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Public speaking is often considered to be one of people’s greatest fears. Despite this, public speaking can be enriching and a catalyst for professional growth in many ways. Yelp Software Engineer Fatima and Engineering Manager Priyal know this firsthand, as they’ve both experienced challenges and benefits of public speaking in their careers. In this fireside chat, they’ll share more about how their experiences have enriched their professional networks, opened new opportunities, and enhanced their ability to collaborate with others. Join Yelp and PowertoFly for this discussion that aims to provide insights on the empowering nature of public speaking and practical advice for how to elevate your public speaking journey.

Priyal Divakala

Priyal Divakala is an engineering manager for the Search User Experience Mobile team at Yelp. Her career at Yelp began as a software engineer, and she later transitioned into managing a team focused on enhancing the Yelp search user experience. She is committed to the professional development of her team of software engineers, as well as women and allies at Yelp, providing mentorship and guidance for career growth. Priyal’s experience with public speaking (within Yelp, at previous companies, and during school), has helped her overcome public speaking anxiety. She now leads a public speaking initiative within Awesome Women in Engineering (AWE)—a Yelp Employee Resource Group. Through this role, she organizes public speaking events and workshops to help others improve their skills. Priyal holds a master's degree in computer applications from Dharmsinh Desai University and a bachelor’s degree in computer applications from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

Fatima Taj

Fatima is a senior software engineer at Yelp with a deep passion for mentoring early-career tech professionals. She has successfully guided many individuals through their first steps in the tech industry, helping them overcome challenges and achieve their career goals. An experienced speaker, Fatima has presented at leading conferences including Developer Week 2024, the Southern California Linux Expo (Scale) 2023 and 2024, NDC Copenhagen Developer Festival 2023, Women of Silicon Roundabout 2022, cdCon+GitOpsCon 2023 (as a keynote speaker), Momentum 2024, and the Black is Tech Conference in 2022 and 2023. Fatima holds a master's degree in data science from HEC Montreal and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo, Canada.