Blockchains are currently disrupting the market. The technology is moving beyond cryptocurrency and is paving its way into different industries to offer optimal solutions and greater transparency. Percent, a private investing platform, believes that investing in alternative investments should be more transparent, more accessible, and more liquid. Rakhee Singh, Software Engineer at Percent is leveraging the blockchain technology to create a more dynamic investing environment for individuals. Her versatile engineering background has allowed her to create an impact in the FinTech industry by deploying solutions for investors through Percent.
Full name: Rakhee Singh
Current job title: Software Engineer
Current company: Percent
Current location: Brooklyn, New York
"I am currently working on improving our investors' administration. I'm focused on providing internal tooling to help scale our business and users."
Having always been interested in the confluence of design and development, Rakhee’s first job out of school was that of an Application Developer at Oracle focused on DevOps. She then transitioned over to building banking applications for some of the largest banks with a focus around UX which fueled her interest in front-end engineering. She briefly worked as a Sales Engineer before deciding to pursue her Masters in Computer Science where she picked up skills around blockchain and learned to write Ethereum based smart contracts. The opportunity at Percent turned out to be a perfect fit for Rakhee as it encompassed responsibilities around both blockchains as well as front-end engineering.
Working at Percent has allowed Rakhee to build a platform with a low barrier to enter private investing for an everyday investor. She is creating an impact in the FinTech industry by creating channels that are easily accessible allowing individuals opportunities to have access to investments across the income spectrum. Percent decided to use blockchain-based smart contracts to create immutable records of investments improving accountability, transparency, as well as security. Rakhee believes that blockchain has real potential to serve society and she is excited to see FinTech startups leveraging blockchain to solve interesting problems.
As the first developer hired at Percent, Rakhee works on almost all aspects of Percent’s product. She works extensively on the front-end and dabbles on the back-end whenever needed. “I am currently working on improving our investors' administration. I'm focused on providing internal tooling to help scale our business and users.”
Rakhee had to make some life-changing decisions when her mother was diagnosed with stage 3 laryngopharynx cancer in 2014. Despite working endlessly and tirelessly, Rakhee had to eventually quit her job to help her mother through chemotherapy. While her mother recovered, Rakhee took a chance on herself and decided to pursue a Master’s degree to help her advance her career. Her relentlessness and sacrifices are admirable. She proves to be an impeccable example for women in FinTech as she rose from her personal life challenges to lead and inspire.
Through her journey, she credits her husband for being the most influential and supportive person in her life. “I have known him for the past 12 years! He is empathetic, patient, and loving. He has always been my support system through trying times and provided the strength when I needed it the most. He works in the tech industry as well and leads a few engineering teams. I think I've picked up a lot of technical and leadership skills from him!”
More on Rakhee
Currently live: We recently bought a Condo in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Family at home: Me and my husband.
Hometown: Born and brought up in Mumbai, India. Came to the US in 2016.
Favorite hobby: Currently into gardening and taking piano lessons.
Favorite part of your day: Eating dinner with my husband.
Favorite show to binge: All time favorite is The Office but currently I am binge watching The Good Place on Netflix.
Daily Diary
Friday
7:00 am: I have a habit of waking up early no matter how late I sleep. I don’t drink coffee or tea and skip breakfast.
8:00 am: Check on the 40 odd plants I have which takes some time but is a good morning ritual for me. I started growing my plant collection only recently during the Pandemic.
10:00 am: Team standup meeting. It is a daily meeting amongst the product and engineering team members. It's usually to highlight what's worked on, discuss priorities and blockers (if any).
12:00 am: As a developer, my major part of the day goes into writing code or debugging issues. Luckily, no distractions today, I am focused on shipping a feature.
1:30 pm: 1-on-1 meeting with my manager. He started the conservation by asking about how I was settling into my new apartment. We shared a few laughs. We briefly spoke about how my week has been and planned things that need to be worked on next week.
3:30 pm: Another meeting about a feature release we are planning for the upcoming week. We are going to talk about the plan of action and decide on a roadmap.
7:30 pm: My husband reminds me it’s Friday. I shut off my computer and head to make dinner. He helps with cutting the vegetables. Today, I am making spaghetti. It’s easy and doesn't require a lot of prep work.
8:30 pm: We sit down for dinner while watching The Good Place. That’s what we are watching currently. I always look forward to dinner time because I get to catch up on the day and spend some time with my husband.
9:30 pm: Friday is movie night and we take turns to pick a movie every week. Today, it’s my turn. I am a huge fan of thriller/suspense/horror movies. I go for a classic thriller movie named Basic Extinct. I might've seen this movie but have no recollection.
Saturday
10:00 am: It's the weekend, so I try to sleep a little longer.
11:30 am: It’s nice weather today so we decide to get ready and go for brunch.
1:30 pm: Found a brunch spot - Father knows best in Bushwick. It reminds me of the MUD cafe in the East Village. I loved their brunch menu.
3:00 pm: We plan on biking to Williamsburg to explore, eat dinner, and bike back. Since we are new to this neighborhood, we try to explore new places over the weekends.
8:00 pm: It’s a game night! I love playing board games. Games and a glass of whiskey is our classic way of ending our Saturday! :)
Monday
6:00 am: It’s Monday! I always get Monday butterflies in my stomach. I meditate for a few minutes in my bed and get ready to begin the day.
8:00 am: I plan my day by listing and prioritizing the top three things that I want to focus on this week. Three things from work and three outside of work. I follow this through the weekdays.
11:30 am: All hands team meeting! All the team managers walk us through the progress we’ve made as a company on a weekly basis. It’s crucial so everyone is aware of how other teams are progressing. Today’s Spotlight announcement was for an engineer from my team who I am really proud of! Spotlight is a way to appreciate employees for their hard work.
12:00 am: Weekly planning meeting. This meeting is where the product and engineering team plan the week. We track our progress on the features that we are building and plan the week for releases.
Reach out to Rakhee on LinkedIn