I am Roja Malligarjunan, Senior BIM Specialist at STV, New York. I have an extensive experience of over 5 years in the construction industry working as BIM coordinator and Lead Manager on many large-scale projects. I was raised in India among a very progressively thinking family. Growing up my family believed in equal opportunities, ensured that there was never any discrimination shown among siblings and encouraged honest/open communication. This helped each of us cultivate a feeling of security and thrive in our own potentials. My family was also a part of organizations and trusts that involves in the spread of awareness of a clean environment and upliftment of education for women in rural population. Such efforts helped me build empathy and people skills which I feel is an essential requirement for managing and leading groups of people with varying thought patterns and behaviors. I have also travelled extensively during a major part of my adulthood and have undergone long-term internships in countries like New Zealand and Chile. This provided me opportunities to interact with people of different diversities and backgrounds and understanding them better.