Peer Intelligence | Winter 2023

Manisha is a Software Engineer in CEM’s Engineering & IT team and has been with the firm since 2019. She primarily works on the Survey platform used by CEM clients. 

What are some of the projects you’ve been working on lately? 

• When I first started at CEM, the website needed a revamp. My first project was rebuilding the main website from scratch, contributing to both coding and design. I had a lot of fun and it was a very creative project. Today, I’m working on expanding the capabilities of CEM’s Survey platform. Clients use our platform to input their data which becomes the basis for benchmarking dashboards and reports. We’re making the platform faster to ultimately provide clients a better user experience.
  

• I joined CEM following graduation. I wasn’t looking for a specific industry to apply my skills; rather, I focused on what different employers had to offer in terms of work culture and sense of mission. After speaking with a few CEMers, I had a deep sense that this company was trying to make a real difference for its clients and employees. I was also excited that I would have a lot of responsibility for my own projects, something that I lacked when I did school co-op work terms at other employers. I was looking for projects I could really sink my teeth into and CEM offered that.

You have a YouTube channel with over 7,000 subscribers called Wannibe Manisha. Tell us more about your videos and how you started YouTubing.

• In 2020, I decided to create Wannibe Manisha, my YouTube channel focused on game development. Like many others during the pandemic, I wasn’t commuting to the office which could be an extra 2-3 hours every day. I then had more energy and time for creative pursuits and started game jams and making videos on the game creation process. My videos not only show people the coding aspect of creating computer games but also the art and illustration behind them. I like to break down my content for non-developers too; I use DevLogs to show the coding process in a more entertaining way. I also show other fun engineering projects on my channel; for example, I’ve shown people how I built a candy-dispensing contraption using Arduino for Halloween! I’ve really enjoyed the community I’ve met online. Earlier this year, I was invited by Unity (the platform where I build my games) to attend the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco! 
  

How else do you relax and recharge outside of work?

• Spending time with friends and getting away from screens! Since my job is so focused on computers I feel a greater need to disconnect. I love spending time in nature, whether it’s exploring a greenspace or lying in my backyard hammock in the summertime. Simple things to ground myself are really important.

You recently took advantage of CEM’s employee “workcation” policy and spent a few weeks working remotely in France, Italy, and Germany. Sounds like you had a great time! Where is your next travel destination? 

• Next year, I’m looking at going to Asia with friends. I’d also like to visit Switzerland (I wanted to go on my workcation but didn’t have time). The train rides through the country look gorgeous – it’s on the bucket list!

Manisha visiting the Palace de Versailles in Paris, France, before starting her workcation