Behind the Builder: Dalia Molina

In this #BehindTheBuilder post, Dalia Molina shares her journey from entrepreneur and educator to Twilio leader. From embracing remote work as a new mom to overcoming imposter syndrome through coaching, her story is a powerful example of building with heart and purpose.

What’s your “how I joined Twilio” moment? 🧭

Before joining Twilio, I was an entrepreneur and university lecturer. I started a software factory with two friends — fellow engineers — where we poured our energy into building products and joining startup accelerators. It was exciting, but we struggled with revenue, and eventually the venture ended. One of my co-founders later joined a two-factor authentication startup that was acquired by Twilio. 

When Twilio began building a support team for its digital security products, I was encouraged to apply. I joined Twilio in April 2018 in Colombia, when the company still had a close-knit feel — just 500 people globally and 25 locally. With a background that spanned teaching, web development, and even a stationery business, Twilio felt like the perfect place to bring everything together — an opportunity to continue learning, stay creative, and build something meaningful.

What’s your builder story? Take us inside what you create at Twilio.🔧

In 2019, I stepped into a team lead role, and by 2020, I became the manager of our support team, helping it triple in size from six to eighteen people. I’ve since watched it expand into a global organization of over 200. I also played a key role in leading our Colombia hub and served as a bar raiser, helping evaluate candidates across teams.

In 2021, I shifted into a leadership role that felt closer to my roots in education, joining the Developer Education team within the Developer Network. I focused on developer experience, localization, and globalization.

Then, after relocating from Colombia to Canada, I took on one of my most exciting challenges yet: leading the overhaul of our documentation platform. It’s been a passion project of mine for the past two years.

What’s your team’s ‘we nailed it’ story? 🙌

In May 2024, my team achieved a significant milestone: migrating nearly 5,000 pages from an outdated content management system (CMS) to a modern publishing platform. It completely transformed how we create, manage, and deliver technical content at Twilio — making life easier for both authors and developers.

But what truly made it possible was the team itself. At a recent offsite, we held a values workshop to surface what matters most to us: transparency, learning, responsibility, empathy, connection, and — maybe most importantly — humor. It’s a team that gets things done and does them right, grounded in care for each other and pride in what we build together.

How do you make remote work….work? 💻

During my time at Twilio, I also became a mother — and remote work has been a huge gift. It’s allowed me to be present for my son during his early years, without the stress of commuting or missing key moments.

As a team, remote work has always been our norm. We stay connected through daily async stand-ups, open communication, and a strong culture of flexibility across time zones. We also keep things human — like closing weekly Zoom meetings with icebreaker questions to learn more about each other beyond the work.

Our rituals, combined with Twilio’s remote-first approach, have helped us not only adapt but truly thrive as a distributed team.

What’s been a game-changer for your career here? 🔑 

Navigating a career in tech as a Latin American woman has come with its own set of challenges. Imposter syndrome has been a persistent one for me — that nagging voice that questions your worth or fears you’ll be exposed as a 'fraud.' It’s been tough to carry at times, but Twilio’s supportive environment has helped me face it head-on.

Before stepping into a managerial role, I joined a Twilio coaching program that’s been truly transformative. Over the past five years, working with my coach has helped me grow as a leader, build confidence, and achieve a better balance between work and motherhood. It has taught me to quiet the inner critic, trust myself, and lead with greater clarity and compassion. More than anything, it’s shown me that growth is a journey — and self-kindness is part of the process.

Which Twilio Magic value is your go-to for a little daily inspiration?❤️

If I had to choose one Twilio Magic value that truly speaks to me, it would be ‘We Are Builders.’ With a background in engineering, I’m drawn to how this value encourages us to tackle complex problems with creativity, curiosity, and a pioneering mindset.

To me, being a builder isn’t just about crafting solutions — it’s about pushing boundaries, thinking differently, and creating environments that spark innovation. It’s also about empathy: stepping into our customers’ shoes to truly understand their needs and build solutions that make a real impact.

What work tradition has made your Twilio experience extra? 😌

One Twilio tradition that really stands out to me is the Track Jacket program. It’s such a great example of how Twilio empowers everyone, regardless of role, to build with our products and think like our customers. The reward? A coveted red Twilio track jacket. 

I earned mine by creating an SMS-based wishlist app that friends could share with each other. Presenting it at the San Francisco HQ is still one of my favorite memories of my time here. It captured so much of what I love about Twilio: creativity, community, and celebrating builders.