Leila Nouri, Director of Product Marketing at Domino Data Lab, discusses her journey as a woman in business. She reflects on the challenges of being a minority in leadership and stresses the importance of supportive mentors and advocates. She advises young women to seek leaders who invest in their growth and emphasizes the need for transparency in pay equity, and underscores the importance of setting boundaries to prevent burnout and advocates for women supporting each other in the workplace...

What has been your career defining moment as a woman in business?

I inspired the creation of the Smithsonian Futures Exhibition that debuted in 2021, after meeting the female head of one of the Smithsonian’s museums. I then proceeded to create a team of women, including my executives, technologists, the art community leaders from the Smithsonian, a curator, and an artist, to build an AI exhibit for this exhibit.  

"I was given the space to be myself among other supportive and creative women."

I saw firsthand what was possible when I was given the space to be myself among other supportive and creative women who were not competing with me but bringing out the best in me. The result of this generous, open-minded, and forward-thinking atmosphere was a beautiful artwork called ‘Me plus You,’ which gave people a voice at a time when COVID made connecting and communicating very hard. And sharing the hopeful side of AI was as important as debating the negative side, and that’s what our team did.

Were there any obstacles you had to overcome as a woman in business?

I’m still only one of the few women leaders in the room, and of course, some male colleagues still repeat what I just said without attribution.  I’ve found male advocates in the room who are willing to speak out and create space for me, and that has helped. They’ll say “Leila just said that, or Leila, didn’t you just say that, or we need Leila here for this discussion.”

What advice would you give to a younger woman looking to join your industry?

Work for someone without a big ego who is supportive and can teach you things, invests in you, and helps you believe in yourself.  The work itself is secondary.

If you could do one thing to accelerate the pace of change for gender equality, what would it be?

Money talks. Therefore, I would force companies to publicly share pay information by gender and other criteria, e.g., years of experience, degree, etc. Once inequity is truly seen, it can’t be unseen and must be dealt with. I would also reward the best companies and brands by giving them tax credits for making pay equity a reality.

What compelled you to attend a Panelle event?

I wanted to be among a group of women leaders who could be my customers, and learn from them in a safe, open environment.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Devote at least 25% of your day to developing others and creating connections at work. This doesn’t mean going to every happy hour and creating ‘facetime’ with higher ups.  It does mean helping others even when you don’t benefit, asking good questions to learn about others’ struggles, and being there for others. Not only does friendship make work more fun and meaningful, it also takes you outside of yourself and your struggles. It may not appear like it pays off, but long-term, this support network and the respect you command from being trusted will be everything to you - long after the charms of titles, pay, and promotions wear off.

What’s your go-to advice for preventing burnout?

"I’ve decided not to go for jobs that cannot accommodate me, and I’ve never regretted it."

Stop answering emails after hours and throughout your weekends - it sets a bad precedent. Before I take a job, I inform my hiring manager that I have a daughter and generally can’t answer emails after hours unless my manager texts me, to indicate it’s urgent. Urgent means there is a looming deadline, or the CEO or a customer is involved, and only I can help.  I’ve decided not to go for jobs that cannot accommodate me, and I’ve never regretted it.

I’ve also found that others always want to work on my team because I respect my employees and their boundaries enough not to encroach on their personal time. I also believe women should not mimic and perpetuate the negative aspects of corporate culture that deny us family time, balance, and personal lives, which make us who we are and make us better (not worse) at our jobs. We should promote people who emphasize smart work, high-impact work, and breakthrough work—not hard work for the sake of hard work.

Why do you think it’s important for women to help other women win?

We’re so close to our own struggles, who better to help women win than other women?. Women also tend believe a win-win situation is possible in the first place, so we should lead by example, and create the workplaces we want to work in.

Finally, we'd love to know one woman in business who has inspired you or has pulled out the seat for you?

I had the privilege of working for a dynamo - a really amazing leader at AWS, who happened to be a really wonderful woman, too. She built and lifted up her female leaders by creating spaces for them with assignments and roles where they could shine. She was always there to stand up against the wrong things and fight the right kinds of battles, although she readily admitted her own vulnerabilities and fears, too. She showed you it was possible to be yourself, to be human and be a woman, while accomplishing everything you wanted to  - that a compromise wasn’t necessary. I often think of her and miss working with her.

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