Isa Oliveres, Business Manager, on how four years at Dropbox feels like the ride of a lifetime
Tags: Latinx, Dropbox, Partnerships, Diversity, Hispanic Heritage Month

Q: Have you had transformational or inspirational moments at Dropbox?

A: Dropbox has been both a transformative and inspiring place. I’ve been given opportunities to take on new challenges and the responsibility to tackle large projects. After two years of managing our Technology Partner Program, I moved to the business manager role because I wanted to learn about how decisions get made at the highest level of the company and contribute to strategic projects across our entire team as well as with other teams.

Q: Why did you decide to join Dropbox?

A: I decided to join Dropbox after I graduated from college because it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was pretty set on either going into a career in publishing or pursuing a Ph.D. in history when a friend reached out saying she was about to start at Dropbox as part of a new grad rotational program and asked if I’d be interested in learning more. She explained that the program hired new grads from all backgrounds, who would rotate between sales and user operations for a year before being placed onto a team on the business side of the company. It had never occurred to me that a non-technical person could work at a tech company and, since I wasn’t super sure about what I wanted to do, this seemed like a really unique opportunity to get to explore options for another year — while working at one of the best-known startups in the world to boot. I figured I’d give it a try for a year and, if I didn’t like it, I could always go back to publishing or grad school. Four years later and I’m still here, still learning, and still feeling like it’s the ride of a lifetime.

Q: What surprised you most about Dropbox when you joined?

A: How smart and interesting everyone who works here is. I didn’t really know what to expect at a tech company, and I’m constantly blown away by the unique experiences and perspectives my colleagues bring.

Q: What are your hobbies? Or what can we find you doing outside of work?

A: I love to read, do jigsaw puzzles, and cook. I’ve also started taking ceramics classes this year. While my artistic skills leave a lot to be desired, I really enjoy having such a tactile creative outlet. If you ever need a mid-sized vessel of indistinct purpose, please hit me up.

Q: Any accomplishments you’re proud of outside of work?

A: I’m on the board of the Mission High Foundation, a small non-profit dedicated to supporting the incredible students, faculty, and community of Mission High School. Mission High is the oldest comprehensive public school in San Francisco, and it’s a truly incredible institution. The foundation ensures the long-term sustainability of some of the incredible programs at the school, like the on-campus community garden and urban agriculture program, and provides small grants for teachers to fund unique school/after-school projects for students.

Q: What is something interesting about you that not a lot of people know?

A: I’m fluent in Catalan (my dad is from a tiny town an hour outside of Barcelona), so I grew up in a Spanish-Catalan bilingual household.

About Hispanic Heritage Month

Q: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

A: It’s an opportunity to showcase, appreciate, and share with others the endlessly versatile tapestry that makes up the Hispanic world. It’s a celebration of language, art, culture, science, discovery, food, color, and scenery that is as extensive and awe-inspiring as it is complex.

Q: If you’re comfortable, do you mind sharing your background?

A: I’m Mexican and was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico, where I lived until I started college (minus a brief three-year stint in New York City when I was four years old). My family on both sides arrived in Mexico in the 1930s as refugees from the Spanish Civil War.