This week we’d like to introduce you to Jess Engel, one of our amazingly talented Software Engineers. She has been actively working with our team to ensure growers in Canada have everything they need to succeed. We’re excited for you to learn a bit more about Jess!

Why did you join Artemis?

Jess: I was drawn to the product and mission to help growers. It’s important for me to feel connected to what I’m helping to build. That’s what got me interested initially, but what solidified it for me was when I was interviewed. The interviewing style was all pair programming and each one built off the last, which was so refreshing. I have a lot of thoughts on how broken technical interviews are, they rarely resemble the actual work you’d be doing at a company. My interviews here felt relevant and they were so much fun. Everyone was so smart and welcoming, I really felt like I could just be myself.

What were you doing before Artemis?

Jess: My career path has not been a straight line. I graduated with an art degree, traveled the US, studied animation, worked with kids with autism, and landed back in food service for years. In 2014 I was taking a coding class for fun, and when I realized how much I enjoyed it- I saved up, quit my job, went to a local bootcamp in Portland, Oregon and have been working as a Software Engineer ever since. I’ve worked in 2 other startups, and my last job was at a larger public company.

What is your favorite memory here?

Jess: I’ve only been here for a few months and I already have so many good memories, but I think the virtual offsite is my favorite. It was so nice to see everyone all together on zoom. The level of creativity and enthusiasm from everyone was so impressive and it was a blast to get to know everyone better.

How long have you worked here?

Jess: Just about 3 months! I started mid-September.

What’s your favorite core value?

Jess: “We foster an environment of respect and openness.” I think that’s a key element to building trust and defaulting to transparency. All of that is necessary to create inclusive teams where people feel safe.

What’s been the weirdest adjustment from working wherever you were before to working here?

Jess: Being able to know everyone in the company – my last company had 1000s of employees! It feels great to be back in a startup though, so the adjustment was welcome.

What would you recommend for potential future Artemis employees?

Jess: Look over our core values and see which ones resonate the most with you. We really use them a lot to guide discussions throughout our week.

How do you feel about remote work?

Jess: Overall I love it – but it’s important for me to have both heads down time on my own and pairing/mobbing time with teammates. We have a great balance here. I get a lot of virtual face to face with people every week. If I didn’t, I think remote work would feel too isolating.

What are you most excited about for the Artemis future?

Jess: Expanding our teams and our company! We’re at such a great stage and there’s so much we can build on in our product and our company culture. We have a great foundation, I’m excited to see how it all unfolds.

If you had $20 what would you do with it this weekend?

Jess: Donate it to the Southern Maine Workers Center! I’m trying to give back to my community more, and they do a ton of good for working class and poor folks in my area.