She previously served as the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe and as a senior advisor for climate change innovation under President Barack Obama's administration.

During that time, she served as Senior Adviser to Eric Lander while he was co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

[12][13] In this role, Venkataraman aimed to amplify the "diverse voices of our city and better showcase Boston’s groundbreaking ideas and knowledge -- while holding our leaders and institutions accountable for meeting high expectations for public service."

In March 2020, she oversaw the editorial board's criticism of Donald Trump's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States.

[16] In August 2019, she published her first book, The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age, which explores how human societies can overcome shortsightedness to tackle emerging threats—from climate change to antibiotic-resistant superbugs—to better plan for the future.

[17][18] The book draws from research in biology, psychology, and economics to make the case that humans can better plan for the future by adopting certain practices.