Cara Sego

What were you up to before joining Kipsu?

I graduated from Gustavus with a degree in Computer Science in 2017 -- while at Gustavus, I played basketball, jazz trumpet, worked in tech services, and ate my fair share of "frost-your-own" cookies (the best cookies one could ever frost on your own). After graduation, I wandered around the pacific northwest for a week and change, and shortly thereafter, I started at Kipsu!

What are some things you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love listening to and playing jazz music, playing basketball, hiking/walking/wandering, jigsaw puzzles, cooking things without a recipe, eating things baked by other people, exploring new places in the area, and being mesmerized by my houseplants -- those that thrive and those that don't haha.

What drew you to Kipsu in contrast to other companies?

The people! Additionally, the opportunity to join the rotation program to explore different roles, responsibilities, and perspectives of a company.

What were some things you noticed about the Kipsu team during your first week?

Folks at Kipsu are very "human". What I mean by that is I could tell early on that while we were working towards business objectives, we were also solving problems and living the work-day life together. I found that when graduating from college, the focus was often on getting a job that aligns with your major / skills / interests, etc, and that is definitely valuable! But equally if not more important is finding a company with strong culture and people that you enjoy working with. To be frank, you'll be living a lot of time with those people -- it helps to like them! But more tangibly, you'll be solving problems, encountering challenges, and achieving accomplishments with them, too. The people you work with truly matter, and I learned that fast when joining Kipsu.

What challenges are you looking forward to tackling in your work at Kipsu?

So much to do, not enough time! This leads to the challenge of figuring out how to focus on solving specific problems / opportunities while balancing the tug and pull of others. Additionally, internationalization of digital messaging -- we are learning so much about how digital communication varies across the world, and adapting to serving those needs.

What is your favorite Kipsu core value and why?

Go Beyond Together -- it's the one the resonates the most to me in terms of people-focused, gritty team collaboration. We tackle the good, bad, and ugly together.

If you could pick any person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?

Steph Curry and his coach, Steve Kerr-- Curry is arguably the greatest 3-point basketball shooter and Kerr is a solid basketball coach -- I am a big fan of both. I once walked passed Curry in the downtown skyways and thought I was going crazy since no one else seemed to notice him. So I didn't say anything. Turns out, it was definitely him... it was the ultimate missed opportunity for a shameless fan selfie, haha. I also like eating Indian curry cuisine so we'd eat that, talk basketball, and have a tasty meal!