I’m Amatullah Kapadia, and my path into tech has been anything but traditional. I grew up in India, moved to Canada when I was 13, and eventually studied Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Even though my degree wasn’t in computer science—and I never landed an internship—I learned to carve out my own opportunities. I taught myself programming, data concepts, and how to work with large datasets because I knew those skills would open doors. That persistence eventually brought me to Houston in 2018, where I started in oil and gas before moving into big tech roles at Accenture and later Amazon.

I’m very much a “learn by doing” person. I journal, write things down, and try new hobbies that involve working with my hands—sewing, needlework, cooking. Writing is a big outlet for me; it helps me find peace of mind and make sense of things. I measure success by my own standards now. If something feels right and I’m satisfied with the outcome, that’s enough. I’ve learned that growth doesn’t have to look perfect—it just has to be honest.