Sharing knowledge, opening doors: Hostinger colleagues inspire future tech talent in Uganda

A career in tech can take many different paths. But understanding what those paths look like, which skills matter, and how to get started isn’t always easy without access to people working in the industry.

That’s one of the reasons Hostinger continues its collaboration with Groundbreaker Talents, an initiative helping young women in Uganda develop their skills and pursue careers in technology.

This November, two Hostinger colleagues, Hannah Mendes and Miglė Padelytė, lead online sessions for Groundbreaker Talents participants. They shared their professional experiences, practical examples from their daily work, and insights into how artificial intelligence is transforming different roles in tech.

Supporting the next generation of women in tech

Groundbreaker Talents is a scholarship program that helps young women in Uganda gain the technical skills, professional knowledge, and confidence to build careers in the IT industry.

Hostinger has supported the initiative since its early days, contributing through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and educational sessions led by employees.

While technical education provides an essential foundation, learning directly from professionals working in the industry offers another valuable perspective. It helps participants understand how different roles function, what challenges professionals face, and which skills can help them succeed.

This year, Hannah and Miglė brought two different perspectives on working in tech, with one common theme: AI is changing how we work, but human skills and judgment remain essential.

Hannah Mendes: Great customer experience requires more than AI

Hannah Mendes, Customer Success Team Leader at Hostinger, led a session on creating great customer experiences with artificial intelligence. Drawing on her seven years at Hostinger, Hannah explained how Customer Success has evolved and why providing excellent support means much more than answering questions quickly.

Today, AI plays a significant role in Hostinger’s customer support operations. Hannah shared that the company’s AI agent handles over 90% of customer support conversations without human intervention, compared to approximately 50% at the beginning of 2025.

However, she emphasized that automation alone doesn’t guarantee a positive customer experience. “Quick answers don’t solve the problem,” Hannah explained, highlighting that the real goal is to help customers find meaningful solutions rather than simply respond faster.

Hannah discussed how AI and human specialists work together, why empathy and understanding customer needs remain important, and how teams can measure whether automation actually delivers value. Her key message was that technology should make customer experiences better, not simply more automated.

“AI is changing the way we work, but it’s also creating opportunities to develop new skills and rethink what we can achieve. I hope sharing my experience helps the participants see that a career in tech isn’t just about technical knowledge. It’s also about understanding people, solving problems, and being willing to learn and adapt along the way.”

Miglė Padelytė: Taking ownership in an AI-powered world

Miglė Padelytė, Product Manager at Hostinger, approached the topic from a different perspective, focusing on career development, ownership, and the changing role of Product Management.

Miglė currently leads Hostinger Reach, email marketing tool for Hostinger clients. During her session, she shared her own career journey, from starting as a Quality Assurance specialist to becoming a Business Analyst and eventually a Product Manager responsible for building a new product.

Her experience demonstrated how curiosity, initiative, and a willingness to take on broader responsibilities can open new career opportunities.

Miglė explained that AI has significantly changed her daily work. Tasks that previously required multiple steps and specialists, such as analyzing customer feedback, creating prototypes, or implementing product improvements, can now be completed much faster with AI assistance. Using the AI she now can analyze a customer problem, design a solution, implement changes, and evaluate the results all by herself and tremendously faster than before.

But while AI makes it possible to perform more tasks independently, Miglė emphasized that accountability remains a human responsibility: “AI expands the work I can do, but it does not replace my accountability.”

Her advice to those starting their careers was to look beyond their immediate tasks, understand the bigger picture, and continuously ask how they could contribute more.

As AI changes traditional job boundaries, skills such as critical thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, and ownership are becoming increasingly valuable.

“My career has taught me that growth often starts with curiosity and the willingness to take on something beyond your immediate responsibilities. You don’t need to have all the answers or know how to do everything from the beginning. What matters is being proactive, asking questions, and looking for ways to contribute more. by delegating tasks to AI while retaining overall accountability. That’s the mindset I hope the participants will take away from my session.”

Why sharing experience matters

For young people considering careers in technology, hearing directly from professionals can help make unfamiliar roles and career paths more tangible.

Hannah and Miglė’s sessions offered participants an opportunity to explore two different areas of the industry, understand how AI is reshaping everyday work, and learn which skills can support their professional growth.

Their stories also highlighted that successful careers in tech don’t necessarily follow a straight line. Learning, experimenting, taking initiative, and adapting to change can create opportunities along the way.

At Hostinger, we believe that sharing knowledge and experience is one way to help make the technology industry more accessible.

Through our continued collaboration with Groundbreaker Talents, we aim to support aspiring professionals as they develop their skills, discover new career possibilities, and take their next steps in tech.

And sometimes, seeing someone else’s career path is what helps you imagine your own.