From Software Engineer to Sport AI – Career Shifting With Honoco
“There’s a saying in India, ‘You become an engineer, and then you figure out your career path.’
I did exactly that.”
Ekta Sharma joined Honoco in August 2023 and despite having only met most of the team online, her obsession with basketball (nickname Sniper) and her love of mountains, hiking, and the outdoors has quickly bonded her to the mostly NZ-based team.
In a world where life unfolds as a series of choices and opportunities, Ekta has said yes to the ones that she knew would bring her the most joy.
“If I’m free, I’m motivated and productive. If I’m forced, my mind doesn’t work.”
It was this self-awareness that got Ekta out of the high-paid and high-speed IT sector, and firmly into the sport sector – where her heart and head are happiest.
It’s her journey from software to sport, her can-do global attitude, and her highly tuned expertise in sports technology that we think makes an interesting and inspiring read.
In fact, her journey to sport and Honoco isn’t so much from software, it’s with software.
Honoco Intern to Honoco Consultant
“Richard (Honoco Principal) has been a mentor for a few years now. I call him my decision supporter. He’s always been invested in helping me talk through options so I can figure out a clearer direction.
I completed an internship with Honoco in late 2022, working on a women’s sports sponsorship landscape project for their client Sport NZ.
Reconnecting with Richard in 2023 came about when I was looking for a job that could offer some key non-negotiables for me. I wanted to explore new things, work with a team that respects each other’s strengths and skills, and be in an environment where I felt comfortable and was encouraged to bring new ideas to the table.
I always knew that Richard was the kind of person who welcomes innovation and different perspectives, and when I learnt that he was exploring integrating AI into some of Honoco’s work, I knew in an instant that this was my place.”
My Role With AI
“My role at Honoco is to use technology to enhance the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of the data we gather and interpret for clients. This helps us produce high-end reports and advice for clients using the data from our proprietary Honoco Research Programme.
Alongside this, I’m leading Honoco’s internal AI integration project and exploring the synergies between Sports Business and AI. There are some exciting opportunities for transformative strategies and solutions. Digitization is becoming increasingly prevalent in sports – an automated Facebook Messenger reply to a fan or potential new member is just as useful to a global football club as it is to a two-court tennis club.
At Honoco we deal with vast amounts of detailed data. It can be sliced and diced in thousands of ways. Traditionally, the data has always been analysed by expert human eyes, and a significant amount of work within a project is analysing the data. But the fun part is tailoring the data insights to the client, sport, budget, and opportunity – producing tangible and actionable recommendations.
So, for me, using technology to speed up the more mundane data and internal business processes means a win-win for everyone. Better results for clients, more interesting work for the team, and an opportunity to work with even more sporting and commercial organisations.
In a nutshell, AI will enable us to deliver more accurate and faster reports, summarise historical data very efficiently, and allow the team to jump in and out seamlessly along any point of the project.”
How It Started
Ekta’s always been a sports nut. “Basketball and hiking, in particular, have a special place in my heart. I’m extremely lucky to live close to the Himalayas and have spent many happy years hiking its peaks.”
Her professional journey began as a software engineer in India, working with top-tier tech companies across various industries, including healthcare and banking.
“The days were fast and well paid, but long and repetitive, and after a few years, I knew I couldn’t continue to do this day in and day out for the rest of my life. I enjoy flexibility and working on my own terms. Having to be in an office at the same time every day of the week left me feeling restricted and uninspired.”
All the while, sport was playing a prominent background role in Ekta’s life. She acquired the nickname Sniper on the basketball court, she joined company sports teams at every opportunity – even creating them when they didn’t exist.
And then, with offers on the table from prestigious firms like Accenture during a natural career progression, Ekta decided to take the biggest risk of her life.
“I decided to shake off my life and run away to Sheffield,” Ekta says with a big smile, knowing it has all worked out beautifully.
In Sheffield, Ekta embarked on a Master’s degree in Sport Business Management. Without a single human connection in sport, and no one to champion her, she began to methodically work at establishing herself in the industry.
For twelve months, and with software-engineer-like precision, she studied, volunteered, attended conferences, applied for scholarships and internships, and networked in the sport and tech sector both in the UK and globally.
Her warmth, enthusiasm and valuable skill set resulted in voluntary and internship opportunities with organisations like Sheffield Hatters Women’s Basketball Club, UEFA and Women’s Euro (football), Leaders in Sport (global events), Formula E (motor racing), Stats Perform (sports data and AI), and Honoco.
She credits the support she got from Women In Sports Tech as a major backbone of her journey, including being awarded a Fellowship from the organisation in 2022.
In New Zealand, we joke that there’s only one degree of separation between you and someone you don’t know, and it wasn’t long before Ekta ended up right in the middle of a hub of connected people all passionate about sport, women in sport, sports technology and authentic partnerships. It was this that led Ekta back to Honoco, this time fully on staff.
What’s Next?
“I’ve never been to New Zealand,” she muses, “but I hope to change that in 2024. And that engineering saying is massively true…”, Ekta smiles through her email as we sign off the final draft of the interview.
Follow Ekta on LinkedIn where she writes about #sportstech, #womenssports, #sportsbusiness, and #sportssponsorship
