From time to time we will profile members of the Give Lively team, revealing more about who we are, what we do and how we fit into a mix of dedicated and dynamic engineers, creatives, strategists and advocates helping nonprofits do more with digital fundraising tools.

Like the focus of this week’s profile, the full Give Lively team is passionate about using tech for social good and providing a better fundraising experience to nonprofits and donors.

Roderick Sang-Estevez

What do you do at Give Lively?

My title has changed over the four years I've worked here, but currently I am Senior Technical Support on the customer support team! I talk with nonprofit administrators and donors alike, but specialize in resolving bugs or tricky issues that the average customer support agent might not be familiar with. Oftentimes this requires cross-departmental communication, since many bugs involve coordinating with our product and engineering teams. It isn't unheard of for me to speak with our other teams too, depending on the issue.

What does a day in your life at Give Lively look like?

I am one of two people on our team that logs on at 8 AM ET, earlier than the rest of the company, and my day ends at 4 PM. No two work days are exactly alike. A typical one starts with looking over new cases that came in overnight, reviewing responses I've gotten on existing cases and checking to see what updates from the engineering and product teams I may have missed. I then continue to communicate with different teams (asking engineering for updates), talk with my boss and the customer support team lead about ideas for the customer support team, and answer emails and live chats. Finally, I attend a number of meetings to keep abreast of new issues and updates headed to our platform so that I am always prepared for questions and issues that might arise from them. 

What do you like to do outside of Give Lively?

Outside of Give Lively I am an avid video game player, home cook, baker (during the cold months) and painter. Most of the time I just describe myself as an artist, though, just for convenience.

The mediums I like to work in are watercolor, gouache, acrylic marker and digital, though I love looking at art in any medium! Growing up I never saw myself as someone capable of doing anything like art well. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve realized that I actually don’t need to be any good. I can draw and paint just for myself and my own enjoyment. My art abilities really took off after I let that perfectionism go, and I think it’s something everyone should internalize when pursuing their own passions. There are no teachers grading us in real life, so nothing you create can fail. Every mistake and mishap is a lesson for next time!

What excites you about Give Lively?

I love that my work helps nonprofits and donors alike get money to people in need and good causes. It's always a point of pride that the work I do benefits the greater good, and that work changes and evolves as the needs of the people and their nonprofits change. I don't think many people can say that their time at work has helped people across the US, so it is something that I am very proud of.