You never know where your next opportunity to change your life will come from. Our guest today shares her amazing story of what happened and what it resulted in - along with some other great insights. 

Topics
00:00 Introduction/Welcome
08:07 How Ebony got started with ServiceNow
12:14 How ServiceNow has changed Ebony's life
16:14 From a non-tech perspective
19:50 If you had to do it over
22:10 Career highlights
25:44 Advice for new developers
28:59 Favorite ServiceNow feature or product
30:07 Contact info
30:34 Outro

Links
LinkedIn
Email ebonylakkebala@gmail.com

Check out the other ServiceNow podcasts.

You never know where your next opportunity to change your life will come from. Our guest today shares her amazing story of what happened and what it resulted in - along with some other great insights. Topics
<ul>
<li>00:00 Introduction/Welcome</li>
<li>08:07 How Ebony got started with ServiceNow</li>
<li>12:14 How ServiceNow has changed Ebony's life</li>
<li>16:14 From a non-tech perspective</li>
<li>19:50 If you had to do it over</li>
<li>22:10 Career highlights</li>
<li>25:44 Advice for new developers</li>
<li>28:59 Favorite ServiceNow feature or product</li>
<li>30:07 Contact info</li>
<li>30:34 Outro</li>
</ul>
Links
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebonyakkebala/">LinkedIn</a></li>
<li>Email ebonylakkebala@gmail.com</li>
</ul>
Check out the other <a href="https://devlink.sn/podcasts">ServiceNow podcasts</a>.

Break Point is the podcast for ServiceNow admins, developers, and builders of all skill levels. Join your host, Sr. Developer Advocate Lauren McManamon. She talks to ServiceNow product managers and developers about the Now Platform features, customers to discuss apps they've built, interesting people in the ServiceNow ecosystem, and others about career tips to take your developer career higher. Take a break with Break Point.

Break Point is the podcast for ServiceNow admins, developers, and builders of all skill levels. Join your host, Sr. Developer Advocate Lauren McManamon. She talks to ServiceNow product managers and developers about the Now Platform features, customers to discuss apps they've built, interesting people in the ServiceNow ecosystem, and others about career tips to take your developer career higher. Take a break with Break Point.

Break Point

ServiceNow Podcast Program is a collection of podcast shows hosted by various ServiceNow experts and professionals covering different focus areas and a broad variety of topics. Come listen to our experts talk about what's going on at ServiceNow. Join the conversation!

Visit the Now Community forums

ServiceNow Podcast Program is a collection of podcast shows hosted by various ServiceNow experts and professionals covering different focus areas and a broad variety of topics. Come listen to our experts talk about what's going on at ServiceNow. Join the conversation!
<a href="https://community.servicenow.com/community">Visit the Now Community forums</a>

ServiceNow Podcasts

Career Conversation with Ebony Akkebala

In this Community Week special, host Lauren McManamon is joined by fellow advocate Kristy Merriam and guest Dharti Shah, a Certified Technical Architect, to discuss the intersection of career, community, and parenting. From Dharti’s journey through the CTA program to the shared experiences she and Kristy have as mothers of children on the autism spectrum, the conversation explores how personal challenges shape professional growth, how ServiceNow skills translate into life lessons, and the importance of support systems, both at home and in the developer community. 

⏱️ Timestamps 
00:00 Introduction of Hosts
01:43 Introduction of Guest, Dharti Shah
05:29 Discussing the ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect (CTA) Program
09:27 Balancing Work, Parenting, and Going Above and Beyond
18:16 New Perspectives Offered By Parenting
19:31 The Importance of "The Village" We Surround Ourselves With
21:30 Misconceptions About Being Working Parents
26:16 Advice For Women In Tech
31:28 Tech Trends Impacting Work Life, Home Life, and the Neurodivergent Community
37:51 Final Words of Wisdom
39:43 Conclusion 

🔗 Links 
The Certified Technical Architect Application 
The ServiceNow World Forums
The ServiceNow Developer Site
The Developer Advocate Blog

In this Community Week special, host Lauren McManamon is joined by fellow advocate Kristy Merriam and guest Dharti Shah, a Certified Technical Architect, to discuss the intersection of career, community, and parenting. From Dharti&rsquo;s journey through the CTA program to the shared experiences she and Kristy have as mothers of children on the autism spectrum, the conversation explores how personal challenges shape professional growth, how ServiceNow skills translate into life lessons, and the importance of support systems, both at home and in the developer community.&nbsp;
⏱️ Timestamps 
<ul>
<li>00:00 Introduction of Hosts</li>
<li>01:43 Introduction of Guest, Dharti Shah</li>
<li>05:29 Discussing the ServiceNow Certified Technical Architect (CTA) Program</li>
<li>09:27 Balancing Work, Parenting, and Going Above and Beyond</li>
<li>18:16 New Perspectives Offered By Parenting</li>
<li>19:31 The Importance of "The Village" We Surround Ourselves With</li>
<li>21:30 Misconceptions About Being Working Parents</li>
<li>26:16 Advice For Women In Tech</li>
<li>31:28 Tech Trends Impacting Work Life, Home Life, and the Neurodivergent Community</li>
<li>37:51 Final Words of Wisdom</li>
<li>39:43 Conclusion&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
🔗 Links 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://learning.servicenow.com/expertprograms/en/pages/expert-program?id=snpx_home&amp;type=CTA">The Certified Technical Architect Application</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/events/world-forum.html">The ServiceNow World Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do">The ServiceNow Developer Site</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-advocate-blog/bg-p/developer-advocate-blog">The Developer Advocate Blog</a></li>
</ul>

A Career Conversation with Dharti Shah

This episode's co-host, Laszlo Balla, and Lauren McManamon sat down with Thomas Richter and Luis Caroll to unpack RaptorDB: the new database technology powering ServiceNow’s future. They shared the story from startup roots to acquisition, and explained how Raptor DB delivers faster performance, real-time analytics, and AI-ready scale, all while staying seamless for developers and customers.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction of Hosts
02:37 Introduction of Guests: Thomas Richter & Luis Carril
07:14 What IS RaptorDB? 10:14 How Is RaptorDB Different?
21:09 Has AI Changed Prioritization of RaptorDB’s Needs?
23:21 Origin of the Name “RaptorDB”
27:18 How Do I Get Access as a Customer?
29:35 Why Choose Pro Over Standard?
30:43 How Can I Tell If My Instance Is Running RaptorDB Already?
44:53 Recommended Education
46:22 What’s Next for RaptorDB *SAFE HARBOR*
50:16 Conclusion

🔗 Links
RaptorDB Product Hub 
RaptorDB Zurich Docs 
The ServiceNow World Forums 
The ServiceNow Developer Site 
The Developer Advocate Blog 

This episode's co-host, Laszlo Balla, and Lauren McManamon sat down with Thomas Richter and Luis Caroll to unpack RaptorDB: the new database technology powering ServiceNow&rsquo;s future. They shared the story from startup roots to acquisition, and explained how Raptor DB delivers faster performance, real-time analytics, and AI-ready scale, all while staying seamless for developers and customers.
⏱️ Timestamps
<ul>
<li>00:00 Introduction of Hosts</li>
<li>02:37 Introduction of Guests: Thomas Richter &amp; Luis Carril</li>
<li>07:14 What IS RaptorDB? 10:14 How Is RaptorDB Different?</li>
<li>21:09 Has AI Changed Prioritization of RaptorDB&rsquo;s Needs?</li>
<li>23:21 Origin of the Name &ldquo;RaptorDB&rdquo;</li>
<li>27:18 How Do I Get Access as a Customer?</li>
<li>29:35 Why Choose Pro Over Standard?</li>
<li>30:43 How Can I Tell If My Instance Is Running RaptorDB Already?</li>
<li>44:53 Recommended Education</li>
<li>46:22 What&rsquo;s Next for RaptorDB *SAFE HARBOR*</li>
<li>50:16 Conclusion</li>
</ul>
🔗&nbsp;Links
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/products/raptordb.html">RaptorDB Product Hub</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/zurich-servicenow-platform/page/administer/general/concept/raptordb.html">RaptorDB Zurich Docs</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/events/world-forum.html">The ServiceNow World Forums&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do">The ServiceNow Developer Site</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-advocate-blog/bg-p/developer-advocate-blog">The Developer Advocate Blog&nbsp;</a></li>
</ul>

RaptorDB in Full Flight with Luis Carril and Thomas Richter

On September 30th, ServiceNow's AI Experience launched, and with it came one of the most transformative new features: Web Agents! On this week's episode of Break Point, Lauren McManamon was joined by returning guest, Jingfei Chen, to unveil how Web Agents automate tasks by navigating browser UIs like a human. Learn how this catch-all agent works, where it fits alongside APIs and RPA, and why it’s set to change how developers approach automation.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
02:37 What ARE ServiceNow Web Agents?
07:09 So, Web Agents Are Not ONLY Accessible Through Chat?
09:41 How Are Web Agents Similar/Different From RPA?
12:25 What Are Some Cornerstone Use Cases for Web Agents?
17:19 What Are the V1 Capabilities / Limitations of Web Agents?
18:47 What Are Web Agent Best Practices? 22:18 Where Can People Try Out Web Agents?
23:55 What’s On the Roadmap for Web Agents? *SAFE HARBOR*
27:01 How Have Priorities Changed to Meet Market Expectations?
29:50 What Are Initial Customer Thoughts on Web Agents?
31:11 Where Can People Provide Feedback on Web Agents?
32:02 Call to Action
33:57 Conclusion

🔗 Links
Jingfei Chen's LinkedIn
AI Experience Release Event
Get to Know Now Assist AI Web Agent
The ServiceNow World Forums
The ServiceNow Developer Site
The Developer Advocate Blog

On September 30th, ServiceNow's AI Experience launched, and with it came one of the most transformative new features: Web Agents! On this week's episode of Break Point, Lauren McManamon was joined by returning guest, Jingfei Chen, to unveil how Web Agents automate tasks by navigating browser UIs like a human. Learn how this catch-all agent works, where it fits alongside APIs and RPA, and why it&rsquo;s set to change how developers approach automation.
⏱️ Timestamps
<ul>
<li>00:00 Introduction</li>
<li>02:37 What ARE ServiceNow Web Agents?</li>
<li>07:09 So, Web Agents Are Not ONLY Accessible Through Chat?</li>
<li>09:41 How Are Web Agents Similar/Different From RPA?</li>
<li>12:25 What Are Some Cornerstone Use Cases for Web Agents?</li>
<li>17:19 What Are the V1 Capabilities / Limitations of Web Agents?</li>
<li>18:47 What Are Web Agent Best Practices? 22:18 Where Can People Try Out Web Agents?</li>
<li>23:55 What&rsquo;s On the Roadmap for Web Agents? *SAFE HARBOR*</li>
<li>27:01 How Have Priorities Changed to Meet Market Expectations?</li>
<li>29:50 What Are Initial Customer Thoughts on Web Agents?</li>
<li>31:11 Where Can People Provide Feedback on Web Agents?</li>
<li>32:02 Call to Action</li>
<li>33:57 Conclusion</li>
</ul>
🔗&nbsp;Links
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jingfeichen/">Jingfei Chen's LinkedIn</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/ai.html">AI Experience Release Event</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/community/now-assist-articles/get-to-know-now-assist-ai-web-agent-watch-the-demos/ta-p/3271534">Get to Know Now Assist AI Web Agent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/events/world-forum.html">The ServiceNow World Forums</a></li>
<li><a href="https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do">The ServiceNow Developer Site</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-advocate-blog/bg-p/developer-advocate-blog">The Developer Advocate Blog</a></li>
</ul>

Career Conversation with Ebony Akkebala

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