When Loren Velasquez clicked “submit” on her application to Reverb, she decided that it was her last attempt at being a software engineer.
“I decided that if this didn’t pan out, then it was the universe’s sign to stop trying and pivot to something else,” she said.
The three software engineering jobs that Velasquez held previously left her feeling tokenized, unsupported and disrespected.
“At this point in my ‘career,’ I had been a failure,” recalled Velasquez. “I was desirable on paper. I was Latina/Latine. I was not a man, not white. I could have multiple interviews and multiple recruiters contacting me but when it came to actually feeling successful, having job stability, I was zero for three.”
Velasquez shared horror stories about her experience. One with a company that left her isolated and unsupported in her role. At another, the work environment caused the majority of women engineers to quit. At a third, she expressed she needed some support while learning a new coding language, then was put on a performance improvement plan and told she should really think about whether she wanted to be a software engineer.
“It was a really dark time,” she said.
Today, Velasquez has been at Reverb for four years, during which she was promoted to senior software engineer. She now works on the finance customer engagement operations team.
“Reverb is where I learned what support felt like,” said Velasquez.
“Reverb is where I learned what support felt like.”
She continued, ticking off all of the “firsts” she’s experienced at Reverb: “It’s where I felt job stability. It’s where I have felt like I can put my mental health first — I have therapy during working hours. It’s where I felt respected. It’s where I was promoted for the first time. It’s where I felt like I mattered and my opinions were taken seriously. It’s where I gained confidence. It’s where I didn’t feel like I was only here to check boxes. It’s where I grew. It’s where I felt proud of myself. It’s where I felt successful.”
And finally, “It’s where I felt like I actually had a career as a software engineer.”
WHAT DOES REVERB DO?
Reverb is an e-commerce company that sells vintage and used musical instruments. The online shop started after the founder, David Kalt, purchased the Chicago Music Exchange — a well-known guitar shop that has regular celebrity visitors like Tom Petty, Brad Paisley and Johnny Depp, as reported in the online news platform Techli. Kalt discovered it was expensive and difficult to buy and sell guitars online, which is what led to the creation of Reverb. Today, Reverb is a subsidiary of Etsy and has a music education program called Reverb Gives.
Colleen McClowry’s path to Reverb was also unexpected. Her entry into tech started in a library.
“My journey to Reverb has been somewhat of a winding road,” noted McClowry, who is now a staff product manager. McClowry studied literature in college, then taught English in Japan before going to graduate school to focus on library and information science.
“At that time, my graduate program was evolving from ‘traditional’ librarianship in public and academic libraries to more computer and data science coursework,” she noted. “So I took more of a generalist approach to my studies that enabled me to jumpstart a career in software development.”
McClowry started out in customer support and operations roles, which is where she was first exposed to product management as a career.
“It wasn’t really something people studied to be when I was in college,” she explained.
McClowry — who joined Reverb as a senior product manager in 2021 and was promoted to staff product manager in 2023 — explained that, in retrospect, her academic background prepared her for “the essence of the role,” meaning working with a wide range of departments and expertises.
“It’s actually a lot like being a librarian — day to day you’re interpreting data, evaluating research, tracking goals and metrics and recommending resources to help users or businesses meet their needs,” she said. “I get to wear many hats, and that’s what I love about being a product manager.”
For McClowry, the size of Reverb allows her to continue her path as a voracious learner.
“It has allowed me to learn about so many domains,” she added, listing areas like SEO and marketing technology, and most recently the strategy behind Reverb’s native apps. She noted that she now gets to lead initiatives like personalization that span across a suite of features, platforms and marketing channels.
“I’ve also had much more c-suite exposure, which has given me a new level of empathy for executives,” she added.
Curiosity Leads to Growth
Career growth and professional development are foundational parts of the workplace culture at Reverb. The company has six employee resource groups, prioritizes creative experimenting and makes sure to hire and develop DEI-focused leaders.
For Security Analyst Alex Gonzalez, the support from the company is felt in institutional programs like the DEI mentorship program and in the day-to-day work with managers.
“The managers at Reverb are very hands-on, all while giving us some form of autonomy at work,” she said. “There are new career frameworks being developed and polished as our company grows, and the ERGs help support everyone on their journey at Reverb.”
The leaders at Reverb make a point to encourage learning, Gonzalez noted. “We are provided sources like LinkedIn Learning, Codecademy, Skillsoft and more to help with our development,” she said.
Curiosity and continuous learning were what first led Gonzalez to Reverb. Before she was a security analyst, she was a fraud prevention specialist.
“Curiosity got the best of me,” she explained “I started to ask lots of questions every time a new scam or fraud scheme would be relevant. I wanted to learn more about how accounts were hacked and the motivations behind them.”
She decided to get a master’s degree in cyber operations and now handles vulnerability management and corporate security projects.
“I have learned more at Reverb than I have anywhere else,” she added. “I’ve become a better communicator, both verbally and in written documentation, and I’ve gained invaluable knowledge through collaboration and hands-on application.”
Gonzalez said she is grateful for these opportunities at Reverb.
“Having faced many adversities growing up as a Latina on the west side of Chicago, I never thought I’d be able to find a career that is so fulfilling and a company that is so caring,” she continued. “I am always learning and growing with the people of Reverb.”
She also pointed out that leadership and management are always willing to help, and they often encourage interdepartmental learning sessions.
“Joining Reverb positively impacted my professional journey because there are never any closed doors,” she added. “Reverb truly puts the people first and caters to our individual needs as best as they can. Reverb is a place for your voice and ideas to be heard which, in turn, boosts confidence and morale.”
“Reverb truly puts the people first and caters to our individual needs as best as they can. Reverb is a place for your voice and ideas to be heard which, in turn, boosts confidence and morale.”
‘The Best Thing I Could Have Ever Done For My Career’
Both Gonzalez and Velasquez agreed that having a direct connection with leadership is part of what makes working at Reverb so great.
“Our director of engineering, Beth, is very open to meeting one-on-one,” said Velasquez. “And she’s been a great person to talk ideas with. I am actually in a group with her and a couple of other engineers trying to develop how to present our ideas to the c-suite level.”
Velasquez also has participated in Chicago Innovation’s Women’s Mentoring Co-Op, which Reverb sponsored for her. Internally, she’s been involved with Reverb’s DEI mentorship program, which paired her with a staff engineer.
“I wouldn’t have the confidence in my skills and in my career if Reverb hadn’t been supportive in my career,” she noted. “Feeling like I am secure and stable at Reverb has allowed me the opportunity to buy a condo, which is a personal win for me. Reverb’s healthcare benefits have also allowed me to freeze my eggs by having insurance completely cover the process and IVF in general. I can control my family planning that much more.”
Velasquez shared that managers at Reverb have helped her learn front-end development, improve back-end skills and hone her project management acumen.
“For me, working at Reverb has been the reason that I have a career in software engineering,” she concluded. “Working at Reverb was the best thing I could have ever done for my career. I’m so glad I applied four years ago. I am excited to keep growing at Reverb.”
