Yahoo Talent Community

A Yahoo Talent Community blog about what it is like to work at Yahoo. Find out why Yahoo is one of the best places to work!

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Yahoo Pride Profile: Chris Klotzbach, Director of Product Marketing at Flurry

By Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Chris, Yahoo’s Director of Product Marketing on the Flurry team based in San Francisco. Chris leads product marketing for the Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite, which includes the industry-leading Flurry Analytics and Yahoo App Publishing. Prior to this role, he was responsible for mobile product strategy and sales enablement at Yahoo; where he deployed Gemini mobile native ads for Yahoo properties and developed the go-to-market strategy for Yahoo sales team. Before Yahoo, Chris managed the ad exchange and network relationships for Forbes.com, overseeing the monetization of Forbes inventory on third party platforms. Chris holds a B.S. in journalism from Boston University, where he was a four-year varsity athlete and member of the United States Rowing National Team.  

How did you get interested in tech?

Right out of college I started working in book publishing (at that point, the opposite of tech!) in New York City.  An opportunity to join the Forbes, Inc. came about a year later, and I got involved in helping them monetize their digital properties.  From Forbes I joined Yahoo in 2011 and worked on the Right Media Platform helping large brands like Kellogg’s establish their programmatic buying businesses.  At Right Media and Yahoo, I was able to work cross functionally with product, engineering and sales to learn all sides of the business and dig into our mobile growth initiatives.  The ability to learn technical sides of the ad tech business challenged me to grow and become a subject matter expert.  

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Working at Yahoo is a blast.  There is a lot of opportunity to grow and learn your skillset, and work with some of the brightest minds in tech.  The Flurry team is incredibly motivated and fun!  We love to hang out at the Tempest Bar behind our SF office after work.  Follow us on Twitter and Tumblr!

What has been a technical (or non-technical) project you are most proud?  

In February of 2015 we launched the Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite at the first ever Yahoo Mobile Developer Conference in San Francisco.  This was a huge win for Flurry and Yahoo, as we were able to provide app developers suite of products to help them grow and monetize their businesses.  The developer conference was a huge success and we able to ship some great products!

What is your connection to Yahoo’s Pride Employee Resource Group?

The Yahoo Pride ERG, as well as all of our other ERG’s, are great resources for employees to find support from like minded individuals.  It’s been nice to have a network with Yahoo and the support from members are well as leadership within the company.  I marched with the Yahoo contingent during the SF Pride Parade in 2014 and met some of my closest friends there!  

Why is diversity important to you?

It is incredibly important that our workplaces are diverse in order for us to build products and experiences that are accessible to everyone.  Both Yahoo and Flurry build products that are global and we need perspective and representation from different voices to meet our user’s needs.  

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Yahoo for Good Profile: Emmy Negrin, Manager, Yahoo for Good | Yahoo Employee Foundation

By Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Emmy, Manager for Yahoo for Good based in Sunnyvale where she manages the Yahoo Employee Foundation, social impact projects and employee engagement programs.

Emmy joined Yahoo in 2013 as Chief of Staff for the Global Learning and Development team, where she supported the Yahoo University team’s learning and leadership development portfolio, and lead development strategy for top talent initiatives. Prior to Yahoo, Emmy worked with organizations focusing on youth and experiential learning programs in the Bay Area such as Galileo Learning, Citizen Schools and Youth Community Services. After graduating college, Emmy was named a Davis for Peace Fellow for founding a startup microfinance organization in Namibia, Africa.  The startup provided impoverished women facing domestic violence with artisan workshops and entrepreneurial skills to create small businesses, and build a life towards financial independence. She received her Bachelor’s of Art in Communication and Culture, International Development and Social Change from Clark University. In her spare time, Emmy is part of the UC Berkeley Advisory Board for the Innovation & Leadership through Positive Psychology Executive Education Program exploring how positive workplace practices can help leaders improve engagement levels in companies. She also leads and facilitates mindfulness retreats across California connecting leaders with tools that reduce stress and maximize fulfilment. She’s a world traveler, avid skier and outdoor enthusiast.

How did you get interested in tech?

I grew up in Silicon Valley (Palo Alto) surrounded by entrepreneurs and innovators.  When I traveled abroad, I told people I was from “the internet” as I used to walk my dog by the first Facebook building. I started my career working in nonprofits, where I lead programs that addressed poverty, the opportunity divide and economic inequality in the U.S. and Africa. During a project I was part of in Namibia, I was taken back by the power of technology and it’s ability to connect people across the world. I made the transition to the tech sector so I could help influence ways technology could address problems in the world and create long lasting solutions. Now that I’m working in Silicon Valley, I have the opportunity to support many of the global organizations I partnered with at a much larger scale.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Yahoo is an incredible company. Yahoo attracts amazing people, who are smart, fun and want to make a big impact. There are tons of ways you can get involved in initiatives you’re passionate about. For example, I’m passionate about diversity in tech and was invited to lead the Yahoo Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG) driving initiatives for the LGBTQ employee base. I’m passionate about building strong teams and leaders, and had the opportunity to create development strategies and manage programs for emerging leaders and top engineers. I’m continuously surprised how Yahoo’s culture and environment allows me to bring my full self to work each day and lead from an authentic place.

What is your connection to Yahoo for Good?

I was fortunate to transition my career at Yahoo into my current role as Program Manager for Yahoo for Good and the the Yahoo Employee Foundation (YEF). I lead employee volunteering campaigns, manage Yahoo’s corporate giving sponsorships and design employee engagement initiatives such as a Mindfulness Program. As the Program Manager of the Yahoo Employee foundation, I support the employee Board of Directors, lead the giving strategy, create communications and drive multi-faceted grant cycles providing opportunities for employees to champion grants for causes they care about in their communities. Since 2000, YEF has granted over 1,000 grants – more than $20 million dollars – to organizations that Yahoo employees chose, making it one of the largest giving circles in the world! In 2016, YEF plans to grant $2.5 million to causes all over the world that Yahoo employees are passionate about!

Why is diversity important to you?

Diversity = authenticity and innovation. The world is a diverse place and companies should reflect how the world looks, not just be accessible to an elite few.

My passion for diversity drove me to create a program that addresses diversity issues with tangible solutions. In my current role managing the Yahoo Employee Foundation, I created a grant program that aligns diversity and social impact initiatives. This program allows Yahoos ERGs to partner with nonprofits aligned to their mission and apply for grant projects that address the opportunity divide and issues facing their diverse populations. We just launched the program and I’m happy to share that the Yahoo Employee Foundation will be funding over $100,000 in grants to organizations aligned to Veterans, LGBT, African American and Latino populations! The magic of this program is in the partnership, as employees create an impact by supporting non-profits in the community aligned to diverse population and volunteer to support the causes throughout the year. For example, our Veterans employee resource group applied for a grant in partnership with an organization called Fisher House which is part of the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. Fisher House received a $25,000 grant from the Yahoo Employee Foundation to support the temporary housing unit for Veterans and active duty service members and their families when a Veteran or servicemember is inpatient at the hospital. Yahoo employees will volunteer each quarter with activities such as holiday drives, meal prepping, cooking, tutoring and gardening to support veterans. The diversity grant program program is all about partnerships and is a platform for employee groups to drive change in their communities.

What is your advice to aspiring youth who are considering a career in STEM?

Get involved in projects and issues you’re passionate about. Trust your big dreams and follow them. Ask for a mentor and think about problems in your community that you want to solve. How can you use technology to design a solution to these problems? Having a career in Tech can open your eyes to many ways you can make a big impact on your communities and the world we live in.

Lastly, what is your favorite Yahoo memory?

A memory that will be in my mind forever was on June 27, 2015 when marriage equality was legalized in the U.S. and Yahoo threw a party to celebrate at our Headquarters in Sunnyvale. As the Chair of Yahoo Pride Employee Resource Group, I was able to lead a global campaign celebrating LGBT equality at Yahoo from highlighting equality issues on Yahoo products to employee activations on campuses. At Yahoo Headquarters, we hosted a transgender visibility panel, a LGBT nonprofit fair and threw a celebration and dance party to take in the historic moment with colleagues. Yahoo’s been named a Best Place to Work for LGBT employees for nine years in a row by the Human Rights Campaign. It’s incredible to be part of a company that cares about and prioritizes diversity and social issues.

Yahoo for Good leverages core Yahoo assets, our people and product, to enable the next generation of creative thinkers and doers. We do this by providing access to opportunities in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), and by channeling your passion for good into social impact.

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Yahoo Women in Technology Profile: Elizabeth Zwicky, Anti-Spam Architect

By Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Elizabeth, Yahoo’s Anti-Spam Architect for Yahoo Mail. She grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and has an honors interdisciplinary degree from Ohio State in Cognitive Science, but she’s not a Buckeye (sorry, football people). Elizabeth spent most of her adult life in California, aside from a few years living in French-speaking Switzerland, and she has bounced around the high-tech industry in a variety of roles and specialties including security, system administration, technical writing, engineering management and consulting. The smallest company she has worked for was three people; the biggest was about 15,000, and they’ve included for-profit entities, not-for-profit entities and the State of Ohio. Elizabeth wrote one book twice, with two different co-authors; that’s the first and second editions of “Building Internet Firewalls”, published by O'Reilly. She is a founding board member of three separate system administrator groups (SAGE in the United States, BayLISA in the SF Bay Area, and SAGE-AU in Australia).

How did you get interested in tech?

I was not one of those techy kids. I was a bookworm kid and an arty kid. I was sure I was going to grow up to be a professor like my father. I was doubly sure once math and I parted ways in middle school (what I remember about middle school math is that I hated my teacher almost as much as I hated his green plaid golf pants). I did get to use the computers in high school (which was a big deal!) but I used them to study New Testament Greek. But then I needed a job, and I got one working for what these days would be called a startup but back then was just a really small company building barcode systems, and it was so small that I was hired to file and make coffee, but I am really terrible at making coffee and really not terrible at a lot of other things they needed done, which amounted to pretty much everything but the actual code that went into the system, including the manuals, the testing, building cables (sometimes out of paperclips), the design of the software, and standing on Rockwell International’s truck axle manufacturing line talking to them about inventory management, barcode labeling, and the difficulties of maintaining printers in an environment with loose pigeons. And I was still in school, and computer science was a hacky way of fulfilling the math requirement… And 20 years later I explained to my boss that my middle school math teacher told me I’d never be any good at math and my guidance counselor told me to avoid all things technological, and he laughed so hard he had to hold on to his cubicle wall to stand up.   So the short answer is “It’s inside work and it pays well.”

What is it like working for Yahoo?

I like to tell people “From here you can move the Internet. You can’t move it very far because it’s really big. But you can move it.” And that’s true; we touch hundreds of millions of people a day, all over the world, and we have the reach to make small but significant changes to the entire Internet.

Photo credit: Elizabeth’s team after enjoying some cake in Sunnyvale.

What has been a technical (or non-technical) project you are most proud?

DMARC, which is one of those small but significant changes. You know how mail says “From: Your Friend <[email protected]>”? I bet you always thought that meant it was from friendsplace.example. Nah, that’s never been an actual requirement. It was possible to lie about that. It still is in lots of situations, but DMARC lets domains say “if mail says it is from my domain, it needs to be able to prove it”. So if you see mail that has yahoo.com in the From: line on any major mail system, it’s really from yahoo.com. Which sounds so tiny – I had to put so many careful definitions in there – but slowly but surely we’re making mail do what people expect. I was lucky enough to be the person at Yahoo who worked on this while we finalized and implemented it, which is kind of like being the last runner in the relay race, in that I got to do a lot of work and sweep across the finish line, but at the same time lots of other people did their part first.

Why is diversity important to you?

I don’t fit well into little boxes, and the people I love don’t either – I want a world where we can all bloom instead of having our options limited. And that includes my daughter, who at 12 has given up her toddler dream of being a saber-tooth tiger airplane pilot, but is coming to the conclusion that we may be correct that technology is a great day job while you develop your skills as a graphic novelist.

Monoculture is both boring and dangerous. A single point of view won’t let you serve a broad population, or flexibly survive changes.

And I want to eat desi breakfast (scrambled eggs and mixed vegetable pickle on a poori is my favorite, but I’ll settle for putting tomato chutney on my eggs and tater tots, with a nice mug of proper unsweetened masala chai). 

[lifeatyahoo]

Congratulations to Our Two “Folio Top Women in Media” Winners

Congratulations to Yahoo’s very own Charity Elder and Mandi Woodruff, who have been named part of Folio’s Top Women in Media! The list aims to recognize and honor women who stand out, those who have moved their teams, brands and companies forward, made strides in their respective markets, and created lasting impressions on their colleagues.

Charity Elder, an executive producer at Yahoo News, was named to the Corporate Visionaries list, which honors those who have steered their companies into new markets, new opportunities, new audiences, and strong, measurable growth. Charity and her team are working to redefine news for the digital era. Elder oversees the operational management of the news video team, as well as developing strategy and execution across divisions with the sales, product, homepage and marketing teams in order to deliver in full on sponsorship of Yahoo News video programs like ‘Cities Rising: Rebuilding America’ and ‘Now I Get It,’ a weekly explainer series, both of which feature Katie Couric, Yahoo Global News Anchor.

Mandi Woodruff, a reporter for Yahoo Finance, was named a Rising Star, for those women on the rise and making their mark, even at the early stages of their career. Mandi has established herself as a leading millennial voice at Yahoo Finance, where she covers all areas of personal finance, including everything from big investigative features to service oriented pieces that offer insight into a wide range of topics; whether it’s paying off debt, learning how to negotiate your salary, deciphering the healthcare system, planning a wedding, or weighing the pros and cons of renting vs. buying.

Congratulations to both on this honor, we look forward to seeing what you do next!

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Yahoo Women in Technology Profile: Becky Burwell, Production Engineer

By Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Becky, Yahoo’s Production Engineer on the Flickr team located in our Sunnyvale office. Becky graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, with Highest Honors, from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Soon after graduation she got a job at the Xerox PARC Research Center working first as a member of research staff and later in Systems Engineering.  Four years ago Becky joined Yahoo as a contractor in the Flickr Production Engineering group and joined Flickr full time two years ago. In her spare time, Becky enjoys word puzzles, bike riding to the Baylands, and searching for hedgehogs on Flickr.

How did you get interested in tech?

My father was a physics and math teacher before moving on to be a superintendent of schools in Ottawa. He always had hobby computers that I could play with. When I was in high school, I took two programming classes and knew that I wanted that to be my career.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Working with Flickr is like working at a startup but with the advantages of a huge and loyal user base. I get to work with smart people and have a manager who supports me and challenges me to take on tasks outside of my comfort zone. My latest project is expanding one of my Flickr responsibilities Yahoo-wide, organizing a technical brown-bag series for users of the data-mining tool Splunk.  That success led me to start a South Bay meetup for Splunk, which we’re holding at Yahoo Sunnyvale. It’s great being able to apply the latest features of Splunk to the web-scale data we have at Yahoo and the vendor is super excited to work with me on their latest features and improvements. In turn, I can help keep Flickr running smoothly and  can get out developers to leverage Splunk to delight our users. We’re hiring at Flickr too!

Photo credit: Wilson Lam; Becky with her team in San Francisco.

What has been a technical project you are most proud?

Right after landing at Flickr, I saw how I could make our service more reliable and make better use of resources by automating detailed top-to-bottom monitoring of our servers.  I designed and implemented “FlopsDB,” collecting data on all our hardware, software, network, and configurations to provide a one-stop portal for queries and reporting. I am detail-oriented by nature and find it very satisfying to have the information my colleagues and I need in one common database. I am most proud when my coworkers use FlopsDB to plan enhancements and resolve problems quickly.  I know they’re using it because they share the URLs in our chat sessions, and it’s become an indispensable tool for keeping Flickr users delighted.

What is your connection to Yahoo’s Women in Technology Employee Resource Group?

Everybody in group is super competent and I enjoy working with the team, but as I am the only woman in Production Engineering at Flickr, I miss the viewpoints from working with other women. I joined Yahoo’s Women in Technology (WIT) group because I like to meet with other technical women at Yahoo and talk about issues that affect women. I really appreciate the fact that Yahoo is investing in diversity.

Why is diversity important to you?

My mother was a Psychology professor and an ardent feminist. I was raised to believe that women could do whatever they want and to stick up for themselves when they were discriminated against. When I was 16 my mother excused me from school on International Women’s day to march with other women on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in the middle of winter.  I’m proud that we have helped build a foundation for the next generation of women: my daughter is strong and independent, and I’m confident that she will continue to push boundaries for women as she enters university next year.

What is your advice to aspiring women who are considering a career in STEM?

I have two high school seniors and while I had wanted them to be interested in the same areas I am interested in, they are their own people. I celebrate the fact that they have their own interests and should pursue their own dreams. Technology is indispensable to success in modern life, and my kids are ultra-comfortable with leveraging their tech skills.  As they begin to make their way in adult life, I know they will use technology effortlessly to achieve their own goals.  For them, STEM isn’t a goal in itself, but a set of tools help take them on a path to their own idea of a greater good.

Lastly, what is your favorite Yahoo memory?

I work on the same floor as our CEO, Marissa Mayer, and have had several opportunities to chat with her about her twin babies and my twin high school seniors.  I have been impressed with the respect Marissa has given me in listening to my parental advice!

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What’s Your Superpower?

At Yahoo, we are all about discovering, developing and amplifying our employee’s superpowers.

Want to share your superpowers?  Visit our careers page!  We’re hiring!

Here’s our Talent Acquisition team taking Casual Friday to the next level, and having a little fun on a break…

BATMAN vs SUPERMAN - At the Office  

Video credits: Nicholas Houser, Kyle Malone, Pierre Aguayo

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Yahoo Women in Technology Profile: Caroline Ratajski, Software Engineer, BrightRoll Video Ad Exchange

By Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Caroline, Yahoo’s Software Engineer for BrightRoll’s Video Ad Exchange in San Francisco. For the last eight years Caroline has been working as a software engineer in various companies in Silicon Valley. She graduated from Santa Clara University with her BS in 2007 and her MS in 2012. She has worked in ad tech, eDiscovery, and for a government contractor. She is also a writer, with a few short stories published, and currently working on a novel. Outside of writing code and writing fiction, she likes to read, run, lift weights, go to live shows, and spend time with her cat, Gravy.

How did you get interested in tech?

I grew up around computers. My dad was an electrical engineer, and I can’t remember a time when technology wasn’t available to me. I was that kid who liked to take things apart and try to put them back together, who always wanted to know how everything worked. I wrote my first actual program in fifth grade, a little text adventure, in QBasic. After that I went to a high school that was noted for its tech track, where I learned more about programming and circuits. In undergrad I studied computer engineering, a combination of computer science and electrical engineering. (I also minored in philosophy, which isn’t as divergent from science and engineering as most people are inclined to think.)

What is it like working for Yahoo?

When people ask me what I like about my job, the number one thing I talk about is the people. I am lucky to be surrounded by smart, passionate people, who want to do the best work they can.

Why is diversity important to you?

When we speak about diversity, it’s often limited to just speaking of women in tech. But we also need to consider race, LGBTQ, and the disabled community. For instance, an app’s color-coding may be beautiful, but to someone who is colorblind, it may be useless. It’s not an insurmountable task to engineer in a ‘colorblind mode’ when starting development, but adding it in later might be a real challenge. But if someone on the team was colorblind and their work environment was such that they felt comfortable bringing up the issue, that application can now be useful to a wider community than before. Diversity is important because when you open your team up to alternative perspectives, you discover problems you hadn’t noticed before, come up with solutions you wouldn’t have come up with otherwise, and open your product up to wider audiences than you could have with a monolithic team. But even more than that, diversity is important because people deserve to be able to pursue what they’re passionate about, and not be discouraged away from it simply because they don’t fit a specific profile. Life should be more than just the bottom line. It should be about offering equal opportunities to everyone, at all stages of their life.

What is your advice to aspiring women who are considering a career in STEM?

Mistakes are how you learn. Go make as many mistakes as you can, so you learn how not to do something, and don’t let anyone make you feel badly because you didn’t get it right the first time. Scientists and engineers are always learning, and mistakes are a part of the process!

Lastly, what is your favorite Yahoo product?

Tumblr is my favorite Yahoo product, by leagues and bounds. I am a total Tumblr addict. I used to be a Twitter addict, but once I found Tumblr, it was all over.

[lifeatyahoo]

My Yahoo Story: Keaton Guess

By Keaton Guess, Manager, Account Management

Day One: November 2, 2009

The elevators open and I’m engulfed in a purple office. I had finally landed a job that was applicable to my degree after bouncing around from selling office supplies door-to-door to teaching mountain biking to kids. Little did I know at the time that Yahoo had more benefits than those you first think of (which are still amazing, don’t get me wrong). Yahoo was more. Yahoo was going to become my way of life.

First Two Years at the ‘Hoo

Working in our Omaha, Nebraska office I saw that location grow from under 100 people to becoming one of our larger locations. Right before my two year anniversary I experienced a massive “benefit beyond benefits.” I was offered a promotion, which meant joining our team in New York City. I was stoked of course, but then I was still concerned. I’d never been to NYC. This opportunity pushed me personally and professionally as I’d never experienced before. I was able to move out of the Midwest, where I grew up in a town of less that 10,000 people (what’s up Maryville, MO!) to a borough (BROOKLYN!) that has more than that in a few blocks. Amazing.

Yahoo NYC: The Next Four+ years

Yahoo NYC took me in with open arms and created opportunities from day one. I worked on premium business, and in less than a year in they sent me to London to help our teams there. I’d never been outside the U.S. (except Canada and Tijuana…that’s another story). The trip opened my eyes to an entire new side of the world. Benefits beyond the benefits. From there I explored, navigated New York, and went on business trips to cities I’d never explored.

What’s the point?

Yahoo is in the midst of an incredible state of change. However, walking into that purple office more than six years ago changed my life. The past six years have contained: Life long friends, roommates, moves across the country, seven titles, incredible mentors, traveling to London twice (my first time out of North America…ever. Sad but true), finding my internal make-up, and a fulfilling career. These are benefits no job will ever be able to recreate or give me.

The privilege of working at Yahoo is my benefit beyond benefits. I’ll forever be indebted to Yahoo for the opportunities this amazing company has given me. Working here has empowered me to write my own story, delivered a career I love, and showed that working hard and being a good person pays off.

[lifeatyahoo]

Black History Month 2016: An Inspiring Month of Celebrations, Yahoo Style!

By Duru Ahanotu, Director, Data Management, Marketing

Throughout February the Yahoo Black Network (YBN) hosted a month-long celebration in honor of Black History Month. This year’s theme was “Renaissance,” with four sub-themes: tech, media, leadership, and diversity. The month was an inspiring example of the energy, passion, and commitment that YBN contributes to a dynamic Yahoo culture.

Yahoo’s media team joined in on the celebration, delivering a series of articles across multiple digital magazines covering many aspects of African-American life. Users learned about the origins of Black History Month, beauty from a Black perspective, and travelling in China from a Black man’s perspective. In addition – starting with President Barack Obama – our editors reviewed examples of Black leadership in government, technology, and finance.

YBN continued the celebration (and education), bringing in speakers to discuss everything from volunteerism and the importance of one’s community impact to how to collaborate like a jazz master. For those looking for a workout, a dance class in stepping – a dance form primarily used by Black fraternities and sororities as a celebration and demonstartion of unity – provided a high energy option.

The main event was a celebration held on our Sunnyvale campus, which brought stellar performances from local talent. I was deeply gratified to witness electric performances by artists showing a lot of heart, enthusiasm, and genuine appreciation for this event. Plain and simple, they tore the floor up and brought the roof down! I was proud to see our performers bring Black culture to life through singing, dancing, and live musical instruments. We had a jazz band, a beautiful mix of traditional African drumming and dance along with old African-American spirituals, and even dance sessions. During the performances, the audience also learned about various Black inventors, past and present, who brought innovations to a broad spectrum of industries through the Black Inventor’s Traveling Display. Overall, I believe these performances demonstrated the richness of local talent and the power of drawing from the community for important celebrations.

Organizing this year’s Black History Month program for Yahoo was an uplifting moment for my near 6-year career here, and brought together the efforts of many dedicated and talented people from across the company. I am deeply grateful for all of their help and support for making this Renaissance possible! The events throughout the month were a vibrant testament to Yahoo’s commitment to embracing and celebrating diversity.

[lifeatyahoo]

Yahoo Profile: Jonathan Xu, Senior Business Intelligence Manager, Network Insights

posted by Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Jonathan Xu, Senior Business Intelligence Manager for Network Insights in our Sunnyvale office. He is a 12-year veteran at Yahoo. He works closely with a team of analysts and product managers to provide audience insights for the executive, product, and marketing teams. Prior to joining Yahoo in 2003, Jonathan was a Senior Business Analyst at Microsoft’s WebTV division, providing customer care budget forecast and conducting customer care incident analysis. He has over 20+ years of combined experience in sales, marketing, customer care, and data analysis fields. Jonathan received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Texas A&M University, and MBA degree from University of Phoenix (San Jose, CA). Jonathan is a football fan, participating in Yahoo Fantasy Football every year. During his spare time, he likes to work on various home projects and enjoys home cooking.

How did you get interested in tech?

I became interested in science and technology when I was a kid. I came from Shanghai, China. My father was a high school physics teacher when I was young. Watching my father assembling our family’s first black and white 9-inch TV from scratch was the most fascinating thing that inspired me. With a curious mind, I tore apart many things at home and tried to find out how things work, such as alarm clock, wristwatch, cassette player, and radio. Then I learned to put them back together.  I probably broke more things than I should. Regardless, my father taught me many things in science and technology, hence encouraged me to come to the U.S. to study in the technology field after I graduated from high school.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Working at Yahoo is like living in Internet history. I created my Yahoo email account in 1997 and have been using Yahoo products since. Throughout the years, being part of the Yahoo product shift from desktop to mobile devices is such an amazing feeling. By working with many talented people on various projects, I also get to learn new ideas and skills from others.

Why is diversity important to you?

Diversity is important as we share different skills, different culture backgrounds, and different believes. It will be a very boring place if there is no diversity around you.

What is your advice to aspiring youth who are considering a career in STEM?

Keep a curious mind. Get as much hands-on experience as you can. Put down your smartphones and spend time with your parents on various home projects. Apply the STEM skills learned from your school. Although knowledge is power, applied knowledge is more powerful.

What is your favorite Yahoo memory?

My favorite Yahoo memory was the yodeling for the Guinness World Record. I was able to be part of this world record twice, in 2003 and 2015.

[yahootalentcommunity]

FYI February 19, 2016 by leahthrush

[flurrymobile]

Agenda Set for YMDC SF 2016

By Chris Klotzbach, Head of Product Marketing, Flurry

As we announced in December, Yahoo’s Mobile Developer Conference is headed back to The Bay! Today, we’re pleased to announce the agenda for February 18th.

Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer will kick-off the event, followed by a State of Mobile address from Simon Khalaf, SVP of Publisher Products. The next group of presenters will offer a deep dive on several advancements to the Yahoo Mobile Developer Suite and will take a look into the State of Native Ads. The morning will close with a panel discussion on the increasing usage and trends around ever-popular messaging apps.

After-lunch sessions will explore the ways time-strapped developers can leverage Tumblr for an effective content marketing solution, and they will provide a debrief on findings from Yahoo’s App Lifecycle study. The rest of the afternoon will include insights on how to grow, retain and monetize users on mobile.  

For more information, full agenda details and to request an invitation, developers can check the official event Tumblr at ymdcsf2016.tumblr.com.

Want to share your excitement? Be sure to use #mobileyodel on social.

[lifeatyahoo]

Yahoo for Good Profile: Grace Chung, Manager, Corporate Programs

posted by Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Grace, Manager, Corporate Programs in our Sunnyvale office. Grace leads Tech for Good initiatives as part of the Yahoo for Good team, figuring out ways Yahoo can leverage its people, products and technology to create social impact. She is also involved with special projects with the product and tech organizations that help make Yahoo the best place to work. She graduated with a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA from American University. In her spare time, Grace is involved with organizations such as TechWomen, a U.S. Department of State initiative, to mentor emerging female STEM leaders from Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East.

How did you get interested in tech?

I’ve always been fascinated with the potential for technology to address social challenges affecting communities around the world. In my pre-Yahoo life, I consulted for the Department of Defense to explore mobile banking opportunities in cash-based Iraq. I also spent a summer in Kabul, Afghanistan working for a mobile carrier and witnessed firsthand the power of connectivity to transform a nation through increased inclusion, mobility and transparency. I wanted to continue working at the intersection of technology and social impact, and found the opportunity to do just that at Yahoo two years ago!

Photo credit: Vance Jacobs Photography

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Yahoo was my first online account after my family signed up for Internet connectivity back in 1996, twenty years ago! Working for Yahoo, a company that personally guided me through the World Wide Web, in 2016, is a testament to its resilience and ability to adapt to the changing times.

I love that each day at Yahoo is different from the next. I could go from liaising with the Chiefs of Staff of internal product and tech organizations on executing special projects in the morning, to fostering partnerships with nonprofits such as Girls Who Code and Technovation in the afternoon. I’m also incredibly lucky to work with passionate and mission-oriented coworkers, teams and nonprofit organizations.

What is your connection to Yahoo for Good?

As part of the Yahoo for Good team, I lead our Tech for Good initiatives, where we work to leverage our people, products and technology for social impact. Internally, I challenge engineers to hack product features that help communities in need. Externally, I find ways to partner with nonprofit organizations to increase access to tech opportunities for underserved communities.

Most recently, I connected Rumie, a nonprofit working with the UNHCR to bring hardware and education content to Syrian refugees, to an offline refugee dictionary created by two Yahoos during one of our internal Hackdays in 2015. I see my work as connecting the dots between Yahoo, our brilliant employees, nonprofits, and the communities they’re trying to support.

What is your advice to aspiring students who are considering a career in STEM?

I would encourage students to expand career options from STEM to STEAM (STEM + the Arts) to develop a more interdisciplinary approach in tackling global challenges. There are so many groups out there, such as Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, StreetCode Academy, and Technovation (to name a few!) that you can join to get hands-on STEAM training today. The most important thing to remember is organizations like these aren’t just about teaching you tech skills, but about helping you to use technology to change the world.

Lastly, what is your favorite Yahoo memory?

My favorite Yahoo memory, hands down, is convincing will.i.am to speak to students from Stanford’s Girl Code program visiting our Sunnyvale campus. The students were left speechless and inspired to continue pursuing their interests in computer science. And who wouldn’t “scream & shout” for a selfie with will.i.am?!

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Yahoo Women in Technology Profile: Peace Chung, Design Associate

posted by Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Peace, a first-year Designer in Yahoo’s Design Associate Program, currently working on Yahoo’s video team in Sunnyvale. She studied business at the Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College in New York City. Before joining Yahoo, she worked on the Product Strategy & Partnerships team at HLN/CNN.

In her spare time, Peace is always up for high-adrenaline activities, and will never turn down an opportunity to travel.

How did you get interested in design?

I got my feet wet in graphic design out of necessity. As a fresh high school graduate, I took the lead to brand and market my parents’ small business. I spent that summer teaching myself Adobe Illustrator and InDesign in order to design a logo, menus, and marketing collateral. In college, I had an amazing opportunity to freelance for the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It was the first time I designed for an actual client (not family) and got a taste for the creative industry. Other freelancing opportunities soon followed, which quickly secured my passion for design in tech.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

The Yahoo Design Associate Program has given me unparalleled access to design mentors and hands-on learning opportunities. Within my first three months at Yahoo, I helped ship a redesigned video player to be seen by millions during the NFL global live stream in October 2015. As a fresh college graduate, this kind of opportunity is a dream come true!

Additionally, I am surrounded by individuals who are passionate about building amazing products together. While helping refine Yahoo’s design language, I’ve gotten to work with numerous product teams across the company. Cross-team collaboration is key to working at Yahoo, and has made me feel like an integral player so early on in my career.

What is your connection to Yahoo for Good?

At Yahoo, I’ve had the opportunity to lend volunteer design support to internal teams working on social impact initiatives. I’ve worked closely with the Yahoo for Good team, Yahoo Employee Foundation, and the Business & Human Rights Program. It’s rewarding to give back through design.

Why is diversity important to you?

Diversity is a key ingredient for innovation. A few years ago, I participated in The One Club’s Creative Boot Camp, which introduces students of diverse backgrounds to the advertising and design industry. This program created the space for each of us to share our personal perspectives. From brainstorming to copyrighting to animating videos, diversity maximizes creativity in design.

What is your advice to aspiring youth who are considering a career in STEM?

An education in STEM provides the space to think critically and exercise problem solving, so get started early! Don’t be afraid to explore different avenues and even combine different passions together.

What is your favorite Yahoo memory?

My favorite memory is the Design Associate Program’s visit to IDEO’s Palo Alto office. We were able to get a sense of IDEO’s culture, workplace, and their human-centered approach to design. Our learnings inspired us to think of ways to refine our design processes at work, and we had the chance to return the favor by hosting them at Yahoo.

Photo: Yahoo Design Associates & Engineering Associates

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Yahoo Black Network Profile: Jeremy Smith, Tumblr Brand Strategist

posted by Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Jeremy, Tumblr Brand Strategist, based in our New York, NY office where he offers Tumblr’s platform services to east coast based entertainment clients. Prior to Joining Yahoo in 2015, Jeremy was a Content and Digital Strategist with New York-based advertising agency Commonground/MGS where he integrated digital content into 360 advertising campaigns for clients like The Estate of Tupac Shakur, Verizon Wireless, and MillerCoors. For nearly 2 years, Jeremy created content strategies, executed social strategy, and managed Tupac’s social media community. His two person team earned Tupac 10 million+  followers making Tupac the 3rd most followed deceased celebrity in the world. Prior to working in social media, he worked in sales and marketing roles after his internship with Cintas Corporation. Jeremy received his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Black World Studies from Miami University.

How did you get interested in tech?

I began typing at 5, and playing computer games soon after. My first computer entered my life around 11. By 15 all I wanted for Christmas was a 56K modem. I liked to learn and the Internet was an information rabbit hole. Meeting new people was the fastest way to learn. Next I was message boards and joining every social network that came about. Soon enough I was obsessed with web design, building computers and social media.

Growing up in Cincinnati, Silicon Valley seemed to far away to reach. After graduating from Miami University (OH) I spent several years working as a sales rep in facility services and 3PL industries. One day I had enough. I quit my job and free-lanced as a social media strategist. For the first time I used my passion for tech and people to make a living. I applied for jobs with every social and tech company I could find. I soon discovered "who you know" was extremely important. I decided working for an ad agency was the best way to use my skills and meet the right people. After interning with the Marcus Graham Project in Dallas I was hired by an agency in Chicago. That position allowed me to work with MillerCoors, Jordan Brand, Verizon Wireless and Coca-Cola.

In June of 2014 the Estate of Tupac Shakur became our newest client. As a lifelong Tupac fan, this was an extreme honor. For nearly 2 years, I created content strategies, executed social strategy, and managed Tupac’s social media community. My two person team earned Tupac 10 million+  followers making Tupac the 3rd most followed deceased celebrity in the world. In the process, I met some great friends with Tumblr. In September of 2015, I joined Tumblr as a brand strategist.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

The Tumblr and Yahoo combination allows me to see the past, present and future of tech at once. Yahoo is the established industry veteran that survived the dot.com era and continues to innovate. Tumblr represents the "cool kids lunch table" except anyone can have a seat especially if they create great content.

What’s your connection with the Yahoo Black Network?

Everyone is friendly. There is a desire to advance the tech industry by including the input of a more diverse workforce. I'm in support of anything that makes the internet a better place and advances my people.

Why is diversity important to you?

Diversity ensures that everyone is involved when innovation takes place. This allows for accurate advancements that are true to the people that will use them.

What is your advice to aspiring youth who are considering a career in STEM?

Never let anyone out work you.

Video credit: Jeremy Smith on Season 2 Episode 5 of the "The Pitch"

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Yahoo Black Network Profile: Jahleeka Morris, Senior Stock Plan Analyst

posted by Michael McGovern, Talent Community Manager

Meet Jahleeka Morris, Yahoo’s Senior Stock Plan Analyst in our Sunnyvale office. Jahleeka has been with Yahoo for 5 months now supporting the Equity Compensation Department as a Stock Plans Analyst. She has been in the Stock Industry for 7 years and took an interest in Global Compensation 3 years ago. Jahleeka has about 10 years experience in Finance, Banking, Lending, and Marketing. She graduated from Georgia State University earning a BA in Finance with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in African American Studies. Originally from Boston, she moved to Atlanta, which is where she matriculated in her professional career as a business woman. Being from the northern area, her favorite teams are the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and the Red Sox. Jahleeka's hobbies include boxing, being a dance mom, roller skating, Double Dutch, Basketball, Reading/writing and dancing. She plans to earn her Compensation Designation and finish up her MBA while here in the bay area.

How did you get interested in tech?

I got interested in tech due to the financial HR connection that tech based companies use in order to compensate their employees. I learned how to code by way of creating grant agreements for the employees of major start up companies and other reputable companies who offered stock based compensation. The coding I am experienced with is HTML using Dreamweaver which is a platform that allows a single document to serve as a legal contract for multiple employees. Learning this skill enticed a desire to learn more about coding on my spare time while still developing my compensation profession.

What is it like working for Yahoo?

Working for Yahoo is a great experience. It is a place that offers diversity, inclusion and awareness not only to tech industry specific subject matters but to individualism as a whole. I have met so many people here who have changed my perceptions and preconceived notions on the atmosphere of major corporations. The people who work here work hard and are constantly striving for efficiency but it is a group effort. Yahoo! also takes care of its employees in many ways. The employee matters here and it is very evident through the campus set up and perks offered. The people who work here are a pleasure and make the days very pleasant.

What is your connection with the Yahoo Black Network?

Being a young African American professional and educated woman, I have always had a desire to inspire and be inspired. Once I found out there was a group of young black professionals who were discovering ways to not only connect on campus but to also lay pipelines to give back to those in underserved areas, I jumped in with enthusiasm. It is important to work hard in order to ensure a progressive start professionally and individually but it is equally important to provide those who are starting with encouragement and a blueprint. It is important to provide mentorship and guidance. And that is one thing that YBN strives to do, along with providing a representation of black professionals in tech and encourage the need for diversity in Silicon Valley.

Why is diversity important to you?

Diversity = Inclusion. It is more than just race or skin color. Although it is important to have a strong mix of race represented everywhere for reasons that are supremely fundamental, diversity also includes factors like Man/Women representation, Sexual Orientation and acceptance of such preference, and the overall affirmation and appreciation of differences in individuals. It is important to expose diversity because it opens up the doors for potential experiences via people to people interactions. I have never been to India before and I have become really close with a native Indian woman who works in the coding industry here. Our conversations have changed our linear exposure to the world because we are engaging with people who have completely different experiences to share than what we are used to. This has provided has great enlightenment to me and I have made it a goal to meet as many people as I can so that I can keep an open perspective on life in general. Yahoo! assisted in providing that opportunity for me.

What is your advice to aspiring youth who are considering a career in STEM?

Hard work beats talent if talent doesn't work hard. You can go wherever you want to go in life. Most times people think computer science is too difficult of an industry or uninteresting but exposure is key. STEM provides opportunities in career fields that most people never knew existed. We are exposing our youth to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. That is far beyond 100 potential careers that you may find interesting and suitable for you if given the exposure to it. I believe it is a great tool for youth to keep their options open.

What do you love doing the most?

I enjoy working out, mainly boxing. There is a ton of adrenaline in the sport of boxing and it is a great way to stay active and burn lots of calories. I normally train in Atlanta, but after newly relocating to California, I have to find a trainer who can help me do this…..

What do you love doing the most?

I absolutely love being a mother. I am the mother of 7 year old Myjoi Copeland (@iammyjoi) she is such a talented young lady. She is on a professional dance competition team and I enjoy being a dance mom and dance auntie to her and all of her peers. She love dancing and does quirky little things like insisting I record her free styling during an overlay in the airport. She is fun, loving and a burst of positive energy. She films commercials and television shows often and she enjoys every minute of it. I just love exposing her to different things.

[lifeatyahoo]

My Yahoo Story: Andrew Chang

By Andrew Chang, Front Page Content Producer

For some people, it’s a bizarre ambition. For others, it’s a trip of a lifetime. For me, it’s one more thing off the bucket list.

Last summer, I rode my bicycle across the United States, from my home in New Jersey to my grandmother’s house in San Francisco. I was able to do this because an eight-week unpaid sabbatical is just one of the many wonderful benefits of working for Yahoo – and after this trip, perhaps one of the most memorable.

My route took me across 13 states and 4,200 miles – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California – over 62 days. If you’re counting, yes, that’s a little over eight weeks, but I had some vacation time as well.

Of course, with such a long time without a paycheck, daily expenses start to become a concern. But it turned out I spent less money on the road than I do in everyday life.

For shelter, I camped, I occasionally stayed in cheap hotels, and I even spent a fair number of nights in the homes of strangers. The number of people who have ridden across America or harbor a desire to do so is actually bigger than you might think, and they’ve helped set up a free AirBnB-like network to help people reach this goal.

The accommodations could be as grand as what one Indiana dentist offered – an entire furnished floor in his riverfront home and a home-cooked dinner, or as modest as what a farmer in Colorado could spare – space in his backyard to set up my tent, and a warm shower.

I was equally grateful for both. I learned to be grateful for a lot on this trip: Good weather. Strong tailwinds. A road with a wide shoulder. The fact that I had the health to do this. The fact that I had a job to go back to.

I also benefited a lot from the kindness of strangers. Part of the reason why I’d wanted to do this trip is because I’ve traveled pretty extensively around the world, but like many who live on the coasts, I’d hadn’t seen much of my own country. After all, the audience that I serve in my job comprises everyone.

In Pennsylvania, a Mennonite landowner took me across his wooded property and pointed out the subtle signs of the animals that lived there. In Kansas, a farmer put me behind the wheel of his massive, pricey tractor and taught me how to bale hay. In Nevada, along the “loneliest road in America,” a café owner gave me a history lesson on why, despite living there for decades, he was still considered an outsider.

For all these people and more, my background at Yahoo and association with a known and beloved brand provided a passport into their lives and access to easy conversation.

Now, months after the trip’s end, every so often I find myself reminiscing about the trip. It left me with some powerful memories of not only people, but sights, sounds, smells, tastes and feelings too.

The roaring of Navy jets over the Nevada salt flats. The sweet smell of drying tobacco hanging from the rafters of Kentucky barns. Catching my breath as I crossed the Continental divide, 11,300 feet above sea level at Colorado’s Monarch Pass. Battling headwinds in Kansas. Evading packs of dogs in Kentucky. The majestic geology of Bryce Canyon.

I feel like I learned a lot about America and my fellow citizens. I also learned a lot about myself. As great as seeing America was, home for me is on the coasts. Home for me is also Yahoo, where I have worked for almost the entirety of the past decade, and to which I was grateful to return after those weeks on the road and to which I’m grateful for this experience.

Want to know more? Check out Andrew’s Tumblr, My Terrible Idea.