Q&A w/ Anu Muralidharan, Chief Operating Officer @ Expensify

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us, Anu! Firstly, please introduce yourself! 

Hi, Women in Tech DC attendees! I am Anu Muralidharan and I am the Chief Operating Officer of Expensify, a position I have held for nearly 3 years now. I am originally from India but have lived in the United States for almost 15 years and these days, it feels more like home than where I grew up. I live in Brooklyn and absolutely love the chaos of New York! 

What are you looking forward to at Women in Tech DC? 

I am looking forward to meeting other female leaders and aspiring female leaders at Women in Tech DC. I work remotely so it's often easy to just be lost in my little bubble. I am very excited to get out of that to hear from others and share my own stories with them in return. 

What can attendees expect from your session? 

I am speaking at Women in Tech because I have found that even the most successful and seemingly self-confident people struggle with self-doubt at times. I know I have. I want to share my story with the audience and specifically point to the strategies I developed to overcome moments of self-doubt. These strategies continue to help me to this day and I want to help others connect the dots and apply those strategies. I don't deal in the abstract. Theories help no one! 

What would be your advice to other women in tech who are coming up in the industry? 

My advice for women who are rising through the ranks of tech today is this: Raise your hand and put in the work. Even if you're not sure you can do the task at hand, still raise your hand. Then spend the time to figure it out. Get help, but don't follow instructions blindly. Use common sense. Most things in life are logical if we clear the fog of self-doubt and just follow our gut. 

Women in Tech DC is built on community; what advice would you give to our attendees on building your network and furthering your presence? 

I know it can feel like a slog or introverts may shy away from such public forums, but I have found that LinkedIn is invaluable for building your network and finding new opportunities. On LinkedIn, I mostly share things I read that I enjoy and follow like-minded people and people I admire. Creating a presence and a clear point of view via content-sharing is a good strategy and has helped me connect with people I may have never been able to reach otherwise.  

Also, I got every job I have ever had by sending an email and inviting that person to a coffee. It was terrifying each time, no doubt. But people are actually quite friendly once you get them out from behind their desks and into a real conversation. Try it, it's old school, but hey, coffee has never killed anyone! At least that I am aware of. Sometimes, you just have to put yourself out there and let the world tell you no. 

Register for your place to join Anu for their session ‘The Power of Momentum: The Winding Road to Undeniable Self-Confidence' at Women in Tech DC on May 15 - 16!