disguise’s Caroline Niedzwiecki on National Hispanic Heritage Month

Tell us about your career journey. How did you get here today?

My professional career started at Autodesk. There I was immediately exposed to international markets. It was an incredible learning experience. My heart, however, was always set on technology which ultimately led me to fulfill a Sales and Account Management role at Avid, where I was introduced to the world of post-production, film, broadcast and music. From there, my career in the storytelling business took off. I joined Newtek, and though I was only 29, I took on a leadership role. My ten-year experience at Newtek was invaluable and my mentors over the years prepared me for my role at disguise. I am now incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be behind the tech that is empowering creative minds all around the globe to tell their best story. 

What drew you to disguise?

I joined disguise, mainly because tech drives me so much. So I was looking at what was the next technology that was going to revolutionise the way people are going to work forever. My world was broadcast, streaming and IP TV and I was on the hunt for what was next. That was when I saw disguise and I knew it would be the place where I wanted to hang my hat for the next ten years. I want to help disguise forever change the way people work and produce content. That is what we are doing with virtual production right now and soon that will be what we do with the metaverse. I get goosebumps when I think of what television and film are going to look like in the next ten years and it’s awesome to be part of the team that is driving that innovation. 

What is the best thing about working in AV?

I think a lot about how cutting-edge technology makes people feel when they see it, how it can fundamentally change the way they create something and its impact on generations to come. That's what moves me. I was blessed to have been welcomed and mentored by some of the brightest minds in our industry. The community in broadcast eventually became “framily”, which is a very important thing for me.

What is your favourite part about working at disguise?

The community: both the disguise community as well as the community of disguise users and all our partners. I really get the feeling that I’m part of something bigger than what I touch on a day-to-day basis. The inclusiveness of the process makes a beautiful working collaboration and an incredible group dynamic. disguise is truly a force to be reckoned with. 

How does disguise appeal to the Latin American market? 

disguise in many ways is a product that people aspire to work with. That is no different than any market in the Americas. 

If you look at the broadcast vertical alone, disguise is bringing in a completely fresh perspective into the way broadcasters will deliver their content and their story moving forward. For many years, engineering had a huge influence in how a production needed to be created, but, because disguise is so flexible in how we work, we are able to bridge the gap between creative vision and reality in unison. When I engage with customers in this market and I see their reactions to what we enable them to do in this space. I know they are just as excited about the future of disguise as I am. 

What does National Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?

Even though I am not considered hispanic since my native tongue is Brazilian Portuguese. I feel deeply connected to the beautiful hispanic community and culture.

National Hispanic Heritage Month in my opinion is all about honoring those roots and their values.

I grew up in a country where community is so important. So is treating everyone with kindness and creating something bigger than yourself, because, at the end of the day, it’s not about yourself, it’s about the all. Latinos, as a group of people, also know the value of hard work. We know that if you work hard and work intelligently, you will eventually collect the fruits of that labour.

So that has helped me a lot especially when it came to paving my own career path. I left Brazil and came to America over 20 years ago and made a life for me here. There have been many challenges for me to hustle and find my way into a space in the technology field, where there is not, historically, a lot of representation from the Latin American community or from women in general. I would go to conventions around eight or nine years ago and the only women in the room besides myself were those that were pouring coffee or scanning badges. 

So I wanted to use my core values and be able to create something of my own. Now I want to bring even more women into that space and make it as safe a space to be in as possible. I am willing and able to coach as many along the way as I can, it's my way to give back.

What do you do for fun - when you are not busy closing that next big deal? 

I’m a mother of three beautiful and kind-hearted boys. I spend a lot of time with them, our dog and my husband. I also have a deep love for nature and its abundance. Especially when working in tech, I believe nature can help restore a sense of grounding in such a fast-paced industry.