Tell us about yourself, how did you get started in operations, and how did that lead to your role at Augmedix.
I joined Augmedix 4 years ago largely due to the mission of the company, to help clinicians and patients form a human connection, and the opportunity to operationalize AI technology at the point of care.
Previously I had been an entrepreneur and before that a business consultant at a global firm.
I have been working with AI technologies for 10 years and enjoy putting these technologies into practice to provide new services.
How do you quantify the extent to which leveraging new technologies has simplified our everyday lives, especially in the context of what Augmedix does?
Augmedix provides documentation and data services to clinicians to reduce burnout, improve productivity and better patient outcomes.
We heavily rely on AI technologies to deliver our three products: Augmedix Live, Notes and Go.
AI technologies allow us to capture the ambient conversation between a doctor and their patient, extract the relevant medical information from the visit and construct an organized comprehensive medical note.
Our people review and make final edits to the notes, or the doctors can make these adjustments themselves, depending upon the product they choose.
Using AI has greatly improved the speed, accuracy and consistency of medical documentation.
As we scale and grow the business, AI technologies are key to maintaining our high-quality service consistently for our clients.
How important is product management?
Product management is a key ingredient to deploying AI and other software technologies effectively.
Our Product Managers work closely with our clients to understand their workflows in different care settings and medical specialties.
Product Managers design and develop in partnership with our engineers the software that powers our products and ensures that we incorporate the features that benefit our clients.
Do you believe that women tech entrepreneurs still face challenges in gaining acceptance and credibility in the business community? What does it take to overcome these challenges?
I believe that women in technology still face additional challenges, particularly with respect to fundraising or developing products aimed for women, but the landscape is improving.
It is helpful for more women to follow the Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational track.
While it may seem daunting at first, women can be very successful at these subjects which lead to exciting opportunities and great careers in tech.
In the end, funding and business decisions are made based on data and the more we can work with data to tell our stories effectively the more success we will achieve.
Women have a lot to contribute to technology and can help to make products better for all people.
How can women from the Global South contribute to the tech industry?
Women from the Global South can take advantage of the educational opportunities offered in their areas, particularly in the Stem subjects, so that they are well prepared for positions in the workplace.
It is also a good idea to extend one’s network to include people or organizations in technology either through one’s school or community.
Technology businesses are growing so fast that they are always looking for engineers, data scientists, analysts, product managers and designers.
How does Augmedix take measures to promote workplace gender equality?
We hire a lot of women at Augmedix and our current global ratio is 35% female and 25% female in Bangladesh.
The lower ratio in Bangladesh is likely related to the large proportion of our workforce that works during the night shift.
We continue to develop programs to support our night shift employees fully.
We have women in leadership positions including our corporate board, executive team, global and regional management teams.
We encourage mentoring and collaboration so that women can participate fully.
What emphasis do you place on giving back to the community?
I am a big believer in giving back to the community.
I have served on several not for profit boards while working full time.
I even took a work sabbatical for a few years to devote my time to increasing educational opportunities in my community by taking on leadership positions to increase funding and Stem support for our high schools.
While education is a particular passion of mind, I encourage others to seek out volunteer opportunities that meet their particular interests.
