Pratima Rao Gluckman

For the last two decades, I’ve worked in the software engineering field, where I’ve developed and driven software solutions for both Silicon Valley startups and Fortune 500 companies. Since 2008, I’ve worked in senior leadership for VMware, including roles as Senior R&D Manager for the Cloud Platform Business Unit (CPBU), Engineering Leader for the Networking & Security Business Unit (NSBU), and as Engineering Leader for VMware’s Blockchain Engineering team, LinkedIn, and most recently as Senior Manager at Rivian.

I hold three degrees: a bachelor’s in instrumentation engineering, a master’s in chemistry and computer science. Upon finishing my M.S. in computer science, I worked as a software consultant, developer, and engineer for some of Silicon Valley’s most cutting-edge companies, including IXOS, SAP Labs, Adomo, Inc., and Cast Iron Systems, Inc., and developed applications in J2EE, voice XML, SAP and portal technologies.

I am passionate about diversity in the workplace and have spearheaded several initiatives for gender and diversity efforts, both at VMware, and through my recently published book, Nevertheless She Persisted: True Stories of Women Leaders in Tech, which features the journeys of 19 women technology leaders.

In 2017, I co-founded Innovation for Youth, a startup that designs and delivers educational programs to help build young women’s STEM-related skills and confidence. As a mother of three, including a five-year-old daughter who loves math and writing animation computer scripts, I am committed to championing the next generation of female leaders, helping them grow and thrive in the ever-evolving fields of engineering and technology.