Rekha Sivakolundhu is a Lead Software Engineer with over 14 years of experience in delivering scalable software solutions and managing enterprise-wide products. Based in Frisco, Texas, she currently leads engineering teams at a Fortune 100 company, focusing on cloud architecture, DevOps, and automation. Rekha’s path to success was not easy. Overcoming financial hardships and limited access to education in her small village, she worked as a maid while attending school. Her perseverance led her to earn a Bachelor of Engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India. Rekha began her career in Chennai, leading development and support teams. She then moved to Virginia, where she created a self-service portal for secure file transfers and led the transition to modern batch scheduling tools at a Fortune 100 fintech company. As a Senior Software Engineer, she implemented a one-click solution for log ingestion pipelines and optimized monitoring platforms. Currently, as a Lead Software Engineer, she has led the design and implementation of scalable data pipelines using AWS services, automated application deployment with Ansible, collaborated with a vendor to develop custom Kafka Connect software, and implemented the Ansible Automation Platform for her enterprise. Beyond her technical achievements, Rekha is a published researcher and an active mentor in Women in Tech programs. She guides women and colleagues in career development and technology, and participates in internship programs for high school and college students. Rekha’s journey from a challenging background to a successful career in technology showcases her resilience, technical expertise, and leadership.