Keep Your Tech FLAME Alive: Akamai Trailblazer Maite Vitar
The Akamai Female Learning and Mentoring Experience (Akamai FLAME) was created to support and empower female tech talent to help shape the future of our industry. The FLAME Trailblazer blog post series shines a light on inspirational women in the tech industry. The women will give advice on how to keep your tech flame alive and share the most valuable lessons that they have learned during their trailblazing career journey.
This month’s story comes from Maite Vitar, Senior Engagement Specialist at Akamai.
Maite Vitar, please tell us about your career journey in the IT industry.
Well, my professional journey spans more than 15 years in the media sector, across various companies and roles — primarily on the engineering side. During that time, I had the opportunity to work on several exciting and high-impact projects, such as engineering and launching new TV channels, leading the HD project for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, and supporting the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin.
After that, I became a mother and lost my job (long story, but it was related to becoming a mother and wanting to spend time with my baby).
Becoming a mother profoundly reshaped my priorities. I came to realize that I no longer wanted to live to work — but rather, to work to live. So I looked for a company aligned with that philosophy, where purpose and work-life balance coexist.
And just like that, Akamai came into my life. Ten years later, I’m still here. Work is important (of course!), but it’s not everything. For over a year now, I’ve been working from Monday to Thursday, and reserving Fridays to focus on my art.
What inspired you to dedicate more time to your personal passion — art?
At one point, I wasn’t feeling well — physically and emotionally — and I came to an important realization: I had set aside a deeply meaningful part of myself. I was an artist who wasn’t creating art, and I knew that I needed to change that.
It felt like a revelation. I understood that if I didn’t follow the dream I had as a child — to become an artist — I would regret it.
So, step by step, I began the journey. I took illustration training courses to revive my long-dormant drawing skills. I started sharing my work on social media, selling it on different platforms, and even building my own website. Little by little, I developed a parallel professional identity.
Today, I’m proud to say that I have two professions.
And I’m happier. I’ve started using my creativity more actively in my role at Akamai. I no longer hide that side of myself. Instead, I integrate it into my work in new and meaningful ways. My creative journey continues to evolve — and I’m excited to see where it goes.
What have you learned from balancing your passions for art and tech?
You’re making me think a lot!
While my two professional paths — technology and art — have mostly run in parallel, I’ve recently begun exploring how they might intertwine. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m open and curious about what that fusion could become.
If there’s one thing I’ve truly learned through this journey, it’s this: Our most precious gift is our time. Nothing holds more value.
That’s why it’s so important to find time for the things that bring you joy — your passions, your creativity, your dreams. When you dedicate time to what makes you happy, that happiness doesn’t stay in one corner of your life — it radiates. It shines through into everything: your personal life, your relationships, and, yes, your professional world, too.
So, you feel your creativity has made you a stronger professional?
Yes! Being creative supports every part of my life. It brings joy, fuels resilience, and strengthens both my personal and professional self.
Creativity is not just about making art — it’s about thinking differently, solving problems with imagination, and staying connected to what truly matters.
Creativity makes me stronger. Creativity makes me happier. And the more I embrace it, the more I thrive.
What is your advice for others who are trying to carve a fulfilling and flexible path?
Over time, I’ve gathered a few pieces of advice that have helped me shape a more fulfilling, flexible, and human-centered path:
Better done than perfect. Perfection can paralyze progress.
Be yourself and trust yourself. Even when you feel “out of place” or fear your ideas are “too different,” remember: There are people who will value your unique perspective — especially when you think outside the box.
Family first. No professional milestone is worth compromising what truly matters.
Learn to distinguish the important from the urgent, and prioritize. Prioritization isn’t just a productivity hack — it’s also a form of self-respect (even though it’s sometimes really difficult!).
Just keep going. Not giving up is already a form of success.
Don’t take things too seriously. Humor, lightness, and perspective are vital for me. Life (including work) is too important to take so seriously all the time
Who are some of your role models or sources of inspiration — inside or outside of tech?
I admire people who use their voice and talents to challenge norms and break stereotypes. People who create space for both vulnerability and strength, who live at the intersection of creativity and purpose.
I’m inspired by those who stay true to themselves, who don’t settle for the status quo, and who actively work to make the world a better, more inclusive place.
Some examples that everyone (or almost everyone) might know:
Steve Jobs: I’ll borrow one of his quotes that’s stayed with me — “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
Hayao Miyazaki: Creative, thoughtful, unafraid to challenge convention. He makes you feel and think through his drawings, and he’s completely true to himself.
Beyoncé: Authentic, empowered, vulnerable, bold. She’s challenging norms and doing it all.
Frida Kahlo: For unapologetically being herself and expressing identity and pain so beautifully.
Puño (Spanish illustrator): He is wise, inspiring, motivating, and disruptive. If you don’t know him — watch this. (It has English subtitles.)
And, of course, my parents — examples of strength, resilience, and unconditional love. They are just the best.
