As time moves forward, so do the stories of our role models. In our ongoing quest to understand the evolving landscapes of inspiration and achievement, we revisit the luminaries who have graced our platform before. These are not just interviews; they are conversations that bridge past aspirations with present realities, and the enduring legacies of those who continue to shape our world.
Previously on WE SHAPE TECH 😊… Welcome to our series of interviews where we catch up with the inspiring role models we have had the privilege of speaking with in the past. We are thrilled to reconnect and dive into the journeys of these remarkable individuals, exploring the paths they have traveled since our last conversation. Join us as we eagerly explore the latest chapters in their lives, seeking insights, inspirations, lessons learned, and their view on the state of diversity along the way.
Read the original Role Model interview
with Lisa-Ann Preuss
It has been a while, since our last interview in December 2018. What has happened since?
After a few moves around Zurich, I began training for triathlons more seriously, and recently qualified for the Ironman World Championships. That’s why, if I’m not at the LA Click office, you’ll probably find me somewhere in a pool, on a bike or jogging to prepare for the upcoming 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42.2 km run in Hawaii.
In a nutshell, remind us what the services or products of La Click, the company you founded in 2015, are?
LA Click’s journey began in 2015 at my grandparents’ dinner table. Fresh out of an internship at Google, I wanted to help their family-owned business become more visible online through data-driven digital marketing. And it turns out they were not the only ones struggling with this. Many companies want to connect with new clients but don’t understand what’s actually working – often due to fragmented data, a poor tracking setup, or limited analytics expertise. LA Click can help by establishing tailored conversion tracking solutions and dashboards before implementing digital marketing activities. That way, the digital marketing efforts become measurable, which is a must for data-driven decision-making.
In what ways have you seen diversity and inclusion positively impact innovation and productivity in the tech field?
At LA Click, for example, we intentionally involve Sales team members in our product design discussions. In several cases, they have surfaced client needs that led to entirely new product features that would have otherwise been completely overlooked.
Have you observed any notable shifts or trends in the tech industry’s approach to diversity and inclusion since our last discussion?
While commitments to diversity and inclusion (D&I) first accelerated after 2018, the past year has marked a noticeable shift in the opposite direction – likely driven by economic pressure and uncertainty. Many D&I initiatives have been deprioritized, and in some cases, eliminated altogether. What remains encouraging, though, is that the conversation itself hasn’t disappeared. Many founders and leaders continue to recognize that diversity and inclusion are not only moral imperatives but also strategic business drivers that fuel innovation.
How has your perspective on diversity and inclusion in tech-related academic domains evolved since our last conversation?
What challenges have you encountered in promoting diversity and inclusion within the tech sector, and how have you addressed them?
In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges in promoting and living diversity and inclusion in the tech sector – and at LA Click – is uncovering practices that unintentionally reinforce bias, particularly in areas like performance evaluation and compensation.
To address this, last year, we detached our annual performance reviews from salary negotiations, ensuring that performance feedback and pay progression are evaluated independently. And without subjective ratings or unconscious bias influencing our compensation, we’re able to give each other much more honest feedback.
Which other challenges do you face – today as the founder?
Being the founder of a digital marketing agency means never standing still – constantly learning, adapting, and keeping up with an industry that can change overnight.
Beyond that, being a founder also means having to make impossible decisions (in my case, laying off a whole team), accepting that you can’t please everyone, and being OK with the constant doubt: am I doing the right thing? Or worse, am I even the right person to be doing this? It’s a struggle and one I feel we should share more openly, which is why I recently posted about this on LinkedIn.
Tell us a bit about where you stand today.
In 2018, we were a team of six, highly specialized in conversion tracking and digital marketing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we pivoted into the digital event space to help our clients move their physical events online. Due to growing market demand, we not only began hiring more Project Managers but also Data Analysts and Developers, who built highly customized dashboards, enabling our clients to measure the impact and make data-driven decisions for their digital marketing activities and events.
By the end of 2020, our team doubled in size, and once again in 2022. Later, when in-person events returned, we shifted our focus to product development, launching our own event tech: a lead scanning tool named “LeadLens by LA Click” and a meeting room booking tool named “Click&Meet by LA Click.”
At the end of last year, after trying everything to adapt to shifting market demand, we had to make the hard call that there was no longer a future for the events team with LA Click. Going forward, while we will continue to grow LeadLens and Click&Meet, we’re returning to our digital marketing roots – with an even stronger focus on enhancing data-driven business intelligence than ever before.
What are your ambitions and wishes for your career moving forward?
Looking ahead, my ambition is to grow LA Click in ways that create meaningful impact for our clients, drive innovation, and provide opportunities for talent to thrive. On a personal level, I aim to keep learning, growing, and taking on new challenges – like finishing in the top 10 at the Ironman World Championships.
You shared your advice for other women in tech in our last interview. What advice would you give today, looking back at your experience and what has happened since?
I used to think that having the courage to do something was “enough.” Eight years later, I’ve learned you can have a much bigger impact if you combine action with visibility. That’s why today, I’d recommend spending roughly 80% of your time doing and 20% of it sharing what you’re doing. Circling back to my advice from 2018, I’d add this: Believe in yourself because you will only ever get a glimpse of what you are truly capable of once you dare to do it and share the journey with others!
