Life at Cadent: Esha Nakodkar, Product Management Intern 

Meet Esha Nakodkar — born in Philadelphia and raised in the Pennsylvania suburbs. As a senior student at Penn State University, she studies Information Sciences and Technology and Digital Media Trends and Analytics. Esha joined the team as a Product Management Intern and spent the summer learning the ins and outs of a Product Manager’s responsibilities at a company like Cadent. After she graduates, she mentioned wanting to explore the AdTech industry and find a CPG marketing or product management role. Recently, we sat down with Esha to learn more about her and her experience as an intern at Cadent. 

Tell us a fun fact about yourself. 

I went vegan (and pescatarian) 3 years ago! In 2020, I started reading more about sustainability and the impact that the meat and dairy industry has on the environment. Based on my research, I decided to try going vegan for a few months. While being fully vegan was difficult to maintain as a college student, I could clearly notice the positive impact it had on my physical and mental well-being, and have been pescatarian and (mostly) dairy-free ever since! While it began as an effort to help the environment in my own small way, it allowed me to take a closer look at my lifestyle and made health and wellness a huge passion of mine.

Where can we find you if you’re not at work or school? 

As an active member of my dance team, you can find me at dance practice most nights of the week dancing. I also like staying active by lifting at the gym and taking fitness classes. If all else fails, I can almost always be found cooking, shopping, or spending time with my friends. 

What was your favorite project you worked on during your internship and why? 

I spent most of my internship working with my manager to learn about the numerous responsibilities and projects of a Product Manager at Cadent. The tasks and meetings related to user experience (UX) and working with the design team were my favorites! It was a lot of fun looking at different interfaces for Aperture platform and finding simple but impactful ways to improve them. I also gained hands-on experience with Jira and Confluence exploring both platforms. Overall, my internship gave me valuable insight into what it means to be a successful Product Manager. 

What is one thing you wish you would have known prior to joining Cadent? 

I wish I had known more about AdTech to appreciate the Cadent company structure and purpose sooner. Luckily, my manager did a wonderful job of filling in any knowledge gaps and now I can confidently see myself returning to the AdTech industry. 

What advice would you give to an incoming intern at Cadent? 

Be sure to ask questions! The inner workings of AdTech are complicated and not easily understood from the outside looking in. Never feel bad about being confused or asking about something you don’t quite understand. And there is always something new to learn in every project and meeting no matter how small. 

Learn more about life at Cadent and see available roles on our Careers page.