All posts by

Ruth Mesfun

  Designer & Engineer tonianni.com platformsforwomen.com What made you decide to work in tech? I grew up with knowledge about the digital world through gaming. We got our first console, an Atari, when I was 4 years old. I’ve written more details about my journey here. While I always had the heart for storytelling and design, it was my father who prompted me to study what would end up being an engineering degree. I had no idea there was a specific tech industry, I just followed my passions. What was the biggest

What made you decide to work in tech? I’ve always been drawn to computers from a young age.  I knew I wanted my career to be oriented towards something more analytical, so when I first saw programming I was sold immediately. What was the biggest obstacle you faced? I think one challenge I faced was self-doubt.  The closest I’ve come to giving up on programming was actually my first time trying to program.  Often when people encounter difficult subjects for the first time it is not uncommon to think “maybe

Melissa James is President and CEO of The Tech Connection, the premier marketplace for purpose-driven, diverse technical talent. Her mission is to help people reach their highest potential by accelerating their individual pathway to success. On top of running her business, Melissa is the founder of the Black Tech Boston Meetup, a platform created to celebrate the impact of technology within African-American communities.  She recently received the U.S. Presidential Service Award and the 2015 Pursuer award from the African Youth Excellence organization for her relentless commitment to the community.  What

    Clayton State University – BA in Legal Studies UX/UI Designer and Front End Developer uxace.wordpress.com What made you decide to work in tech? I knew that being in law was not really for me. I prefer the challenge of creating products that people can use. Tech allows me to be more of myself and more expressive in ways that law did not allow me to be. What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome that obstacle?  Just being able to get into tech was an obstacle

    Stony Brook University – Computer Information System Director of Web Development and Production www.abrianharris.com What made you decide to work in tech? Isn’t it obvious? Girls love nerds, duh! However, in all seriousness, “tech” involves all that is new, exciting and creative. I love all of the aforementioned, so it was a no-brainer to decide to get paid for it. The adage is: “Do what you love.” What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome that obstacle?  I don’t “look” like a nerd. When I use

Joah Spearman is the CEO & Co-Founder of Localeur, an app that makes it possible for people to experience being a local wherever they are, regardless if its their home city or a city they never visited. He is also on the Board of Directors for KRLU-TV (PBS) and ASA. What made you decide to work in tech? Technology has moved from a fringe industry to one that truly impacts our entire lives, from using cell phones as alarm clocks in the morning to liking a few photos on Instagram before going

What made you decide to work in tech? I’ve been interested in technology for almost as long as I can remember. I used to go to my dad’s office and play snake on his computer. At this time, I kept wondering how you go from circuits to what I saw on the screen. Fast forward to middle school when I found out what an engineer was and that there was a type that specialized in computers. I knew then what I wanted to do. What was an obstacle you faced

What made you decide to work in tech? I applied to a non-technical summer program at Google because I thought that Google seemed cool. I was very fortunate to have gotten accepted, and ended up seeing a talk by Megan Smith who talked about the power of engineering. I was really inspired and intrigued so I decided to give programming a shot.  What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome that obstacle? My biggest issue has always been feeling like I’ve started coding too late and that

Catt Small is a Product Designer at Sound Cloud where she builds prototypes and designs to increase the user experience and engagement. In her spare time she also volunteers at Code Liberation, an organization that teaches girls how to code through gaming. Check out the game she created: Prism Shell. What made you decide to work in tech? I grew up surrounded by technology. It’s always been a part of my life. Over the years, I naturally transitioned into tech by experimenting with games and web design. By the time I was 18, I knew I wanted to go

What made you decide to work in tech? I was a late bloomer. I originally started out as an aspiring (non-technical) founder. I was working on my own e-commerce startup fresh out of university, and ended up scraping together some coding knowledge out of necessity. The startup dissipated, but the newly found skills remained. I enrolled in Comp Sci masters and the rest is history. What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome that obstacle? Mainly the perception I had internalised that you had to have been

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