Hi, I’m Lydia.
I build high-performing teams, products, and cultures through inter-disciplinary synthesis and data-driven execution.
I’m an executive engineering leader who combines deep technical innovation with proven organizational scaling experience. I’ve successfully led engineering teams from startup through growth phases while maintaining technical excellence and building inclusive, high-performing cultures.
I currently serve as the VP of Engineering at data.world, working directly with the CTO and Chief Product Officer on strategic technical leadership for the Enterprise Data Catalog and analytics platform.
Lately, I’ve been making whimsical bird-shaped pitchers on the potter’s wheel, building play gardens with native Texas plants, and teaching a cohort of 15 second graders to love nature, leadership, engineering, and community.
What my collaborators say
“While I worked at data.world, there was no shortage of folks who inspired me every day to do better. At the top of that list is Lydia. She's one of those quantum leaders that is equally excellent at the top-level strategic thinking and at the tactical level of where her team is at in their work.
She is relentless in pretty much everything, including being a powerful collaborator. Some of my best ideas have either come from a conversation with Lydia, or from me wondering what Lydia would do in my situation. If you want to have an inspired, empowered and happy team, you hope you can get Lydia to lead it.”
— Scotty Loewen
Director of Engineering,
data.world
“There is no doubt that Lydia left an indelible mark during her time at CSD. She rekindled efforts in front-end development with her knowledge of Ember.js and immediately elevated our approaches to design and user experience. She was instrumental in steering product direction, setting goals, and prioritizing features. Under tough circumstances, her positive spirit and unwavering belief in the great potential of everything around her shined through and lifted up everyone. Lydia has a unique combination of strong technical skill and a keen design sense, but it’s her ability to look beyond code and design towards product, user, and (business) value that sets her apart. I am incredibly grateful for her tireless commitment to the mission, to making an impact, and to creating the real change we wanted to see in the world at CSD.”
— Rick Benevides
Director of Software Development,
Communication Service for the Deaf
“My real definition of a director in an engineering org is "someone who takes problems and solves them" - that can be through a mix of direct and indirect management, through thought leadership and "showing the way", through collaboration with other departments, or by just plain old rolling up your sleeves and doing the work. Lydia does all of these things and makes problems melt away - one of the very best engineering directors I've ever worked with.”
— Bryon Jacob
Chief Technology Officer,
data.world