One woman didn’t go to college but found her professional calling through gaming. Another saw how COVID-19 was ravaging small businesses and wanted to help. They made career pivots, wrangled children and tackled global problems during a time that tested each and every one of us. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re sharing ten recent stories from women who work at Meta that inspire, delight and make us dream of what’s to come.

Workplace, a communication tool for businesses, has been an important tool for remote teams, particularly for frontline workers using it to adapt to remote work during the pandemic. Both Beatrice and Mayra have been instrumental in bringing Workplace to mission-critical organizations who use it to distribute essential information across the globe. Mayra says that her team's impact inspires her: “Personally, I feel motivated to come to work every day knowing that while I don’t work in healthcare like the rest of my family, the work I do can have a positive impact on people in need across the globe.”

Robbyn leads the Reality Labs team’s inclusion strategy and execution with consumers and developers, and has dedicated her career to proving why representation matters. We’re inspired by how she pushes her team to think differently in the hopes of removing barriers. Robbyn shares, “We’re lucky to be present in an era where tech has become such a huge catalyst in changing the world for good. This is why it’s even more critical to ensure we’re encouraging the growth of AR and VR in inclusive ways.”

When COVID-19 began to spread rapidly across the globe, Divya and her team acted quickly to provide meaningful relief. They created the Meta Small Business Grants Program, a global initiative giving $100M in cash grants and ad credits to support small businesses around the world, half of which was given to women, minority and veteran-run businesses. “Working through uncertainty and adapting to so many rapid changes has been tough at times, but we help each other stay positive,” Divya shares. “I feel closely connected to the rest of the world through our team’s efforts.”

Cristiane’s team manages WhatsApp Business’ presence across Latin America, helping people around the world connect with organizations and gain access to critical information and resources. This has been even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as there has been an increased need for governments to quickly communicate and offer citizens an easy way to get accurate health-related information. From children using WhatsApp for virtual lessons in India, to powering a COVID-19-specific hotline across the globe, the power of WhatsApp has never been more clear. Cristiane and her team are using the impact of technology for good and changing lives.

Novi is committed to providing people around the world with inclusive, safe and secure financial services. Sivanne has played a key role in the team’s success this year by working with her team to ensure Novi will leverage data science to detect and prevent real-time fraud attempts on the platform. “To me, there’s nothing more exciting than building systems that will ensure people everywhere can safely participate in the global economy. There are endless opportunities to drive change and make a difference,” she says.

Laura and Lisa have two full-time jobs: they each have two children and they’re both content designers for Meta. Both women built flourishing careers by cultivating trust with their teams while caring for their families. When Laura’s second daughter was born with a rare chromosome disorder, she thought she would have to give up her career. Meta gave her the opportunity to balance both responsibilities. For Lisa, working at Meta allows her to continue growing in her career while having the trust and flexibility to be there for her family.

In 2020, Carine was tasked with building a new team that would focus on Facebook’s commerce strategy and help identify initiatives that could support businesses and business models across the company. She recruited, structured and scaled a brand new team where building Facebook Shops was the main priority. Today, her team is making a significant real-world impact for business owners. Carine says, “At Meta, you learn something new every day. The career accomplishments you’re proud of showcase your effort, but the difference you can make while working here also has an effect on the world."

Annie didn’t attend university or take a traditional path to an engineering role, but she’s currently helping gaming clients grow their businesses as a solutions engineer on the Global Gaming team. She’s now an advocate for other women, for mental health, and for standing up for what you believe in. “In just two short years, my teammates and managers have helped transform me from a shy young woman into the strong professional woman I am today.”

Meta has chartered through the unknown with Snehi’s strong leadership. From helping to shape Facebook and Instagram in India during their earliest years to now helping to establish WhatsApp’s relationships with businesses in India, her career journey has been nothing short of impressive and inspiring. As a natural leader, she’s not only playing a pivotal role in helping to shape the future of Meta, she’s also inspiring more women in India to consider roles in technology along the way.

After working with financial institutions for 15 years, Sandhya made a career change and joined Meta, where the digital consumer tech landscape was completely new to her. When COVID-19 hit, she was already an expert at navigating change. Sandhya found the culture at Meta paired well with her leadership style, noting that, “At Meta, you lead with purpose and passion, empowering people and supporting them while achieving shared goals. Having a shared vision, purpose and sense of community is very important here.” Her approach to leadership, insight on in-demand career skills, and key learnings from the pandemic are a powerful read.