Leading With Clarity: Rima Khoury on Building High-Performing Teams in Tech

As technology accelerates, the difference isn’t just innovation —it’s leadership.

This Women in Tech Day, we sat down with Rima Khoury, Sticky.io’s CTO, to talk about building high-performing teams, leading through complexity, and what still needs to change for women in tech.

“The progress I care most about is not just getting women into tech. It is building environments where they are genuinely set up to thrive and lead. That is the work still ahead, and it is one of the reasons leadership matters so much to me.”

Khoury brings a passion for solving complex problems and building high-performing, collaborative teams. In this conversation, she reflects on the experiences that shaped her path into technology, the leadership lessons forged through challenge, and her perspective on the progress and the work still ahead for women in fintech and ecommerce.

Rima Khoury: On Leadership, Growth, and the Future of Women in Tech

What inspired your journey into technology, and how did that path lead you to becoming CTO at Sticky.io?

I am driven by intellectual challenge and thrive in environments that demand continuous growth. Technology, by its very nature, is ever evolving, presenting new problems to solve and new frontiers to explore, which I find deeply fulfilling.

Beyond the technical dimensions, building and inspiring high-performing teams has always been a core passion of mine. I believe the best work emerges through collaboration, and I actively seek out environments where I can both contribute meaningfully and learn from those around me. Sticky.io’s team embodies exactly that dynamic: a group of talented, driven individuals in which I see a genuine opportunity to add value while continuing to grow.

What is one defining moment or challenge in your career that shaped how you lead today?
Early in my career, I was placed in a situation where I had to lead a team through a project that was significantly behind schedule, with high stakeholder expectations and very little room for error. At the time, my instinct was to take control and push harder, but I quickly realized that pressure without direction only creates noise.

That experience taught me that great leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating the conditions for your team to find them. I shifted my approach. I focused on clear communication, broke the problem into manageable priorities, and made sure every team member understood not just what they needed to do, but why it mattered.

We delivered. More importantly, the team came out of it more confident and more cohesive than when we started. That moment fundamentally shaped how I lead today. I lead with clarity, I invest in the people around me, and I never underestimate the power of making someone feel trusted and capable. Those things consistently bring out the best in any team.

What has your experience been like as a woman in tech, and what progress or gaps do you still see in the industry?

My experience as a woman in tech has been both rewarding and, at times, challenging, and I think that duality is important to acknowledge honestly.

I have had the privilege of working alongside brilliant people, solving complex problems and growing into a leader in a field I genuinely love. But I have also navigated rooms where I was the only woman, moments where my voice had to work harder to be heard, and a general pressure to prove competence in ways my male counterparts simply were not expected to.

What those experiences gave me is a deep sense of purpose around inclusion, not as a corporate checkbox, but as a performance and culture imperative. Diverse teams think better, challenge assumptions more effectively, and build products that serve a broader range of people.

In terms of progress, I do think the conversation has shifted meaningfully. There is more awareness, more intentional hiring, and more women in visible leadership roles than there were a decade ago. That visibility matters enormously for the next generation.

But the gaps are still real. We still see underrepresentation at the senior and executive level. We still see bias in hiring, in compensation, and in who gets access to high-visibility projects. We also continue to lose talented women midcareer, not because they lack ambition, but because the systems around them do not flex to meet their lives.

The progress I care most about is not just getting women into tech. It is building environments where they are genuinely set up to thrive and lead. That work is still ahead, and it is one of the reasons leadership matters so much to me.

What advice would you give to women aspiring to leadership roles in technology today?

• Build your technical credibility. In tech, credibility is currency. Know your craft deeply, not because you have more to prove than anyone else, but because it gives you a strong foundation from which to lead and be heard.
• Find your people early. Seek out mentors, sponsors, and peers, both women and men, who see your potential and will advocate for you in rooms you have not entered yet. A sponsor who speaks your name when opportunities arise is incredibly valuable.
• Get comfortable with visibility. Many women are conditioned to let their work speak for itself. But in leadership, communication is the work. Share your ideas, take up space in meetings, and own your wins out loud, not out of ego, but because visibility creates opportunity.
• Do not wait until you feel ready. Research consistently shows that women apply for roles only when they meet nearly every requirement, while others apply at sixty percent. Confidence is built through action, not the other way around. Take the stretch role. Raise your hand.
• Use your differences as an asset. The perspective you bring as a woman, often more empathetic, more collaborative, and more attuned to team dynamics, is not a soft skill. It is a leadership strength, especially in an industry that is learning that culture and people are the product.
• Lift as you climb. The most meaningful thing any of us can do is make the path a little clearer for the woman coming up behind us. Mentorship, advocacy, and visibility for others is not a distraction from your career. It is an extension of your leadership.
  
  

Building What Comes Next

Rima’s perspective is a reminder that progress in technology isn’t just about what we build — it’s about how we lead and who we empower along the way. This Women in Tech Day, we celebrate leaders like Rima who are shaping what comes next.

At Sticky.io, we’re focused on building both the technology and the teams that drive real impact. Explore how Sticky.io is shaping the future of ecommerce and the teams behind it.

Because the future of technology will be defined not just by what we build, but by who we empower to lead it.