The last thing I wanted was a job. I've been independent for almost 5 years and I've loved the freedom of working with startups and taking small projects here and there while building things on my own. It has been super rewarding.
I started working with the Levo League a few months ago as an independent. Helping them to integrate their existing platforms. The thing that improved immediately upon working with them was my wardrobe, these ladies set a high bar. Another thing I noticed is that I loved working in their offices. I usually work at home, or from New Work City, however, I kept coming in and working right next to them.
They have an amazing team: all strong, accomplished, hilarious women who truly love what they are working on. Amanda Pouchot and Caroline Ghosn are a joy to be around, they respect the development process, and they both have a great vision.
I was helping them interview other developers for the CTO position, and that's when it happened. I had a funny feeling, and after some internal searching I realized I was truly sad at the thought of not working with them any more. They had jokingly talked about hiring me early on, and I jokingly told them I never wanted a job again. When they gave me first refusal before they offered the job to someone else I was overwhelmed with the thought that there couldn't be a better place for me. So, I accepted.
We agreed that projects like Girl Develop It, and Vasilia are important to me and should stay that way. We discussed how important open source is to the ecosystem of the internet, and anything we build that can be abstracted out will be open sourced. We are currently working with amazing developers, designers, and user experience experts to create an intuitive, responsive platform.
I'm so excited to explore this opportunity with the Levo League. Not only do they have exciting technical challenges, but they are doing something I really believe in. They really are all so passionate about creating an environment for women where they can come for help, advice, and mentorship regarding their careers. It's a logical step after the things I have done with Girl Develop It.
The Levo League investors are women that I consider to be my role models, like Gina Bianchini and Sheryl Sandberg. I'm excited to have the privilege to work on something they can be proud of.