ID5 Celebrates International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an annual occurrence to celebrate the achievements and promote the equal participation of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.

To celebrate this day, we sat down with some of the women at ID5 and spoke about their experiences working in tech and facing the gender gap.

Read from Molly Mazza, VP of Client Growth; Anissa Connor, Director of Product; and Julieta Mejia, Data Engineer.

I stumbled into adtech over 10 years ago while I was in college in a small town in Indiana, dreaming of moving to a bigger market after graduation. My older sister, Meghan, connected me with her friend Maddie Moya  (now Power), who referred me to an intern class at Tapad, which was still a startup back then. I interviewed and accepted a client success intern role on Madison Avenue, diving headfirst into account management and technology teams. Honestly, I didn’t really know what adtech was, but I learned fast by asking questions and getting hands-on experience.

Early on, I was surrounded by smart, driven women, including Kate O’Loughlin, who led the internship program and is now a CEO herself, and those mentors helped shape not just how I understood the industry, but how I navigate my career.

Overall, I’ve been lucky. My early teams were largely led by women, which created a collaborative, supportive environment where I could be myself. Later, moving into more technical, data-driven roles, I became more aware of being one of the few women in the room. That shift was challenging at first, but it pushed me to better understand different communication styles and how various teams approach problems. It ended up being a growth experience; I became more confident in how I show up, and I learned to value the unique perspectives everyone brings to the table.

One thing I’ve learned is that almost every role today touches tech; it’s just a matter of how deep you want to go. I didn’t know much when I started, and I’ve learned most of what I know by asking questions and leaning on patient engineers and teammates. I also think it’s unhelpful to frame the industry as stacked against women. Showing up as yourself, confident and prepared, goes further than you might think. Trust your gut, and gravitate toward leaders and companies that hire for talent, culture fit, and problem-solving, not gender. And don’t underestimate the value of your perspective; different ways of thinking are what make teams, products, and companies stronger.

ID5 has been an incredibly supportive place for me. I’m getting hands-on exposure to the technical side of identity and data, and I’m back managing a full team of five individual contributors. What really stands out is how leadership builds the company; our CEO is a dad to daughters, and you can see how that perspective shapes a thoughtful, people-first culture.

After several years at a smaller company with fewer women, it’s meaningful to now be around working moms and women in different stages of building their families. I don’t feel like I’ll have to make an overwhelming tradeoff between career and family, and I know I’ll have the guidance and support I need when that chapter comes.

ID5 has also helped me think more intentionally about how I show up and grow in my career, and the monthly wellness benefit is a small but meaningful reminder to check in with myself and reset. I’ve learned that some of my best work happens when I take that time to get back into a calm, focused state.

I entered adtech a few years after university, joining Advertising.com after completing a Chemistry degree. The industry appealed to me as a place where analytical thinking could be applied in a fast-moving, exciting and commercially complex environment.

Over time, mentorship has played a defining role in my development. I’ve been fortunate to learn from senior technical leaders who not only challenged my thinking, but also trusted me with responsibility and invited me into strategic conversations earlier than I would have otherwise been exposed to. 

I’ve also been influenced by female leaders who were intentional about elevating the women around them by sharing knowledge and access to their networks. That approach has stayed with me, and it’s something I consciously try to carry forward, supporting and elevating others through knowledge sharing, connections and helping build environments where contribution is recognised and celebrated.

My experience has been mixed, though it is moving firmly in a positive direction. Earlier in my career, there were certain environments where women, even in technical and consultative roles, were more readily valued for their presence in client-facing situations than for their expertise.

I have also faced more personal challenges, including being made redundant three months into my maternity leave, which was difficult on a personal level and had a significant impact on my confidence. That experience underscored the need for stronger support structures for working parents and greater accountability around inclusive employment practices. It has since influenced my choice of employers and motivated me to advocate for new parents in the workplace wherever possible.

Encouragingly, there has been meaningful progress in recent years, both culturally in Adtech and through UK employment legislation. At ID5, I’ve been fully supported in my decision to work part-time, and I genuinely feel that the company recognises the value I bring. My knowledge and perspectives are respected and actively elevated, and I’m able to meaningfully influence key decisions and company outcomes.

Find mentors who stretch you intellectually and are invested in your long-term growth. Those relationships can be transformative, especially early in your career. Be selective about where you work, pay attention to how people are treated, not just what the company says about itself.

As you progress, use your position to advocate for those who may not be in the room or feel confident speaking up.

ID5 has supported my journey in adtech by creating an environment where flexibility, trust, and impact can coexist. I’ve been supported in my decision to work part-time, and it hasn't limited my influence. My expertise and perspective are actively valued. I’m included in key discussions, encouraged to challenge thinking, and trusted to help shape outcomes rather than simply execute against them. That combination, practical support alongside genuine professional respect, has allowed me to continue to grow while staying aligned with my personal priorities.

I started out in the front-end world. During an interview, I showcased a small Android/iOS game I had built and presented the metrics I tracked inside it. My first mentor was impressed by the way I used data to measure performance and saw potential in me to help build the first Big Data–oriented team in LATAM. From there, I expanded my experience across different areas—front end, back end, reporting, QA, and governance—always with the goal of finding value in data and delivering it to the business.

I’m proud to be part of the engineering community. I believe diversity brings unique advantages because it allows us to approach problems from different perspectives. Being a woman in engineering has meant contributing to that diversity and showing that different voices strengthen the solutions we build.

My advice is to stay curious and keep learning—data engineering is a field that evolves quickly. Don’t be afraid to start small: build projects, experiment with datasets, and share your work.

ID5 has been an inclusive environment where diverse voices are heard and valued. The company encourages professional growth and provides opportunities to work on impactful projects.