A Women's History Month Tribute
With all that is going on in the world this month—the uncertainty, the fear—we still want to take a moment to celebrate Women’s History Month this March. Because it’s worth taking a moment to listen to inspiring stories. It’s important to sow uplifting, interesting, and even funny moments in times like these. This episode features some of our favorite clips from 9 of our women and non-binary guests, following two themes.
We focus in on these two ideas: first, the vast differences in experience between those coming into this field in different times in history, and second, the bias that some women have encountered (but not all) and their suggestions for fighting it.
These women, and indeed the women around all of us right now, are worth celebrating and hearing from. Enjoy this celebration of Women’s History Month.
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE MOMENTS with Jacqueline Harper, Ellen Petry Leanse, Sherry Wei, April Wensel, Laura Yecies, Coraline Ada Ehmke, Linda Popky, Mar Hicks, and Paula Buchanan.
JACQUELINE HARPER
One of the first black female programmers at IBM
(Hear Jacqueline at 7:57 in this episode)
Jacqueline Harper has the kind of story that is rarely told and exactly what we’re trying to bring to light with this podcast. A black female programmer in the 1970s, she was asked to go home from her IBM job when she became pregnant with her first child. She then pushed herself to learn programming while also raising her family.
Her episode is a fan favorite and a must-listen.
ELLEN PETRY LEANSE
Author, Neuroscience Educator, Coach, and Tech Pioneer
(Hear Ellen at 4:13 in this episode)
Ellen Petry Leanse joins Melinda Byerley to talk about her experiences in the early days of Apple, when she served as Apple’s first User Evangelist. Proclaimed the “nerd queen,” she led the company’s first online debut in 1985 with one of the first BBSs. Her career is a parable of what happens when you are willing to take risks, work hard, and don’t worry about looking back.
SHERRY WEI
Chief Product Officer & Founder of Aviatrix Systems
(Hear Sherry at 11:34 in this episode)
Sherry Wei, the soft-spoken but gritty founder of Aviatrix Systems, shares her story of emigrating from China and starting her career coding for Cisco Systems, and the steps that convinced her to jump into the unpredictable world of startups in 2013.
Her tips about not giving up too early, putting time into your business, and the role “dumb luck” plays in life and business are refreshing and inspirational.
APRIL WENSEL
Founder of Compassionate Coding
(Hear April at 18:49 in this episode)
April Wensel has a powerful message for engineers about how to improve your own lives as well as the lives of your coworkers and the users you serve. April is the founder of Compassionate Coding, an organization that teaches emotional intelligence to software dev teams. If you’re already nodding, you’ll love this episode. If you don’t think it’s a problem, just listen to April’s perspective.
LAURA YECIES
CEO, Strategic Technology Leader, Startup Advisor
(Hear Laura at 27:15 in this episode)
Laura Yecies has an extensive career in Silicon Valley and has been the CEO of two venture-backed startups, including her current role as CEO of SyncThink, a brain health platform focusing on eye-tracking technology that shows profound implications for neurological health. Laura offers recommendations for books, advice for managers, supportive words for females in tech, and wisdom for married couples trying to nurture two careers at once.
CORALINE ADA EHMKE
Principal Engineer, Stitch Fix
(Hear Coraline at 33:25 in this episode)
Coraline Ada Ehmke is an open-source advocate and developer with over 20 years of experience. She was recognized for her work on diversity in open source with a Ruby Hero award in 2016. Coraline is the creator of the Contributor Covenant, the most popular open source code of conduct in the world with over 40,000 adoptions.
LINDA POPKY
PRESIDENT, LEVERAGE2MARKET ASSOCIATES INC.
(Hear Linda at 36:05 in this episode)
Linda Popky, one of Silicon Valley’s top 100 women of influence, talks about her lifetime of marketing experiences and specifically her time at Sun Microsystems in the heady days of the genesis of Silicon Valley.
You’ll enjoy Linda’s engaging stories about her marketing philosophy, Silicon Valley history, and the tech marketing ecosystem she has navigated for over 30 years.
MAR HICKS
Associate Professor of History at Illinois Institute of Technology
(Hear Mar at 43:03 in this episode)
Mar Hicks joined us to talk about the history of technology and how algorithmic bias has evolved over the years. They discuss topics from how women were purposefully excluded from the tech industry to how transgender algorithmic bias began in the 70’s. This episode is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.
PAULA BUCHANAN
Writer, Researcher, Data Analytics and Visualization Consultant
(Hear Paula at 38:30 in this episode)
Paula Buchanan, researcher and self-proclaimed data nerd, shares her passion for education, data, and lifelong learning. Paula’s goal is to make healthcare data accessible to the public so people are better equipped to make informed decisions.
Paula and Melinda explore how conquering the fear of failure and striving to learn more can be a driving force for women and people of color, and indeed anyone in the tech world.
