Women’s History Month: Celebration of Inspiration and Commitment

This year’s themes for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day overlap in a really meaningful way. “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” and “Inspire Inclusion” focus on the celebration of those who have committed to creating a more equitable society for all and in all aspects of life. It focuses on those who inspire empowerment, progress, and community.

There's a powerful connection created when we celebrate the stories of pioneering women who were leaders that spoke out for equality, as they now inspire current advocates for equity, diversity, and inclusion to build on their significant achievements.

Chelsea and Mathusha, two of Recorded Future’s Women ERG 2024 leaders, showcase their commitment to building a more inclusive work environment for all and inspire significant strides. In reading this blog, we hope you get as inspired as we were interviewing Chelsea and Mathusha.

From left, Chelsea Wilson, Fraud Intelligence Analyst, and Mathusha Sanjeevan, Intelligence Services Consultant.

The Journey Up Until Now

“I’d been applying for jobs at Recorded Future since well before I graduated.” - Chelsea

Chelsea joined Recorded Future about two years ago, a few months after graduating with her MA in Forensic and Legal Psychology from Marymount University. Mathusha is a fairly new futurist, she joined the company 8 months ago with previous experience as an analyst with a CTI team.

“While completing my Masters, I ended up doing a placement in the Information Security department. That’s where I first got introduced to cybersecurity and that’s where it all started.” - Mathusha

Mathusha has had quite an unconventional path to cybersecurity as well. With a background in Cognitive Science and Linguistics she imagined herself exploring Occupational Therapy or Health Informatics. “I quickly realized that it was not the right path for me.” So, she decided to pursue a Masters in Information Management and Information System Design and got certified in cybersecurity, data protection, and digital forensics. “I landed my first job as an analyst/consultant. It was in a telecommunications company’s CTI team, who just happened to be a client of Recorded Future.”

Sharing Your Story

“A company is more than just its product or outputs” - Chelsea

Chelsea shared with us why she thinks highlighting employee stories is so important. Not only is it a window into what it’s like working within an organization, it’s also a great way to understand and appreciate the different challenges or obstacles one can experience and how it can impact both team and organizational dynamics. “Even more so when you’re focusing on marginalized or minority representation. When there are more diverse voices at the table, the company’s product is in a better position to succeed.”

“It was evident that there weren’t a lot of people that looked like me in the field.” - Mathusha

Mathusha adds that in addition to her untraditional path, being a woman of color in the industry further augmented the obstacles she encountered. “I really wanted people to know that if you put your mind to it, you can make it happen and make a positive impact.”

Mathusha with her grandfather in 2020

Working at Recorded Future

“I can relate to the clients because I used to be one of them.” - Mathusha

Mathusha describes her day-to-day filled with client meetings where she assesses needs and answers any technical questions. She also prepares technical engagements such as enablement workshops or strategic briefs. “One thing I have found interesting is how people consult. Sitting in on customer meetings with other consultants, there’s a lot of room for creativity, it’s not as cookie cutter as one may think.” She also notes how Recorded Future is intentional about fostering interdepartmental connections. “I never experienced that before. Working here, I have been able to collaborate across departments and locations and made some great friendships along the way.”

Chelsea shared about how her first job at Recorded Future, as an editor, puts her in a unique position as an analyst. “I review a lot of our reports that aren’t directly related to my job, and I am our go-to analyst for collaborative reports with other teams within Recorded Future. As a fraud intel analyst, my day-to-day consists of reviewing data and investing leads to report on payment card breaches via links to records being sold on the dark web.”

ERG Community, Learning and Growth

Mathusha and Chelsea shared the reasons why they decided to get involved in ERG leadership with our women’s group.

Chelsea went to a women’s college in Pennsylvania for her undergraduate degree, and then attended a formerly women’s college in Virginia for her graduate degree. “At both institutions I held leadership positions within extracurricular activities, and I had a great experience in my academic career being surrounded by like-minded women. I wanted to foster that kind of space within Recorded Future.”

Chelsea on her yearly vacation to a ranch in upstate New York

In addition to wanting to connect with women in the industry, Mathusha explained that through the ERG she wants to help other futurists (and herself) address hard questions. “I’m starting to look at aspects of my life that I hadn’t been looking at before, such as having kids and how that could impact my career.” She hopes to help in fostering healthy conversations, providing resources, and promoting an inclusive and safe environment.

A safe space, community, mentorship, support, learning, growth..It’s hard to choose just one way one can benefit from taking part in an employee resource group such as our Women’s group. But, at its core, are the extraordinarily passionate and committed people you get to connect and collaborate with.

Mathusha described that “the most rewarding thing so far has been being able to connect with other individuals that I wouldn’t have otherwise.” Chelsea shared a similar sentiment: “When I joined Women@RF as a co-chair last year, our entire cohort was new to being ERG leaders and I had been at the company for less than a year. As an ERG, we were determined to develop the group’s global reach. In that aspect, I’ve connected with a lot of new people in the company that I likely otherwise wouldn’t have, and this year I will be using those connections to further increase collaboration amongst our different employee groups.”

Join Our Journey

“I feel like I have found a community that I’m proud to be part of.” - Mathusha

We are truly inspired by the dedication and commitment to progress and community of Chelsea, Mathusha, and many others. We hope you also feel empowered by the stories shared today and we leave you with one last piece of advice from Chelsea: “Do it! Get to know your coworkers’ lives outside of work. We can be professional and personable. Everyone has a different perspective on life and work - joining ERG spaces can help you understand those differences!”

Check out our most recent stories: Black History Month '24, Veterans Day '23, Hispanic Heritage Month ‘23, Pride Month ‘23, APIDA Month ‘23.