Meet the Dive Tribe - Shikha Kaiwar

Shikha Kaiwar, Head of Marketing

We are a global team changing the global remote and hybrid workforce. Our Employee Spotlights are an ongoing series to meet the creative, hardworking team behind the wonderful world of Dive.

This week, meet Shikha, our Head of Marketing!

Shikha (she/her) joined the team less than two months ago and has taken our marketing world by storm. Drawing from her years of experience in the San Francisco startup world, she oversees everything from our website to our emails to this very blog! She’s an important part of our team and we’re so glad she’s here.

Where do you live?

London, UK - I moved here almost exactly a year ago after spending most of my life in San Francisco.

What brought you to Dive and what’s it been like working here?

I met Nitesh through a mutual friend, and when he spoke about Dive’s mission and ethos, I was hooked. I’ve only been here a couple of months but I’ve felt very connected to the team even though they’re scattered all over the globe. We all work hard and respect each other immensely, and we get shit done.

What does your day to day look like?

I’m a morning person, so I spend that time doing more intense work like messaging or strategy. I prefer to have my meetings in the afternoon. Right now I’m focused on our top of funnel efforts and making it as easy as possible to understand what Dive is about the second you find out about us.

Favorite Dive app?

I love using Whiteboard to host brainstorms during a session - it’s so easy for all of us to add in our ideas at the same time and figure out themes and next steps.

Favorite emoji?

🥲  for sure - this feels like all of us for the past two years.

What’s your hidden talent?

I’m a pastry chef and a food writer. I write a newsletter about dessert recipes and finding connection and healing through food, and I am always cooking and/or eating desserts.

What does good culture mean to you?

It’s important that I know who my team members are beyond their job title—we’re all human with lots of interests, and knowing more about them makes me feel connected to them.

What’s a place you’ve loved visiting or living in?

I lived in Paris during pastry school and it was a total dream. I don’t think I’d live in Paris again but it’s a quick train ride from London which is good enough for me!

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

Chapstick—I would seriously die in minutes.

What’s the best thing that’s happened to you this week?

I got 10 new house plants as a result of someone moving and I’m so excited!

What does your WFH setup look like?

Two of the aforementioned plants now live at my desk, along with a bookshelf with my favorite creative tools—my planner, journal, post-its, and some creative writing books.

What do you ask people to get to know them better?

I love asking them what has been exciting them lately. It’s so fun to talk to someone who is excited about something, it sets the tone for a great conversation and I usually learn something new!

What’s the most important skill to have as a marketer?

Meeting the customer where they are. Often, I’ll have a great product (like Dive!) that a customer doesn’t even realize they need yet. I have to really get into their world and think like them so that I can help them help themselves rather than forcing something on them that they don’t even want. It’s tricky, but when it works, it’s amazing.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned so far?

Keep in touch with everyone you love, professionally or personally. We all need help once in awhile, and you’ll be so grateful to have the support when you need it.