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Ever wonder what it really looks like to lead cross-functionally—without a traditional tech background? Cris Dobbins has built her career doing just that. As a fractional Product & Experience Executive for early-stage AI and developer-tool startups, she’s the one teams call when they need clarity, momentum, and a strategy that actually sticks. We sat down with Cris ahead of her ICON breakout session to talk about translating across functions, embracing a nontraditional path, and why speaking everyone’s language is the real secret to leadership.

When you’re juggling input from product, marketing, sales, and engineering, driving meaningful progress depends not only on having good ideas but also on knowing how to communicate them effectively. That’s where Cris Dobbins shines.

As a strategic advisor to early-stage startups, Cris spends her days moving between teams, translating needs and priorities into action. For sales, she talks in terms of pipeline, quarters, and revenue impact. With engineering, it’s metrics, PRDs, and velocity. Marketing wants customer insights and conversion rates. Her gift is getting everyone aligned—not by simplifying the work, but by meeting each team where they are.

That ability didn’t come from a computer science degree. It came from years of being the “in-betweener.” As a kid, Cris helped her mom, an early Photoshop expert, retouch thousands of wedding photos. As a classically trained opera singer, she developed an ear for nuance. And as someone who started out designing logos and building websites before moving into product and UX, she learned to adapt and speak the language of every person in the room.

She doesn’t come from a typical tech background, but over time, she’s come to see that what makes her different is actually her superpower.

At this year’s Tech Ladies ICON 2025, Cris is leading a breakout session titled The Least Technical Person in the Room and Still the Most Needed, created especially for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider in tech, especially those in non-technical roles. In this session, she’ll explore why having a cross-functional thinker on your team is crucial and share practical strategies to help you bridge gaps, build influence, and become the vital connector who propels engineering-driven teams forward.

You can check out the full recording of our conversation with Cris Dobbins, where she dives deeper into her journey and shares insights on leading without a traditional tech background.

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