Women in Identity Security: Michelle Rascati
From physics and astronomy to AI and machine learning, Michelle Rascati, Senior Software Engineer, has had an eventful path to identity security. In this Women in Identity Security blog installment, Michelle details her way to AI and ML and how SailPoint’s culture has provided her with the tools she needs to succeed.
How did you come to your identity security career?
I’ve had a winding path towards software engineering and my current role at SailPoint. I majored in physics and astronomy in college, where I learned how to code to analyze data. After eventually taking a computer science course my senior year, I realized I might enjoy a more practical career in software engineering. I meandered around until I found a software engineering role at a retail website that used data and AI to provide personalized recommendations. Then, when I decided to move back to Austin, I was attracted to SailPoint because they solve some unexpected problems with AI and ML on top of their fantastic reputation for company culture. Over three years later, I am still learning a lot about the importance of managing identities with the right tools to keep organizations secure.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m working on our internal machine learning platform, which makes it easier to quickly release new AI and ML solutions for broader use cases.
What has been the biggest learning moment in your career?
I love SailPoint’s autonomy to find or create the best tool for the job. For example, when we could not find an existing third-party solution for the software we needed, we had the freedom to build it ourselves. I learned a lot by creating a solution from the ground up and maintaining it in production.
Who do you look up to as a woman in identity?
I look up to some of the other amazing women at SailPoint who excel in their respective domains. Vicki Sainz is a test engineer on our team that has a fantastic ability to understand all the engineering effort that goes into the product and makes sure it is well-tested. Jostine Ho is a data scientist who can wrangle any data that comes her way and use it to solve complex problems elegantly.
What can schools do to drum up women’s empowerment in the technology sector?
One of the best things schools can do is start exposing girls and minorities to STEM as early as possible, while everyone is at the same level of inexperience. As kids get older and see others that seem much farther ahead in science and technology, it can be too daunting to hop on the train late. For women that decide to pursue STEM careers, schools need to provide a support system. There are organizations at all levels of education that girls and women can join to feel like they’re a part of a community.
SailPoint stands for its people, whose unique characteristics and talents are what make us the company we are today. We live and breathe our ‘Four I’ core values which stand for individuals (our SailPoint Crew), integrity (delivering on what we say we will), impact (measuring results, not hours spent) and innovation (this one speaks for itself). If you’re interested in joining SailPoint, check out our job openings.
