Happy Women’s History Month! 🎉
This March, we asked five women at Camunda to do something a little different for our “Meet a Camundi” series: look back before looking forward.
From Johannesburg to Addis Ababa, then Vermont to a small Norwegian town and southern Brazil, they grew up in very different corners of the world. But when we asked them to reflect on where they came from, what shaped them, and what they’d tell their younger selves, something clicked. Their stories are unique, but the thread running through them is unmistakably shared: resilience, curiosity, and a whole lot of “just go for it.”
So grab a coffee (or three rounds of it, if you’re Kidist), scroll through their childhood photos and “Dear younger me” letters, and get to know the women behind the work.
Don’t forget to check out Part 1 of this series to meet two other impressive women at Camunda!
Meet Sara Lolatte
Where did you grow up, and how did that place shape who you are today?
I grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA, a small town with a strong sense of community and a close connection to nature. It shaped me in two main ways: I became independent early on, and I developed a strong sense of accountability to others. In a small town, what you contribute genuinely matters.
That’s something I carry into how I work today. I take ownership, but I also think a lot about how people, processes, and ideas connect so that what we build actually works well end to end. Moving internationally pushed me further in that direction and helped me become comfortable adapting quickly and working across different teams and environments.
What’s one thing about your culture, hometown, or upbringing that colleagues might find surprising or interesting?
Brattleboro is surprisingly creative for such a small place. There’s a strong culture of sustainability, local entrepreneurship, and people building things for themselves rather than waiting for the perfect setup.
Growing up in that environment made me comfortable with ambiguity early on. It also shaped how I approach challenges now. I tend to focus on improving how things work, bringing structure where it’s needed, and keeping things moving even when everything isn’t fully defined yet.
What advice would you give your younger self from those early years?
I’d tell my younger self that where you start doesn’t define where you can go. The resilience, curiosity, and adaptability you build early on are real strengths if you lean into them.
I’d also say to trust your voice sooner and not wait for permission to go after bigger opportunities, especially in spaces where you might feel less represented. A lot of meaningful growth comes from stepping into complexity, taking ownership, and learning by doing.
Meet Stina Van Der Straeten
Where did you grow up, and how did that place shape who you are today?
I grew up in Norway, in a small town called Skiptvet. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, and life tends to follow a fairly predictable rhythm. I loved being surrounded by nature, a house full of pets and even having chickens that roamed the streets and annoyed our neighbours. Still, I never quite felt like I fully fit into small-town life but it sparked a desire for more experiences and more ways to challenge myself.
Being half-Belgian, I also grew up travelling a lot, so I had an inkling that I would move abroad eventually. I threw myself into the International Baccalaureate, which earned me a place at University College London. Along the way, I learnt early that hard work, persistence, and a little stubbornness can take you further than you’d expect.
What’s one thing about your culture, hometown, or upbringing that colleagues might find surprising or interesting?
To avoid this turning into a story about me being “just a small-town girl”, I think some people might find it surprising that I have sewn some of my own clothes and actually love it (although if you ask me, “Did you make that?” 99% of the time the answer is no). I picked it up during that strange period we’ve all collectively blacked out of our memory, aka COVID lockdown, and realised I might actually have a knack for it.
For those who already knew this about me, here’s another twist: sewing actually runs in my family. My morfar (grandfather), from Norway, was a tailor and owned a clothing factory. I recently found one of his very old pattern books, which was literally falling apart at the seams, pun intended, and filled with dresses and suits from the 50s and 60s.
What advice would you give your younger self from those early years?
I was quite a stubborn child, so I’m not entirely convinced I would have listened to advice from anyone, especially myself. But I’d probably try to teach my younger self to be more proud. To not shy away from bragging a little bit.
This actually goes against a lot of the culture I was brought up in. For a long time I never truly understood why I struggled with imposter syndrome, or what is known as “Good Girl Syndrome” (which I suspect is far more common among women than we realise). It wasn’t until my teens that I learnt about Law of Jante, or Janteloven.
Janteloven comes from the fictional book A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks by Aksel Sandemose, published in 1933. It describes the unwritten social rules of small towns across Scandinavia, a kind of quiet social code about not standing out too much. You get the gist.
Some people argue this mindset is the secret to harmonious and happy societies. Maybe that’s true. But I can’t help wondering, at what cost?
So if I could be the small but persistent voice in my younger self’s ear, I’d say: be proud of yourself. Speak up about the things you’re good at. Take up a little space in the world.
Meet Lilian Cavalet
Where did you grow up, and how did that place shape who you are today?
I grew up in a tourist city in southern Brazil, where multiculturalism was part of everyday life. From learning Portuguese, English, and Spanish at school to hearing my grandparents speaking Italian at home, I was exposed to different cultures, traditions, and beliefs.
Growing up in that context also made working across differences feel natural. Diverse viewpoints, changing constraints, and continuous learning were simply normal, which later translated well into working in international and distributed teams.
That experience shaped how I approach engineering today. I tend to look beyond the visible task and focus on how systems behave in practice, especially where responsibilities are unclear. I focus on small structural improvements that make systems easier to operate and responsibilities clearer for everyone involved.
What’s one thing about your culture, hometown, or upbringing that colleagues might find surprising or interesting?
Something colleagues often find interesting is the cultural richness of southern Brazil. The region has strong influences from European immigration, especially Portuguese and Italian, but it is also shaped by the traditions of the Gaúchos (skilled horsemen known for their independence, resilience, and strong connection to the land). Over the years, the term “Gaúcho” has evolved into a much more complex concept, with roots in daily experiences, observations, and traditions passed down from generation to generation.
Growing up in that environment reinforced the idea that learning doesn’t happen only through formal paths. It can emerge through discussion, experimentation, and shared problem-solving. That perspective later shaped how I approach engineering: understanding context first, then building durable solutions rather than temporary fixes. That mindset eventually led me to platform and process-oriented work, where clarity and well-designed foundations can propagate impact across teams.
What advice would you give your younger self from those early years?
I would probably say: take your time to understand systems before trying to solve problems.
Early in a career, it’s easy to focus on quick deliveries or displaying skills. Through experience, I have learned that a lasting impact comes from improving how work is done, clarifying ownership, simplifying processes, and creating structures that enable teams to operate more independently.
The lesson I value the most is that professional growth is less about accumulating tasks and more about developing judgment. That perspective tends to create both better outcomes and greater autonomy over time.
The Wrap Up
Five countries. Five journeys. One powerful reminder: where you start doesn’t have to define where you end up.
Whether it was learning to navigate career pivots with a baby on one hip, challenging the quiet social codes of a Scandinavian small town, or embracing the detours that come with being a lifelong explorer, these women didn’t wait for the perfect moment. They made their own.
We’re incredibly proud of the women shaping Camunda every day, and we hope their stories inspire you to write your own letter to your younger self. What would you say?
