Ada Tagoe (she/her)

10 Questions with Ada Tagoe, Cloud Technical Program Manager

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Ada Tagoe (she/her) moved to the United Kingdom with her family as a teenager. After studying Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Imperial College London, she spent 15 years working in the Investment Banking industry, starting first on the operation team, then moving to engineering and eventually landing in management as a technical program and people manager.

1. How did you get into tech?

I moved to the UK from Hong Kong when I was young. When I started school here, I really struggled with subjects that involved writing or reading a lot of English so naturally, I focused more on the STEM subjects and did really well in them.

When choosing what to study for university, I decided on Electronic and Electrical Engineering since I enjoyed Maths and Physics and wanted to study something more practical than a pure science. I wanted to get a job where I could either build robots or get into the electronic medical field.

After finishing my second year, I did an internship at a research lab to work on building a prototype of TV set top boxes (which might tell you how old I am!) I enjoyed the project but hated the working environment. I was on a team of almost ten other engineers, but they were all white men and there was an inappropriate calendar hung up in the kitchen.

The experience really put me off looking for any engineering jobs, so I started looking into Computing- and Information Technology-related roles and got an internship at an investment bank the following year. I really enjoyed my work, writing code to solve problems, as well as the working environment, which was diverse and fast paced. I received a returned offer to join their graduate program and have been in a technical role ever since!

2. Who is one person you looked up to when you were younger?

My dad.

3. Where’s your hometown?

Hong Kong.

4. What’s a time you faced a struggle? How did you deal with it?

When I first arrived in the UK, I really struggled to fit into school. My English wasn’t great, so I couldn’t join in on conversations with my classmates. I didn’t have any friends at school for two years. I was really lonely.

During my A-level [a school leaving qualification in the UK], I moved to a different class and met a group of girls who were very welcoming and tried their best to include me in their group. They would ask me questions about my culture and background, even learning how to sing my favorite Cantonese songs. They also tried to introduce me to the culture here, including all the different boy bands and Nandos!

I started to speak up more, and my English improved significantly. I am forever grateful to these girls for making me feel at home, and this is one of the reasons I dedicate so much time outside my day job to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. I have first-hand experience of how an inclusive environment can make a significant impact on someone’s mental health and overall performance.

5. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

I lacked confidence when I first started working. For the first few years, I barely spoke up and kept my head down to get my work done.

One day, we had a severe outage at work, and it just so happened that many of my teammates were not available, so I had to jump on the outage call and lead resolution of the incident with a few other newbies on the team. I was under immense pressure; there were so many senior directors on the call waiting for me to provide updates. I had to manage the team to work on a resolution, provide regular updates on the call, and answer any questions. It was an intense few hours, but eventually, we managed to stabilize the platform.

At the end of the day, the senior director of my team came over to give me the best compliment I have ever received at work: that I did such an amazing job and demonstrated exceptional leadership. I was really proud of myself.

Although I have handled much more complicated incidents and achieved so much more since then, that day means a lot to me. It was the day I finally started to believe in myself.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Racial injustice on the Black+ community around the world. The lack of representation of people of color for young kids to look up to.

7. Favorite food?

Any seafood.

8. Favorite book?

The Bible.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

A teacher.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t stay at home during your university years. Stay on campus and make more friends!

Moriah Baxevane-Connell (she/her)

Moriah Baxevane-Connell (she/her) is an expat-American living in London. After accidentally falling into tech while at university, Moriah has embraced working in this fast-paced, ever changing environment. After spending almost five years at Microsoft as a SQL consultant, Moriah moved to the UK and obtained an MBA from the University of Oxford. Throughout her career, she has stayed focused on initiatives that encourage, promote, and support women in tech through conferences, speaking engagements, mentoring programs, and more.

1. How did you get into tech?

I entered university as a math major, without any sort of idea or plan of where I wanted my degree to take me, what I wanted to do with my career, or where I wanted to be in five years. (Spoiler alert: this becomes a recurring theme in my life.)

I had to take a C++ class as part of my math degree during my first term and walked in without even the slightest idea of what computer programming was. After four months with an unbelievably patient professor, programming finally clicked, and I realized I enjoyed it. Many conversations with three of the female IT professors in the department, several trips to Grace Hopper Conference, and a presentation by a PwC consultant later, I finally changed my major to both IT and Psychology and had a direction in life — technology consulting. From my attendance at GHC, I was connected to Microsoft, and I received a job offer to join them post-graduation as a Technology Consultant based in Seattle.

2. Where’s your hometown?

Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania — a tiny, rural, town in the middle of the Pocono Mountains, with no sidewalks and approximately six traffic lights within a 30-mile radius. Just to give you an idea of how small-town it actually is, my high school had the first day of buck (deer) hunting season off every year; ‘Tractor Day” was an annual tradition where students drove their tractors to school; and every Friday night the whole town was at the high school football game.

3. What’s a time you faced a struggle, and how did you deal with it?

Starting out my career as a young woman in tech was eye-opening. If I had $1 for every time I was asked to get coffee, reserve conference rooms, order in lunch, book a place for dinner, take notes — or even organize a colleague’s baby shower! — I would never have had to take a loan out for my MBA in 2018, that’s for sure.

In my short career, I’ve been called ‘sweetie’ in meetings in front of the customer, had my answers to technical questions ‘fact-checked’ by male counterparts countless times, been told to focus more on technical work instead of attending and speaking at ‘lady conferences’, and the list goes on and on and on. What’s worse is these are not isolated incidents; I can imagine most (if not all) women reading this are nodding in understanding as they’ve experienced similar, or even many of the same, things. This ongoing struggle is one I’m passionate about changing for future generations, and all of my past experiences above only fuel my push for greater awareness, more allies, and continued support across the field.

4. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

As I alluded to earlier, my life has never really been planned out. I’ve never had a five-year plan, or even a one-year plan, and my focus on the future has mostly been on having a job where I can travel, learn new things, and work with interesting and smart people.

However, ever since 2006, I’ve had a dream of living and working abroad — specifically the UK. I spent years at my first job doing everything I could to get myself across the pond, and succeeded in spending a few months in London over five years on short projects, but it wasn’t enough.

When many of my colleagues of the same age started leaving their jobs to get MBAs or attending MBA programs part-time, I thought they were crazy. Go back to school?? No way, no how. Until I realized it meant I could be one step closer to 16-year-old-Moriah’s dream. I decided in December 2016 that I was going to attend an MBA program in the UK the next year, and less than four months later, I had studied (read: crammed) for and taken the GMAT, applied, interviewed, and accepted an offer at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School for the 2017–2018 MBA cohort. I’ve since been able to stay in the UK, living and working in London and accomplishing a ten-year-old goal!

5. Favorite food?

Too many to name, but at the moment I’m craving a classic bacon, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel. Oddly specific, but I can’t explain how much I miss it; I have yet to find it here in the UK.

6. Favorite book?

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. I’m attempting to memorize all of the incredible statistics and information she’s given in this book, which is proving to be impossible, but it doesn’t stop me from quoting what I can remember at any chance I get.

7. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

For the last 5+ years, I’ve been cutting my own hair, and recently I’ve begun doing it for a few friends as well. While I don’t have any 5-star Google reviews yet, I’d love a job out from behind a computer, working with my hands…hairdresser or baker would be top of the list!

Marily Nika (she/her)

Marily Nika (she/her) is an AI Product Manager at Google. She is based in Mountain view and focuses in Speech ML for the Google Assistant. She also works for Harvard Business School’s Analytics Program as a part-time Teaching Fellow. Prior to that, Marily completed a Ph.D in Computing Science at Imperial College London, interned at Facebook. and founded an EdTech startup.

Marily is passionate about empowering the Women in Tech community and she received 2018’s Woman in tech of the Year Award (by everywoman) and 2015’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Influence Award for her efforts in building impactful communities — three to date, impacting over 10k people over the world.

1. How did you get into tech?

I got into tech when I was really young. It must have been ~20–25 years ago when I first discovered my brother’s BASIC programming book and started experimenting with our — then — Intel 486 computer. A few accidental missing core system files and booting errors later, I realized that I loved puzzles and loved coming up with creative ways to solve problems. I immediately knew that the career I wanted to pursue would be revolved around technology, and eventually AI.

2. Who’s one person in your life you looked up to when you were younger?

My mother. She had a natural skill for math, and despite growing up in a time of great unrest, she managed to pursue her dream to major in Maths, when Maths degrees only had less than 1% women, in a class of over 150 students.

3. Where’s your hometown?

Athens, Greece.

4. What’s a time you faced a struggle?

In my early 20s, I found myself majoring in a field that I liked a lot, but it wasn’t in line with my career goals. By that point, I felt that it was too late to pursue a career in tech, and while I was trying to convince myself to let go of that dream, it turned out that I really couldn’t. You really can’t (and shouldn’t!) let go of dreams!

When I realized that, I decided to start over. I was prepared to complete my then BSc degree as quickly as possible, and spend another three to four years on a CS major. Thankfully, my mentor stepped in and told me that not all MSc degrees required a BSc in the same field, and I was thrilled! That’s when I found and immediately applied to an excellent MSc in Computing Science program, which I ended up pursuing the year after. Not only is it not ‘bad’ to switch fields, but it’s very common and also celebrated in tech. (I wrote an article for the Telegraph on this topic: “Is Computer Science for you?”)

5. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

I am really proud of completing a Ph.D. in Computing Science. I chose a multidisciplinary topic that involved Epidemiology, Social Networks, Computer Science and Analytics, and that I was extremely passionate about. I was very motivated by Sheryl Sandberg’s quote: “Women need to shift from thinking ‘I’m not ready to do that’ to thinking ‘I want to do that — and I’ll learn by doing it.’” People can achieve so much if they have a bit of confidence, and I would lie if I said that there weren’t challenging moments throughout my Ph.D research. However, I kept on going. I kept studying and trying new methodologies out until I got the results that I was after.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

How to raise a baby while working full-time. I am grateful for the ‘Moms in tech’ Facebook group, which is a community of thousands of women that share ideas and advice on all sorts of topics around tech and being a mom.

7. Favorite food?

Aromatic crispy duck with hoisin sauce and pancakes. It was my go-to food when living in London.

8. Favorite book?

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Architect.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

I grew up with immense ambition. I believed that when I worked really hard, opportunity would come my way. I hoped that my efforts would be automatically recognized and that they would tell a story on their own — something like a happy ending to a movie.

Marianna Ribeiro (she/her)

9 Questions with Marianna Ribeiro, Head of Social Media, LATAM, at YouTube

Marianna was originally interviewed on More By Her, a platform and community to highlight women shaping culture.

Marianna Ribeiro (she/her) is a storyteller. She’s built her marketing career at brands liked NBCUniversal, YouTube, TikTok, and Globo TV, where she worked on creating content, developing effective content strategies, and telling stories that deserve to be told.

Marianna is also a YouTube creator at De Mudança (Moving Out), where she shares tips for people who are seeking financial and personal independence.

Today, she resides in São Paulo, Brazil, where she works as the Head of Social Media Marketing at YouTube for Latin America.

1. How did you get into tech?

Honestly, I never, ever thought I would work at a tech company. My whole career has been dedicated to content production, so I never figured that tech would fit in.

After I started my own YouTube channel, I began understanding YouTube as a platform and discovered that working with social media requires a deep knowledge of consumer behavior; otherwise, growth will be difficult. Having combined this knowledge with great content production, I was invited to work at musica.ly, my first ever tech experience, and saw it become TikTok in 2018. After TikTok, I started working for YouTube and fell in love with tech. I feel that the company really respects my background in content production, and I’ve gotten to learn a lot about how to derive insights from numbers.

2. Where’s your hometown?

São Paulo, Brazil.

3. What’s a time you faced a struggle?

Many times in my career, I’ve had to work in places where I was the only Black person in the office. It was hard; I had no references, no leadership I could look up to and see myself in. It seemed that a position in company leadership would never happen to me.

At one internship, I worked hard to get a full-time offer because I really enjoyed what I was doing there, and I received excellent feedback from managers. But every time a new position opened, they gave various excuses not to choose me. In the end, I had to leave my internship because my contract expired, but I saw other interns whose performance rates were not as high as mine get hired. I never understood why they didn’t want me. I felt discriminated against. Later on, leadership changed, they gave me another chance, and I was able to grow a lot in my career. I’m really happy to be at YouTube now.

4. What’s a time you did something you were immensely proud of?

I’m really proud of having a successful YouTube Channel, De Mudança (Moving Out). It’s something I built from scratch, pouring all my heart in and everything I know about content creation and strategy. Today, I could have it as my primary job if I wanted to. Even though it’s a niche channel (I teach people how to organize their financial life) I’ve become a reference on the topic in Brazil and surpassed 70k subscribers.

At some point in 2019. I had to decide whether to focus on my channel or YouTube because doing both was compromising my mental health; so, I don’t produce as many videos nowadays as I used to. But it’s definitely my favorite project.

5. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I want to start a new YouTube Channel focused on music. Singing makes me extremely happy, so I’m working on sharing videos, both covers and originals, in 2020.

6. Favorite food?

Barbecue.

7. Favorite book?

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

8. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

A chef! I love to cook and think I’d run a kitchen very well.

9. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Not getting a job or date (haha) is not the end of the world. It’s probably the beginning of a new chapter. Let life take its course and be patient with yourself.

Oh, and please, exercise frequently! You’ll miss it later.

Anisa Benitez Hodelin (she/her)

Anisa is a brand builder, strategic marketer, artist advocate, and creative entrepreneur. She’s built her marketing career at iconic brands, such as: Google, where she has worked on hardware and YouTube; Time Inc. where she worked for TIME magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and Fortune magazine; and RCA Records under Sony Music Entertainment.

Today Anisa resides in New York City, where she works as a Brand Marketing Manager for YouTube Music, within Google. She is also the founder of More by Her, a creative project to support women in the arts. Her biggest passions are empowering artists & performers, celebrating culture, promoting wellness, and advocating for human rights.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I decided that I wanted to work in tech when I decided to prioritize growth. After working in industries where my professional and personal growth opportunities were limited, I needed a change. In the music and media industries, I experienced low morale. There were many layoffs, much competitiveness, and nostalgia for the good ‘ole days. I craved that ‘buzz’ of optimistic energy in the office. I wanted to be challenged, to bring my innovative ideas to work with me, to be encouraged to grow. I’m grateful to say I’ve experienced all of this in tech.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

My mom, Joie. She’s an artist, a painter mainly, and growing up she exposed me to almost every art form under the sun. When I was little I spent so much time making: crafting, painting, playing my violin, sewing, dancing, cooking, and designing.

She also home-schooled me and my brother on-and-off until middle school, which allowed us to travel and get exposed to the world. My love of culture, my desire to ‘make’ more than consume, and my love of all arts are largely attributed to her.

3/ Where’s your hometown?

Montclair, New Jersey; it’s near Manhattan. I grew up spending a lot of time in the city and declaring myself a New Yorker pre-maturely.

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

In February of 2017, my boyfriend at the time and I relocated from Brooklyn to San Francisco for me to start work at Google. We were both away from our families, starting a new life chapter. About 6 months into our new chapter, he had a stroke. He had an extremely rare arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture in his brain. I became his primary caregiver for the next 6 months as he recovered his short-term memory, ability to read, write, and more.

Being a caregiver was hugely demanding, emotionally and mentally. The achiever in me wanted to excel at it all: continue to demonstrate that I was a top hire at work, while also managing the hardest job I’d ever had, caregiving. However, I’m only human. I needed a break and I quickly came to terms with it. My manager and team were very supportive and allowed me the flexibility to work from home and from the hospital a lot. I also made sure to dedicate time for restoration: meditation, long-hikes, dance classes, listening to music, and more self-care practices. I became extremely diligent about taking care of myself so I could show up for him and for work. I’m grateful to report that there was a happy ending: my boyfriend made a full recovery and I fell in love with myself!

I’ve faced a lot of struggles, and each has tested my resilience. Each has brought me to a deeper love and understanding of myself. The most important relationship in life is the one we have with ourselves. From my experience, the stronger our relationship with ourselves, the more we can show up for others in times of need.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

More by Her. I care deeply about supporting women artists and creatives. Over the years I’ve advised many creative women on how to make their art a livelihood. However, this year I’ve gotten clarity that it would be most helpful for me to ‘show’ how and not just ‘tell.’

Growing up I didn’t see many examples of women who were independent and in creative fields. The starving artist stereotype was pervasive and a big turn-off for me. I paid my way through college alone, while working. I graduated from Smith College with an Economics degree and I postponed many creative pursuits to focus on reaching financial stability.

However, I’ve been able to navigate a creative career in business. I’ve met so many amazing women who are also creative, independent, and making a livelihood. I want girls to see the options available to them by providing transparency into the lives of creatives and artists. More by Her aims to do just that. Its creative work will premier later this year. Stay tuned!

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Intersectionality. That our many identities get a seat at the table. It’s important to More by Her, but I’ve also been thinking about it in regards to improving diversity and inclusion in tech. Supporting D&I work at Google brings me a lot of fulfillment, but also doesn’t feel optional. I have to do it! To sleep soundly, I have to! I also serve as a mentor outside of work, through organizations like Built by Girls.

7/ Favorite food?

Sweet potatoes.

8/ Favorite book?

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. It dissects ‘success’ by looking at the often unaccounted opportunities and circumstances that affect people’s achievement.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I’d be a music video director for one of my favorite artists. I work in the art of storytelling, and I think music videos are an underutilized space for artists to create positive change.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

“You are strong, independent, and powerful; now ask for help.” I’m honestly still working on asking for help. It’s advice I need to hear continuously.

Aditi Jain (she/her)

10 Questions with Aditi Jain, Software Engineer at Google

Aditi Jain is a Software Engineer at Google. When she is not at work using Machine Learning to improve Google Maps, she enjoys spending time doing Education Outreach. Her experiences include advising a local After-School Robotics Club, teaching kids Scratch, and even trying an EdTech startup on the side! A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, these days, Aditi lives in San Francisco and spends most of her free time applying to master’s programs, where she hopes to deepen her knowledge of artificial intelligence

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

My first hands-on exposure to technology was when I joined the school’s Robotics Club at 10 years old. I was immediately intimidated by the male-dominated environment. I went back a few times but ultimately, fear of making mistakes in front of my super smart peers caused me to stop going back. I chose math instead as an area of study, where I was able to work on getting to the right answer on my own, and only had to show my answer to the teacher when I knew my solution was perfect.

Ten years later, I was in my sophomore year of undergrad trying to figure out where my math degree could land me a summer internship. I ended up joining Google as part of the Engineering Practicum program (now called STEP) on a team in YouTube that was both math-y and coding-intensive. That experience helped me realize that there is a fusion between these fields in industry. I came back to Google the summer after and worked in Google Research doing complex camera geometry under the title of a “software engineer”. Both of these internships made me realize that the engineering occupation takes on many forms, and that’s when I decided that I wanted to work in tech.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

Math teachers have always played an important role in my life. In particular I had a teacher, Ms. Evans, who taught me Algebra II and later AP Statistics in high school. Ms. Evans was a teacher who pushed students beyond their limits in the best way possible. I appreciated her close attention to detail and the energy she brought every day to class. She made students want to study extra hard during recess just to get full marks on the daily 10-minute quiz. I looked up to her because she made me feel that all of this is important, and in high school it’s easy to lose that sense of direction.

3/ Where is your hometown?

Los Altos, California.

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

I want to tell a story that taught me that perfection is not always attainable, a lesson that often hits hard the first time, especially for women. I got straight A’s in high school and so, naturally, when I went to college, I expected the same. My first semester at CMU, I was thrown into a happening social life, intramural sports clubs, dorm life, and linear algebra.

Midway through the semester, I had a D in linear algebra, I was barely passing my other classes, and I was unsure how I’d gotten there. I had a conversation with a trusted upperclassman, and she helped me understand the reality of the situation — I was not going to be able to recover my grade at this point, no matter how hard I tried. I would instead have to drop the class, making me technically a part-time student at the university. To me, this was a failure. This was rock bottom. Since then, I have faced more struggles, but getting through that first one was crucial to putting later failures in perspective and assuring myself that I can bounce back from anything.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I grew up in the small town of Los Altos, California, about two miles west of Google HQ. Last October, an email was sent out to all Google employees encouraging us to take part in the annual Computer Science Education Week. Immediately, I reached out to my elementary school, Loyola, to see if I could host a Google Hour of Code Party. The principal was so excited and asked if he could have me there the whole week so that each student could take part.

We ended up compromising and instead stayed at the school for one full day, where 250 students had an opportunity to learn Scratch. Being back at my elementary school with the opportunity to show young kids where their education could take them was a surreal experience. I was proud to see my elementary school doing well and filled with students much smarter and sharper than I was back then!

6/ Favorite food?

Guacamole is a food, right?

7/ Favorite book?

Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins.

8/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

This is a hard one! The first three that come to mind are elementary school teacher, where I get to design my own curriculum, food truck owner, where I get to travel the world spreading healthy recipes, and scientist working in a remote laboratory in the middle of nowhere doing cutting-edge, top-secret research. Though I guess if I could only get one day on the job, I would pick this last one.

9/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Striving for perfection is fine, but making mistakes is even better, and learning from those mistakes is the best! In college, expose yourself to everything possible, from coursework to research to new social experiences. Take the time to study yourself, as well — figure out what helps you relax and what gets you fired up.

Janelle Wang (she/her)

10 Questions with Janelle Wang (she/her), Co-Founder & CEO at ACTON

Edited by Clarissa Bukhan.

Janelle Wang is an Industrial Designer turned entrepreneur with over 10 years of Strategic Product Development, New Category Creation & Design Thinking for Fortune 500s to Start Ups, bringing breakthrough innovation and sustainability.

Janelle was selected as one of “19 Influential Women In Mobility” in 2019, she was awarded Female CEO of the Year in 2016, and has been featured in WSJ, FastCompany, CNN, VOGUE, BBC, and more. She holds over 30 utility patents in innovation and design.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I decided I wanted to be in the tech industry when I was a kid. My father is a physicist, so I got motors, battery packs, and soldering tool kits as gifts/toys from my father at a young age. I hand made a portable personal electric fan at age 6 and have enjoyed making and creating things with some type of tech in them ever since.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I looked up to Marie Curie. She changed the world not once but twice. She founded the new science of radioactivity — even the word was invented by her — and her discoveries launched effective cures for cancer.

3. Where is your hometown?

I was born in Northern China and spent the other half my life in Los Angeles. Now, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

Years ago, when I had just come back to work from maternity leave, I had to travel to Germany for 2 weeks. As a young, first-time mom, leaving my couple-months-old baby behind for the sake of trying to achieve a goal for work left me feeling very confused and frustrated. It made me wonder whether work / life balance really existed or not. After that experience, I reached the conclusion that there isn’t such a sharp line between these two; you will always have to have a dashed line in between. I learned how to find my own personal balance and to enjoy the process.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I traveled to Africa by myself when I was in my early twenties. This is something I’m proud of because it gave me a chance to experience new cultures, meet totally new people, and explore a brand new continent. That trip changed how I look at and feel about the world. As a result, I have no fear. I’m optimistic and I believe everything is the best arrangement.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I’ve been thinking seriously about how to solve traffic congestion issues and how make our cities better places to live.

7. Favorite food?

My mom’s dumplings.

8. Favorite book?

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I’m still designer at heart, so I would like to draw/design/research as a designer for a day.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Enjoy the process.

Chibuenyi Griffith (he/him)

Chibuenyi is featured as one of WoSV’s Resilient Allies, a series of men of color who exemplify allyship and have overcome significant systemic barriers in the tech industry themselves.

Chibuenyi Griffith is an Associate Workday Specialist at Salesforce. As a high school senior, like most of his classmates, he was uncertain of his next steps post-graduation. The thought of investing four years and going thousands of dollars into debt to study a field that he may or may not have interest in scared him away from the traditional college path. He wanted more time to explore his options before making a significant time and financial commitment. He wanted to choose his own adventure, a different path to success.

After six months at a tech-vocational program through a non-profit organization called Year Up, he earned a six-month internship at Salesforce.com as a Technical Writer. For the first time, he had confidence in himself, a sense of purpose, and a future to look forward to. After the internship and the Year Up program concluded, he was thrilled and humbled to return to Salesforce.com to launch his professional career working in the HR department as an Associate Workday Specialist. His team maintains the Workday platform, which enables the Employee Success team to effectively manage all employee cases such as payroll, benefits, compensation.

Outside of work, Chibuenyi enjoys running, poetry, and fashion. He is eager to mentor others who are about to embark on similar journeys as the one that he has previously traveled.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I wasn’t sure what to study after high school and that’s when I was introduced to a non-profit organization called Year Up. Year Up is a one-year rigorous technical training and career readiness program that invests in thousands of opportunity youth annually across the country. The program is comprised of six months of college-level courses and professional training known as the “Learning and Development” phase, followed by a six-month internship at a Fortune 500 company.

About three months before being placed in an internship, I stumbled across the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco during one of my early morning runs. At that point, I didn’t know much about Salesforce, but I was so enamored by the building that I paused my run to get a better look at the gigantic tower. As I attempted to jog around the building to get a 360-view of the exterior, I was stopped by security.

That morning, as I stood facing the building, looking up and trying to peek at the top of the Salesforce Tower, I made myself a goal that in three months, I no longer wanted to be standing outside looking up and thinking, “Wow this building is huge!” Instead, I wanted to be walking into the building, saying, “Yes, I work here!” As cheesy as that may sound, through all of my grit, hard work, and determination, I made that early morning goal a reality. Joining Year Up gave me the confidence that I needed to be able to picture myself launching a career and working at a tech company.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I look up to Nick Vujicic. Here is a guy with no arms and legs and yet, he still finds a way to make something out of his life, and manages to find happiness in his life. He is a great reminder that there is really no excuse to not show up as your best self each day.

3. Where is your hometown?

Boston, Massachusetts.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

Towards the end of my senior year of high school, I became homeless, after parting ways with my parents. It was the loneliest and lowest point of my life.

At the time, I was attending a College-Prep program at Diablo Valley College. Some nights, after the end of the day, I would stay at the school’s library until closing time, then I’d settle in for the night at one of the elevators, trying to stay away from both the campus security and the cold night weather.

On the nights when I had to work, I would take shelter in a rented car after getting off work. I was homeless for about three weeks until my manager at work noticed my suitcase. After a sad, pathetic attempt to hide my situation from them, I finally admitted that I had no place to stay. My manager took me in, allowing me to stay at her place. A few days later, I started a vocational tech program called Year Up. Through the program’s help and resources, I was able to find shelter in San Francisco.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I was born a sprinter. Track and field was my sport (especially 100m & 20m dash) until my mother dragged me into long distance running. After months of training, I was able to run my first marathon (26.2 miles)! I was so motivated by my own ability to achieve this intense goal that I ended up running another full marathon the following year.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I’ve been thinking about the most efficient way to balance school and work.

7. Favorite food?

Garri and soup (a traditional Nigerian dish).

8. Favorite book?

The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had by Kristin Levine.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

A movie director!

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Success is defined by your own accomplishment of a set of goals, not by society’s ideology.

Lauren Williams (she/her)

Lauren Williams (she/her) has always been a passionate storyteller, so much so that her father used to call her his “little CNN.” She could regurgitate news stories better than most adults at the age of six, so she went on to earn her Master’s in Journalism and Africana Studies. From there, she began working at CNN and continued to hone in on her technical and scientific writing skills by working at a health communications agency.

Lauren moved to San Francisco almost two years ago and began working at Twitter as an Internal Communications Associate, where she writes and edits various communications for employees.

1/ When did you decide you wanted to be in tech?

When I first learned that the industry struggled to hire people who look like me.

2/ Who’s one person you looked up to when you were younger?

Oprah.

3/ Where’s your hometown?

Bowie, Maryland.

4/ Can you tell us about a time you faced a struggle?

My previous company had difficulty paying its employees. After moving to San Francisco to be with my fiancé, the contract I worked on magically ended and I was terminated from the company. I felt low. I felt worthless. For so long, I had tied my self-worth to where I went to school and where I worked, but this time I had neither. I was out of work for a month, and it felt like an eternity. I kept trying to control the situation, but it wasn’t until I let go — until I finally accepted that what’s meant to be won’t miss me — that new opportunities began to present themselves to me. I came across an opening at Twitter and the process moved fairly quickly.

5/ Can you tell us about something you are immensely proud of?

I began my career in chaotic and dimly-lit control rooms at CNN. I was an Associate Producer on a well-known show with a news anchor who was obsessed with social media but immensely insecure and concerned about what people thought about her. She often made ill-informed and loaded statements on her show. One day, she did a story on the film Straight Outta Compton and shared her surprise that the film was well-received and that moviegoers didn’t resort to violence. Her comparison had nothing to do with the film (which she didn’t see) and she insisted on posting the segment online. I pushed back and suggested that we not post it at all due to the facts that 1) it wasn’t a strong segment and 2) she hand’t seen the film but drew race-based assumptions based on her beliefs about hip hop. I felt that my ancestors gave me the strength and courage to speak up and stand my ground, which I did. I posted the segment online, and it was taken down later that night after she received negative press coverage.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Being intentional in everything that I do.

7/ Favorite food?

Collard greens!

8/ Favorite book?

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Product Marketing Manager.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Trust the timing of your process. It is a mantra I live by, and one that I am constantly telling myself when I’m downtrodden or feel like I should be further along in my career. I also tell it to other women, especially younger women who feel the pressure to compare their success to others because of social media.

Catherina Xu (she/her)

Catherina Xu (she/her) is an Associate Product Manager at Google. Prior to Google, Cat coded for YouTube, co-led Stanford Women in Computer Science (WiCS), and invested in student founders with Dorm Room Fund. She cares deeply about empowering the next generation of women in tech, business, and entrepreneurship. A Bay Area native and a Shanghai transplant, Cat loves to travel — she enjoys running, hiking, and exploring the coffee scene in new cities.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

Like many other freshmen at Stanford, I decided to take the introductory Computer Science (CS) courses. Halfway through my first quarter, a few friends convinced me to go to a hackathon in San Francisco.

“I only know how to code in C++ and just learned about recursion last week,” I warned. “So I won’t be of much help.”

In 12 hours, my team built a Unity game from scratch. I was shocked at how quickly I could start applying my CS skills. I realized that CS was not only a new language, but a new way of thinking about organization, interaction, and efficiency. I was hooked. Over the next two years, I attended a hackathon every quarter. I co-directed HackOverflow in 2016, an on-campus hackathon focused on first-timers, women, and minorities.

Though I’ve stopped frequenting hackathons since starting at Google, I’m still constantly in awe of how tech enables ideas to move from conception to the end user, in a matter of hours (longer if it goes through code reviews!)

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

I’ve always looked up to my dad. In 2001, he left Shanghai to pursue better work and opportunities for our family. He’s worked as an electrical engineer at many semiconductor companies since, but one thing has remained constant — he’s the hardest worker I know.

Over the years, my dad has taught me a lot by example — work ethic, mastery, persistence, and how to build a life from scratch. He played no small part in inspiring my love of tinkering and the sciences, from helping me build the next-generation dollhouse (consisting of two circuits regulated by brass fasteners) to championing DIY furniture hacks for my first college dorm room.

3/ Where is your hometown?

Sunnyvale, California.

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

When I entered Stanford, it seemed like everyone around me had already been coding for the better part of their life. A close friend had finished the CS core in his free time in high school; several others had built games or launched chart-topping apps. When I decided to pursue tech with full force, I was starting at the bottom.

I struggled with imposter syndrome in every class. I spent more time at office hours, rewatching lectures, and on problem sets than most of my peers did, for more or less the same result. Over time, I grew more confident about my CS ability. It’s the sum of all the times I worked hard, and got the results I wanted — nailing an interview because I’d studied, landing a customer deal for Google because I’d taken the time to research technical requirements. It’s about attributing success to ability and grit rather than luck, something I’m still working on every day.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

One aspect of tech that’s often overlooked is how inherently collaborative it is. The stereotype is that computer scientists sit in basements alone and don’t come out until 3am. In my experience, that statement is mostly true, except for the “alone” part.

Power Networks, the first paper that I published, started as a final project for a natural language processing class with two friends. The paper used neural networks to predict power relations from an email thread in a corporate setting — for example, in a two-person email exchange, the classifier would identify Molly as the ‘superior’ and Matt as the ‘subordinate’ if Molly was higher on the corporate ladder.

Between our class final paper and the paper we submitted to ACL, only about 10% of the content remained the same. Over the course of two weeks, we worked day and night (on top of classwork) to build a new LSTM-CNN model, training and testing repeatedly to (in)validate our hypotheses.

The constant re-evaluation of priorities gave me a taste of PM work, and what it takes to see a project from idea to fully-functioning classification system. Power Networks was a cool application of state-of-the-art deep learning tech — but ultimately, I was most proud of how we pulled it off as a team.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how current incentive structures don’t do a good job of encouraging the best technical minds to optimize for social impact. If your startup idea doesn’t capture a billion dollar market, VCs won’t fund you. If you want to spend your time working at a non-profit, you’ll probably have to accept a big pay cut. Thus, many new grads choose not to (or can’t afford to) work in these spaces and take a more traditional path to tech. It makes sense — social impact can often be at odds with generating financial value. I’m not sure what a good solution to this looks like, but I’d like to see stronger collaborations between government, big tech, and philanthropic organizations to help align the incentives and move the needle.

7/ Favorite food?

Creme Brulee of any form!

8/ Favorite book?

Robert Sapolsky’s Behave. I missed out on his infamous class, so I picked up a copy for the summer after graduation. The book explains human behavior in the most scientifically rigorous way possible, and doesn’t lack in Sapolsky’s dry wit and humor.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Something in the performing arts, maybe as a member of a band or a touring Broadway show. I can’t think of anything else that would be as terrifying (and exciting).

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t over-optimize because nothing is linear. No set of actions can be guaranteed to get you from A to B; on the other hand, trying out C isn’t necessarily a detour from B.

Take the time to explore in college, because you’ll have a lot of time to dive deep later.

Alison Falk (she/her)

Alison Falk (she/her) is the founder of Sex Tech Space, a bi-monthly publication aimed at technologists and engineers that creates dialogue on the intersection of technology and sexuality. As a front-end software engineer with experience in both startup and corporate environments, she has observed how the sextech segment of the tech industry is often swept under the rug at conferences and meetups. Thus, the goal of Sex Tech Space is to bring awareness to sextech and highlight the importance of progress and innovation in this area. As a byproduct, she hopes it will eliminate developer bias in the adult industry and open new avenues of credible career paths for individuals with interest in the sector.

Outside of Sex Tech Space, Alison is an advocate for women in STEM through her platform Women in Technology Pittsburgh (WIT PGH), which focuses on spotlighting women in the Pittsburgh tech scene. WIT PGH showcases the large spectrum of technology, including the many different segments in which individuals can contribute, from niche creative technology like VJs to developers and tech CEOs. Research shows that women shy away from speaking up about their accomplishments, give away credit for the work they’ve done and criticizing their skills before stating what they do well. Thus, WIT PGH is a community platform to openly celebrate women’s contributions to STEM and inspire those who have a desire to enter the field through the spotlights, workshops, panels, and more.

1/ When did you decide you wanted to be in tech?

Up until a certain point, I was convinced that being in tech meant that you were a smart white guy in a hoodie, with 17 monitors in a dark basement writing numbers and symbols, and that I wasn’t intelligent enough to be that person. When I couldn’t find a job, I decided to enhance my resume for marketing positions by learning HTML and CSS through a Udemy course. I wasn’t an avid Instagram user at the time, but something inside me made me search the hashtags #womenwhocode and #womenintech and I saw people who looked like me transitioning from the most random jobs into tech roles. I felt a fire under my ass and knew deep down that if they could do this, then so could I. I used the last of my savings and borrowed some money to enroll in an online bootcamp, got a job as a front-end engineer, and the rest is history.

2/ Tell me about one person in your life you’ve looked up to.

I really looked up to my father because he was always so unbothered by anything that other people were saying or doing. He always gave whatever he could whenever it was needed, even if it didn’t fit our budget. Most importantly, he always made time for his passion, no matter the circumstances and even if it didn’t pay the bills. Bottom line, he prioritized people and his passion over clout and money and that is something I always reflect on when I feel my ego start to creep in.

3/ Where’s your hometown?

Rural Pennsylvania.

4/ Tell me a story about a time you faced a struggle.

My father recently passed away unexpectedly in my arms and it is something that’s always lingering. I struggle with PTSD from those last moments; but I do my best to transform that energy into fuel for the life that I want to create for my mom and myself.

5/ Tell me about something you’re immensely proud of.

I was recently featured in WIRED for using the harassment that I’ve faced online to create something of impact. Just a few years ago, I was broke, depressed, and anxious. I was on several unnecessary medications due to misdiagnoses and eating ramen with only a mattress in my apartment. To see how far I’ve come puts a huge lump in my throat — in a good way.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I need to stop doing free labor and acting extra happy in emails. I need to start prioritizing my energy.

7/ Favorite food?

Bean sprout and king oyster mushroom stir fry.

8/ Favorite book?

Journeys Out of the Body by Robert A. Monroe.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Music Video Director.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Find an exercise you like and commit to it. Don’t eat chicken nuggets for every meal. Spend more time in the sun. Everything will happen at the right time — no need to rush.

Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno (she/her)

Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno (she/her) is a passionate women’s rights and pay equity advocate, diversity champion and community builder. She is the co-founder of Future for Us, a grassroots initiative dedicated to accelerating the advancement of women of color through community, culture & career development. She has provided close to 4,000+ women with the tools and resources they need to advocate for themselves at work and has spoken on panels for the Women’s March, Starbucks, Hired, Microsoft and more.

Her drive and enthusiasm to fight for pay equity, especially for women of color, has launched her to the forefront of the the women’s rights movement and she continues to advocate for the advancement for women in the workplace.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

For most millennials, we were raised by the Internet. Technology continued to be a constant in my life from the day I had my first typing class in first grade, to building my first webpage on Xanga in fourth grade, to even today as I use my iPhone to do nearly everything. It was a mode and means of mass communication and a primary vehicle for storytelling. Technology was everything to me.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

I looked up to my great grandmother because she was my primary caretaker when I was a child. She taught me the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance but also kindness, empathy and compassion. The number one skill she taught me was the art of negotiation and how I could use that skill for the rest of my life. She raised me to be the woman that I am today.

3/ Where is your hometown?

Honolulu (Kalihi), Hawai’i

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

There was a time that I realized that I was being deeply underpaid at a company. I was raised to believe that if you worked hard, received the right education, and went to the right schools you were going to be successful and make a lot of money.

However, I learned throughout my career that for women, especially for women of color, that is not the case because of the inequities in our society and in business in general. When faced with this situation, I needed to decide whether to negotiate and/or leave the company. In the end, I successfully negotiated my salary at the time but still decided to leave the company.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I come from a strong working class family, full of incredible hard working, gritty women. My great grandma was the eldest daughter of a large Chinese immigrant family and she worked at the Dole Cannery in Hawai’i canning pineapples for 10 cents an hour. She knew that with her current wage, she wouldn’t be able to continue supporting her parents and eleven brothers and sisters. However, she knew that since she spoke Cantonese, she could use this skill to convince more Chinese immigrant workers to work with her at the cannery. She pitched this idea to the supervisor and leveraged it for a higher wage and a newly promoted position. Needless to say she helped feed, clothe and house herself and her family. She realized right then and there her own worth and value.

As her great granddaughter, she has told me this story a million times over and it did instill in me the values that I hold true today. This is what drives me. This is what motivates me to travel across the country to teach salary negotiation classes to women from all backgrounds, industries and levels. I’m proud to say that within one year I’ve been advocating for pay equity, coached about 2,500+ women across the U.S., helped negotiate $500K in salary increases, and positioned 150 women for successful promotions. Yes, I am damn proud and I hope I’ve made my great grandmother proud.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

What’s been on my mind is the current state of women of color in this country. According to a new case study by McKinsey and Lean In, women of color in corporations only make up only 4% in the C-suite, upper management, and middle management levels. We also make up only 12% of entry-level jobs, and the rest are in service/low wage jobs. These numbers really rock me to the core.

7/ Favorite food?

Hawaiian-Chinese food.

8/ Favorite book?

Game of Thrones.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Senator.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

1. Trust your instincts.

2. Follow energy.

3. Stand up for something.

Elizabeth Smith (she/her)

Elizabeth Smith (she/her) is a graduate student in Computer Science at the University of Oxford. Hailing from Washington, she moved to California in 2014 to attend Santa Clara University and intern as a software engineer at Facebook, Google, and CrowdStrike. Elizabeth enjoys playing the harp, snuggling with yellow labs, drinking coffee, and going on meditation runs.

Women of Silicon Valley provides her with a support network as she continues to heal from her own experiences of sexual harassment and workplace discrimination. Through her role, Elizabeth looks forward to giving back to this community and empowering other women facing similar challenges.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I was never much of a tech “enthusiast” as a kid, except for the occasional game of Freddi Fish or Zoo Tycoon (90s kids know that these games were, for lack of a better word, lit). The first time I was introduced to a computer program was in my senior year of high school, when I haphazardly registered for AP Computer Science. I remember walking into the first class, quite apprehensive, because my only image of a computer scientist was an awkward white man with a neckbeard who played video games in his free time and had been coding since he could walk … and I most definitely didn’t fit that description!

My teacher, Mr. Procopio, however, quelled my fears. Just like me, he didn’t fit my image of a coder. He, too, had discovered the subject later in life and this gave him the unique ability to teach with immense patience and explore non-conventional ways of explaining concepts. On top of preparing us for the AP exam, he was also an exceptional mentor, inviting guest speakers to the classroom and taking us on fieldtrips. Through this, I was able to see a more “human” side of computers — a side that has been influential in sustaining my passion for tech, especially during long nights of debugging, or frustrating interactions with classmates and coworkers.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

My big sister, Christina! She is currently pursuing a PhD in Medieval Archeology, specializing in Insular (Scottish and English) high crosses. For me, Christina is a model of unquenchable passion and discipline. She is not afraid of going against the status quo and getting her hands dirty (literally), which is something I really struggle with at times. In recent years, she’s endured a lot of voices telling her she needs to do things a specific way (choose a certain school, research a certain topic, etc.) but she has remained steadfast to her goals.

Although I’ve worked as a software developer for four summers now, coding is not something that brings me a lot of joy. My sister’s resilient love and tenacity towards archeology has encouraged me to not settle for something just because it is convenient. In recent months, I’ve been exploring other roles in tech like product management and sales engineering. I know I will be my happiest and contribute most authentically and fully when I have the courage to step out of my comfort zone and seek something that truly excites me.

3/ Where is your hometown?

Seattle, Washington. Yes, I love the rain. Yes, I am a discerning coffee drinker. Yes, I wear flannel. Go Seahawks.

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

Enrolling in an MBA program at age 23.

This past September, I graduated with a Master’s (MSc) in Computer Science. A couple weeks later, I began my MBA. To be honest, I expected my transition to the MBA program to be much easier. In fact, I’m nearly three months in and still don’t feel adjusted or particularly excited by my coursework.

During my MSc, I had to deal with moving to a different continent and studying at a new school (University of Oxford) at the graduate level, yet I found that transition to be a lot easier than this year’s. For one, the subject was familiar to me, as I had studied Computer Science/Physics/EE extensively in undergrad; the MSc in Computer Science was a natural academic progression for me.

The MBA is an entirely different experience. Before September, I knew *nothing* about business. I couldn’t even explain the difference between revenue and profit! The average age of my peers in the cohort is 28, which means that even those who didn’t enter with a business degree were at least familiar with the lingo from years of work.

I’ve spent hours reading case studies riddled with terminology and references that are foreign to me yet “common knowledge” in the business world. I’ve chatted at networking events with McKinsey employees, and still had no clue what they actually do. I’ve worked through Wall Street Prep Excel tutorials, but am still not able to model a simple linear regression.

I’ve felt this discouragement and imposter syndrome make me question if I’ll be successful in a job post-graduation. I realize it’s an unhealthy mindset, so I’m trying to be more aware of when I enter the downward spiral. It’s really tough, but it’s getting easier with practice. I might not reach concepts as quickly as my peers, but the important thing is that I keep pushing myself and don’t belittle my successes by measuring them against those of my peers.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I am proud of my Swedish heritage. It’s given me my blonde hair and blue eyes, love of the outdoors (particularly winter-related sports), baking, and fika (Swedish coffee hour, a custom I practice daily). Ever since I was very little, my mom has prioritized traditions, many of which are Swedish. One particular holiday I look forward to celebrating every December 13 is St. Lucia Day. Even though I am rarely home these days, I always make time to celebrate it myself.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Practicing mindfulness! A year ago, I was introduced to the meditation app Headspace. Initially I could barely sit through a 5-minute session, and now I meditate for up to an hour a day. I’ve even integrated the practice into activities like running and eating! Meditation has helped me to become more mindful to the present moment and attentive to the people and things going on around me. Through it, I’ve developed greater self-awareness and self-care, which I believe has helped me to more effectively and genuinely care for others.

7/ Favorite food?

Do rye Manhattans count? ☺ If not, then joulutorttu, a Finnish pastry made with dried plums and dusted with (ideally lots of) powdered sugar.

8/ Favorite book?

I have two:

1. L’Étranger (The Stranger) by Albert Camus. I can’t deny that part of my attachment comes from initially reading it in the native French, an impressive feat considering I was a struggling French minor at the time! That aside, Camus provides the reader with a unique perspective on life, through the eyes of an “outsider” in society. Growing up in a very close-knit family and having attended all private Christian schools, I can struggle with being a bit judgmental due to my limited life experiences. The main character, Meursault, kills an Arab and faces execution, and although I cannot understand his motives, Camus’ style leads me to reach an eventual appreciation for Meursault. I do not consider myself an existentialist or remotely support Meursault’s actions, but I value his authenticity and desire to not conform to societal expectations. It’s an unconventional, absurd bildungsroman (don’t mistake me for being a literary fiend … I just remember a few terms from high school English!!) that does an excellent job of highlighting the consequences of conformity and self-awareness.

2. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Her writing is raw, emotive, and passionate, and for me, serves as a voice for women who have suffered silently through abuse. This collection of poems has helped me to articulate and bring to the surface many of the painful memories I blocked out for years. Suppressing thoughts and feelings only generates tension why is why these poems have been instrumental in creating closure and healing in my life.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Pastry chef.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” — Eleanor Roosevelt

During my first internship after freshman year of college, I had an evaluation with a senior software engineer who told me that I “sucked at coding.” I remember returning home from work that evening, devastated, and bursting into tears on the phone with my mom. To comfort me, she shared the above quote. Another time during my freshman year, one of my professors politely suggested I drop my Computer Science major and switch to Mathematics. Again, I took those words as the absolute truth and began to believe that I was not destined to study and work in software. After being assaulted, I let any remaining self-respect inside me die. For a while, I lived defined by the painful actions of another and suffered from much undue shame.

Certain mindsets take a lot of work to undo, and even long before 18, I struggled with being easily swayed by what other did and said to me. I would ruminate over every single interaction I’d have and easily lost sight of myself. Tech is an industry where you have to be very grounded and self-aware because there are a lot of times you can be swayed to do something. Being a female in tech introduces added pressure because you are considered somewhat of a “commodity.” I’ve had multiple occasions where I’ve felt like the only way to progress or be accepted by a team is by conforming to it — and when the majority of teams are male, this is a very fatiguing and unhappy way to live. I’ve often let the words of others determine my value to a team and this has led me to underestimate my abilities and proceed in a state of limitation due to Imposter Syndrome. That’s why WoSV has been such a critical community for me. Reading the stories of other women has helped me to recognize and fight these feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, and lack of belonging.

Gabriela Martinez (she/her)

Gabriela Martinez (she/her) is a Growth Sales Director at Vox Media, focused on breaking new business and creating new advertising revenue streams. She has ten years of sales experience working in media and entertainment, specifically within high growth digital companies. Prior to her current role, she was based out of Sydney, Australia helping BuzzFeed build their APAC business. Throughout her career, she has contributed to the ever-changing landscape of online media — from the early days of streaming video on demand (SVOD) during her time at Hulu to evangelizing global branded content partnerships and beyond.

Gabriela earned a Masters in Business Administration from NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business, with a concentration in Finance and Marketing. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Boston College, with a major in Communications and Studio Art. Outside of work, you can often find her traveling abroad and spending time with her partner, Nick, and their puppy, Lemmy.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

To be honest, the tech life found me! I knew I was interested in Media after having interned at HBO in college. I found it challenging and fun from a personal standpoint, and being in the know of pop culture was interesting to me. During my first job at ESPN, I saw that media consumption habits were changing, specifically with television losing viewership to online portals. At the time, Netflix was disrupting its own business and the media industry by offering streaming video alongside its long standing DVD rental service. An old coworker told me about this new player on the scene called Hulu. I looked around my then television-based office and knew that I wanted to be a part of something different. So I joined the small Hulu team in New York, and the rest is history.

From a personal standpoint, being a part of the build is what I find extremely satisfying. That’s the thing about tech — if you’re doing something right, then you’re always building and pushing past the status quo.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

My mother has always been that person that I wanted to emulate. She immigrated to the United States when she was 17, during the early 1970s while El Salvador was in civil war. Without speaking the language and being a foreign child from little means, she was able to create an amazing life for herself and my father. She worked hard, learned English, and went to college. She’s been a teacher for decades now, impacting the lives of children in New York City public schools. I have always been able to look at her and say to myself, “Wow, if she can do all of that with what she started with, I should be able to conquer it all.”

3/ Where is your hometown?

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

Since both of my parents were teachers, education was the highest priority in our home. I was fortunate enough to attend The Lawrenceville School for high school, which is a prestigious boarding school in New Jersey. Though those years were some of the best in my life, it was also the first time that I truly felt like an outsider. At the time, I was one of very few Latin students in the school, let alone Latin women.

I struggled to feel comfortable in my own skin, while in a predominantly wealthy and white community. It took years for me to stop looking outward to find validation. As I matured, I realized that what made me different, both culturally and socio-economically, made my point of view unique. That high school experience prepared me for the tech industry, where women of color are vastly underrepresented. As one of them, I have to dig deep often and find my own validation by knowing I am more than qualified to have a seat at the table.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I decided to get my MBA during my time at Hulu. I also knew that I didn’t want to leave the company because we were doing something innovative and seeing growing success. So, I opted to go to NYU part-time.

The concept of going to school for three or four years to get a two year degree wasn’t an option for me, so I met with a Stern academic counselor at school and walked through what an accelerated program would look like for me. Essentially, it would mean I would be working full time, and going to school full time by dedicating my night and weekends (winter and summer semesters included) for two years straight. I decided to take the challenge on, and was one of the first students to pioneer what is now Sterns’ accelerated MBA program.

I’m proud of this for so many reasons. First, I became the first person in my family to get a Master’s degree. Secondly, Latinx students constitute a small percentage of total enrollment for MBA programs. And lastly, I was able to help build a new part of the part-time MBA program that wasn’t established before.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

The representation of women of color in leadership positions in our industry. Though this always seems to be on the broader diversity agendas of Fortune 500 companies, the examples of them turning to reality are few and far between. As an industry, we have to be more dedicated to diversifying our hires, because different and unique experiences bring new ideas and processes. Qualified candidates exist, we just have to ensure that they are included in the conversation.

7/ Favorite food?

Pizza!

8/ Favorite book?

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

An astronaut. Dedicating your life to space exploration must be so challenging and so insanely rewarding. Who wouldn’t want to go on a mission to the moon or Mars?

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Focus less on what you think others want from you and more on what you want for yourself.

Marianne Abreu (she/her)

Marianne Abreu (she/her) is a UX designer at YouTube/Google. She has 15 years of experience working at startups, agencies and fortune 500 companies as a design lead. Prior to her current role, she was a product designer at Samsung. Her work has influenced multiple generations of Samsung TVs, smart displays, smart home products, and smartphones.

Outside of work, she has been involved in art projects and exhibitions from painting to interactive installations. She earned a Master’s Degree in Design Strategy and Management from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor Degree in Industrial Design from the University of Brasilia.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

As a child, I was fascinated by computer graphics. I remember being mesmerized by screensavers. At the age of 11, I learned about design as a profession in a magazine and two years later, I found myself building websites. I almost feel as if I was born for this job. My dad had an influence on this as well, I remember him telling me that computers were the future. He was right. I jumped into the tech industry and let it take me to new lands, including moving to Silicon Valley in 2012.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

So many people have influenced me throughout my life! If had to choose one person who affected my career the most, that would definitely be my dad. He taught me how to use computers and how to code when I was still a little girl. He encouraged me to explore and to not be afraid to try. I owe him so much for teaching me those early lessons.

3. Where is your hometown?

I grew up in Brasilia, Brazil and later moved to Rio. Now I have been living in San Francisco for 5 years.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

What’s life without struggle? The first truth of Buddhism is: life is suffering. I can’t challenge Buddha on this one. Struggles have appeared in my life several times. I have had to learn to be feisty and resilient to continue on the journey. I have encountered struggles in almost every mile: as a woman in tech facing sexism, learning a new language and culture, facing discrimination as a person of color. I see myself as a warrior that fights no matter how blunt the sword is. My self-confidence has been challenged every time people discouraged me, “I don’t think you would be able to do this” or “You are not ready for that” or “This is too complex/difficult for you.” I’m so glad that I never let them stop me.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

“Inspire to be inspired” is my motto. One of the things that inspire me the most are TED Talks. I can spend hours watching them. It is such an inspiration boost. In 2009, I was fortunate enough to meet a group of people that were as passionate about them as I was, and together we worked hard to bring TED to Brazil. In 2010, we organized the first TEDx in Rio. It was huge! We managed to get sponsorship, which allowed us to bring in some brilliant minds. The event was entirely free and livestreamed. We later brought that experience to the favelas in Rio. I was astonished. Bringing inspiration and education to my community made me feel immensely proud.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I have been thinking a lot about how much we can bring our whole selves to work.

7. Favorite food?

Brazilian cheese bread and Açai bowl!

8. Favorite book?

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. Completely mind-blowing.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I would like to be a Yoga teacher for a day. Maybe I will do that one day.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

“Focus on systems, not goals.”

Michelle Pham (she/her)

Michelle Pham (she/her) is a Growth Strategist at Google, focused on building successful marketing strategies for retail and e-commerce brands in partnership with agencies. Innovating for the future and retail are Michelle’s lifelong passions. She designs clothes after hours and enjoyed a thrilling adventure as a reporter covering London Fashion Week. You can read more about her personal approach to style and life on her blog: www.maisondemademoiselle.com.

Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Michelle graduated from Bates College with a degree in Sociology. As a first-generation college student, she founded Bates’ first Asian-American Students’ Association and is deeply invested in diversifying perspectives and talent in the technology industry. Outside of work, Michelle dedicates her time to initiatives and organizations focused on social justice, poverty alleviation, and economic freedom through access to education and capital. You can often catch her on the squash court, traveling, spending time with loved ones, writing her blog, or reading a good book in a nook.

1/ When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

The technology industry is one of the best playgrounds for people who live in a world of imaginative possibilities. I move and think at an incredibly fast pace, so I knew that I wanted to be in an environment that was ripe and overflowing with change and innovation.

When I entered high school, I was accepted into a unique academic program outside of my school district. The director of the program, Mr. Olson, was a visionary. Instead of home economics and cooking, I learned about blogging, quantum physics, giving back to communities, technology, and a whole gamut of ideas that few 14 year olds get to engage with.

A few weeks ago, I was reading Shonda Rhimes’ “Year of Yes.” She coined a term to define herself: “F.O.D.,” which stands for First, Only, Different. In my life, I’ve often been the first, only, and different in many rooms, roles, and environments. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I have been the sole woman/minority on the team and the only one to speak up on behalf of communities that I come from. I have looked and thought differently from the people who comprised the majority in the spaces that I moved into.

Technology was a space that represented a parallel experience of having to navigate and iterate through ambiguity successfully. There are no rules or playbook to abide by because oftentimes, you’re in the pursuit of something that has never been done before. Google and Silicon Valley are often the first, the only, and the different to bring to life a new idea. I wanted to be a part of creating that magic.

2/ Who is a role model that you look up to?

My mother has the fortuitous gift of foresight. She was my earliest advocate and supporter. An incredible work ethic and an insatiable curiosity to know more about the world are a part of my DNA. My parents escaped Vietnam by boat after the Vietnam War, and my mom did it as a young, single woman, not much older than me. The first time she left, she was caught and imprisoned. On her second attempt, she allowed herself to be in the unknown — never knowing if her boat would be found, what lay ahead, and whether she would ever see the places and people she loved again.

I get my will and persistence for excellence from my Mom. When I started elementary school, my parents hadn’t taught me English yet and I ended up behind in classes. Over one summer, my Mom bought English grammar books and we went through the exercises together. She had previously been a teacher (hired by the UN) while at a refugee camp. We took dozens of trips to the public library. I came back that September and moved from the ESL section to the gifted readers class. This became a theme in my life. If I came home with a 99% on an exam, my Mom would ask me if I did my personal best. She never challenged me to be better than the average or to compare myself to others. She just wanted to know if I was being accountable to myself.

Unlike other traditional Asian families, I was never asked to do domestic chores. She always shooed me out of the kitchen and told me to spend my time reading. My Mom sacrificed a lot for my family by being a stay-at-home parent, but she laid the foundation so that I would have a world of choices full of lofty dreams and wild ideas.

3/ Where is your hometown?

I’m from Vancouver and I’m proudly Canadian!

4/ What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

The best things in life are on the other side of fear. I can tell you many stories, but I want to leave this thought here.

5/ What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I look back at when I was younger and I laugh at my foolish spunk and relentless energy. When I decided to go to the U.S. for college, I didn’t have the slightest clue about how to begin. Unlike several of my close friends, who attended elite prep schools and SAT bootcamps, I was the definition of bootstrapped. I had my Dad drop me off at the ACT testing center at the last possible test date before applications were due so that I could be a standby test taker. It was sink or swim, and I had never cracked an ACT book open prior to that day.

Miraculously, by the grace of divine intervention, I excelled. I had wonderful and supportive teachers who wrote my letters of recommendation. In the end, despite receiving one of the 30 Major Entrance Scholarships to the University of British Columbia, I chose the path of adventure and growth and decided to attend Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. On Wikipedia, Lewiston was listed as the second biggest urban city in Maine, so I thought that life there would not be dissimilar to all the films I had watched about New York. I was in for quite the shock when I landed at the airport.

I always knew that education would be my passport to the world, and that journey will never end. I’m able to take my whole family on wonderful getaways and experiences. I’m able to give money to classrooms and causes in need. I’m able to care not only for myself, but for others. I do my best to leave a positive impact on people and the world. The moments that I am most proud of involve two words: “giving” and “people”.

6/ What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this balance between abundance and scarcity. As someone who grew up with humble beginnings, I lived in an intellectual reality of abundance where I believed that there was always more for me out there in the world. There were infinite possibilities and a world of abundance to look forward to.

Now that I am settled in my career and life in San Francisco, I wonder why this idea of scarcity settles in for many of us who have. When we live in a world of scarcity, we always feel the need to have more, hoard more, and we never feel peace in knowing that we as individuals are enough and have enough to be happy and more importantly, to give to others. I recall a book that I read by a sociologist, Annette Lareau, “Unequal Childhoods” that spoke about how the wealthier we become, the more individualistic we can afford to be, because we do not need to depend upon the social ties of community and family for the essential day-to-day routines (i.e.: childcare, shared housing, or small loans). I think of a line from a Drake song: “I like it when money makes a difference, but it doesn’t make you different.”

7/ Favorite food?

Sushi or my Mom’s cooking.

8/ Favorite book?

I’ve been reading a lot lately. I keep on coming back to How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh.

9/ If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I’d be quite content being a high school English teacher. English was my favorite class, and the teenage imagination is a fascinating world.

10/ If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Relax! Enjoy being in the present moment.

Amber Feng (she/her)

Amber Feng (she/her) is Head of Financial Infrastructure at Stripe. She has been at Stripe for the past 7 years, where she’s seen the company grow from 10 to 1,000+ employees. Amber has worked on everything from designing APIs and products to building the systems that move money around the world. She has led various areas within the company, most recently the Financial Infrastructure engineering group. Amber loves learning about anything and everything, whether it’s related to tech (e.g. game development) or not (latest hobbies include pottery and figure drawing).

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

My dad is a software engineer so I got into the basics of web development very early on with his encouragement. My first projects were centered around styling my Neopets shop (!) and building a clone of Neopets (for horses, I’m not really sure why). One thing led to another and I found myself taking courses in high school, building side projects, and applying to college as a computer science major. Building software continues to be the most addicting thing I’ve ever done.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I’m not the kind of person who always had one idol or role model that I wanted to be exactly like. Instead, I have been influenced by the people around me — classmates, friends, acquaintances, or people in the community — who were *really* good at what they did. I have a ton of different interests and hobbies that are always shifting, and I’m really inspired to become better at those by the people that surround me.

3. Where is your hometown?

Sunnyvale, CA.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

The best part about being at a hyper-growth company is the sheer number opportunities, roles, and challenges that you get to step into. During Stripe’s growth, I’ve gotten a chance to stretch myself and my abilities far beyond what I ever would have thought possible. While that does provide incredible learning and satisfaction, it also comes with a hefty number of challenges.

When we rolled out managers at Stripe for the first time, I was part of the first cohort. My team, which was responsible for all of Stripe’s products, was also in a relatively unique situation where it had been rebuilt from the ground up. I had never been a manager before, nor had I even *had* a manager before, so building and growing that engineering organization while I was only a year and a half out of college was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There weren’t a ton of resources or support from within the company, so I spent a lot of time talking to the engineering and product leads at other companies to try to figure things out. It was grueling and stressful. I made a ton of mistakes and I doubted myself.

It’s often in these types of situations where we learn and grow the most, and knowing that I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and accelerating my learning so much is what keeps me going. In hindsight, given how critical those teams were to Stripe and how much we’ve built on them in the years since, it was also one of those (nearly) once in a lifetime opportunities that I’m very happy that I got to experience.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

More broadly, I’m most proud of how Stripe has grown overall in the time that I’ve worked here. I joined Stripe in 2012, when we were around 10 people and we’ve grown 100X since then.

It’s been immensely satisfying to look back and see that I was a huge part in building the product, culture, and organization. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how we continue to grow for the next few years and beyond!

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Outside of work, I’ve been thinking — as many people are — a lot about education and misinformation, particularly in today’s political climate. In high school, I barely paid attention to what was going on in current events or in government/economy classes, but they’re hugely applicable to me and many others today.

I think it would be really interesting to explore different vehicles for delivering this type of education (maybe through game development, if you think of games like Civilization or city/colony builders).

7. Favorite food?

Taiwanese beef noodle soup that we make at home (such a comfort food for me!) Fun fact, I once ate leftovers for 9 days in a row.

8. Favorite book?

Mac (PC for gaming, though, of course.)

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

If it were just for a day, something that’s completely different than what I do today but would teach me a lot about a particular domain: being in a White House war room, architecting a complex building, or something along those lines.

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Hard work compounds. It is slightly controversial to tell people to work as much as possible, but I’m *really* glad I worked as hard as I did in college and the first couple of years at Stripe.

I’m not saying to ignore warnings from your body or the people around you, but learning as much as possible and proving yourself early can change your future trajectory significantly. Particularly if the company is growing quickly, you’ll be more likely to be in the right place at the right time when critical opportunities come up to stretch yourself.

Cristina Costa (she/her)

Cristina Costa (she/her) has been working in the technology industry in Boston for the past 4 years. She started her tech journey at PayPal and later worked at HubSpot as a consultant and at a startup called Lendbuzz as a digital marketing manager. Cristina is the co-chair of an organization called Women with Purpose, which empowers women of color through a series of professional development seminars and events in the Boston area.

Cristina is also passionate about increasing access to educational resources for all. She is a recent graduate of the 2018 New Leaders Council Fellowship, which provided her with the tools necessary to run politically progressive campaigns. Most recently, Cristina worked as the Director of Marketing and Student Engagement at Duet, an ed tech organization whose mission is to provide affordable bachelor’s and associate’s degrees to low-income adults in the Boston area. Cristina cares deeply about racial and gender equality and hopes to create more opportunities for people of color in the constantly expanding tech space.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I didn’t decide to work in the tech industry, I sort of fell into it. I had been working in higher education as an international student advisor and thought that I wanted to go back to school to earn my MBA. At the time, I was very unhappy in my workplace and didn’t enjoy my courses, so I decided to transition back into marketing and advertising, which is what I had studied in college. When I started my job search, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that her company, PayPal, was hiring for an advertising operations position. I reached out to her and ended up landing the job! Working at PayPal exposed me to all of the opportunity that the tech vertical provides and I have been working in tech ever since.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I have always looked up to my mother. She moved to the US from Guatemala at 16 years old without speaking a word of English. She not only survived, but she became the first woman in the family to attend college. My mother has always been the backbone of our family and my strongest supporter.

3. Where is your hometown?

I was born in Cambridge and Somerville, but I was raised in Hyde Park, Boston.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

After college, I was accepted into a program called JET Programme (Japan Exchange Teaching Program) and I moved to Japan all by myself. I didn’t know anyone in the program and I didn’t have family or friends close by. I took this opportunity so that I could explore the world and get out of my comfort zone. My first few months in Japan were very difficult. I lived alone in a rural town, didn’t speak the language and felt so alone, but I survived. I managed to acclimate to the culture and made some amazing friends along the way. After that experience, I know that I can survive ANYWHERE.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

One of my proudest moments was when I became more involved in diversity and inclusion initiatives within the tech industry. I helped start an employee resource group (ERG) at HubSpot called POCAH (People of Color at HubSpot), which created diversity initiatives and mentorship programs for employees of color.

During that time, I also began volunteering at an organization called Resilient Coders, which taught students of color how to code, where I helped with recruiting and placing these graduates in positions in tech. My proudest moment was when I referred and trained a recent Resilient Coder graduate and helped him land a job at HubSpot! I truly enjoy empowering other people, especially marginalized groups that might not have had the opportunity otherwise.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

POLITICS. I am beyond disappointed and disgusted with the current administration and how the laws being implemented are affecting minorities and especially immigrants in this country.

7. Favorite food?

Pad Thai or pretty much any type of Thai food!

8. Favorite book?

The Alchemist.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

I have secretly always wanted to be a singer! If I could try a job for a day, I would want to be Beyonce and sing and dance at the On The Run tour with Jay-Z!

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

I would tell her to trust her instincts, believe in herself, surround herself with positive people, and that it’s okay to put yourself first.

Kamilah Taylor (she/her)

Kamilah Taylor is Co-founder & Senior Engineer at Swaay, Inc., writer, and public speaker. She has worked in iOS and robotics at LinkedIn, Wolfram Research, and at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Kamilah is currently working on an app that aims to foster thoughtful conversation online while reducing polarization and toxicity. She is also currently consulting for an AR app and is an advocate for encouraging more underrepresented minorities to choose STEM as a career field. In her free time, she tries to eat at all the restaurants in San Francisco, buys too many books, indulges her wanderlust, and watches too much TV.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I first started to consider a career in tech during high school, when I took a robotics class. I remember loving that I could see the physical result of my program. My robotics teacher was one of those teachers that encouraged me to be confident and chose me, alongside two other students, to represent our school at a competition that was being held at Georgia Tech.

The next year, I took AP Computer Science and while I loved the content, I had a hard time with some of the guys in the class. I actually almost decided against computer science as a major in college based on that experience.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I had a huge fascination with Ada Lovelace when I was younger, not only because she was the first computer programmer and a badass in her own right, but because she was one of the few women we learned about in a math or science class.

3. Where is your hometown?

I was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but I kind of have multiple hometowns. I moved to the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia when I was 10 years old and went to middle school and high school there. Then, to the surprise of a lot of my friends and family, I moved back to Jamaica and went to college there. After that, I moved to Urbana-Champaign, Illinois for graduate school. Moving has been a constant theme in my life.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

I had some challenges getting the schools that I attended in Georgia to let me into the more advanced classes, but those were for the most part, external struggles. I didn’t really have massive struggles with school until I started pursuing my PhD. I ended up dropping out of the PhD program in my third year. That experience is one that I’m still processing — learning how to move past failure and learn from the experience is probably the most important lesson that I could have learned in my twenties.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

It’s actually related to my PhD as well. I’m proud that I figured out how to move on and grow from my failure. That moment when I realized that this was the path I needed to go down for myself, I felt like I’d hit rock bottom. I was crashing on my friend’s sofa, and then I lost two friends in the following months to suicide and cancer.

Now, I look at my life in 2018 and there’s no way that I would have accomplished the things I have, made the friends that I have, and been able to help my family along the way if I’d stayed in the PhD program. It’s a good reminder that it’s okay if I fail — I’ve failed before, survived, and thrived.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

I think a lot about how we treat junior developers in this industry — both in terms of letting them in, and how we treat them once they’re here.

7. Favorite food?

Oxtail with rice (Jamaican style), or anything Italian, or anything chocolate (as long as there’s no coconut). Yes I may really like food.

8. Favorite book?

This is like Sophie’s Choice. How about my top three? Harry Potter (yes the whole series, so I’m kind of cheating), Pride & Prejudice, and Year of Yes.

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Something that has some hardcore physics, like working at CERN or NASA. Physics feels to me like that love that got away. Perhaps that’ll be my next career!

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Don’t worry about being labeled bossy. Stand up for yourself in all aspects of your life.

Masheika Allen (she/her)

Masheika Allen began her career as a litigation attorney before deciding to transfer into tech. The transition process was arduous and took several years. During the transition period Masheika worked as an online instructor, middle school teacher, technical writer, personal trainer and e-pub programmer. In 2014, Masheika was laid off from a document review position and faced with a critical choice on how to approach her future. She decided to make a leap, a full commitment to her chosen industry. She moved to the Bay Area sight unseen, relying on an unemployment check and living in hostels while applying for work. The day she received her last unemployment check, she was offered a position at a vendor at Google. Masheika worked as a contractor at several major tech companies over the course of the next 2 years before securing a full-time position at NVIDIA.

1. When did you know that you wanted to work in tech?

I always loved tech, but tech wasn’t a job in the ‘90’s, it was a hobby. My first program was a space game that I programmed on a Commodore 64 in elementary school. It wasn’t until I was much older, working as an international marketing intern for a startup as the capstone to my Masters in International Business degree, that I actually saw that I could make a career out of tech. I ended up getting a position at an epublishing company, but tech work is hard to come by in Florida (at least it was at the time). I understand there are folks working hard to change that at the moment.

2. Who is a role model that you look up to?

I looked up to my grandfather. I still do. He’s more of my chosen grandfather, as his family isn’t blood related to mine, but he’s the only grandfather that I’ve ever had. I learned how to speak to people from him, how to break complex ideas down to their base level so that everyone can understand without feeling patronized, and most importantly, I learned love from him. Not only did I learn this from how he treated me, but from how he treated people who he knew were trying to use him. I’m not religiously committed so I can’t go all the way down the road that he’s chosen, but I respect it and I’ve learned from it. I understand love from his example and I can never thank him enough for that.

3. Where is your hometown?

305 Baby! The MIA.

4. What is a struggle that you’ve faced and how did you handle it?

I can tell you one story with a sad ending and another with a happy one. I had been struggling to live in Florida for nearly a decade, 3 degrees — then 4, with little success. When I was laid off from a document review job in 2014, I was living with my ex and her children. My health was failing from the constant pressure of the 10 years prior, exacerbated by trying to keep a family afloat on a limited budget (that black woman pay gap is felt most acutely by black lesbian couples).

My health had deteriorated to the point where I was honestly afraid that I was getting close to the end, but I’d taken on a parental role for the youngest child, and that still means a lot to me. So the decision to leave Florida pitted my desire for self-preservation against my deep-seated desire to stay in my city with my would-be son. I felt pretty sure that I would not be able to hold onto the one, or return to the other, if I left. That was hard. Much harder that I ever expected. It still hurts to this day, leaving him. Not that he doesn’t have his mother, but I chose to be his parent because that’s what I wanted, so to walk away from that to save my own life… it’s justified, but sometimes it’s hard to justify. I still send presents and letters regularly, but the relationship is lost. That hurts. Some days more than others.

Another story of struggle flowed from that decision. I’d left everything and everyone that I knew to move across the country to a city I’d never even visited. I hadn’t even seen a legitimate representation of it on TV. I thought that San Francisco was full of parks and festivals, so imagine my surprise when I pulled up in the megabus to a landscape of skyscrapers! Insanity. No birds, no grass. I was wholly unprepared. When I came to SF, I had a lead on a doc review job, so my first few weeks were pretty hopeful, but that job never materialized. Money got scarce and things started to get a bit desperate. I had to do my first and only couch surf when I left the nice hostel.

I went through a pretty deep depression. No hope on the horizon, but no path to return to where I came from. It was bad. One day I saw an ad for a job meetup at the SF LGBT center and decided to walk there — from North Beach. 2 hours later, I arrived and the group was gracious and kind. I went back again the next day and they helped me update my resume to tailor it for the tech industry. I papered the entire Bay Area with it that night and got an email from the Google vendor’s recruiter the next day. I was literally at the end of my rope, at the edge of my sanity, and I was thrown a lifeline. The path from contractor to FTE was difficult, fraught with huge disappointments and even bigger wins, but I made it. I made it.

5. What is something that you are immensely proud of?

I’m actually immensely proud of my relationship. I learned love from my grandfather but I had only put the external version of love into practice — being kind to people, grounding my behavior in fairness, being trustworthy — things that affect others. What I didn’t really have was a concept of personal love. I hadn’t internalized the positives that others saw in me. I let the negatives that certain people told me supersede the reality of what I was living. I saw myself through someone else’s lens, and that lens was skewed. I saw myself as a failure and unworthy of life. Because there was no way for me to define myself as successful within the structure that I was viewing my life, I began to question the voices in my head, the terms I used for myself and my situation, and I realized that none of them came from me. They were things I’d been told by people I trusted, which I’d allowed to dictate how I valued myself.

I worked very hard to try to change my view of the world; to determine my own criteria for success or failure, determine my own value. I began to put this in practice in my work life before I left Florida, but I never incorporated it into my personal life. Six months after I moved to California, I met a girl. I had so much PTSD from my toxic, abusive former relationships that I ran, but she just jogged behind me, never threateningly close, but never far away. I told her when I met her that she was a high quality woman, which is part of the reason I didn’t think I deserved her or that I could live up to the responsibility of being her woman, but she let me start by being her friend. Over the course of that friendship, I’ve finally been able to complete my transition. I am my own woman. My relationship is proof of that. It’s open, honest, communicative, and unabashedly loving as hell. I am her little cheesy corn. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

6. What’s something that’s been on your mind a lot lately?

Justice.

7. Favorite food?

Blue Crabs, macaroni & cheese (BAKED! No Kraft. I’m Southern.)

8. Favorite book?

Most influential — Either/Or by Kierkegaard. Favorite read — most things by Steven King or Octavia Butler (except Kindred. That shit hurt.)

9. If you could try another job for a day, what would it be?

Law professor. It’s the job I’ve always wanted and still intend to have (after tech of course).

10. If you could give your 18-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Breathe. Remember that you are a good person and that life isn’t a video game that cuts off if you don’t reach ‘success’ within a certain time frame. If you work hard, you’ll get there. Just keep falling forward.