Employee Spotlight: Olivia

Meet Olivia! Olivia has been with Compiler for nearly six years and was one of the first employees to work on one of our flagship projects, Cal-ITP. Over the years, she has seen the program through all of its ups and downs with grace and steady leadership, always keeping the project moving and championing a brighter future for transit in California.

“Olivia’s reliability at Compiler is undeniable. The trust she has built with me, the team and clients makes her one of the go-to people for all things transit in California. The challenge is making sure she doesn’t do everything for everyone all the time.”

- Anthony Rollins, Managing Partner, Compiler

Olivia is a patient and kind leader, a dedicated and hard-working knower-of-all-the-things (seriously, ask her anything, and I’ll bet she knows the answer!), a creative and motivated visionary, and for me personally, and to many of us on the team, a dear friend and colleague. Now let’s get to know Olivia!

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What is your role and how long have you been with Compiler?

I am a Customer Success Lead and I’ve been with Compiler as a full-time employee since January 2022. I spent October 2020 through December 2021 as a contractor for the company, though. So 4 years as an employee and just shy of 6 years total!

Who or what inspired you to pursue the career you have today?

A lot of things. My dad spent all of his career working for a public transit agency and I always thought his job was cool. I never really thought about working in public transit though until I was in college and car-free for my first 2 years. That led to a few realizations: I liked not having a car, but it was incredibly hard for me living in the suburbs. I wanted more bus options, why couldn’t I have them? Who keeps deciding to build more freeways rather than give us more trains? Now, obviously, those are not simple questions, but the childhood passion for transit, combined with admiration of my dad’s career, and those questions haunting me, led me to pursue work involving public transit. (and, yes, my dad and I do talk about public transit a lot for fun)

What is your favorite mode of transportation and why?

While I am a fan of many forms of transit, my heart always comes back to buses. They’re so versatile and I love being able to look out the window and really take in my surroundings. I do enjoy a historic trolley though! I had a chance to ride the St. Charles Streetcar (the world’s oldest continuously operating streetcar line) in New Orleans, and it’s one of my favorite memories.

What Compiler philosophy do you resonate with the most? Why?

“Public services built to last”. Public services make all of our lives better, though I don’t think most realize just how much. It’s easy to criticize how slow the government can move and how outdated things can be, but I find that almost all government workers are where they are because they believe in helping society, and we would all be worse off if they were to go away tomorrow. Especially in this time of devaluing public services and the people who make them work, it’s more important than ever to do what we can to invest in more public services that people can easily access in a dignified way.

What is a dream or goal that you want to make come true one day?

I really want to become fluent in another language. My Yiayia spoke fluent Greek, and I’ve always wished I had learned it as a child. My goal is that one day I will learn it!

Who are your biggest influences?

I don’t know if this is cliche or not, but my family. I already mentioned my dad, who influences me with his ability to work with all kinds of people and stand up for what he believes in. But my mom and older brother are also huge influences on me. My mom is the kindest, most generous human I know and has influenced me to approach people with that same kindness and giving spirit. My brother approaches life without fear, and his influence has helped me be less careful and remember that life is meant to be enjoyed. I am so lucky to have them.

How have you grown professionally while on our team?

I think I’ve grown so much. I’ve definitely gained confidence in myself and my abilities. When I started, I put so much pressure on myself to say yes to everything and not need help, and I’ve slowly broken that down, gotten better at saying no or asking why, and discussing the things that aren’t going well. 2020-me would have paled at being asked to lead meetings and give teammates guidance on handling a situation, and now I’m frequently doing those things!

What’s your favorite memory from working with Compiler?

One of my favorite memories is the first conference the Customer Success team boothed at for Cal-ITP in Palm Springs. There’s just something about spending hours under fluorescent lighting in a hotel ballroom (that’s somehow both hot and cold) that leads to team bonding.

About Compiler

Compiler is a woman-owned software consultancy built by people who use and rely on public systems every day. We partner with government agencies and mission-driven organizations to design, build, and sustain digital services that work better for everyone. Our team combines human-centered design, data expertise, and modern engineering practices to help agencies deliver accessible, maintainable, and equitable digital tools.

If you’d like to learn more about Compiler or partner with us on a new project, we’d love to talk. Email hello@compiler.la to get started.