She Started It – A documentary worth supporting

“The Kauffman Foundation estimates that women have formed only three per cent of all tech start-ups.”
She Started It

A couple weeks ago I ran across an inspiring trailer for a new documentary, “She Started It,” and I just had to write about it. I know it’s a little outside my normal topics, but it involves women tech entrepreneurs and I’m running this in lieu of my regular Women Code Hero of the Month column. Read on … I swear it’s worth it! Continue Reading

Dreamforce 2015 Recap

Those white clouds looked so sad and plain!

Those white clouds looked so sad and plain!

I’m writing this on a plane heading to the 2015 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, and it seemed a fitting time to recap some of the amazing experiences I had at this year’s Dreamforce (#DF15).

It’s been a while since my last post, and I have to say that I’ve been in a bit of Dreamforce withdrawal for the past month and a bit. That and catching up with the work that actually pays the bills (love ya ETR!). Continue Reading

Women Code Hero of the Month – Melissa Prcic

Women Code Hero of the Month - Melissa PrcicFor a while now I’ve wanted to introduce you to some of the fantastic women developers that I know (and hopefully get to know some more!).

Welcome to the first in a new monthly column profiling Women Code Heroes in our Salesforce community!

I have been working with some amazing coaches through the RAD Women program that I helped co-found, and our first Women Code Hero comes from that that group of women (shout out to all the RAD Women!). Continue Reading

6 Opportunities to Increase Diversity in Tech

Does diversity matter? Hell yes! - 6 ways to increase diversity in tech.Originally published on etr.org

For most of my career, I’ve been a tech worker in nonprofits. I’ve worked mostly within majority-women workplaces. That means that I’ve seen more women in leadership and technology-related roles than is the norm in corporate America.

I think this is why, until the past few years, I’d completely missed the appalling lack of ethnic and gender diversity in STEM-related workplaces. Continue Reading

The Importance of Community and Why You Deserve to Find It!

Invisible Community Make VisibleI’ve been thinking a lot recently about the importance of community when you’re trying something new. I’ve always felt a little alone at work. Not that people weren’t welcoming—they certainly were. I work with some truly awesome, passionate, smart, talented and just plain nice people. The problem for me is that none of them do technology work. For them, there’s generally someone to brainstorm with, to collaborate with on a project, and to bounce ideas off. Not so much for me. Continue Reading

How “The Other Side of Diversity” Gave Me Chills – Women in Technology

“We know how lack of diversity can adversely affect a business. This is how lack of workplace diversity has adversely affected me”–Erica Joy

Rainbow diversity handsI just read “The Other Side of Diversity” on Medium by Erica Joy, and recommend you do too. It’s about her experience as a black woman in tech workplaces, and it gave me some chills. As a gay woman in tech I related to what she was saying. I haven’t felt it as directly as she has, but it’s certainly there. (I’m just noticing that I almost didn’t put the word “gay” in, because I didn’t want to alienate people. I didn’t want to appear to “other” or confrontational. How sad is that!) Continue Reading