see the virtual storytelling, as it evoked the deep emotion and excitement that you can’t always get from reading a page in a book.

We finished our visit by viewing the contemporary art display. I could look at this particular drawing (below) all day.

Charles Gaines’ “Falling Leaves,” 1979

Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I encourage all ‘Colors and Classes’ to visit.

DiShawn: My time in the museum ended up being more than just learning about some of the hardships Black people have endured – it was about resilience and inspiration.

I got to know about people like James Forten, an African American abolitionist and wealthy businessman in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born free in the city and became a sailmaker after the American Revolutionary War. It was said that the people of Philadelphia didn’t like him because he hired individuals of all races to work in his shop. He cared nothing about skin color, but instead focused on a person’s integrity and work ethic.

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was an American singer considered the best-known Black concert artist of her time. She was freed but went back to work for her mistress (slave owner’s wife) because it was the only life she’d known, but Elizabeth continued to entertain others through song. She went on to perform in front of large crowds. However, in some spaces, she’d tell her loved ones not to attend because they would be called slurs.

The Black History theme for 2023 is Resilience, and during the tour, I saw that throughout history, many people looked at Black people for what they could do for them rather than who they were. People in our community suffered from unfortunate situations yet despite these obstacles, they still chose to sing, paint, and educate themselves. They stayed resilient and built a culture around being themselves, continuing to look for something better for themselves and their families.

The museum shows a time-lapse of how we’ve evolved from belonging to someone to living for ourselves. The people of the Black community invented machines, technology, and hygiene products, as well as beautiful works of art, music, and more. It’s an inspiration to see how we stay humble and live in our truth. I learned that sometimes, you must go through painful situations to pave a way for those that come after you.

Learn more about life at Cadent.

Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science at Cadent

Posted on February 10, 2023February 15, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

“A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. Even though women have made tremendous progress toward increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.

On 14 March 2011, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted a report at its fifty-fifth session, with agreed conclusions on access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. On 20 December 2013, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on science, technology and innovation for development, in which it recognized that full and equal access to and participation in science, technology, and innovation for women and girls of all ages is imperative for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.”

– The United Nations

Yaminee Rajoria is a Software Engineering Manager who focuses on the Cadent Aperture Platform ad enablement tool. Her team develops the supply-side services that allow MVPDs to collaborate with programmers to deliver multiple television channels and alternate streams to households.

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

No, not really. During my childhood, the software engineering field was still nascent in India. However, my parents always believed that having a robust educational background in mathematics and the sciences was very important to our career growth as adults. As a result of which, they pushed me and my siblings to excel in school and aim to pursue higher education at the top schools in India. Ultimately, I graduated as an engineer in the field of computer science, during which I gradually accumulated interest and pursued a role in software development.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

Mostly through personal experience learning on the job. I picked up new technical skills by researching the topics on the internet and online training. But the learning was more efficient when I directly applied them at my work on a day-to-day basis. Another valuable resource was learning by observing my colleagues and some of my family members who are role models in their areas of work.

What advice do you have for other women interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

Care and empathy are natural attributes of women. And these attributes are essential to the healthy collaboration and innovation that a career in STEM demands daily. Many spoken and hidden biases in society affect the confidence of women, but I encourage them to trust their fundamental nature, be courageous to discuss them, build inner strength with every experience, and employ a data-oriented approach to conflict resolution and decision-making.

Dyandra Allen, an Associate Frontend Engineer, is responsible for designing and building websites and web applications with a focus on user experience.

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

Nope! When I was a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer because of the show, That’s So Raven. Later, in middle school, I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer. I didn’t imagine myself in a STEM-related career until high school. However, I jumped between my interests in forensics, biology, and chemistry before choosing computer science.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

While I was in college, I found it valuable to take advantage of all the available coding programs (as opposed to formal courses) – most of them I heard about through my school’s listserv. It was because of those programs that I decided to pursue CS as a career. I then took CodePath’s iOS development course, joined a Biomedical Engineering capstone project, and got a job as a web developer for my school’s Student Association. Nowadays, CodePath offers even more courses on topics like cybersecurity, web development, and technical interview prep. Also, this is frontend specific, but I found the Mozilla Development Network helpful for teaching me best practices (and it took me way too long to discover that site!).

What advice do you have for other women interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

The only person you need to compare yourself to is you. Focus on how you’re growing, and don’t worry about other people because we all walk different paths in life.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Meagan Thal, Director of Client Success

Posted on January 31, 2023February 17, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Meet Meagan – a Midwest native, Meagan graduated from Northern Illinois University and quickly began her career in data technology. During her tenure at Experian, Meagan excelled in a variety of roles including Project Specialist Consultant, Operations Manager, Solutions Architect, and most recently, Senior Product Manager. Meagan decided after nearly two decades at Experian to shift gears, joining Cadent last spring. Over the past year, Meagan has become an integral part of Cadent’s Platform team. In fact, she recently received our “Make Shift Happen” award, recognizing Cadent employees each quarter who are helping drive the company forward. When she is not supporting our platform client’s variety of needs, you will likely find her spending time with her friends and family. Recently, we spoke with Meagan to learn more about her role and experiences since joining Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

My husband and I decided we want to start traveling more, so we booked a family trip with our boys to Hawaii later this year. It’s something we have talked about for a long time and are finally making the time to go! Our good friends will be joining us while we explore the big island and take in the culture. Everyone is very excited.

Where can we find you when you are not at work?

When I’m not at work, I’m usually spending time with friends and family. My husband and I have two boys who are 8 and 10, so most of our time revolves around them. Living in the suburbs of Chicago, anytime the weather is decent enough to enjoy the outdoors, that’s where we’ll be. Our family spends most summer weekends at our shared lake house in Wisconsin. We have all sorts of water toys there, so we try to be on the water whenever possible. In the winter, it’s sledding and snowball fights as long as the windchill is above zero!

What’s a hobby you’re passionate about?

I’m not sure if it’s necessarily considered a “hobby,” but a group of us used to spend a lot of time watching our friends’ bands play live at local venues when we were younger. Listening to live music is just something I’ve always really enjoyed. I feel regardless of the mood you’re in, it has the power to make things better. Now that my children are getting older, we’re hoping to share those types of experiences with them. This past year, my husband and I were able to get out to a Foo Fighters concert in Milwaukee; and even took our kids to their first concert to see Imagine Dragons.

And in case you are wondering, I personally am not skilled at playing any instruments; however, we do have a bunch in our house (drums, a keyboard, guitars) in the hope that one day we’ll have time to take a lesson.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

The most interesting or valuable part of my job has always been the people. I often get asked why I spent so much of my career at one company prior to coming to Cadent. And to be honest, when you work with such amazing people – that believe in the same goal and encourage one another to grow and ask questions daily – it’s hard to walk away. I moved around a lot within the company and the exposure to working on or with groups such as operations, product, legal, finance, etc., as well as various clients, has allowed me to learn so much and better understand how each piece plays such a major role.

And now at Cadent, I can take that and apply that in a new way! I am empowered to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained over the years while learning new things that I didn’t have exposure to before. Every new beginning is scary and means putting yourself out there, but I find myself extremely lucky to again be surrounded by remarkable, strong teammates and clients that are supportive and aim to make an impact every step of the way. It’s people and opportunities like this that are the glue for companies that can genuinely say they care about the success of the business, employees, and clients within in the same breath.

Since starting to work at Cadent, how has your view on TV changed?

Being at Cadent, I’m gaining even more visibility into the TV landscape. From linear to addressable to CTV, it’s all here and I’m able to see it in action through the different ways our platform helps clients. With Cadent Aperture Platform and our Media Services, the buy-side of the TV marketing funnel is covered from planning to activation. We’re even helping enable measurement and bring it back full circle on a single ID spine. It’s just great to see it all come together in one company, so clients don’t have to bounce around and try to piece together their TV campaigns.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

I wish I would have known how welcomed I would feel joining the Cadent team and being part of a smaller company. There is a personal touch that you don’t necessarily have at a larger organization, and you can see the lengths they go to try to make it more like a family. Even being a remote employee, I have the opportunity to participate in different activities which have helped me to feel like I am a part of the company culture. It has really made this an easy adjustment and a positive experience.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Dom Williams, Associate Director of Advanced TV Solutions

Posted on December 13, 2022January 19, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Meet Dom – a born-and-raised New Yorker who has been with Cadent for nearly 1.5 years. Joining the team as a Sr. Solutions Strategist, Dom was recently promoted to Associate Director of Advanced TV Solutions where he now helps our clients develop the right strategies to achieve their business goals. Prior to Cadent, Dom worked at WarnerMedia as a part of Turner Ignite, supporting their Ad Innovation department, executing data-driven linear campaigns. Nowadays, when he’s not digging through crates of records, you can find Dom at one of the city’s many music venues. Earlier this month, we spoke with Dom to learn more about his role and experiences since joining Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I attended college at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where I worked at a radio station and hosted a weekly radio show. Through this experience, I got the chance to explore my passion for music, discovering new artists and genres. Sharing music with others is a huge interest of mine and my time at WXJM provided me with an outlet to do so.

Where can we find you when you are not at work?

I spend way too much time (and money) at record stores. Collecting vinyl records is one of my favorite hobbies, so you can find me digging through crates. I also love attending live concerts and exploring new music venues in NYC.

As we head into 2023, what is a goal you have for yourself?

I’m a proud Bronx native, born and raised! And as the son of Jamaican and Puerto Rican immigrants, Caribbean culture has been a major part of my life and background. One of my goals in 2023 is to read more novels written by Caribbean authors. Some of my favorite writers are Marlon James, Kei Miller, and Fernanda Melchor.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

Furthering my knowledge on the Advanced TV space and being able to be a partner with sales on best solutions for clients. Each day presents a different challenge, which is one of my favorite parts of this job.

Since starting to work at Cadent, how has your view on TV changed?

Prior to working in advertising, I didn’t realize how complex our industry is. With so many new ways to view and consume media today, we’re seeing how fragmented television viewership is, in real-time. It’s exciting to be a part of a team that is focused on innovative opportunities to best solve for these hurdles while continuing to learn about new ways to bring solutions to clients.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

One of the benefits of working at Cadent is that you have opportunities to gain hands-on experience in multiple aspects what we do. Being on a smaller team allows me to sit closer to the ins and outs of each campaign in a way that has been beneficial to expanding my knowledge of the advanced TV space.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Annie Bickel, Senior Director of Advanced TV Solutions

Posted on November 17, 2022November 17, 2022 by Aliana Heffernan

Meet Annie – a Midwest transplant, she left her home state of Iowa after college to pursue a career in advertising in New York City. Early in her career, Annie worked for GroupM (at MEC, now Wavemaker), in their national broadcast buying department, and later Starcom, as an Activation Associate. Annie would then take a role at CBS as an account service representative for primetime advertisers. Now, for over four years, Annie has been an integral part of Cadent as the company’s advanced TV solutions evolved. When she is not supporting the Advanced TV Solutions team, you’ll find Annie kayaking, DIYing, or wedding planning with her fiancé. Recently, we spoke with Annie to learn more about her role and experiences since joining Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I was born and raised in Iowa and grew up in a small rural community. Farming and agriculture have always played a big role in my life. I was the Vice President of my school’s FFA chapter and showed livestock when I was growing up.

Where can we find you when you are not at work?

This past June, my fiancé and I bought a house on Indian Lake in New Jersey! So, when I’m not working, I’m either kayaking and enjoying the lake, fixing up our house, or planning our wedding. Traveling home and spending time with my family is also one of my favorite ways to spend my time off.

You recently bought a new house, that’s exciting can you tell us a little more about it?

After moving to the city and living there for 12 years, I finally moved out to the ‘burbs! My home is on a private lake which has provided an amazing sense of community to us – especially considering we didn’t know anyone who lived there before we moved. The lake club organizes parties and fundraisers for the lake community, which has been a great way to get to know our neighbors and other community members. Everyone has been super friendly! It’s been a great transition which I’m very thankful for – so far, being a new homeowner has been very fulfilling.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

Working on the Advanced TV Solutions team requires a versatile set of skills; although our primary role is sales support, I love being able to help clients with their questions. I get to help them understand how they can leverage data and technology to better harness the power of audience targeting through television.

Since starting to work at Cadent, how has your view on TV changed?

Oh man, this is a tough one because it’s changed an incredible amount! My experience prior to working at Cadent had strictly been in linear television, so buying based on Nielsen demos. Since working here, I’ve been able to learn so much about data, targeting audiences, and measurement. Before, I never knew that, outside of ratings, there is tangible data that proves TV advertising works. I love that with addressable TV, for example, we can show the path a consumer takes from start to finish. For instance, a consumer views an ad, which triggers them to take action – whether that be to look online at a website, learn more about a specific product, or visit a brick-and-mortar store – and finally, that consumer makes a purchase – all of which can be measured. We have the data to show clients how their ad dollars and media campaigns are generating real results.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

Prior to working at Cadent, I worked at larger companies, like GroupM and CBS. It’s been exciting seeing just how much change and progress a smaller company can go through! I originally joined one2one media working on the addressable team. Since then, we’ve joined forces with Cadent and merged teams. I have also had the experience of working in several different capacities within the company, which is a luxury I don’t think many people get at larger companies.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Celebrating National STEM Day at Cadent

Posted on November 8, 2022September 6, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

According to the Census Bureau, there were +10.8 million workers in STEM occupations in 2019 – this means these professions account for nearly 7% of all workers in the U.S. STEM workers play a critical role in driving innovation as they include engineers, medical scientists, and informational security analysts. Yet despite making up almost half of the overall workforce, women are still significantly underrepresented in these fields.

National STEM Day takes place each year on November 8th to encourage kids to explore their interests in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (abbreviated to STEM or STEAM). To celebrate, Cadent spoke to several people in our Engineering and Data Analytics teams to learn more about their professional experiences and what advice they would offer to others interested in pursuing a career in STEM.

Darius Guillory, an Analytics Engineer, is responsible for developing cloud analytics solutions that are leveraged by our business to help develop innovative product offerings for our clients.

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

To be honest, I didn’t know that I wanted to work in a STEM-related role until after I graduated from college in 2014. I originally wanted to be an accountant… but that quickly changed when I became a financial auditor. Eventually, I left that job to enroll in a Master of Science program at Villanova University (Go Cats!). From there I learned various programming languages such as Python, Java, and R. I also learned Database Design, Data Modeling, and other technology-related concepts. The graduate program was challenging and fun, so I knew that STEM was the industry for me – I’m incredibly happy I made the switch!

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

I love community resources such as Stack Overflow and GitHub. I also read a lot of AWS documentation on their various cloud services. YouTube is another great resource when it comes to tutorial videos. I will have to say my favorite resources in building my career are my fellow colleagues! I have received so much help and guidance, from my peers and mentors, that has allowed me to succeed in my career.

What advice do you have for people interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

I will say that for the people who are interested in pursuing a career in STEM to have a researcher’s mindset. What I mean by that is to ask questions, never stop learning and to not be afraid to experiment and innovate.

Melissa Flores, an Associate Frontend Engineer, and former Cadent Intern, helps to build, enhance, and improve the user interface of Cadent’s platform applications.

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

I didn’t – I began my college career majoring in business. However, I soon realized that this field was not the right fit for me and started to explore other career paths. During this moment of my life, I felt lost and didn’t know what direction I would be headed. I only knew two things — that I loved creativity and innovation. From there, I spent days and nights exploring other potential professions, researching, and watching videos. That’s when I stumbled upon software engineering, and more specifically, frontend development. I was immediately captivated by this role’s combination of creativity and technology. Soon after, I declared my major in Computer Science and a minor in Graphic Design. My knowledge and education in these two areas helped me land a role in the STEM field.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

Some resources I found valuable are websites like Udemy, FreeCodeCamp, Stack Overflow and roadmap.sh – a website that provides roadmaps for a specific field, guiding new developers on what path to take. I also like to explore the internet to read blogs about recent tech developments and people sharing their firsthand experiences.

What advice do you have for people interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

Pursuing a career in STEM takes passion and grit. It’s important that you project these passions into learning new technologies, building or designing new projects. The journey to a career in STEM consists of many moments of doubt and struggle but having a dedicated support system will help you through. Build a strong network of people who will empower and lead you in the right direction is particularly important, especially if you are a woman in this male-dominant field. In terms of looking for jobs, go where you are valued and identify your mentors and role models. Lastly, recognize that failure is a step forward, not backwards! It is a necessary part of the journey, helping you improve and become better at your craft. And while you apply these tips, don’t forget to take care and be kind to yourself! At the end of the day, your wellbeing is what matters the most. Trust in yourself and your desire to make a difference in this world.

Stephen DeFusco, a Data Architect, works on a team that focuses on solving big data and big data processing problems in the cloud. In his previous role at Cadent, Stephen was a software engineer, building software and databases still used throughout the organization today.

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

In high school, physics and mathematics were by far my best subjects, and teachers encouraged me to take computer programming courses. It took two programming courses in basic and visual basic (in 1999, mind you) for me to decide that a career in computer science was for me! I appreciated the fact that there were many ways to solve programming problems and that there was a bit of an art to it. I was genuinely interested in understanding how things worked, much like someone taking apart an electronic device to see what’s inside or building a computer from scratch.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

Experience in solving real world problems was a major factor in my growth as a programmer. For younger people, I would highly recommend things like coding camps or robotics camps. For those entering college, having an internship or co-op where you apply the theories you’re learning in school was most valuable for me. Other helpful resources were websites sharing knowledge and techniques about programming patterns like codeproject.com.

What advice do you have for people interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

Do as much research as you can about a career you think you might be interested in. Then, do your best to find a friend, family member, or acquaintance currently in that career who can talk to you about their job. Try to understand their day to day, the tools they use, the problems they solve, and simply get a feel for it. Try and work in your field while in school whenever you can – like I mentioned before, internships and co-ops are great experiences, but pet projects can broaden your understanding, too. Fully dedicate yourself to school and learn as much as possible while you’re there. It can be a competitive field, so aim to separate yourself from the pack.

Tien Nguyen, a Software Engineer, supports front-end development for our Unified Creative team. Tien is a former intern that has been with Cadent full-time for over a year and was recently promoted!

Did you always know you wanted to work in a STEM-related role?

I always knew that I wanted to do something within STEM, just didn’t know what. When I took a CS course in High school, that was when I was confident that I wanted to pursue CS.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

Some resources that I found valuable were just networking with people who worked in this field. It was helpful to hear about the experiences of those already in the industry. Also take advantage of the school career fairs. There are a bunch of companies looking for interns or new hires – that is how I got my start at Cadent!

What advice do you have for people interested in pursuing a career in STEM?

Having a career in STEM can be rewarding, but it can easily lead to burn out. To avoid this, make sure you enjoy what you are doing.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Sergio Flores

Posted on October 14, 2022February 15, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Sergio Flores, Sales Planner for our cable division, has been with Cadent for less than a year and has already started to make an impact. Starting a new job while most of the team was remote was no small task, but Sergio took It upon himself to build connections with his coworkers. To learn more about Sergio, check out our Q&A below.

This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.

Tell us about your role.

I work on the cable side of Cadent as a Sales Planner. I assist Account Executives with building linear TV plans for the agencies they work with. In my day-to-day work, I also help with reporting, invoicing, and communicating campaign information to the agencies. I’ve been at Cadent for 9 months and have learned so much in a short period of time. It’s been an amazing experience getting to work alongside people with so much experience and knowledge, it’s something that genuinely excites me.

What has been your career journey?

My career journey has been like a road trip – multiple stops and many bumps along the way, but thankfully, I eventually found the path that I’m on today. I’ve done everything from work as a shift supervisor at Starbucks to construction, to hotel front desk reception, to cold calling. Most recently, I worked at Yelp and was able to get my foot in the door as a sales assistant for direct response campaigns. Early in my career, I didn’t yet understand why I had to go through the challenges I experienced while trying to establish my career. I thought, ‘If I have my college degree, that should be enough to secure a job in the field I want,” but I quickly learned, it’s not that simple. Now that I’m older, I can appreciate that each opportunity helped me become who I am today.

Are there any mentors or experiences that have shaped you – either professionally or personally?

I have been blessed to have had people in my life that have taken me under their wing and have provided advice, opportunities, hard truths, and an example of where hard work can take you. Two people that come to mind are my mom and my dad. I am a first generation American – my mom and dad came to the U.S. from Mexico at a young age. Seeing them maneuver through all the trials and tribulations of life with minimal resources or support, traversing life in a country that was foreign to them, showed me that if you want something and you work hard, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. Seeing my parents’ journey allowed me to understand that no hurdle is too high and that excuses are not an option. That go-getter mentality has helped me make strides in my career and pushes me to continue to be better every day.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

During the week, you’ll most likely find me at the gym. On the weekends, I’ll be walking around the city with my headphones in – and maybe a shopping bag or two. I love New York and try to experience any new restaurant, bar, or outdoor activity I can. One of my favorite things to do if I had a stressful day or week is throw on some music and walk along the water, here in Manhattan. It is something I used to do when I was struggling with something, and I continue to do it to keep me grounded and remind me of how far I have come.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a beautiful way to honor my heritage, my family and our journey. It also allows us to show all Latinos/Latinas growing up in America that we are here, we are an important part in American culture, and we deserve to be represented and acknowledged.

In Hispanic households, we carry our heritage with pride, but one thing I notice is that as we continue to grow and immerse ourselves in American culture, we can forget or lose some of the traditions and values that make us unique. I think Hispanic Heritage month gives us a chance to reconnect and feel proud of who we are and where we come from.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

What helps foster a culture of inclusion is taking the time to get to know one another, regardless of whether they speak a different language, eat different foods, or listen to music that is different than you. I think if more of us take the time to truly understand the person next to us, we’ll realize that we might look or sound different, but ultimately, the values instilled in us by our families and communities are often the same. I was brought up on a foundation of respect, family, and togetherness, which are pillars that can be found in many people’s upbringing, regardless of their background.

Cadent choosing to highlight something like Hispanic Heritage Month, by bringing in speakers that we can relate to, and even publishing this blog series, is an amazing step in the right direction. It’s about conversation and opening the opportunity to ask questions, even if it’s uncomfortable. Ultimately, if we can make space for those conversations to be had, the next steps are to create solutions and take action. In the short time that I have been working here, Cadent has done a great job of fostering those conversations.

What challenges do you feel are faced by the Hispanic, Latina/o/e/x, and Afro-Latina/o/e/x communities in the U.S. today and what growth do you hope to see in the future?

One of the challenges that is still being faced by Hispanic and Latino people in these communities is that there are lingering misconceptions – especially in the workplace. There are pre-conceived notions about Hispanics and Latinos, and the types of work they should be doing. For instance, when I talk to my family and friends about what I do – working in an office in Manhattan – it’s like I’m this big, important person, and it’s because they grew up believing that they can’t possibly ‘make it.’ The idea of working at an office with benefits, time off, and other things like that, seems so distant.

In the Hispanic and Latino community, we don’t always have time to wait for the right job. Many of us have families of our own at a younger age, or have parents, grandparents, or siblings we need to take care of. In that situation, the one thing on our mind is survival – ‘How am I going to pay rent or buy groceries this month?’ Basically, our whole lives, we’ve been told that there’s one way to work and that’s at 100 MPH for 40, 50, 60 hours a week. It’s because of this mentality that we tend to sell ourselves short and miss certain job opportunities.

What I hope to see in the future is more Hispanics and Latinos/Latinas breaking out of the bubble and challenging themselves to grow in a field they are passionate about. The more examples there are of what we can accomplish, the more the message will spread. I am always in awe of how much we can accomplish with so little, but I still hope that as time goes on, more opportunities will open.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

One of my proudest moments at Cadent has been being able to connect with my coworkers and earning their trust and respect as a professional. When I first got here, I put pressure on myself to prove my worth so that the company felt like they made the right decision in hiring me. I’m not going to lie – I was nervous at first. Like others with a similar background, being a first-generation Mexican American, I had a chip on my shoulder and felt I had to work 10 times harder so I wouldn’t look bad and wouldn’t make our people look bad.

It’s something I’ve talked about with other people who feel like me. The idea that I’m not only representing myself when I come into work, but that I also represent my family, other Mexican Americans, and even more broadly, all Hispanics and Latinos/Latinas who are trying to make it in the corporate world. I would never want to leave a bad impression of myself or them, so I work to show that we can do just as good a job as anyone else and that more of us should be welcome in professional environments.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

I like this question because I truly wish I could go back and tell 21- or 22-year-old Sergio that everything is going to turn out fine! But, to those who are on the same journey I was on just a few years ago, I would tell them to enjoy it – as hard as it may be – and that one day you’ll appreciate these experiences because they have helped you get to where you want to be. I truly believe that if it were not for those early trials and tribulations, the frustrations, the pressure put on me to ‘make it,’ I wouldn’t be who I am today. I also may not have valued the opportunities given to me as much as I do now.

My advice would be to keep challenging yourself, don’t be afraid of being uncomfortable, and don’t be afraid to ask someone for help! For so long, I was so focused on doing it all on my own that I failed to realize that I had people in my corner, ready to help me out when I needed it.

‘Look at all we are able to accomplish with so little,’ is a thought that drives me to not give up. My hope for the next generation is that career opportunities come in abundance and resources to help them get there will be more readily available.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Bernardo de la Cruz

Posted on October 7, 2022February 15, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Bernardo de la Cruz, Manager of Service and Support for IT joined Cadent in 2018. Over the last four years, Bernardo has established himself as not only a key member of the IT team, but of Cadent as a whole, helping all our employees with their work equipment and software needs. To learn more about Bernardo, check out our Q&A below.

Tell us about your role.

I’m currently the Service and Support Manager for the IT Department. My role is to make sure incoming incidents and requests are answered and resolved in a timely manner and to help improve our support services.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

I’m either cooking at home or on my way to one of my go-to restaurants… But, if it’s not food related, I’m taking a walk or just spending time at home.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

This month represents a time of reflection for me. I am reminded that I am here as a result of the hard work of those who came before me. The impact the Hispanic American community has in this country is very clear, and we are reminded of it daily – although we may not always realize it.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

Paulo Coelho’s books have had a big influence on me – I only wish I had started reading his works sooner to get that bit of inspiration that has since helped me pursue my career.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

For me, food is a driving force for cultural inclusion. Wanting to experience different cuisines, I have an open mind about others and where they’re from. Where would New York be without its diverse restaurant options? It’s one of the only places in the world where you can go to one restaurant a day, for the rest of your life, and still not have visited all of them.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

My job is heavily focused on customer service, so getting to know almost everyone at Cadent is something that makes me proud. It’s important for me to speak with and help as many people as possible, and make sure that they know my team is here to help them.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Don’t sweat the small details, follow your gut, and write everything down – everything you learn to do, every way to fix any number of problems, or who manages/supports a particular item. Also, a bit of empathy goes a long way. Someone else’s success may seem out of reach, but that’s only because you don’t know the circumstances that allowed them to get there. Yours will be different.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: Brett Sanderson, Senior Director of Product Marketing

Posted on October 4, 2022October 4, 2022 by Aliana Heffernan

Meet Brett – a New Jersey native, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and quickly jumped into a career in advertising. Early on, Brett worked at digital agencies producing innovative campaigns for Oreo, Comcast, American Express, and more. After several years in the agency world, Brett moved over to the digital adtech space to begin his product marketing career, working on solutions including programmatic buying, ad serving, and creative personalization. For over four years, Brett has led various product go-to-market initiatives for the Cadent marketing team, focusing on data-driven solutions. When he is not crafting positioning and messaging for the platform sales team, you will likely find Brett spending time with his dog, Bodie – an Australian Shepherd, watching a Yankees, Jets, or Knicks game, or testing a newly discovered recipe. Recently, we spoke with Brett to learn more about his role and experiences since joining Cadent.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve taken my cooking game to the next level, and it has been a lot of fun to try out recipes from different cultures. I love building my spice collection and experimenting with new combinations of flavors.

Where can we find you when you are not at work?

I really enjoy seeing concerts and live music, and spending time with my girlfriend and our Australian Shepherd, Bodie. We live in Brooklyn and love to travel, especially for active getaways like hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

You are a sports fan and recently revived your childhood hobby of collecting sports cards – can you tell us a bit about that?

Like many people, during the early days of the pandemic, I spent more time at my parent’s house, and one afternoon while helping to clean the basement, I rediscovered my old sports card collection. When “The Last Dance” series aired, detailing Michael Jordan’s career, it was a spark of nostalgia, and Jordan’s cards were among the first to spike in value – from there, everything else took off. I’ve always found the hobby to be an incredibly interesting mix of sports, collecting, business, and investing. Today, there are many innovative companies in the space leveraging data and technology to drive it forward, including our great partner, Fanatics.

What is the most interesting part of your job?

I truly enjoy working with and learning from all the smart, talented folks at Cadent. Product marketing is such a cross-functional discipline, which means I get to work with all our teams to develop and execute our go-to-market strategy – from product to sales, to data science, and more.

Since starting to work at Cadent, how has your view on TV changed?

The adoption of advanced TV has accelerated significantly during the past 4+ years I’ve worked at Cadent. Seeing the TV industry embracing data-driven methodologies to reach target audiences and close the loop with attribution has been exciting.

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent?

Given my background in digital adtech and digital production, I certainly had a lot to learn about the TV ad industry before joining Cadent. With the continued convergence of video, being well-versed in both TV and digital is critical knowledge to be a well-rounded marketing/advertising professional.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Jake Cordero

Posted on September 29, 2022February 15, 2023 by Aliana Heffernan

Jake Cordero, a Media Analyst for Broadcast Operations, joined Cadent just last month but has already become an integral member of the team. This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them. To learn more about Jake, check out our Q&A below.

What has your career journey been?

My career journey has been a fun and exciting one! I began working for Univision in the Local Traffic Department, working in various other departments as the years went on. My favorite part was working with our promotions team and going to all the fun events where we interacted with the community. I joined Cadent in August of this year, so I look forward to seeing where this role takes me.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Hispanic Heritage month is a good time to remember and acknowledge all the accomplishments of our ancestors and how they helped shape this nation. It is also a great time to be thankful we live in a country where we can speak our language, practice our traditions, and celebrate our differences. Hispanics do not have one culture, we are a community of many different traditions, and we should celebrate them all.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

Treating everyone with respect and acknowledging our differences but ultimately understanding, we have more in common than we think.

What challenges do you feel are faced by the Hispanic, Latina/o/e/x, and Afro-Latina/o/e/x communities in the U.S. today and what growth do you hope to see in the future?

Everyone has challenges and Hispanic Americans are no different. What concerns us is very similar to what concerns most American – the economy, the rising cost of higher education, our health, equality, and most importantly, in my opinion, opportunity. However, Hispanic Americans have always proven to be an active, important part of our society and I hope that continues with the next generation.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

I would encourage my younger self to learn more about personal finances. U.S.-born Hispanics still have an 11-percentage-point gap in financial literacy compared to non-Hispanic whites. Learning the consequences of debt, the importance of saving, and even the impact of something as simple as a budget could have helped me tremendously in my younger years.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Sofia Poonawala, Senior UX Designer

Posted on March 18, 2022February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements across different careers and spheres of life.

Now more than ever, women are forging paths in a variety of once male-dominated fields, including ad tech. These trailblazers are sparking conversations around critical issues to the empowerment of women at work, including opening doors and access for women early in their careers so they can progress to C-suite, supporting women to choose and stay with STEM careers, and helping women achieve a work-life balance.

This month at Cadent, we’re profiling women who are leaders in their departments, asking about their career journeys, the importance of Women’s History Month, and what advice they would give to women entering the workforce.

For over two years, Sofia Poonawala has been a dedicated member of Cadent’s user experience team as a Senior UX Designer. After graduating from McGill University with a degree in Environmental Science & Politics, Sofia explored a career in the financial services sector. Realizing her passion for design, Sofia decided to take a General Assembly course in user experience, followed by a continuing education program at the School of Visual Arts. From there, Sofia began her career as a UX designer, ultimately making her way to Cadent! When she’s not at work, you can find Sofia exploring the city or finding new recipes to test with her Instant Pot.

To learn more about Sofia, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role.

As a designer, my job is to understand our users and figure out how to make their lives better. At Cadent, I work with the Addressable TV and DSP teams to make our products easier to use. I’m also working on our design system, which unifies all our products.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

You can find me trying new recipes in my Instant Pot (ideally, anything with sundried tomatoes or sumac), meeting up with friends for lavender lattes, propagating plants, or scoping out a used bookstore.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

I think Women’s History Month is significant because like other celebrated days and months, it is the first step. It’s great to celebrate, but it’s even better to take action around advancing equality – for not just women, but all genders, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations.

UN Women does a great job of listing some of the things that contribute to an equal work culture like unified parental leave policies (that offer paid leave to both parents) and work reintegration programs. Both are important ways organizations can level the playing field for women.

When I think of Women’s History Month, I am reminded of this quote from Audre Lord, “I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”

Are there any resources you have found valuable while building your career?

Ladies Get Paid, a free Slack channel, has been enormously helpful! I’ve also enjoyed the Hue Slack channel and Tech Ladies group.

What advice do you have for women starting out in a STEM role?

It’s okay to not know everything and to ask questions. It’s okay to say no, that you don’t have the bandwidth for something – I still struggle with this sometimes. Community is very important, so find people who are willing to chat and mentor you. This can be through Slack groups, co-workers – ask around! I’m so grateful for all the women who went out for coffee with me and shared resources when I was just starting out.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Bonnie Fisher, VP, New York Sales Lead

Posted on March 11, 2022February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements across different careers and spheres of life.

Bonnie Fisher, VP, New York Sales Lead, has been with Cadent for over five years and has seen both the company and TV advertising industry through some major changes! A native New Yorker, after graduating from Brooklyn College, Bonnie jumped right into the world of TV. Her previous positions include roles at CNN, TV Guide Network, and NBCUniversal’s Syfy channel. Always ready to tackle a new challenge, Bonnie was recently promoted from a Senior Account Executive to her current role as a VP.

To learn more about Bonnie, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role.

I am in a new role on the sales team! I’m now leading New York sales and couldn’t be more excited to tackle my new priorities with the hardest working team I’ve ever come across.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

On the weekends, I am on the soccer field or basketball court, watching my kids play.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

Women’s History Month is important to me because I can show my daughter all the amazing, fearless women who have paved the way for us to succeed, live in equality, and showcase our talents freely.

Are there any resources you have found valuable while building your career?

The resources I have found most helpful are my mentors and the ability to network. I am fortunate to have met incredibly generous people along the way who helped guide me through my career by giving me great advice and teaching me important life lessons. I highly recommend for everyone to network at every stage of their career – meeting people and learning from them provides perspective and helps us grow.

What advice do you have for women starting their careers?

My advice to anyone starting their career is to find your passion and stick with it. It’s important to follow your gut, trust your instincts, and stand up for what feels right. I’d also recommend learning the art of assertive communication, so your voice is heard in an impactful way.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Nawal Kabir, UX Designer

Posted on March 4, 2022February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements across different careers and spheres of life.

Nawal Kabir, a UX Designer, has been a part of our team for just 6 months but has already immersed herself in Cadent’s company culture! After graduating from Hunter College, Nawal initially pursued a career in teaching. However, after a few years and a 10-week UX bootcamp, she shifted gears and began working in user experience design. When she’s not at work, you can catch Nawal focusing on her side hustle, creating paintings and prints.

To learn more about Nawal, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role.

As a User Experience Designer, I’m focused on all aspects of Cadent’s products’ development, including research, usability, functionality, and visual design. This can mean either working on feature integrations for existing products or building out new products while working with fellow designers, product managers, and developers to ensure our end users are having the best experience while using Cadent’s products.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

I love taking time to do little things that bring me a lot of joy, so you would either find me painting, working on setting up my online art shop to sell my paintings and art prints, catching up on my never-ending list of books I want to read or at brunch with my friends! I also love visiting museums and art galleries.

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

Women’s History Month is so important to me because it allows us all to take time to recognize, highlight and celebrate the achievements of women across time and space. I think it’s especially important to do this in the tech space where women are underrepresented and I love that Cadent is amplifying women’s voices and experiences during this month through their blog posts, speaker events, and showcasing examples of female leadership at Cadent!

Are there any resources you have found valuable while building your career?

I transitioned into tech from teaching after attending the User Experience bootcamp at General Assembly, so for me, they were the biggest resource as I landed my first contract role through my GA connections. The design peers I met through GA were a huge source of help for me as well since everyone looked out for each other when it came to job-hunting or fixing our portfolios. I would also highly recommend using LinkedIn to reach out to people in the field to learn more about their experiences and build connections and utilize online resources such as courses on Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, etc., to learn more about UX. This is a bit untraditional, but one thing that really helped me tackle the start of my UX career was watching various UX Designers on YouTube & applying their advice to my own experience.

What advice do you have for women starting out in a STEM role?

My biggest advice for women starting out in STEM roles would be to believe in themselves and their abilities! The fact that you’re in the room means you’re qualified to be there so there’s no need to second-guess yourself. Oftentimes I’ve seen women fall prey to imposter syndrome when they’re just starting out (and even when they’re not starting out) but it’s so crucial to have confidence in yourself, and it’s also important to find the right balance between being confident and being open to feedback. I’ve found that being receptive to feedback always leads to growth.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Black History Month at Cadent: DiShawn Vance

Posted on February 24, 2022February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

February is Black History Month – a time dedicated to celebrating, recognizing, and remembering the achievements of the Black community in America. According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, this year’s theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” was selected because it “acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora.”

This Black History Month is especially significant because it marks the first in which Cadent has the Black Employees Network to lead the way in planning and organizing events to commemorate the heritage of Black Americans. As a part of our celebrations, we spoke with some of our Black colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Black History Month means to them.

DiShawn Vance, Broadcast Operations Specialist, has worked at Cadent for less than a year and has already made a major impact! As one of the co-leaders of Cadent’s Black Employees Network (BEN), DiShawn has helped coordinate several company-wide events including a Virtual Open Mic Night and Soul Food luncheon.

To learn more about DiShawn, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role:

As a Broadcast Operations Specialist, it is my job to analyze the commercials that ran for an account and ensure they ran properly.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?

My favorite thing to do when not at work is thrifting for clothes and bags or watching movies and shows with dark humor.

Are there any mentors or experiences that shaped your career?

There has been a slew of people in my life who helped me understand what it is that I want to do and how to get there. Most important among those people is my mother. She’s only had a couple of career changes in her life but in the last five years, she has started three businesses, finding ways to pursue her passions. She created a non-profit, made her own candles, and became a certified yoga instructor. She has been featured in television shows, newspapers, and radio. All this to say that she showed me you should go for whatever you are passionate about. Many people get comfortable being in one position and then find themselves in a rut. I was shy about applying to places like Cadent because I thought, “what if I’m not good enough?” My mother taught me to just be myself, do what I love, and the rest would fall into place. I am still learning and growing, but powerful people like herself have helped me see that I can only go up from here.

What does Black History Month mean to you and how are you planning to celebrate this year?

Black History Month means Black people are here to take up space. Black people are often overlooked when it comes to jobs, sparking ideas, and inventing new products, so it’s important for others to see that we are creative, intelligent, fun-loving thinkers. I feel like BHM gives us an opportunity to remind everyone of our impact on society and culture. My plans to celebrate involve helping lead Cadent’s Black Employee Network (BEN), an employee resource group (ERG). Outside of Cadent, I’ve used this time to brush up on some facts that I may have forgotten over the years. I will finally be watching ‘When They See Us’ – the true story based on five Black teenagers falsely accused of a vicious attack in New York City. I haven’t yet watched it because I knew it would stick with me emotionally, but their story is real and horrific things like what they experience are still happening today. I’ll also be taking the time to read, watch and listen to some of the suggestions that my peers have sent me for music, books, podcasts, etc. Ultimately, I want to make sure that BHM continues and doesn’t ‘end’ when the shortest month of the year ends.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, art, or music made by Black creators?

A couple of my favorite movies are Love Jones, directed by Theodore Witcher, and The Wood, directed by Rick Famuyiwa – I am a sucker for a good love story. Musically, I love SZA. She is my favorite artist and I’ve been listening to her for more than seven years. I love and relate so closely to all the things she sings about. As far as art goes, I’ll always love Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, some of the most amazing pieces I’ve seen recently come from Black creators on Instagram. It’s incredible when you can see and feel the emotion – and hard work! – put into a piece of art. I stumbled on a post from @thegrnwood of a man illuminated by the night sky and thought it’s beautiful when something so simple can make you experience different feelings or ideas.

This year, ASALH’s Black History Month theme is “Black Health and Wellness.” Can you tell us what “Black Health and Wellness” mean to you?

I love this theme because for so many years, in the Black community, therapy has been looked down – as something meant for ‘crazy’ people. In actuality, wellness means so many different things. I can go on and on about it, but some key things I want to point out are, first: representation is important. Black doctors, therapists, interns, should all be within reach. Children should feel empowered to dream big, our elders should feel comfortable sharing personal experiences about their health and bodies. Everyone deserves to be heard and understood when they need it most. Secondly, self-love can make or break your day. A sour interaction can make you feel like a dark cloud is hanging over your head, but if you spend time doing one of your favorite things, or reflecting, or just getting some sunshine – it can make all the difference.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

It begins with a willingness to listen and learn about cultures and life experiences that aren’t your own. I also believe that there must be a friendly invitation. It’s simple, but for people to say, “Everyone is welcome,” or, “I think this meeting would be better if you were a part of it,” makes a difference. Overall, friendliness and genuine interest can go a long way.

I think when people know what they’re getting themselves into, it’s less frightening for them. When someone doesn’t understand something, it becomes intimidating. For example, when we say we’re having an interest meeting for the Black Employee Network, it can sound like this is a meeting for only Black employees and others may not feel comfortable attending. We made sure to let people know this is a group designed to be a safe space for Black employees, but we want to share our culture with you, we want to build allyship within the company, and we want others to know this is a peaceful place for everyone to gather and learn something new. Sharing the full scope of our goals is why we could have such an amazing turnout as we did for the Open Mic.

If you could have dinner with any important Black-figure – a civil rights pioneer, politician, musician, artist, author, activist, etc. – living or dead, who would it be and why?

This is a hard question for me because of the saying, “never meet your heroes” – I once met an artist I liked in person, and let’s just say, I wish I hadn’t. But, if I did pick someone, it would be Teyana Taylor, the model, actress, director, and dancer. I think dinner would be too formal and I’d be too shy to ask any hard-hitting questions, so instead, I’d want to have brunch at her Atlanta home. I feel as though it would be easier to build a connection in a more comfortable setting. In talking with her, I’d want to hear about her experience, chasing her dreams and defying norms, all while staying true to herself. Also, I’d like to learn how she knows when it’s time to take a break! As Black people, we often try so hard to prove ourselves to others that we need to realize that it’s okay to slow down sometimes.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

My proudest moment at Cadent was being able to share some of my poetry for our Open Mic. Almost one hundred people joined over Zoom, so it was an amazing experience to allow my colleagues to see a very different, vulnerable side of me – while also educating, entertaining, and simply expressing myself. I’m so happy to be part of a company that is open to listening and sharing with one another.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

To a younger version of myself, I would say that there is no need to dilute your personality or who you truly are just to fit in. That there is a way to be professional and not lose who you are in the process. It’s also important to go for the opportunities you deserve. It’s not enough to dream about being successful – you must be willing to go out and take risks. The people that we celebrate during BHM are those that carried this advice with them.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science with Lauren Koslov

Posted on February 11, 2022February 23, 2022 by Cadent Staff

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Observed annually on February 11^th, this day was declared by the UN in 2015 in an effort to “achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further, achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” To celebrate, Cadent reached out to women in our engineering departments, asking about their career journeys and what advice they would give to other women interested in pursuing a role in STEM-related fields.

Lauren Koslov, a Sr. Frontend Engineer on our IT Engineering team, has followed an unconventional professional journey. Beginning her career in business development after studying economics, Lauren later decided to switch careers and pursue her passion for coding. Since joining Cadent two and a half years ago, she’s continued to carve her own path as an engineer.

Read our Q&A with Lauren below to learn more about her experiences as a woman in engineering and where she goes to build on her technical knowledge.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role – can you describe your average workday?

As the Sr. Frontend Engineer on the Broadcast team, my day consists of several different tasks. Every day starts out with scrum (scrum is basically a meeting where you discuss what you worked on yesterday, what you will work on today, and if you have any blockers). After that, I spend time working on stories. Stories contain a feature that you code to spec based on acceptance criteria set by Product. I then have office hours to help other frontend engineers on the Broadcast team with anything they need. The rest of the day is pretty up in the air, ranging from meetings with Product and QA to planning and grooming. I also set aside at least one hour per week for online learning to continue to improve and keep up to date with the quickly ever-changing frontend.

Did you always have a clear vision for your career?

I have always wanted to be a software engineer, but for several reasons, I decided to go a different route in college. Post-college, and prior to being an engineer, I worked in sales, product, and business development. While I still wish I went straight into engineering, working in other departments allowed me to better understand the vision required in product and to be able to effectively communicate with others from sales.

Women are still greatly underrepresented in the STEM field. Has being a woman engineer posed any challenges?

Being a woman engineer has posed challenges and I know I am not alone with stories that I could share. However, my passion for engineering has never wavered. I continuously work to improve my knowledge and skillset, and I’ve learned it is important to find peers, mentors, and a company that share that mentality.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

I attended a bootcamp (shout out to Flatiron School!) which gave me the skillset and knowledge to become an engineer. That bootcamp was the most valuable resource as I received my first contract role through their network. As a bootcamp grad, it can be difficult to apply for jobs because you lack a CS background. I highly recommend using sites like Codewars to prepare for technical interviews. To improve your knowledge in general, there are a ton of great courses on Udemy .

What advice do you have for women starting out in a STEM role?

My biggest piece of advice is to work hard and not give up – imposter syndrome is real. Never be afraid to ask questions, but ask them after you’ve done your research. With that, you’ll either solve your problem or collect enough information to accurately articulate what you know and what you are struggling to understand.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science with Shubhra Goel

Posted on February 11, 2022February 23, 2022 by Cadent Staff

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Observed annually on February 11^th, this day was declared by the UN in 2015 in an effort to “achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further, achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” To celebrate, Cadent reached out to women in our engineering departments, asking about their career journeys and what advice they would give to other women interested in pursuing a role in STEM-related fields.

Shubhra Goel, a Lead Software Engineer on our IT Engineering team, has had a deep interest in math and science since she was a child. After immigrating to the U.S. mid-degree, Shubhra ultimately earned her Master of Computer Science. As a software engineer, she finds herself always learning, eager to understand the latest technology or develop new skills.

Read our Q&A with Shubhra below to learn more about her path to software engineering and the ad tech space, as well as her recommendations for others hoping to enter a STEM profession.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role – can you describe your average workday?

My role is Lead Software Engineer. This means that I focus on managing several software projects, collaborating with my team and across teams to provide technical solutions. For me, an average workday involves discussions with product owners, understanding the business, and providing architectural solutions. A good amount of my time is spent on technical discussions and development, which involves coding. I work with a team that includes Product, QA, developers, and managers. Our joint goal is to plan the project, set the deliverables, and deliver quality solutions on time. As a member of a very technical field, I need to continuously learn new technologies, implement them, and guide my team in utilizing them.

Did you always have a clear vision for your career?

Yes and no. I was always certain that I’d pursue a career in a STEM field, but my specific focus has changed over time. At a young age, I challenged myself by taking subjects that were traditionally considered difficult for girls. I made the deliberate decision to pursue STEM education in high school, and later I chose to focus on Physics for my Master’s degree. I was inspired by my father, who is a teacher, and started teaching Master’s level courses at the university. When I came to the USA, my visa status-imposed restrictions on my ability to continue that path, so I earned my Master of Computer Science and started my new career as a Software Developer.

Women are still greatly underrepresented in the STEM field. Has being a woman engineer posed any challenges?

Yes, it has definitely posed challenges from time to time. There is still an underlying perception in society, even in this day and age, that women are more sensitive and emotional than men and consequently women cannot be as aggressive and analytical as men. Over the years, however, I have learned that the challenges women face are directly related to the corporate culture of the company in which they work, which starts at the top of the leadership chain and trickles down. I strongly believe that the company culture, values, and leadership matter most when creating a healthy environment for everyone. Being a part of Cadent, I feel like I have great support from both leadership and coworkers. I always feel that people listen to me as a human being and don’t judge me as a woman.

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

Education and constant family support are my biggest resources. My parents always emphasized education, and I have the unconditional support of my husband and kids in my continued education and career choices. Mentoring is another valuable resource for me, and the support of my peers and friends continues to inspire and motivate me.

What advice do you have for women starting out in a STEM role?

The first thing that I would say is to stop focusing on gender and think of yourself only as a STEM professional, surrounded by other STEM peers. Act professionally, believe in your abilities, and don’t be afraid to speak up. Accept challenges and then follow through in facing and overcoming them. I constantly remind myself that gender does not define my skills, my thought process, and my values, and I will not give up learning and contributing, and exceeding expectations.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Black History Month at Cadent: Shomar Lowe

Posted on February 10, 2022February 24, 2022 by Cadent Staff

February is Black History Month – a time dedicated to celebrating, recognizing, and remembering the achievements of the Black community in America. According to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, this year’s theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” was selected because it “acknowledges the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora.”

Shomar Lowe, Linear Sales Planner, has been with Cadent for nearly three years, helping our Planning team develop efficient media plans for their cable and broadcast TV activations. An athlete and avid sports fan, when he’s not at work, you can often find him watching one of his favorite teams.

To learn more about Shomar, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role

I’m a Linear Sales Planner based out of the New York office. As a sales planner, I help build media plans to match our client’s requests – whether it’s based on CPM/CPP ratings, impressions goals, or both. I also coordinate with the Inventory team to ensure campaigns are delivering as planned.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?

I like sports, so depending on the time of year, you’ll find me watching the Knicks, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, or the New York Giants. I also enjoy exploring new breweries, collecting vinyl records and sneakers, and checking out new music.

Are there any mentors or experiences that shaped your career?

Two people: one of my good friends from college and an account executive at my previous job. They each helped me learn how to navigate the sales industry, especially as a Black employee. Both taught me skills so that I could be successful in my role today as well as future roles.

What does Black History Month mean to you and how are you planning to celebrate this year?

This month is meant to highlight some of the greatness that Black people have contributed to society – everything from clothes to art, to social awareness. I will look to continue patronizing Black-owned businesses and increase my awareness of contemporary Black artists.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, art, or music made by Black creators?

There are many, but here are just a few:

Books: Steve Biko’s I Write What I Like, Huey P. Newton’s Revolutionary Suicide, and Kobe Bryant’s The Mamba Mentality.

Music: J Dilla’s Donuts, Nas’ Illmatic, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Isaac Hayes’s Black Moses, Robert Glasper’s In My Element, and Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall.

Art: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitiled (Boxer), Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Barack Obama, and Anthony Akinbola’s Camouflage #005.

Movies: Spike Lee’s Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing, Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You, and John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood.

This year, ASALH’s Black History Month theme is “Black Health and Wellness.” Can you tell us what “Black Health and Wellness” means to you?

Take care of yourself in all aspects – mind, body, and soul. Keeping yourself organized, eating well and exercising, making time for friends and family, and indulging in hobbies or interests are each a part of your wellness.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

It’s important to be open to everyone’s differences and show those differences, from C-level executives to entry-level employees. This is successfully put into action when collaboration is used to celebrate culture – no matter how big or small the group – allowing their voice to be heard and acknowledged in an authentic way, rather than using an idea of what it “should be” to move forward.

If you could have dinner with any important Black figure – a civil rights pioneer, politician, musician, artist, author, activist, etc. – living or dead, who would it be and why?

There are two people that come to mind. The first is Huey P. Newton, as it would be interesting to learn about how he focused on the formation and growth of the Black Panther Party, as well as working on its other programs, such as medical clinics and free food for kids. I would also ask if or how he sees remnants of the Party in any of today’s sociopolitical organizations.

The second would be J Dilla, because it would be interesting to learn about how he was able to bring his ideas to life with – seemingly – such ease, and how he was able to stay motivated and focused, especially during the time of his declining health.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

It has to be when I was recognized for my efforts with a Crushing It at Cadent award last summer!

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Get a mentor and learn the ropes, apply yourself 100% to whatever you are doing – no matter how insignificant it may seem, and always have an opinion.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Cadent Has a “Day On” To Remember MLK

Posted on January 19, 2022February 23, 2022 by Aliana Heffernan

Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been observed since the late 1980s. On this day, we pause to reflect upon the great contributions that he made as a servant leader and civil rights activist. In remembrance, Cadent was closed this past Monday.

At Cadent, we think of MLK Day as “a day on, not a day off.” Accordingly, we encourage our staff to take this day as an opportunity to volunteer locally or engage with their community.

This year, Cadent’s DiShawn Vance and Khadijah Freeman – who recently volunteered to lead and launch the Black Employee Network @ Cadent – participated in virtual events in honor of Dr. King. Read their key takeaways from the events below.

The following has been lightly edited and condensed.

Khadijah Freeman, Help Desk Analyst

I was fortunate enough to be able to join two virtual MLK events! On Monday, I attended the “42nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon” and “25th Annual MLK Virtual Celebration.” Overall, both events made me think about how I can keep MLK’s dream alive. I learned a lot from each session, so my family and I will look forward to participating every year in the future. These are some of the questions that I’m reflecting on:

What are you doing to create change in your community?
Are you reaching out to your Statesmen to protect voters’ rights?
Moving forward, what can we do to keep MLK’s dream alive?
Would he be disappointed looking at where we are today?

Each session also referenced books that I thought were worth mentioning! In her memoir, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench…What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It, retired judge of the Superior Court of California, LaDoris Hazzard Cordell writes about her path to becoming a judge as a Black woman. The book, The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs touches on the ways MLK was inspired by his mother.

DiShawn Vance, Broadcast Ops Specialist

Earlier this week, I participated in the University of Pennsylvania’s MLK Day of Service Virtual Kick-Off. Members of UPenn’s Black Associate Group organized an interactive class where attendees learned the moves of traditional dance, listened to powerful poetry, and heard from numerous speakers including Senator Bob Casey. Here are a few things that stood out to me:

In her keynote speech, Jamie Gauthier challenged the audience with the question, “How would King’s values apply if he were here today?” This is something that resonated with me as I considered how without Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the world as we know it today would look very different.
We should use this day and every day to understand that engagement makes a difference in our society.
Dr. Charles Chaz Howard shared, “We are taking the baton to move forward and continue Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work.”

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Veterans Day at Cadent: James Bentley, Senior Cloud Manager

Posted on November 11, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

In honor of Veterans Day, we are proud to stand with the individuals who served and sacrificed in the U.S. military. At Cadent, we recognize the value that Veterans bring to our workforce. Today, it is our privilege to recognize James Bentley, an Air Force veteran and Senior Cloud Manager for Cadent. Recently, we spoke with James to learn about his role at Cadent and his experiences as a member of the U.S. Air Force.

To learn more about James, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role at Cadent

I just started at Cadent at the end of August so I’m fairly new. I’m a cloud engineer on the DevOps team. In my day-to-day, I work with our developers to architect and deploy their applications in the Amazon cloud.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?

I have two boys in elementary school, so most of my free time is spent with them. Otherwise, I enjoy gaming, reading, and riding Peloton

What does Veterans Day mean to you?

It’s a time to recognize those that served in the Armed Forces and personally, to remember that I was more fortunate than most that served during the Iraq and Afghan wars

How would you describe your time in the Air Force?

I was a deployable network engineer. I spent much of my time deployed and we would set up networks and infrastructure for air operations where there wasn’t yet a base. I was deployed to the Middle East a few times, and a couple of times in the U.S. for humanitarian aid.

What opportunities and challenges do veterans face?

I think members of the military receive a lot of training to help them function in high-pressure situations. They also have options for professional training if it relates to their job, and they have multiple opportunities to take college classes during and after their time in the military.

What was your experience leaving the military and moving on to a civilian role?

My experience was pretty seamless. I worked in IT before, during, and after serving in the Air Force, so I was able to move into a civilian role without much issue.

What advice would you give to other veterans transitioning out of the military?

Try to network with other service members whose enlistments ended before yours. It’s helpful to discuss what issues they may have had so you can prepare to enter the job market or go back to school. Networking for military members is just as important as it is in the civilian world.

Is there anything you wish civilians understood about military service?

I would say that not all members of the military enlist for the same reasons. Some are looking for a way to pay for college while others think of it as a way to see the world. The military is like most large organizations in that not everyone has the same views and experiences.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Patricia Van Nostrand

Posted on October 15, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15^th to October 15^th – a month to celebrate the history and diversity of Hispanic cultures. This year’s theme, “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope,” invites us to reflect on how great our tomorrow can be if we hold onto our resilience and hope. It encourages us to remember all the contributions Hispanic and Hispanic-American people made in the past and will continue to make in the future. It’s also a reminder that we are stronger together.

This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.

Patricia Van Nostrand has been with Cadent for more than four years, watching the business take shape into the company we are today. A proud Argentinian and Cuban, Patricia has sought ways to build a stronger community for her Hispanic peers, in the workplace and beyond.

To learn more about Patricia, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role

My title is SVP, Business Operations. That means that I focus on operational evolution, helping our teams drive change and innovation by leveraging technology. For example, as we evolve as a platform company, many teams are involved in the overall workflow in the business. We identify what information is key across teams and unify how that’s tracked and communicated inter-departmentally. The speed at which it happens, and the accuracy, eliminates error and allows us to scale.

What does it mean to you to be a woman of Hispanic descent, and what does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Growing up in an Argentinian and Cuban household, I was encouraged to be a strong-minded and outspoken woman; to “Always speak up when you’re passionate about something.”

My parents came to the U.S. as young adults, knowing little to no English and neither having graduated from college. They worked hard, found opportunities to excel, and put three kids through college – a huge accomplishment from where they came from – being “tired” wasn’t in their vocabulary. I never self-analyzed until adulthood, why I was (am) kind of obsessed with “succeeding,” whatever that means – it’s the immigrant family work ethic. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the many individuals and families who came to the United States for a better life – the American Dream.

Hispanic Heritage Month means an opportunity for representation, celebrating our culture and all that it brings. It’s a very passionate culture – lively music, colorful food, and a fiery zest for life! I try to bring that same energy to work every day and help people I work with smile more. One of my favorite things about being Hispanic is being bilingual. It has allowed me to break barriers and build multicultural relationships both in my personal and professional life.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

Growing up, we always had music playing in the house. Argentine Tango for barbecues and Salsa while we were cooking, organizing, or celebrating birthdays. Latin music is a huge part of my life. Carlos Vives, Fonseca, and Maluma are some of my favorites. The lyrics in Spanish can be so eloquently written, but unfortunately, the translation to English doesn’t do it justice. It still gets everybody moving regardless of whether you even know the words!

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

I’m beginning to see a transition – in how people are participating and in the sheer number of conversations being had around inclusion. Organizations are now more open to listening to how people have been impacted by exclusion – unintentional or not – and more importantly, leadership is acknowledging that creating a safe space for employees to share is a must. I know people who have had the opportunity to share their experience feel heard and that’s all some people need. Ultimately, we all need to internalize that feedback, adjust our mindset and behaviors, and make clear what we are no longer willing to accept.

What challenges do you feel are faced by the Hispanic and Hispanic-American community today and what growth do you hope to see in the future?

I think there are a lot of stereotype molds that need to be broken. In my experience, there’s also a close-mindedness as to what a Hispanic or Latina woman is “supposed” to look like – and some of these judgments happen within our own community. So, to break these stereotypes, there is a lot of mentorship and sponsorship that needs to happen for the women coming behind us. We need to provide more access to the Hispanic community, and I personally am making it a mission of mine.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Joan Gonzalez-Delia

Posted on October 8, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.

Joan Gonzalez-Delia, Ops Manager, has been with Cadent for over eight years, beginning her Cadent career in Accounting and eventually moving on to Broadcast Operations. An avid music fan, when she’s not at work, you can find her spending time outside with her family or dancing to her favorite salsa albums.

To learn more about Joan, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role

I manage the Broadcast Operations team. We’re in charge of getting the reporting out to advertisers, inventory sources, just making sure that we’re running the commercials the way the advertisers want them to run.

What has been your career journey?

My first media role was with Cadent! I have a marketing degree, but when I joined Cadent eight years ago, my job was with the Accounting department. Then, when the company was being reorganized, I decided to take my chances with broadcast rather than cable, because, at the time, I felt like our cable team was already very established, while broadcast was up and coming. I started off in buying and later moved on to the operations side, where I still am today.

However, my first job was in auto sales. I worked at a dealership for a long time, in their service department, taking appointments and writing up customer’s bills. Then I moved to internet sales. It was the very beginning of internet sales when people were reaching out for quotes and such on their internet packages. From there, I became a repossession manager. But after all that, I got my opportunity here at Cadent! I was referred, went through the interview process, and I got the job.

Are there any mentors or experiences that have shaped you – either professionally or personally?

I would say, personally, would have to be my stepfather. He was always my biggest fan. He told me I could do anything I put my mind to – there truly wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do in his eyes. He was a police officer, and he was in the military, so he was driven and had a lot of pride in everything that he did. I think that’s something I took from him, and it’s shaped how I am as a manager.

Professionally, I have to say Danie, our Senior Director of Broadcast Operations. When she started her role several years ago, Danie took the time take me under her wing and guide me through the business, helping me and grow into a manager position. She has been my biggest advocate. I look up to her and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am now.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

Outside. Whether I’m out back, sitting on the hammock or in the pool, or on the beach, I enjoy anything outside in the summertime. In the wintertime, I like to listen to music – and I know that sounds awful, but I like to clean! So, if you don’t find me at the beach or doing something outside, I’m probably cleaning or organizing a closet somewhere.

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you, and what does it mean to you to be a woman of Hispanic descent?

I’m Puerto Rican, so for me, I’m Spanish all the time! And it’s nice to see that we get some recognition. There are so many different cultures that fall under the Hispanic umbrella, so I feel like Hispanic Heritage Month highlights how not everybody who speaks Spanish is Mexican, that not everybody from Puerto Rico is “illegal.” I get a lot of, “You’re from Puerto Rico – do you have your green card?” and “Did you need to get your visa to come?” When, it’s like, no, I am a citizen – I was born that way.

I also think Hispanic Heritage Month brings up more conversations and in turn more knowledge to people that don’t really know much about the Hispanic community.

But what does it mean to me to be Hispanic? I take pride in it. It’s who I am, right? It’s just a part of me. My husband is Italian and I’m Puerto Rican, so I try and incorporate as much of both our cultures as I can into our kids’ lives. I make them listen to Spanish music on Saturdays while I’m cleaning. And sometimes I’ll have them dance with me. It’s part of their culture, so I feel that it’s something they should know.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

Marc Anthony, I listen to a lot! I saw him when I was in second grade. He was a nobody, playing at a festival. But since then, he’s become a household name. My mom loves him, and I think we’ve been to four of his shows over the years. He keeps it very traditional, very salsa, and just very Puerto Rican.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

Conversations help. I think what Cadent is doing when it comes DEI, putting in the time and effort to bring in all these different speakers is so important. It helps us to understand that many people, even those who look alike or work at the same job, all live very different lives.

We are so diverse as a company, which I think that’s a good sign that things are working. You’re not just forgetting about the people that make your company function. We are a big, important part of Cadent and its success.

I also think it’s important that each group be recognized whether it’s Women at Cadent, or employees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, or our Jewish coworkers. At the end of the day, these are the people that I spend more time with at work than I do at home, so I would like to get to know them a little bit more! And having those opportunities at work, to learn more about other cultures, is pretty neat.

What challenges do you feel are faced by the Hispanic and Hispanic-American community today and what growth do you hope to see in the future?

It was two years ago, right before the pandemic, and I pulled up to the gas station. I had my Spanish music blaring, but I get out to start pumping the gas and the guy next to me was like, “We speak English.”

And I didn’t say anything because okay, that’s great, I speak English, too. But you know, I feel like if we lived in a different world or different time, I would have had a conversation with that person. For people like that, ignorance is bliss. And just because I’m Spanish or I’m listening to Spanish music doesn’t make me an any less American. It doesn’t mean that I don’t know English. It doesn’t mean that I’m here illegally.

That’s the biggest challenge, at least for myself and for the Puerto Rican community, although I can’t speak for everybody else. It’s when people think that we don’t belong here just because we’re from Puerto Rico. A lot of people don’t realize we get to vote – we don’t vote in the election, but we get to vote in the primaries. We serve our country the same way that and America that lives on the mainland serves their country.

I’ve had my share of rude comments and other incidents like that day in the gas station, but I feel like the more conversations we have about these different communities, with each other, the more it will help.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

I feel like the growth I’ve been able to achieve within Cadent has made me proud to be working for Cadent. They didn’t stop me at Accounting. When I saw another opportunity, I was able to move into that and grow. I’m proud of the fact that they have allowed me to grow and that I see it happen with other people, too. There are many other people within the company that have started off here and they’ve ended up there.

I’m also proud to work for a company that listens to their employees and takes the initiative to make sure that their employees are happy.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Just be authentic. Be your true self. I try to tell my kids all the time, “We all look different, because we are different,” but what’s important is, “you believe in what you believe, so don’t let anybody tell you, you can’t do or be something. If you put your mind to it, it’ll happen.” I don’t know though – I would give a lot of advice to my younger self!

Another piece of advice I would give myself is, “Don’t hold back.” I know that I’ve held a lot back because I’m a woman or because I’m young or because I’m a mom. Unfortunately, I think I’ve held myself back from doing a lot of things, that if I could go back and tell my younger self anything, it would be just to, “Be authentic, be you, and if you want to do something, just do it.”

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Hispanic Heritage Month at Cadent: Erin Minjares

Posted on October 5, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15^th to October 15^th – a month to celebrate the history and diversity of Hispanic cultures. This year’s theme, “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope,” invites us to reflect on how great our tomorrow can be if we hold onto our resilience and hope. It encourages us to remember all the contributions Hispanic and Hispanic-American people made in the past and will continue to make in the future. It’s also a reminder that we are stronger together.

This month at Cadent, we spoke with some of our Hispanic colleagues to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them.

Erin Minjares, Executive Assistant, has been with Cadent for over five years, and in that time, she has watched the company grow into the business it is today. A California native, Erin attended San Jose City College before beginning her professional career. When she’s not at work, you can find Erin checking out a new art exhibit or playing pool with friends.

To learn more about Erin, check out our Q&A below.

The following interview has been lightly edited and condensed. “

Tell us about your role

I am an Executive Assistant at Cadent supporting our CTO, Les Carter, and VP of Platform Sales, Tim Jenkins. I am also part of our DEI Team.

What does your day-to-day look like?

A typical day for me includes managing calendars, touching base with HR and DEI, planning for upcoming events, and working on current projects.

Are there any mentors or experiences that have shaped you – either professionally or personally?

Definitely – I have a spiritual mentor who has been a trusted confidant for years. He has given me direction in life and has helped me grow spiritually. It’s given me a different perspective and guidance in life and helped me learn how to manifest my goals.

Where can we find you when you’re not at work?

Playing pool or catching a new art exhibit in the city!

What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you? -or- What does it mean to you to be a woman of Hispanic descent?

Growing up in a Hispanic household, there was always family around, music playing, cooking in the kitchen and a beautiful vibrancy of culture. My mother always taught us about where we came from through art, history, and events and made sure we were knowledgeable about where our family came from. It’s what keeps me humble and it’s a beautiful story – to see the hardships our culture has gone through and where we are today. With that said, it means a lot that I come from a background of fighters – even women had a crucial role in the battlefield during the Mexican Revolution – musically talented, educated, creative, culturally-minded people, with a broad variety of delicious food. I am extremely proud of being a woman of Hispanic descent.

Fun fact – did you know that a Mexican engineer is responsible for one of the greatest inventions of all time: color TV! Guillermo González Camarena invented the chromoscopic adapter for television equipment when he was only 23! Talk about an overachiever. Bien compa!

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from Hispanic creators?

As an art lover, I would have to say Frida Kahlo. She broke barriers and created her own footprint in the artist world. She is one of the most famous artists in the world to come from Mexico and created very touching pieces that have been a staple in our community for over 80 years. She is an inspiration to me because she was so strong, and even though her life was short lived, she impacted so many by giving young women the influence to be their true selves.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put into action?

While fostering inclusion is a vital process in the ultimate success of a company, it shouldn’t be a chore. You should have a team that is passionate about the work, which ultimately leads to successful outcomes. I am happy to say our DEI Team has built a really good foundation for the future and is working hard to help this very important part of the company grow and flourish.

What challenges do you feel are faced by the Hispanic and Hispanic-American community today and what growth do you hope to see in the future?

Access to quality education and immigration reform are the areas that I feel are the most important.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Don’t worry about opinions, work hard at your goals, and create your own lane.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Life at Cadent: John Dragan, Senior Manager, AMO Operations

Posted on July 23, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

John Dragan, Senior Manager, AMO Operations, has been with Cadent since before it was known as Cadent! Over the years, his role has ebbed and flowed as the company has grown. When John is not at work, you can find him pursuing two of his biggest passions in life: photography and botany. To learn more about John, check out our Q&A below.

Tell us about your role.

My role at Cadent has evolved over time. In January 2022, I will have been with the company for 9 years. I am in the AMO (Agile Management Office) as a Senior Manager, AMO Operations. Many hats are worn by me.

I am a Scrum Master for the Data Science team – transitioning to a scrum master role for our Design team and an interim scrum master for the Broadcast team, as well as the administrator for Workfront for our time sheet application, in addition to numerous ad hoc projects.

There is also a role I volunteered for at the beginning of the pandemic, that of the office plant caretaker. I have read many sad stories about office workers returning to their office spaces to find dried, dead plants. This will not be case at Cadent! I go into the office weekly to water, feed, re-pot, and groom the plants. Currently, I am trying to ramp up my work so that everything is ready for our return. Along these same lines, I hold plant-focused events in the office for our annual Kid’s Day. During the last event, the participating kids took away a potted caladium tuber that soon sprouted beautiful foliage.

Where can we find you when you’re not working?

Aside from caring for many plants, my passion in life is traditional gelatin silver photography. Soon after I moved to Florida in 1980, I had the opportunity to pursue an artform I had dabbled in my entire life. For some context, Sarasota has a notable art school, and I began taking photography courses. I had little interest in color photography, so black and white became my forte.

In one of my classes, we were told to go out and photograph in as many styles as possible – sports photography, nature photography, portraiture, architecture, etc. We would then come back to class the next week and employing the skills we learned, process the film and print our images. Next to composing and capturing the image, traditional wet darkroom work is what I love. We then set out a “show and tell” for our professor to critique the images.

Since plants have always been a part of my life, I shot many images of various wildflowers. However, when shot in black and white, plants render as an uninteresting gray. Around the same time, an acquaintance of mine said he would model for the portraiture shots. Given that the closest beach was a nude beach, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

After reviewing the assignment’s shots, my professor stopped at my photos from the beach. She emphatically pointed and tapped the images stating: “This is it. This is what you understand.” She was so right. From that day forward, I abandoned all other subjects to focus on the male form which defines my fine art photography genre.

You’ve mentioned that in addition to being a photographer, you’re also an avid botanist. The plant community has grown in recent years, particularly as a result of lockdowns during the pandemic. Do you have any tips for new plant parents?

I have a great interest in botany. My minor degree is in botany and if I could have made a living studying plants, I would have done so. But I’m afraid an PhD is required and then you spend your life chasing research grants.

Caring for plants is a heavy responsibility. They are living things requiring even more attention than a pet. Plants cannot seek you out when attention is required; they are constrained to a pot or other growth substrate. In captivity, they are dependent on you for proper care. I tell people not to have plants, indoors or otherwise, if they cannot properly attend to them – even when away on vacation. I would hope no one would leash a dog to the corner of a dark room and slowly let it die from lack of care and feeding…

If you are an apartment dweller, I recommend you carefully choose plants that will thrive in your environment. Do your research! Unless you are very skilled, it may be wise not to choose trees for an apartment. When choosing a plant two things standout: what are the light requirements and what are the humidity needs? People tend to choose tropical plants for indoor gardens since our living environments, while dry, mimic the tropics. Side note: misting does next to nothing to increase humidity. Instead, place your plants on trays of pebbles filled with water to just below the pebble tops. This is a way to provide a humidity cap around your plants.

For me, I grow American tropicals (new world plants) and African arid condition plants (old world plants). I call it my African American garden.

I’ve also heard that you’re passionate about getting involved in your community. What are some of the ways you’ve been a leader in the communities you’ve lived in?

It is unfortunate, but between my work at Cadent and my photography – I’m opening a show at a local gallery soon – I haven’t had as much time to volunteer. Still, I do hope that the opportunities will present themselves again. I have been on many organizations’ boards during my life, from street tree planting boards, to Toastmasters, to small town NAACP boards. I am convinced that literacy may be one of the most crucial skills for success. To that end, I would like to volunteer with a local literacy council.

What is a movie or show you’ve recently watched, book you’ve recently read, piece of artwork you’ve seen, or album you’ve listened to that left a lasting impression?

By now, it may be apparent that I do not have much free time for movies and the like. And to me, books, virtual or otherwise, have been a means to an end. I read to gain knowledge and skills in the pursuit of my interests, not entertainment.

Having said this, there are a few classic sci-fi films that had an impact on me, especially during my childhood. My all-time favorite movie is the original version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still [Klaatu barada nikto].” It presented a future where hope truly exists, despite man’s folly.

Any free time I may have during the week, you will find me watching one Brit sitcom or another.

As someone who is creatively motivated, how do you think this has shaped your professional work?

I am the sum of my parts. There is no instance where my personal evolution does not color my contemporary behavior. This shapes the people with whom I associate – or not – and the nature of my professional explorations. I am aware that logic alone can lead to a sterile perception and working method, so I attempt to employ a softer nature in what I do. And I am candid – if you couldn’t tell!

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself? Do not be persuaded by consensus or public opinion. Do what you innately feel is right and follow your own north star. Do not allow yourself to be influenced by philosophies that you know to be poorly defined and based in superstition. Be your own person first; the rest will follow.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Pride at Cadent: Jordan Dunnigan, Human Resources Generalist

Posted on June 21, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, as well as the history of LGBTQ+ rights movement.

In 2021, tech is still a predominantly cis male industry, but increasingly, companies are encouraging conversations around ways to improve inclusivity. Across the country, a variety of groups have emerged to support LGBTQ+ people in the tech sector such as StartOut, Lesbians Who Tech, and TransTech Social Enterprises. These grassroots organizations were founded by members of the LGBTQ+ community who saw a need for better resources and representation.

This month at Cadent, we spoke with colleagues who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community to learn more about who they are, their experiences in and out of the workplace, and what Pride means to them.

Jordan Dunnigan, Human Resources Generalist, has been with Cadent for over two years, and in that time, he has had the opportunity to watch the organization grow, as the first point of contact for many employees. When Jordan’s not at work, you can find him out with friends in Philly or binging the latest season of “The Real Housewives.”

To learn more about Jordan, check out our Q&A below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Tell us about your role.

I am a human resources generalist, so I have my hands in a little bit of everything with HR! Day to day, my main responsibilities are the onboarding of new employees, getting their offer letters set up, getting them situated with IT, and then being the point person for questions and concerns about benefits, as well as running new hire orientation. Some other key responsibilities I have are running our internship program which we just kicked off last week and being a business partner for the broadcast operations team.

Have you always worked in HR?

I have for the last 4 and a half years or so, but my first job out of college was as an entertainment news writer for a site that’s no longer up and running. I wrote about topics like Bravo – lots of ‘Real Housewives’ articles, pop stars, and daily entertainment news.

Are there any mentors or experiences that shaped your career?

I owe almost all of it to the bosses, who I also consider mentors, that I’ve had! I’ve worked for 3 companies doing HR and I’ve been very lucky that at each of them, I had a great boss that I could go to who were not only interested in developing me in HR but also personally. I knew I could always go to them with any questions or concerns. There were no stupid questions. They wanted to see me grow and give me the tools to do, so I owe my success in my career so far to them.

I would say my first role – at a staffing agency in Philadelphia, one of my colleagues was a gay man in his 50s who I met through that role, and we stayed friends. I haven’t worked in that role for about 3 years now, but we still stay in touch! He was somebody who didn’t necessarily mentor me professionally but was a mentor personally, being a gay man in Philadelphia, hearing his stories. Our twenties and thirties were different times – a lot of his friends lost their lives because of the AIDS epidemic – so it was great but of course sad to hear about his upbringing in the gay community. He is someone I consider a mentor and someone who helped me be more comfortable being who I am.

What does Pride mean to you and how are you planning to celebrate this year?

Pride to me is a celebration of who we are. It’s a place, and a month, and the events that are held. Somewhere that you can go that you know will be free of judgement. Being a gay man, Pride means a lot to me because it’s a celebration of who I am, and I know there’s this safe space to celebrate. But Pride is also something anyone from any walk of life can join and celebrate love and acceptance. This year, I will be celebrating with my friends in the city. Last year, because of the pandemic, there weren’t big Pride events, so this year we plan to go to any gay bar or local LGBT event that is hosting something for Pride and hit them all up!

One more thing on Pride is I always think it’s important to remember that the first Pride was a riot. Because of the events that happened during the first Pride, it gave us the ability to now celebrate and have that safe space.

Do you have any favorite movies, books, music, or other cultural inspirations from the LGBTQ+ community?

The first thing that comes to mind for me was Lady Gaga. Not only is she a bi woman, but I remember growing up when she first came out and I was starting to think about my sexuality, she was the first mainstream artist that sang about those topics and was a fighter for LGBT equality in society. I remember when she released Born this Way, I was 17 or so, and hearing her sing about being gay or being trans, was such a major moment for me, that somebody can reach such success while singing about these walks of life and fighting for this community.

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?

My favorite thing to do when I’m not at work is spend as much time with my friends here in the city as possible. I’ve been lucky that since I moved to Philly, I have made a great group of friends, most of whom are within the LGBT community. So, whether we go out to one of the gay bars, going out to eat, having a ‘Housewives’ night, or going to a concert, I love spending as much time with them as possible. It was hard during the pandemic not being able to see them, but we made sure to do Zoom’s and FaceTime’s whenever we could.

NYC Pride announced that 2021’s official theme for Pride is “The Fight Continues” – something Cadent has adopted for our own Pride initiatives. Can you tell us what “The Fight Continues” means to you?

It means we still have work to do. We’ve achieved a lot over the last few years and decades, but I think 2020 showed that there’s still a lot of work to be done. I think we thought we were in a better place in terms of hate crimes, racism, and transphobia, but that isn’t the case. We still have trans women being killed, mostly Black trans women, police brutality and violence against people of color. I think The Fight Continues means that we’ve come a long way, but there’s still a lot of work to do to fix the cracks ingrained into our society. I’m confident we will come together to help fix these issues. I also think there were those who may not have been as aware of the issues preventing us from achieving more equality and inclusion to do their research more during this past year, bringing them into the fight.

What do you feel helps to foster a culture of inclusion? How have you seen those behaviors and practices successfully put in action?

The biggest thing a company can do is provide a safe space and promote that safe space so employees know they can have those difficult, sometimes awkward conversations. Before 2020, talking about race and identity was uncomfortable for people and make them nervous.

What Cadent is doing now is great, when we have speakers come in from different walks of life, that someone hasn’t interacted with before, people leave those events, go to a team meeting or one-on-one, and are then more likely to talk about it.

After one of the presentations we had as a part of the DEI initiative, people really opened up. For instance, individuals on our team opened up about their experiences, sharing with us things that we wouldn’t necessarily think are offensive or triggering. So, by creating those safe spaces, you’re allowing those conversations to be had.

What has been your proudest moment at Cadent?

A moment that stands out to me is winning the Cadent Crusher award! I know new hires are the ones who submitted me and onboarding new hires is a big part of my day-to-day work life. Of course, we’ve all been in jobs where you start out and you’re like, “I don’t know what to do,” or “I don’t know who to go to,” so I try to foster that positive relationship with them and make sure they know they can come to me with anything, or if I can’t answer it, I’ll escalate it. It was really rewarding to not only win the Crusher, but to have the nomination come from new hires.

What do you think about the opportunities available today to individuals who identify as LGBTQ+? Where is there room for improvement?

In terms of opportunities for the LGBT community today, I think we’re getting better! What can make it even better is acceptance and education. There’s still discrimination in the workplace and things that can be done to prevent that. Aside from federal and state laws, education is a big part of it. The LGBT community has such a long history in this country that we should be teaching our youth more about it. Exposing them to a different walk of life, to a different community, helps them learn more about it and that these people are a part of our country – you probably know them. Educating youth would help prevent future discrimination and create more acceptance.

What advice would you give to a younger colleague or a younger version of yourself?

Be yourself and don’t be afraid to be yourself. Everyone’s situation is different, so the fear of being yourself could be bigger for somebody depending on what they’re going through in their lives. Growing up, I was always very shy and still am a little bit today, and I always thought that’s just who I was. But in thinking about my sexuality more and coming out, it helped me come out of my shell, be more myself, be more outgoing and not be afraid to show who I really am. To my younger self, I’d say don’t be afraid to be yourself – it’s a great thing! It feels great when you figure out who you are and can live in that.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Deepti Goyal, Senior Director of Quality Assurance

Posted on March 30, 2021March 28, 2024 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

Ad tech is still a mostly male industry, but there are more conversations than ever around critical issues to the empowerment of women at work, including opening doors and access for women early in their careers so they can progress to C-suite; supporting women to choose and stay with STEM careers; and helping women achieve a work-life balance.

This month at Cadent, we’re profiling women who are leaders in their departments, asking about their career journeys, approaches to growth and mentorship, and their philosophies on leading others.

Deepti Goyal has more than 15 years of experience in quality assurance and business analysis of client-server and web-based applications, with strong domain knowledge of media and advertising.

Throughout her varied career, Deepti credits her ability to adapt with curiosity and a willingness to ask questions: “Keep an open mind and be ready to learn, and when you don’t understand something, keep asking questions,” she says, adding, “Then anything is possible.”

Read a Q&A with Deepti below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Did you always have a clear vision for your career?

I had a vision but the path to achieving my goal was not straightforward. I originally studied to become a pharmacist and decided to get an MBA in Marketing. My professional life began when I handled product management at a pharmaceutical company. I then made the leap into Quality Assurance and worked in multiple domains like mortgage, finance and access control that involved hardcore electrical engineering. Whatever field I was working in, my personality and way of dealing with people remained constant. I was always willing to discover something new and I was eager to ask questions. I focused on doing the best quality work possible, wherever I was.

After moving to the U.S., I had a break for a few years as I didn’t have a work permit. I essentially started from scratch in the software world. During this break, I put in a lot of time volunteering at libraries, a hospice, and at my kids’ schools. All those experiences, even cold calling, helped me so much in understanding American culture. Those experiences taught me not to underestimate what you can learn from any professional experience, however brief they might be.

Whatever field I was working in, my personality and way of dealing with people remained constant. I was always willing to discover something new and I was eager to ask questions.”

Can you describe your average workday?

As part of quality engineering, we’re not merely simulating users and testing software manually. Our jobs require scripting, data verification and real engineering, and we have a lot of cool tools at our disposal. On a day-to-day basis, we serve all the teams, products, and applications at Cadent, whether it’s Cable, Broadcast, Media Hub, Data Engineering, or Business Intelligence. Any software that goes out to clients has to go through rigorous quality assurance.

We’re always working to improve our processes and technology, and we have daily meetings to discuss our progress and strategy.

How do you motivate your team?

When I started at Cadent, I was a one-person quality-assurance department, and I’ve since built a 13-person on-site team that has among the best retention rates in the company. I’m really proud of that, and one thing that has been key is that I still consider myself a team member, not just a leader.

I believe in trust-based leadership. I put a lot of faith in my team members and their work, and I consider their successes as mine and vice-versa. I present them with as many possibilities to grow as I can and let them know the sky’s the limit. They realize if I ask them to do something, there’s a good reason. I listen to them and learn their strengths and weaknesses, and that way I can place them in roles where they can be successful. That said, if there are problems, we identify them together and work on a plan to improve.

Basically, I treat them the way I want to be treated. You can call it trust-based leadership, but it’s pretty much just being human.

Women are still greatly underrepresented in the STEM fields. Has being a woman engineer posed particular challenges?

In many of my professional roles, I have been the first woman to hold that post, so when I got to Cadent and discovered that I was surrounded by men, that was OK. I was used to it. The men I partnered with were a little anxious; they wondered how to behave around me or whether they would have to change their manner of speaking.

I considered my unofficial first assignment being to build friendly relationships with them and prove to them that I was capable. It worked out fine because we have the best, brightest, and most supportive people here at Cadent. My managers put their faith in me, taught me about the domain, and gave me flexibility and independence.

Don’t forget that aside from being a woman, I was also the first Quality Assurance person, so there were challenges in that as well. I had to do a lot of explaining about what QA means, why it’s needed, and how it can be implemented effectively.

I realize challenges of all sorts will always come my way, but I don’t let them slow me down.

Basically, I treat [my team] the way I want to be treated. You can call it trust-based leadership, but it’s pretty much just being human.“

As you built your department, what was your approach to convincing stakeholders that QA is important?

Talking doesn’t help much, right? I might preach to everyone “This is important,” but if they don’t believe it, they won’t believe it. Wherever I go, I always focus on explaining the process and value of QA to them. Your work eventually proves itself. I showed them the disadvantages or the cons of why the process being followed at that time needed improvement, and I pointed out the shortcomings. I demonstrated how solving issues a certain way is more efficient and productive than what had been done for years. There are many benefits to QA – it improves the quality of the product, increases clients’ confidence and the company’s goodwill, and it helps the team detect issues earlier on, which costs less than fixing them later.

Eventually, when people realize that you are honest and you have a shared goal in mind, they understand. It takes time. All along, I had support from my manager. He put so much trust and faith in me. He believed in my vision and gave me that flexibility and independence to execute it the way I wanted to.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Nina Keinberger, Vice President of Research

Posted on March 25, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

Nina Keinberger has broad-based expertise in digital and television sales, marketing, and research, as well as a solid track record of establishing long-term client relationships and a proven ability to adapt quickly to new technologies, processes, and procedures. She believes you can find much to enjoy in every stage of your career and says: “Using a travel analogy, it isn’t always the destination that matters, but more importantly, the journey to get there.”

Read a Q&A with Nina below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

What qualities are vital in a great leader?

A great leader leads by example: they roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty, dig right in, and accept and embody change. Just because someone has a title doesn’t mean they can’t dive in and help the team when someone is overwhelmed.

Even though a leader by nature acts as an authority figure in order to motivate and create a professional environment, they should first and foremost be a mentor. They must also remember to be inclusive, fun, and, most of all, human. We all come to the office with different life stories and no one wants to be treated like a machine, sitting there day after day churning out work; it’s crucial that leaders tap into the person behind that output and get to know their team on a more personal level.

I also think it’s important to encourage the team to take ownership of a project and either present it themselves or, if that’s not possible, they should get the credit, publicly, for their hard efforts.

Why is that credit important?

It’s empowering to let people present their work. It offers visibility and ownership, and really makes them part of the team and not just a worker bee behind the scenes. Of course, I give people time to find their comfort level for speaking in front of a group. For young women, it’s important for their voices to be heard.

What has it been like watching the people who report to you become more comfortable in front of a group?

It must feel like what it’s like to be a mother. As a camp counselor, from age 16 onwards, I always enjoyed teaching, whether it was with volleyball, swimming, or a camp play. I’ve always enjoyed seeing people bloom and flourish.

Researchers tend to be more quiet, behind-the-scenes people, and I’m not that person. If my personableness can be infectious in building confidence in a junior Research team member, then my job is well done.

It’s empowering to let people present their work. It offers visibility and ownership, and really makes them part of the team and not just a worker bee behind the scenes. For young women, it’s important for their voices to be heard.”

In your role, you do a lot of public speaking; how did you get comfortable with that?

As a kid, I wanted to be an actress or rock star like Debbie Harry of Blondie or Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. I was always a performer. That definitely helped with my comfort in public speaking, but a life changer was a mandatory course the sales team took while working at Viacom called Speakeasy. Everyone was videotaped, we all spoke in front of our peers, and received constructive feedback reviewing those tapes – the pointers of which I still use to this day!

What do you think of the opportunities available to women in media today?

Advertising media has a pretty good women-to-men ratio so there is something to praise there. We have come a long way since the days of Mad Men, but a “boys club” mentality can still occur occasionally.

Any business can help things improve by ensuring that women are given as much public praise as their male counterparts for their efforts; are able to speak and be heard as much as men in meetings; and earn equal pay for performing equal duties. Give women time to speak, and back up your words with action.

On an overall observational basis, if someone gets bullied, someone else needs to speak up in order to make change. It takes a lot of voices to create change. And it’s long overdue.

Can you talk about the role of empathy in creating change?

I had a nontraditional upbringing. Having grown up in a multicultural environment, from my neighborhood to schools and summer camp, I’ve always rooted for the underdog. I also value taking your education into your own hands – as a history buff, I looked for information that wasn’t taught in schools about marginalized groups and overlooked events in history. That propelled my empathy as a human, fueled by being a sociology major in college.

Are there any shows, books or otherwise you’ve found inspiring recently?

In recent years I have been obsessed with the Bravo show “Below Deck,” which goes behind the scenes of superyacht and sailing charters with a focus on the crew. That vessel is a microcosm of any work environment. There are strong female leaders on the show, my favorite being Kate, the Chief Steward. Seeing her manage her team is completely engaging and intriguing. The show exposes how experience, rank, respect, work ethic, and professionalism play out on the road to success. As the saying goes, “A good sailor never learned a lesson in calm seas.”

And you also personally enjoy sailing, right?

I sail with friends. My friend is a captain, and we all pitch in, whether it’s dropping anchor, making coffee, cleaning up, cooking or scrubbing the deck. It’s “all hands on deck,” literally. The fact that I can do this with my best friends in the world is amazing. Each person will pitch in for the greater good.

That’s how I think about teams – we’re all trying to get from point A to point B. We all have to make sure the boat has enough water and gas and that we have enough food. Let’s all jump in and make it happen.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Camille Marcos Napa, Senior Counsel

Posted on March 23, 2021March 28, 2024 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

With more than a decade of legal experience, Senior Counsel Camille Marcos Napa held public-service posts, advised tech start-ups, and taught Intro to Business Law at Bentley University before joining Cadent. Her legal background included representing people before a judge, an experience that many attorneys, even at large law firms, don’t always have in their backgrounds.

“That was a true growth opportunity, to represent cases and make arguments that had successful outcomes,” Camille said. “Now, when I have to deal with a multitude of issues that come across my desk, I have some point of reference, whether it’s in the litigation matter, a vendor issue or otherwise.”

With her varied background and willingness to try new areas of law, it’s no surprise that Camille believes in the importance of taking on new challenges in order to learn and grow. Read more about Camille’s career journey in a Q&A below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Can you describe your path to Cadent and the experiences that have helped you grow along the way?

It was definitely not linear. As a law student, I worked for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, and in that capacity, I did a lot of the research and writing for the state’s Universal Health Care initiative. I’ve also worked for an advocacy group that represented employees in cases of wage and hour violations, done family law and immigration work, and consulted for various technology start-ups.

I didn’t come from a media background, and I hadn’t worked at a media or advertising law firm, but when I approached Cadent, they saw I was driven and hungry for the opportunity. I had learned to be agile and handle a broad range of legal and business issues, and I did a lot of research on the ad industry. Chris Poindexter, General Counsel at Cadent, mentored me, taught me about the company, and introduced me to what the media industry was like. He also supported me in joining the Association of Corporate Counsel, a group for in-house attorneys, and that was really helpful to me to grow professionally.

Cadent has changed a lot since you joined the company; has that posed any challenges for you?

I had to evolve very quickly and become knowledgeable about brokering data in the ad tech ecosystem. Because my background is multidisciplinary, I was able to pivot quickly and adapt. So as the company has grown and evolved, I’ve grown and evolved right along with it.

As an example, in January 2020, the CPPA or California Privacy Act was enacted the same time, January of 2020, as we acquired 4INFO, a data activation company. Our team had to learn a lot and evolve very quickly.

What’s your approach to leadership?

I focus on being an effective communicator, understanding what people want and what motivates them. Transparency is also important; when you’re clear about your goals or the problems you’re trying to solve, that gives your team incentive and empowers them.

I truly believe that showing you trust and value people and are empathetic to them makes for better leadership. Above all, as a leader, I focus on helping my team members develop into effective leaders themselves.

At Cadent, you’re known as someone who makes an effort to mentor others and be available to junior employees and interns. Can you talk about why that’s important to you?

Absolutely. I love that I could have an impact on younger, just out-of-college or in-college people, because I feel like I’ve been in that place and I didn’t necessarily have that guidance when I started out. If there’s an opportunity to give back and be accessible and relatable to new employees, I welcome it.

It can make a world of difference when you’re just starting out in an industry to have someone take an interest in you and provide you with guidance.

Do you have any favorite books on women’s leadership?

I would argue that all women should read about negotiation. My favorite book right now is Getting More: How You Can Negotiate to Succeed in Work and Life, by Stuart Diamond, a professor at the Wharton School of Business. I think women sometimes have a hard time negotiating for themselves, so having the set of common sense tools he describes is invaluable. As a parent, I often find myself negotiating with a five-year-old and a two-year-old, so I constantly use these skills.

How has being a parent had an impact on your perspective as a Legal professional?

I think it’s so valuable for people who read this to understand what it means to be a working parent or a working mother. It’s probably the biggest asset that I have, that I’m a working mother. It’s taught me to be more patient, understanding, and efficient; to get more things done in less time while keeping perspective on the bigger goal.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Alex Grier, Senior Director of Broadcast Media Buying

Posted on March 19, 2021February 15, 2023 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

Alex Grier, Senior Director of Broadcast Media Buying, has been with Cadent for nearly four years, and in that time, she has seen the department evolve and expand rapidly as a more strategic partner to the Cadent Sales team.

As a manager, Alex advocates presenting your human side to employees and striking a balance of support with constructive criticism. “It’s important that people feel heard, whether you agree or not,” Alex said.

In her role negotiating with Broadcast inventory partners, honesty is key, she said, adding, “All you have in this business is your word. Whether it’s with your team or your external partners, I strive to be fair so everyone involved knows they’re dealing with a person who is going to try to find a middle ground where we both win, as much as we possibly can.”

Read a Q&A with Alex below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

What does your day-to-day look like?

On a daily basis, I lead a team of 11 amazing people. It’s a really great, trusting, “we all have each other’s back” type of team.

I’m proud to come in every day and work with them. Every day, we’re securing media on a local level for our clients and trying to get the best deals out there for our business.

My job is to be there for our internal and external partners, stakeholders and my team when they have questions and need answers. I encourage my team to be very solution-based. Like, “Here is the issue, and here are some suggestions I have to resolve this.” It’s always helpful, in business and in life, too, when people are more solution-based.

What’s your approach to learning new skills?

At Cadent, the business has evolved so much since I started here. I basically had to bring in my whole medical kit when I came onboard, prepared to educate and create processes because the business had just been brought in-house at Cadent, but it was fun and I enjoyed it. Learning new things makes the day go fast, and I love teaching and showing people things if they really seem interested. Their interest is important – I don’t try to force knowledge on people if they don’t want to hear it.

Can you talk about your team and how you relate to each person?

There’s always more to learn. My team has said I’m relatable, and that’s because I’m still just me. Even with a title next to my name, I’m still just a person who wants to learn things the same as you, who wants to figure out how to build things together. If someone does something great, I want them to be acknowledged for that the same way as a person, I would want to be acknowledged for that.

Is there a particular person you’ve worked with in the past who had a big impact on you?

Yes, a previous manager. She was the person who mentored me and cultured me and helped me learn this media world. What I took from that experience is, if you see that people have talent or that they’re hard workers and they want to try and learn, you should definitely invest in them. It’s never a waste of time to invest.

To this day, when I hear someone say, “Oh my gosh, I remember when you taught me this,” it’s the most rewarding feeling in the world.

Do you have a favorite book, movie or piece of music that has inspired your journey as a leader?

I really loved “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” It’s about a Black woman in 1951 whose cells were taken, unbeknownst to her, and harvested in the lab. It created the HeLa cell line. HeLa, for Henrietta Lacks. It’s a beautiful and a sad story.

It makes me think of the contributions of Black women – even when they don’t even realize they’re contributing – and just how difficult it can be as a person of color, just people not understanding or treating you the same. That’s what I love about the book, knowing her contributions and knowing that we have all these different cures for cancer, just based on studying her cells.

What makes a successful leader?

If you can make someone else better, that shows you’re successful. Regardless of how people see you, envision you, whatever doubts they try to cast on you.

You’re not always going to get credit. Rely on knowing what you did was good or great. And don’t worry about naysayers or looking for that kind of outside gratitude. I don’t look for the accolades from the outside. If they come, I’m very appreciative because I know it’s hard for people to say, “Thank you, you did a great job.” That’s what makes me say thank you even more to my team.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Sarah Collie, Technical Project Manager

Posted on March 15, 2021March 28, 2024 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

Sarah Collie, a Technical Project Manager based in the UK, has 20 years of experience in the broadcast and advertising industries. As a PM, Sarah said she likes to help teams self-manage and lead themselves, providing frameworks and guidance for the groups she collaborates with, adding, “I like helping teams improve and identifying processes that can be made better.”

Read a conversation with Sarah below about her path to ad tech and Project Management, and a manager who made an impact on her journey.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

What led you to Cadent?

At university, I studied the History of Art, then began on the administration side of projects at BSkyB (which later merged with Sky), and progressed to Project Management roles. One of my managers from BSkyB led in a way which has really inspired me and has stuck with me. She knew her business area inside out, actually gave her team ownership and let people pave their own path.

How did your manager influence your career path?

She helped me find the confidence to become a Project Manager. One lesson from her leadership was that it pays to be open to any kind of commentary. There are always benefits from listening and communicating, just allowing people to empower themselves, run with ideas and learn from mistakes or from successes. She put a lot of faith in me, and she really set me on my career path. I wanted to learn a lot more about the business area I was working in rather than the administrative side.

So it’s fair to say this manager enabled you to make this change.

She was kind of the springboard. After making the shift away from administrative work, I had a wide variety of roles. I was a business analyst, worked in pre-sales and was a project manager. I don’t think I would have done any of that without having her support to make the initial change.

I felt that if I didn’t make the leap, then maybe I wouldn’t have the career I really wanted, and I wanted to have a career that I could really get involved in and find interesting. I wanted to understand the specifics as a Project Manager, and I wanted to transform the processes involved and be more involved with the stakeholders and clients.

How do you enable your teams today?

I work with three different teams, and they’re all very different.

You have to understand your team, their work motivation, and then you also have to help them understand the external influences, the stakeholders and how the teams are working together. It’s quite dynamic. We do these retrospectives every two weeks, where we reflect on the previous sprints work, and look to identify improvements we can implement as part of the teams continued growth, and the next sprint-worth of work can therefore be entirely different.

Senior leaders in cross-functional roles often have to work hard to reach a consensus. How do you encourage people to follow your process?

I’m honest with my team. If I’m asking them to do something that I don’t think they would like to do, I explain the positives and the downsides of not doing it. I find clarity around what’s been asked, and then I’d probably just say “please.”

Can you name a few qualities that make a great Project Manager?

I appreciate honesty, patience and calmness. Humor is important. Being someone that people want to talk to and engage with is important, someone who encourages open dialogue. I want to communicate with others, and I want people to feel comfortable talking with me. I want to be able to listen.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Women at Cadent: Akhila Gourishetty, Product Manager, DSP

Posted on March 4, 2021March 28, 2024 by Cadent Staff

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women’s contributions and achievements in different fields and spheres of life.

Akhila Gourishetty, Product Manager-DSP, Cadent, started her career in medicine and later took a leap of faith into the tech space. These days, she applies her background in medicine to solving problems on Cadent’s Product team, collaborating cross-functionally to understand user and business requirements for the DSP and how to scale the product.

“Using empathy to understand the voice of the customer is very similar to understanding the voice of a patient,” she says, adding, “I want to be able to understand problems without applying any stereotypes and bias, no matter the seniority, age, gender or background of a person, which is similar to how healthcare works.”

Read a Q&A with Akhila below.

The following conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

Can you talk about your career transition from medicine to being part of a Product org?

Coming from a non-traditional background for tech, I want to be able to give others the same kind of open-minded, inclusive approach I’ve benefited from. My formal education in medicine doesn’t translate one-to-one, but I’ve found those experiences inform my perspective.

That’s also why I love working as part of a Product org. Having the opportunity to learn from those around you and synthesize a solution from all of these disparate sources of data reminds me of diagnosis in some ways. The fact it exists in a more ambiguous environment in a rapidly changing industry makes it all the more fun.

Since I joined five months ago, I’ve been very supported with a great manager and a great engineering counterpart. I feel comfortable asking questions and saying, “Hey, can you answer this question for me?” My manager is very open to suggestions and vice versa for me.

What’s your approach to leadership at Cadent?

I’m very democratic in my approach. I like to encourage and empower the people I work with as stakeholders. Every single person is capable of offering a unique and valuable perspective on what we’re building and how to build it. I like to learn from other people in the room so I can concentrate on finding the most relevant piece of the puzzle we’re solving, and create space for us to collectively understand the “why” and the “how.”

Are there any resources you have found valuable to building your career?

What I’ve found most valuable is being able to learn about other industries, and how everyone else is building their own processes. There’s so much to learn, create, and share.

What advice do you have for women starting their careers?

Young women starting out in their careers should try to understand where they’d like to be in the future and work backwards to find out exactly what they need to do to get there. Life can be overwhelming and it’s sometimes helpful to take a step back and start setting small, achievable goals. Accept your shortcomings, learn from them, and seek out feedback. Read a lot, surround yourself with people smarter than you, and take the time to really invest in yourself. Stepping into new opportunities will be difficult to adjust to at first, however these lead to the greatest growth. It’s always OK to say “Hey, I didn’t quite understand this,” or “Let me repeat what we just discussed.”

How have you found your voice in meetings where many or all people are men?

I was hesitant to speak up when I first started but I’m grateful to the leaders at Cadent who’ve built an environment that feels safe and have encouraged me to speak up. I suppose it started off by me offering a new perspective they hadn’t thought of before, or maybe posing a challenging question. From there, I’ve been finding that introducing a different way to frame things, or asking thoughtful questions is a very meaningful way to contribute. Speaking from a position of curiosity has not only helped me grow but also understand different perspectives.

Life can be overwhelming and it’s sometimes helpful to take a step back and start setting small, achievable goals. Accept your shortcomings, learn from them, and seek out feedback. “

Can we talk about feedback – do you enjoy getting thoughtful criticism?

I love getting feedback. It allows me to reevaluate my approach and implement new strategies to my problem solving toolkit.

When I have to give feedback to someone else, I try to balance the positives and negatives. The positive feedback builds confidence and helps you appreciate what has been done correctly, and the negative feedback helps to align expectations and facilitate improvement.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

Cadent Celebrates Women in Science Day

Posted on February 11, 2021March 28, 2024 by Cadent Staff

In celebration of Women in Science Day, Cadent is highlighting two data scientists who are helping to transform the business of TV.

Meet Katy Fallows, Sr. Data Scientist, and Derya Meral, Data Scientist.

Both women are leading innovation in Advanced TV Advertising through Machine Learning and AI. They collaborate with various lines of business and engineering to solve complex business challenges and innovate around data driven-decision making.

Katy joined Cadent in 2017 and has been a key part of Cadent’s growth. She has made significant impact to the organization. Katy leverages her background in Astronomy to bring with her experience defining and solving difficult problems. She earned her master’s degree in Astronomy at Boston University where she studied the ionosphere of Mars.

Her team members would describe her as extremely intelligent, witty, insightful, detail oriented and fun to work with!

Outside of work, Katy enjoys hiking or exploring the city with friends, making jewelry, and drinking too much tea.

Mike Richman, Data Scientist, said, “Katy has been a fantastic mentor since I joined this team as the junior member. We can always count on her leadership – both direct and by example – to guide us towards solutions that are technically sound, well documented, and ultimately valuable for the business.”

Derya recently celebrated her one year anniversary at Cadent and has been an integral part of the core Data Science team. Being a Physicist, she brings a unique thought process and approach to solving some of the toughest problems in the industry. She received her PhD in Physics from Drexel University for her dissertation on molecular dynamics studies of disordered proteins.

Derya’s team members describe her as intelligent, hard-working, thorough, and encouraging.

Outside of work you can find her volunteering for Tech Girls, a non-profit that inspires Middle School girls to explore the possibilities of technology, or sipping on a cup of Turkish coffee. These days, however, Derya is attempting to join Katy in her tea drinking habits.

Mike Richman said that Derya is a great team player and excels at getting projects un-stuck, whether that means offering her insights to others, asking the right questions, or picking up a work-in-progress and taking it forward.

Fun fact: Katy and Derya both led one of the winning teams, Gradient Dissent, for our 2021 internal hackathon.

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.

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