My roots are in Iowa, where I grew up on a farm. I got my degree in Computer Science at Loras College, dove headfirst into the technology industry, and have never looked back. After a couple of brief tech jobs out of college, in 2004, I joined Widen, which has since been acquired by Acquia.
MarTech Interview with Deanna Ballew (SVP of Product, DXP) of Acquia
1. Can you tell us more about yourself and your career before Acquia?
My roots are in Iowa, where I grew up on a farm. I got my degree in Computer Science at Loras College, dove headfirst into the technology industry, and have never looked back. After a couple of brief tech jobs out of college, in 2004, I joined Widen, which has since been acquired by Acquia.
Widen has been a growth organization, so I’ve been able to pave my own career path. I feel like I have had six careers in my time at Widen. I started as a front-end developer, transitioned us into a software product organization, and then became Chief Innovation Officer in 2020.
Getting more involved with the product side of Widen was a true turning point in my career and allowed me to start working more closely with our UX team. This pivot opened my eyes to the true value of user-centered design methodologies — I learned that focusing on user-centered design leads to more innovation. This drove my desire to help bring more voices to the table. During my time at Widen, I was also inspired to take the next step in my personal journey by getting my MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
