Today we’d like to introduce you to Serena Roberts.
Hi Serena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts in rural Minnesota, where I grew up surrounded by cornfields and free-range curiosity. I became a single mom at 19, and that experience shaped the way I approach everything—life, work, leadership. I had to work hard, juggle a lot, and figure things out without a roadmap.
I didn’t set out to work in data and analytics. I majored in entrepreneurship in college, and started my career in more traditional business roles—sales, marketing, operations, project coordination for a small data consulting outfit—and found myself gravitating toward the delivery side of things. It became clear that my approach to problem-solving and delivering client value (aka: getting shit done) stood out. I leaned into that strength and followed every opportunity to keep building on it, which led me deeper into the world of data and analytics.
Fast forward a couple of decades, and I’ve now spent 20+ years in the data space. I’ve worked in both highly technical and very strategy-focused roles, which gives me a unique ability to bridge the gap between the two. I’m also a 8-time Tableau Ambassador and have been deeply involved in building inclusive data communities for most of my career.
In 2019, I co-founded Moxy Analytics, a boutique consulting firm focused on helping people solve problems with data. The goal was (and still is) to disrupt the outdated ways organizations approach data strategy, governance, and culture. Today, I own and lead Moxy Analytics alongside a team of incredibly talented humans. We work with clients across industries who are ready to step up their game.
My path wasn’t linear, and I wouldn’t want it to be. Every twist and turn taught me something new—about people, about systems (social and technical), about resilience. And now, I get to use that knowledge to help others move forward with intention.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not smooth—and honestly, I wouldn’t trust a smooth road.
There have been plenty of challenges: being a young single mom while working through college, moving through roles where I was underestimated or underpaid (or both), and operating in spaces where people didn’t expect someone like me to lead.
And some moments still stick with me. Like the time a former manager pulled up our new headshots during a team meeting and told me, in front of everyone, that I should have smiled more. That same manager once texted me during a client meeting—one I was leading—to suggest I talk less.
Another manager—who was also a woman and a mother of small children—told me, “If I can figure out how to work more than 40 hours a week, so can you.” Not the solidarity I was expecting.
Then there was the time I was quietly pushed out of a role for refusing to treat our offshore colleagues with anything less than the respect and dignity we expected for ourselves. Apparently, that was too disruptive.
But every one of those moments taught me something: how to advocate for myself and others, how to call out what’s broken without backing down, and how to build something better instead of waiting for permission.
I won’t romanticize hardship, but I do respect what it can teach you. The road hasn’t been smooth—but it’s been mine. And those bumps and bruises? They’ve shaped how I lead, how I work, and what I refuse to normalize.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Moxy Analytics is a women-owned boutique data and analytics consulting firm based in the Twin Cities. We specialize in helping people solve problems with data—whether that means data training and culture building, developing workable data strategies, implementing governance, or just getting more value from their dashboards and tools.
Our clients come to us when they’re stuck—when their data efforts are spinning in circles, or when they’re tired of the same old consulting answers that never quite land. We help them untangle the mess, focus on what matters, and actually move forward.
What sets us apart is our people. We are a small but mighty team of seasoned experts who can go toe-to-toe with any big firm on skill—but we lead with empathy, candor, and real-world experience. No egos. No jargon. Just smart humans doing meaningful work.
We’re proud to be known for disrupting outdated approaches to data governance, strategy, and culture. And proud of the fact that our clients trust us with the messy, complex, often political parts of the work—because that’s where the real progress happens.
At the end of the day, our brand is about helping people feel confident and capable in a data-driven world. That’s the work we care about most—and we’re damn good at it.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I work hard, but I don’t live to work. You don’t have to hustle yourself into the ground to be successful. Rest is productive. Joy is strategic. And burnout is not a badge of honor.
Go touch grass. The work will still be there when you get back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.moxyanalytics.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serenaroberts/
Image Credits
Images are snapshots of dashboards developed using Tableau by Moxy Analytics consultants, Kevin and Ken Flerlage.
