Building teams, scaling operations, and driving transformative change, these are the hallmarks of a career shaped by innovation and resilience. With a deep commitment to solving high-impact problems and empowering those around her, Megha Yethadka, Senior Director- Program Management & Tech at Uber has navigated the tech world with purpose and authenticity.
Currently at Uber, she leads a groundbreaking initiative that has evolved from a small team solving internal AI challenges into a powerful enterprise platform fueling the next wave of AI innovation across industries. Her work not only advances cutting-edge technology from generative AI to robotics but also unlocks flexible, digital earning opportunities for people around the world.
In this Women in Leadership series, she opens up about her path to leadership, the obstacles she has navigated as a woman in tech, and the principles that guide her approach to building, leading, and lifting others. Her story is a powerful example of what happens when bold thinking meets purpose-driven action.
Career journey to leadership role
My career has been shaped by building capabilities and teams from the ground up – often in areas that are critical to the business, but not always in the spotlight. I’ve focused on identifying high-impact problems, assembling strong teams, and continually expanding our strengths to drive meaningful value for the company. At Uber, I began by building the Maps Production team, despite having no prior experience in mapping, and went on to grow our function into what is now Global Scaled Solutions. We’ve built over 20 capabilities from scratch that support all of Uber’s business lines, including AI data training, internationalisation/localisation, testing, data services, catalog management, fraud investigations, and more.
Throughout this journey, our focus has been on creating industry-leading technology and operational capabilities, many of which we’ve now externalised through a new business offering to the broader industry. My own path has evolved from engineering roles to leading global, cross-functional charters that blend technology with operations, and now to building and scaling a new business that spans tech solutions, delivery, sales, and commercial strategy.
AI-driven initiatives
Uber’s platforms and product experiences are powered by AI to create magical experiences in many, many ways. From the core matching and routing algorithms to smoother onboarding of drivers or merchants, from language experiences that are delivered in 10000+ cities to search relevance as users look to go anywhere or get anything, from identifying bad actors to improving efficiency of operations, AI is at the core of all these core areas.
Driving innovation
One of the things I’m most proud of is the newest marketplace and business we’re building at Uber. It’s a venture born from years of internal innovation, initially starting as a small team focused on tackling Uber’s own AI challenges. Today, it has evolved into a platform powering enterprise-grade AI applications. We’ve taken on complex, high-impact use cases across industries – ranging from generative AI and autonomous vehicles to robotics – helping companies pursue their boldest AI ambitions using Uber’s platform and capabilities. At the same time, this marketplace creates flexible earning opportunities for people around the world through digital tasks like AI data labeling, translation, and testing.
This puts us in a unique position to fuel the next wave of AI innovation while also unlocking meaningful work and income opportunities globally – a combination that truly excites me.
Navigating the tech world as a woman
One of the biggest challenges women often face in their careers is dealing with biases – both external and internal. Sometimes it’s the unconscious biases of others, like when early in my career, a well-meaning manager questioned whether I should be included in a late-evening launch simply because I was the only woman on the team. Other times, it’s the internalised doubts shaped by societal expectations, wondering if it’s the right moment to take on a new opportunity based on where you are in life, whether as a parent, a caregiver, or simply due to personal style, location, or approach.
The key to overcoming these challenges lies in awareness – being mindful of these biases, staying true to your values and priorities, and having the courage to question and challenge them when they arise. Surrounding yourself with allies also makes a world of difference. For me, my family has been an incredible source of strength, constantly empowering me to push past these barriers and believe that I can achieve anything I truly commit to.
Leadership advice for women aspiring in tech
The journey to leadership isn’t just about personal success – it’s also about giving back. It’s about giving your best to the company, customers, stakeholders, and your team, and caring deeply about doing right by them. I truly believe that when you lead with that mindset, success will follow naturally.
In the world of tech and IT, leadership also means embracing continuous growth—learning, unlearning, adapting, and being open to constant change. And for women, leadership doesn’t require mirroring anyone else. You don’t need to lead like a man—you can lead powerfully and authentically by simply being yourself.