Women Leading the Charge in Tech Spotlight Series: Highlighting Jade Moksness, Full Stack Software Engineer at Verikai

In this blog post, we get to know our rockstar Full Stack Software Engineer, Jade Moksness. Jade shares her journey into the world of software engineering and what brought her to Verikai. She also talks about her experience working in the insurtech industry and offers advice to women looking to make a career in software engineering. Read on to learn more about her journey and how she is making her mark in the tech industry.

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

I live in beautiful Seattle, Washington, which is the city I’ve lived in almost my whole life. I spend the cold drizzly winters reading, gaming, and working on my sewing skills, but when the weather warms up, I love going on hikes and doing some gardening.

What started your journey into becoming a software engineer?

I have wanted to be a software engineer since I took a computer science course in high school. My mother works in a software engineer adjacent field so it was always on my radar, but when I first started learning it felt like a secret language. I realized quickly that computer programming is an amazingly powerful tool and you do incredible things with it, and I wanted to be a part of that.

What brought you to Verikai?

When I was interviewing for Verikai everyone I talked to was so welcoming and open. I got this really great vibe which piqued my interest. Then I learned more about the company culture and goals, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the team.

Now that you’ve spent some time working in the insurtech industry, what has been most surprising for you?

The power of modeling and data science. Having gone to school for computer science I was aware of data science and thought it was interesting, but didn’t have too much exposure to it. Now working at Verikai I get to see it being used every day and I am constantly impressed with what these models can do.

What do you enjoy most about being a software engineer?

I’ve always thought of writing software as a bit like solving a puzzle with many solutions. You have all these tools and technologies to create the desired end result, but it is up to you to put them together in a logical and efficient way. I have always loved that challenge.

In 2022, globally women only account for 5% of all software engineering roles*. What advice can you give women looking to make a career in software engineering?

It can feel strange to be one of the only women in the room at times, however, you can find companies that have more balanced teams. It really makes a difference in team culture, so it’s definitely something to look for in a company.

[A fun one]: If you could pick any decade from history to be alive during, which one would you pick and why?

Maybe the 1950s or 60s, if only for the fashion. There is something about the dresses during that time that I have always loved.

*Stat courtesy of: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126823/worldwide-developer-gender/

To learn more about Jade, connect with her on LinkedIn!