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We are delighted to share that Marthe Moengen, a Data Platform MVP from Norway, has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Women in Tech awardees in Norway. She is a community leader who helps data platform communities around the world, and as a woman community leader, she assists other women in developing their skills.
To celebrate her remarkable achievement, this blog post will feature her community activities, career history, and women empowerment story.
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Community activities and how to help community members
“Being a part of the data community is so inspiring, and I'm always striving to inspire others as well.
I love delving into topics like Microsoft Fabric, data modeling, and data governance, and I do my best to share my enthusiasm through various channels such as delivering presentations at conferences, penning articles for my blog, and orchestrating livestreams and podcasts. I have had the honor of speaking at PASS Data Community Summit, SQL Bits, Microsoft Fabric Community Conference, DataMinds Connect, and various Data Saturdays and SQL Saturdays during the last years. The best part of contributing to the community is the energy you get back and the fostering of engagement. My favorite moments are when someone approaches me after a presentation or reading my blog to share how it helped or inspired them.
Last year, I co-founded Fabric February with my partners in crime, Emilie Rønning and Cathrine Wilhelmsen. It is a data conference in the heart of Oslo where Fabric enthusiasts get together from all over the world. Our mission was simple: to foster collaboration, facilitate learning, and create invaluable networking opportunities within the Fabric community. All while enjoying snacks and having fun!
It resulted in an unforgettable three-day event that was completely sold out with more than 400 attendees. The response was overwhelming. Witnessing the energy and enthusiasm was truly amazing. Stay tuned for Fabric February 2025!
Career journey to Data Architect
My journey to becoming a data architect is not the most traditional one. My goal was not to be a data engineer, but a technical engineer in marine technology. I spent 5 years and countless hours learning about waves, ships, and constructions in the sea, and specialized in marine cybernetics. The kind of technology that enables underwater robots to be controlled from land, and ferries to run without a captain. Autonomous ships.
But when I was ready to write my master's thesis, my problem wasn't the technology, the ships, or access to a laboratory, but it was access to data. It turned out that if I were to build a machine learning algorithm to help my ship make good route decisions, I needed data. Easier said than done. There weren't any particularly large amounts of data I could use, and the data I accessed was of poor quality.
Additionally, another problem arose. I didn't know anything about the data. How was I supposed to feed it into the algorithm? What was good data quality? What format did I need?
That's when I made a decision that has had a significant impact on my career. I understood that the key to changing the world with marine cybernetics was understanding data. So, I applied as a data analyst graduate at a Norwegian consulting company. When I went for the interview, they asked me, "What do you know about data then?" Then I had to answer truthfully. “Nothing. I know nothing! But I want to learn.” I practically crawled across the table to convince the interviewer that I can learn. Give me the chance, and I'll show you!
And then something wild happened. I fell completely in love. With the field. After working with data and analytics for a few years, I realized that this is where I can make the biggest change. Not just within the maritime sector, but for all sectors. And the interest has given me fantastic opportunities. Now I work as a Data Architect at Sopra Steria, and travel around the world working to convince others that data – that's the gold. It's the way to drive value. It's the way to change the world.
Empowering Women in Tech
Normalizing femininity with my bright pink jacket while being a savvy tech enthusiast is my mission, and I'm committed to bringing others along with me. Over the past two years, I've had the honor of mentoring some awesome women for their first presentations at conferences. I firmly believe in the ethos of "pulling as we climb." Achieving personal goals feels incomplete if I can't assist others in reaching similar heights or push the boundaries a bit further for those who follow in our footsteps.
As a part of this, I've founded a Women in Technology community right here in Oslo, Norway. It's a space designed for women in and around Oslo who are passionate about technology and want to connect with like-minded individuals. Our goal is simple: to create a welcoming environment where we can come together semi-regularly to network, share experiences, and support each other.
In our community, we believe in the power of mentorship and lifting each other up. We're all about pulling as we climb. That means networking, mentoring, helping each other out, cheering each other on, and celebrating each other's achievements. It's all about building each other up and creating a supportive network where everyone can thrive.
I was recently recognized as one of the top 50 women in tech in Norway. Being recognized among such an incredible group of women is truly humbling, but also gives me energy to keep pulling! I am doing my best to embrace my nickname "Beyoncé In Tech" while rocking my pink jacket, pushing the boundaries a tiny bit in the right direction every day.
