Creating Space, Owning Voice: A Journey from Survival to Strategic Leadership in Tech

When I first stepped into the tech world, I wasn’t thinking about breaking barriers. I was thinking about survival — learning fast, working harder than most, and earning a seat at the table I wasn’t sure I was even invited to. As a Syrian American Muslim woman in hijab, my presence in many rooms was a statement before I ever opened my mouth.

Over the years, I’ve grown from “the only one” in the room to someone who builds rooms — inclusive, high-performing, forward-looking spaces where voices aren’t just heard, they’re valued.

Today, I serve as a leader at a global technology firm where I’ve spent the last seven years managing enterprise relationships and building initiatives that move the needle on equity and innovation. But I’m also more than my job title. I’m a strategist. A connector. A woman who had to fight for the right to lead without having to explain why.

I’ve spoken on global stages, moderated high-level panels, and helped influence DEI frameworks from the Midwest to the Middle East. But what I’m most proud of isn’t just the metrics or milestones. It’s the quiet wins: the young woman who sends me a message after a talk to say, “I saw myself in you,” or the intern who finally speaks up in a meeting because she knew I would listen.

Leadership, for me, has always been about impact without ego. It’s about showing up consistently, even when you’re underestimated, and knowing that legacy is not about how loud you are, but about how many people rise because you dared to rise first.

The tech world is evolving, slowly but surely. We talk more about inclusion now, but the real work is still in the doing: hiring differently, mentoring intentionally, building pipelines that reflect the world we live in. I don’t just advocate for women in tech because it’s the right thing to do. I do it because innovation needs us. Diverse voices don’t slow the system down.

They expand it. They stretch the limits of what’s possible.

And yes, I believe in tech as a tool for good. But only when the people leading it understand the responsibility that comes with that power. My role now is to not only stay at the table but to bring others with me — women from overlooked communities, professionals restarting their careers, students with vision but no access.

To the next generation of women in STEM: don’t wait for someone to open the door. Walk in like you belong, because you do. And when the door’s locked, build your own.