She architects: Bringing unique perspectives to innovative solutions at AWS

Have you ever wondered what it is really like to be a woman in tech at one of the world’s leading cloud companies? Or maybe you are curious about how diverse perspectives drive innovation beyond the buzzwords? Today, we are providing an insider’s perspective on the role of a solutions architect (SA) at Amazon Web Services (AWS). However, this is not a typical corporate success story. We are three women who have navigated challenges, celebrated wins, and found our unique paths in the world of cloud architecture, and we want to share our real stories with you.

What exactly does a solutions architect do?

Solutions architects are the bridge between a customer’s biggest business challenges and the latest technology solutions. Bridging that gap is what we do as SAs at AWS every single day. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

We work backwards from customer challenges – Instead of pushing technology for technology’s sake, we start with what customers are trying to achieve by embedding ourselves directly with their teams at their office premises, collaborating side-by-side to understand their unique needs
We design the blueprint – Think of us as architects, but instead of buildings, we create system architecture diagrams and define the software services that power customers’ businesses
We guide through every stage – From initial concept to full implementation, we provide the technical roadmap that fits customers’ project’s lifecycle

AWS SAs serve as trusted technical advisors across industries – whether it is a scrappy startup, a traditional financial institution, or a global enterprise. We help them align their technology choices with their business goals while minimizing risks and supporting a smooth, standardized journey to the cloud.

Why does representation matter in tech?

Diverse teams are not just a nice-to-have—they are proven innovation engines that drive productivity and results. When organizations lack diversity, they risk stifling creativity and limiting their ability to tackle complex challenges.

Research conducted by Gartner, a leading global research and advisory firm that specializes in business and technology, substantiates this connection, showing that organizations with stronger women representation achieve better financial performance. For more information, review Culture of Value for Women in Technology Drives Business Performance.

The research findings prove that gender diversity isn’t just the right thing to do; it is a competitive advantage that directly impacts an organization’s ability to innovate and succeed.

AWS is committed to equal opportunities and career advancement regardless of gender. However, the broader industry faces a significant gender gap in technical roles. Gartner reports that women make up just 26% of information technology (IT) employees, with even lower representation in senior leadership positions. For more information, review How Women in IT Are Championing Change.

Here is how we are working to change this:

Women’s Networking Circles connects women with peers facing similar challenges
Project Inclusion initiatives increase women’s participation in technical interviews
AWS Women in SA affinity group offers mentorship, certification guidance, and career progression support
AWS SheBuilds is an initiative by AWS with the mission to build diverse tech communities and empower women to build on AWS and develop their skills
Amazon rekindle is a return-to-work program for women who have taken a break in their careers

There are many women in tech focused initiatives at AWS; check out How AWS is helping women and girls succeed in technology careers, and AWS Public Sector Blogs – Women in Tech, AWS Startups Blogs – Women In Tech for more details.

Our stories: real challenges, real solutions, real impact

Whether you are taking your first steps in technology, considering a career change, or climbing the ladder in your current role, representation creates possibility. When you see someone who looks like you thriving in a space, that path transforms from aspirational to achievable. We are here to share our authentic journeys and insights—because your success story matters too.

Kayalvizhi: From senior to principal SA — How I did it

What does it look like to advance in a technical role while raising two teenagers?

Kayalvizhi Kandasamy

For me, joining AWS India as a senior SA in late 2020 opened the door to working with cloud-native leaders like OLA, Zepto, redBus, and Azira. These organizations, built from the ground up in the cloud and known for pushing AWS capabilities to new boundaries, have provided me with invaluable learning opportunities across diverse technologies while I have supported their cloud journeys.

With my background in application development prior to AWS, I sought to enhance my containerization expertise by joining the Technical Field Community (TFC)— the AWS internal expert network that connects SAs with domain specialists. Think of TFC as the technical support system where mentors guide your professional development in specific technology areas.

When we need deep expertise in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), databases, or other technology or industry domain, the TFC connects us with the right experts globally. For more details, watch AWS re:Invent 2022 – AWS knowledge network: Building & managing expert communities at scale. I started with the Containers TFC, then expanded to Database TFC. This was not just about learning – it opened doors to support customers not only in India, but globally.

What sets me apart is my passion for sharing the knowledge I have gained from supporting customer business needs with the broader technical community through multiple channels.

AWS Blogs: I authored seven architectural posts, five of which captured remarkable customer outcomes:

AWS Summits: I regularly present at AWS events like AWS Summits, with my most rewarding experiences being customer co-presentations that showcase their success stories. Notable examples include “Zepto’s growth story powered by AWS,” “Accelerate generative AI deployment with Amazon SageMaker JumpStart” featuring OLA Krutrim’s transformation, and “How Koo used Amazon DynamoDB connect millions of voices globally.”

AWS code samples: As a software engineer at heart, I have built solutions to address real-world customer challenges through hands-on development. One example is when a customer needed to stream their Internet of Things (IoT) sensor data from their Apache Kafka clusters to Amazon Timestream table. It presented an opportunity for me to build the Timestream – Kafka Sink Connector which enabled streaming data between services. Realizing the connector could be helpful to other customers, I published it on GitHub: AWS Samples; watch this video Streaming data from your Kafka clusters to Amazon Timestream for more details.

Mentor: Diversity in technology is a passion that drives my active participation in Amazon rekindle, where I have the privilege of guiding and empowering women who are returning to the technology sector after career breaks.

By consistently applying the Amazon Leadership Principles – like Customer Obsession, Invent and Simplify, and Dive Deep – I progressed to principal SA, proving that technical excellence combined with customer focus creates unstoppable career momentum.

Personal balance: How do I manage all this while raising two teenage daughters? I found my answer in chess – a lifelong passion I have shared with my daughters. Recently, my elder daughter secured first place in her age group at a national tournament. To me, it is about finding what energizes you outside of work.

To learn more about my professional journey, see my LinkedIn Profile: Kayalvizhi Kandasamy

Smita: How I turned a global transition into career growth

Ever wondered if you can successfully pivot your career path, even during a pandemic?

My story began in Australia as a professional services consultant, AWS experts who work directly with customers to implement cloud solutions. When the global pandemic hit, I faced a difficult choice: stay in Australia or move closer to family in India.

AWS didn’t just support my decision – it facilitated my transition from Australia to India and helped me shift from Professional Services to Solution Architecture. This career pivot meant learning new skills while adapting to a new country and role.

The Innovation: My diverse background has become my superpower, enabling me to tackle innovative projects with the latest technologies. I am just as enthusiastic about knowledge dissemination, with my go-to services being the AWS YouTube channel and GitHub: AWS-Samples repository.

Swiggy’s Text2SQL Challenge: When India’s leading food delivery system, Swiggy, faced challenges with converting natural language queries into SQL commands, I supported them by integrating Amazon Bedrock to create a faster, more accurate solution
Artifact management resolution and internal package management and storage: I supported Swiggy to streamline their development process using AWS CodeArtifact, ensuring dependencies were stored securely and accessed easily
Identity verification automation: Using Amazon Rekognition and Amazon Textract I automated identity verification processes, reducing fraud and improving user experience
Video editing: It can be a time-consuming task, but with Amazon Rekognition, it becomes much more efficient. Watch the video linked to at the start of this bullet point and check out the code for additional details
Security:
- To help protect applications from common web exploits, I have authored this code for deploying AWS WAF rules using AWS Firewall Manager
- To create a more secure and efficient authorization mechanism for REST APIs authored using Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda, I have authored this code that implements a Lambda authorizer with a third-party identity provider to manage access control effectively

Personal balance: As a mother to an energetic 8-year-old, I had to get creative with work-life integration. My strategy is to complete work by 6 pm and avoid late-night calls unless absolutely necessary. My daughter and I take music classes together – it is our bonding time and my way of staying present in her life.

To learn more about my professional journey, see my LinkedIn Profile: Smita Srivastava.

Archana: Six years, multiple roles, one constant – growth

What does it look like to build deep expertise while continuously expanding your impact?

My journey with AWS spans over six years, starting as a cloud support engineer. This foundation helped me develop deep expertise in serverless and security services, where I am now a subject matter expert in Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, and Amazon Cognito.

As a member of the Serverless TFC, I collaborate with fellow experts to provide architectural guidance to customers facing complex challenges. I have had the opportunity to share my experiences at AWS re:Invent, where I conducted hands-on workshops on event-driven architectures and API Gateway implementations.

The mentorship mission: Fostering diversity in technology is a passion of mine, and I actively participate in AWS SheBuilds, where I mentor aspiring women both within and outside Amazon who are pursuing careers in tech.

The content creation: My technical contributions extend beyond direct customer engagements. I have authored close to 12 AWS code samples and AWS Knowledge Center articles, sharing my expertise with the broader AWS community. Some of them include:

I built a solution based on a customer need to transcribe and generate subtitles for audio and video content at scale, using Amazon Transcribe and AWS Lambda. By publishing this on GitHub – AWS Samples, I made sure other customers could benefit from my work
While assisting a customer with Amazon Cognito password reset functionality where the users weren’t receiving verification codes via email or SMS, I created this comprehensive troubleshooting guide
While collaborating with a customer that needed to build an AI-powered image generation service for their e-commerce system, I developed this serverless solution using the Amazon Nova Canvas model. This solution allowed their team to generate professional product images on-demand through a simple API call

Personal balance: Beyond my professional achievements, I maintain a balanced personal life as an avid reader, fitness enthusiast, and traveler. My husband and I volunteer at animal shelters, finding fulfillment in being a voice for the voiceless.

To learn more about my professional journey, see my LinkedIn Profile: Archana Venkat.

Frequently asked questions

As you can see, our journeys as women SAs at AWS are diverse and filled with both professional and personal accomplishments. We hope our stories have inspired you and given you a glimpse into the rewarding experiences that AWS can offer. Here are some of the questions that we frequently get about how AWS is supporting us with structured programs.

1. How do you keep up with all the new technologies without burning out?

Great question! Here is what we have learned:

Use your work hours strategically: AWS provides extensive learning resources—AWS Skill Builder, AWS Training Live on Twitch, and Amazon Machine Learning University (MLU). The key is integrating learning into your workday, not adding it on top.

Take advantage of Purpose Day: AWS India gives us a monthly “Purpose Day” specifically for professional development. It is not just encouraged—it is expected.

2. How do you develop expertise across so many different technologies?

The TFC secret: The TFC is not just a program—it is your network of domain experts. You don’t need to know everything; you need to know who knows everything.

Combine broad and deep: Develop broad knowledge across AWS services but find your specialty areas where you can go deep. Then connect with others who complement your expertise.

3. How do you build confidence and overcome imposter syndrome?

This one hit close to home for many of us. Here is what works:

Use Amazon leadership principles as your guide: These are not just corporate speak—they are practical frameworks for decision-making and growth. Learn and Be Curious, and Dive Deep have been game-changers for us.

Certification as confidence building: There is something powerful about passing that exam and having external validation of your knowledge. Get started with AWS Training and Certification.

Take ownership: Do not wait for the perfect opportunity. Create it. Volunteer for that challenging project. Write that blog post. Give that presentation.

Conclusion

Here is what we hope you will take away from our stories:

Your background is your superpower: Kayalvizhi’s customer focus, Smita’s global perspective, and Archana’s journey from support to expertise—each brought something unique that led to innovative solutions
Support systems matter: The inclusive policies and programs at AWS are not just nice-to-haves. They are the foundation that allows us to demonstrate our technical excellence and leadership potential
Balance is personal: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to work-life balance. Find what works for you, set boundaries, and don’t apologize for them
Community amplifies individual success: Whether it is TFC, Women in SA, or SheBuilds, being part of a community that shares knowledge and supports growth makes the journey not just possible, but enjoyable

Ready to write your own story?
The cloud industry needs your perspective. It needs your questions, your approach to problem-solving, and your unique way of seeing challenges. Every expert was once a beginner, every leader was once a follower, and every innovation started with someone asking, “What if we tried it differently?”

What is your “what if” going to be?
Want to learn more about careers at AWS or connect with our communities? Visit our careers page, check out diversity at AWS , AWS Architecture Center and reach out to us on LinkedIn.

We would love to hear your experiences and perspectives in the comments below. Consider joining our tech community where we embrace the spirit of “Work Hard, Have Fun, and Make History!” together!

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