Shaping the Future of Supply Chain — and Her Career at Coupa

At Coupa, we’re proud to celebrate Stella Yen-Chiao Lee, recently named a 2025 Women in Supply Chain Award recipient by Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain Executive. Recognized in the Trailblazers category, Stella was honored for her leadership, mentorship, and impact in shaping the future of supply chain.


Her story is also a glimpse into life at Coupa and shaping your career — where your ideas, expertise, and passion can spark real change. We asked Stella to share her thoughts on this amazing recognition.


What does receiving this award mean to you personally and professionally?
It’s humbling to have my work recognized in a field I care deeply about. Personally, it’s inspiring to be celebrated alongside so many talented women who are shaping the future of supply chain.


Professionally, it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and the impact I can make. It motivates me to keep growing, learning, and supporting other women in the supply chain community.


Looking back, what experiences or mentors shaped your leadership journey?
When I joined Coupa (formerly LLamasoft) in 2011, we were still a small company growing quickly. I was asked to step into a project lead role before I felt ready. That challenge pushed me to stretch beyond my comfort zone, learn fast, and build confidence.


I was also lucky to have leaders who trusted, mentored and encouraged me to speak up. That early trust gave me confidence in my perspective and shaped how I lead today: I believe in staying curious, empowering my team, and embracing growth through new challenges.


What advice would you share with women early in their careers?
Say yes to opportunities, even if they’re out of your comfort zone. Stay curious and ask questions. And remember that supply chain touches everything — the more you connect with people across teams and functions, the stronger you’ll become as a leader.

 
What excites you most about the future of supply chain?
The pace of change. With AI, real-time data, and optimization tools like Coupa’s Supply Chain Guru, we’re not just reacting — we’re predicting and planning. That creates opportunities to be more efficient, more resilient, and more sustainable. It’s an exciting time to be part of this industry.


How do you see your role — and Coupa — driving the future of supply chain?
For me, “building tomorrow together” is about teamwork. At Coupa, we’re constantly learning from our customers and each other. My role is to stay close to the real-world challenges our customers face and make sure those insights flow back into our products.


That feedback loop means we’re always improving — and that together, we’re shaping what’s next for supply chain.


Why it matters?
Stella’s recognition comes on the heels of Coupa being named #16 on Fast Company’s 2025 Best Workplaces for Innovators. Both honors highlight a common denominator: our people. Coupanians are at the heart of what makes our company a great place to work. From supply chain innovation to employee-led initiatives, we’re helping shape what’s next.


Ready to shape what’s next in your career?


Explore opportunities at Coupa Careers and join our Talent Community to stay connected.

Shaping What’s Next: Celebrating the Unsung Heroines of Coupa

By Nora Clark • March 13, 2026
As we celebrate Women’s History Month , we’re recognizing the women who help shape Coupa every day, not only through leadership roles, but through mentorship, advocacy, collaboration, and the many contributions that often happen behind the scenes. In this special episode of Shaping What’s Next at Coupa , guest host Kiri Christensen , representing Coupa’s Empower Employee Resource Group , sits down with Cindy Yi, Senior Vice President of Global HR Business Partners , to explore the theme of this year’s celebration: Leading the Change. Their conversation goes beyond titles and career paths to talk about the people and moments that shape leadership. Cindy reflects on the leaders who influenced her journey and shares a perspective that resonates across organizations: when people feel supported, challenged, and connected, businesses perform better. The episode also shines a light on the idea of “Unsung Heroines,” the mentors, problem-solvers, and team builders whose impact may not always be visible but is foundational to a strong culture. As Cindy explains, recognizing those contributions matters because it expands how we define leadership and impact. “Leadership doesn’t always come from titles or visibility. When we celebrate mentorship, collaboration, and quiet leadership, we reinforce the behaviors that make organizations great.” The conversation also explores the importance of thoughtful courage, the willingness to ask important questions and contribute perspectives that move conversations forward, regardless of title or tenure. And at the heart of it all is a simple but powerful truth: when people feel their voices and contributions matter, they’re empowered to do their best work. That’s what helps organizations grow, innovate, and shape what’s next. Watch Episode 6: Women’s History Month: Unsung Heroines.

Recognizing Excellence in India: December 2025 Standout Performers

By Nora Clark • March 11, 2026
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Celebrating Excellence in India: Q4 2025 Extra Mile Award Winners

By Nora Clark • March 11, 2026
At Coupa, we believe that progress happens because of people who go beyond what’s expected to drive impact, support others, and help shape what’s next. That’s why recognition is such an important part of our culture. As part of our continued commitment to celebrating standout contributions across the business, Coupa’s India Leadership Team recognizes employees each quarter through the Extra Mile Award . This award honors individuals who exemplify our values: Drive Success for #AllOfUs, Own Our Results, Cultivate Belonging, and Build Tomorrow Together through meaningful, real-world impact. We’re proud to spotlight our Q4 2025 India Extra Mile Award winners , whose dedication and leadership continue to raise the bar for excellence at Coupa. Meet the winners:

2026 Women’s History Month: Unsung Heroines

March 5, 2026
Leading Change Through Everyday Impact As we kick off Women’s History Month , our Coupa Empower employee resource group is honoring the women whose leadership, influence, and care move our teams, culture, and communities forward — often in ways that aren’t always visible. This year’s theme, Leading the Change , recognizes the builders, mentors, problem-solvers and quiet leaders whose impact shapes how we grow and work together. The Unsung Heroines program highlights employees whose journeys, advocacy, and influence create lasting progress — not just for Coupa, but for the people around them. These are the stories that remind us that recognition isn’t a single moment. It's something we build into our culture every day.

Welcoming the Year of the Fire Horse: A Season of Renewal, Movement, and Connection

By Nora Clark • February 20, 2026
As we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, our global village comes together to celebrate Lunar New Year — a moment for renewal, reflection, and bold forward momentum for #AllOfUs. This year’s celebration is led by our Coupa Exceed Employee Resource Group, whose leadership continues to create space for cultural connection, shared learning, and deeper belonging across our communities. Through its programming and storytelling, Exceed ERG helps turn moments like this into meaningful global experiences for all Coupanians. In the lunar zodiac, the Horse symbolizes energy, progress, and determination. The Fire element brings passion, visibility, and transformation. That spirit comes to life in how Exceed leads this celebration: Moving with purpose Amplifying voices and traditions Bringing our global community closer together From red envelopes and reunion dinners to travel, lanterns, and time with loved ones, Lunar New Year reminds us that while our backgrounds may be different, the values that connect us are shared.

Engineering What’s Next: Celebrating Engineers Week 2026

By Nora Clark • February 20, 2026
Engineers at Coupa are shaping what’s next, through code, curiosity, impact, and a shared commitment to building better systems for people and businesses. In celebration of Engineers Week 2026, we asked a few of our engineers how they’re transforming the future: their own, Coupa’s, and the communities we serve. Their answers reflect a profession grounded in purpose, growth, and possibility.

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February 11, 2026
As we continue our Black History Month celebration, Coupa’s Engage employee resource group is proud to spotlight more voices whose journeys reflect the lasting impact of Black innovation in technology. Building on our first feature, this blog highlights Coupanians whose paths into tech weren’t always linear but whose perspectives are shaping how technology, people, and possibility intersect at Coupa. Through the stories of Elise Huggins, Rashida Jones, and Johnny White, we’re reminded that innovation is strongest when it’s grounded in imagination, inclusion, and human purpose.

Owning Results Through Connection: Sukhada's 10-Year Journey

February 9, 2026
As Coupa celebrates 20 years of innovation, growth, and impact, it’s the people who’ve grown alongside the company who best reflect what that journey really looks like. For Sukhada Bardapurkar, Partner Success Manager, the last 10 years at Coupa have been shaped by curiosity, connection, and a deep sense of ownership in the results she helps deliver. “At every stage of my career here, I’ve genuinely cared about the impact of my work and how it enables both me and the team to move forward,” Sukhada shares. “Owning results motivates me and it pushes me to stay curious and solve problems proactively.”

India Standout Performer Award Winner – November 2025

February 6, 2026
At Coupa, we believe great work deserves to be recognized, not just for outcomes but for the commitment, ownership, and impact it brings. From weekly wins to milestone achievements, celebrating excellence is part of how we show up for one another. As part of our evolving rewards and recognition program, the Coupa India Leadership Team introduced the Standout Performer Award (Monthly) and Extra Mile Award (Quarterly) to spotlight Coupanians whose contributions drive individual, team, and business success. We’re proud to recognize our Stan dout Performer Award winner for November 2025 and invite you to join us in celebrating his achievement.

Innovation Through Impact: Black Voices Shaping the Future of Tech and AI

January 30, 2026
As we celebrate Black History Month, Coupa’s Engage employee resource group honors the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Black pioneers whose innovation has shaped technology and artificial intelligence. This year’s theme, “ Innovation and the Impact of Black Pioneers in Tech and AI ,” recognizes trailblazers who challenged barriers, introduced new ways of thinking, and built pathways for future generations. Through the voices of Coupanians across our organization, we celebrate how those legacies continue to inspire us to innovate with purpose, push boundaries, and help shape what’s next at Coupa.
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