Blog

Our Mission in Action: Natascha Thomas

Our guiding force at Sparq is our mission: to create high-quality technology jobs in Middle America cities where talent is often overlooked. Our Mission in Action showcases Sparq colleagues who represent how this mission impacts individuals and the communities in which we operate.

Before starting at Sparq, Natascha Thomas worked for companies where many young developers have dreams of making their mark one day, including EA Games and Disney. With the exciting subject matter, however, came some drawbacks. Natascha’s work-life balance was basically non-existent, and she had become defensive and untrusting of her colleagues due to the competitive nature of the office. Plus, she wasn’t able to achieve her savings goals because of the high cost of living in Los Angeles. 

From the ocean to the gulf

Natascha and her family decided to move to her husband’s hometown of Mobile, Alabama where she accepted an offer at Sparq. Here she found a much more collaborative and supportive culture: “I’m never ashamed to ask for help, and have never had anyone say to me, ‘you should know this.’ I can tell my manager if I’m feeling ‘underwater’ or have too much assigned to me without fearing that it could negatively impact my career advancement.”

A better quality of life

Natascha took to living in Mobile right away: “I think the things that really drew me in about Mobile compared to Los Angeles were the low traffic, clean streets, and polite folks with cool accents.” And while she hasn’t exactly grown fond of the “most massive insects I’ve ever seen,” Natascha feels as though living in Mobile and working at Sparq has truly given her the space to thrive.

Related Blogs
See All Blogs
A woman is sitting outside on a deck applying for a job on her laptop.
Blog
Jul 16, 2025

Land the Job and Impress Your Client (Using AI Smartly)

AI has completely changed the way people apply for jobs. Résumé templates, cover letter generators, and interview prep bots are just a prompt away. In this article by Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant Sarah Falzone, learn how to use AI to make sure your application stands out, not blends in.

Read More
A member of a product team collaborating with colleagues remotely.
Blog
Jul 9, 2025

How AI Helped Me Think Like a Designer Before I Had One

When a UX gap threatened to slow a critical user flow update, our product team had no choice but to adapt. In this article, Director of Product Brittany Langosch discusses how although there's no substitute for a talented designer, using AI tools like ChatPRD and V0 can support fast collaboration and clear decision-making in a pinch.

Read More
Snowflake logo
Blog
Jun 26, 2025

Snowflake Summit 2025 Announcements

Snowflake Summit 2025’s latest announcements made it clear: the path to genuine AI-driven impact hinges on frictionless access to data, the ability to act on it with clarity, and absolute confidence in its protection. Learn more about how they're making that happen for customers in this article.

Read More
A team in an office smiling.
Blog
Jun 25, 2025

How ChatPRD Helps Build Better Stories (and a Stronger Team)

When user stories are vague, it slows down delivery, trust, and momentum. This article by Senior Product Strategy Consultant Traci Metzger shows how she used a lightweight, AI-guided system (ChatPRD) to write clearer, developer-ready requirements that actually accelerated execution.

Read More
See All Blogs
noun-arrow-2025160 copy 2
noun-arrow-2025160 copy 2
See All Blogs