2020 Women of Color | SPRING - VOL. 20, NO. 1

20 WOMEN REPRESENTING DIVERSITY AT TODAY'S TOP FINANCE COMPANIES

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WOMEN AND DIVERSITY: 6 COMPANIES LEAD THE WAY BILLIONNIERE AIMS TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF MINORITIES IN STEM

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family

How Raytheon Technologies hired 3 family members at CCG events

TARIELLE JONES, PH.D. Senior Multi-Disciplined Engineer I Raytheon SPRING 2020 | www.womenofcolor.online

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OCTOBER 8-10, 2020 DETROIT, MI

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contents VOLUME 20 NUMBER 1 SPRING 2020

cover

20| This family shares its unique

success story about how they all ended up working at Raytheon Technologies.

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WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2020

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CONTENTS FOR TODAY’S CAREER WOMEN IN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

features

departments

24| Champions of

06| Take Five

diversity in fintech at today’s top companies

08| She Thrives

Diversity

These women are representing

Dr. Elodie Billionniere aims to broaden the participation of minority groups in STEM

28| Diversity Best

Practices

These companies are getting

it right when it comes to women and diversity

32| The Zinger App

14-year-old Moria Bowman has

an app that will make

ridesharing a lot safer for women

Dr. Carla Cotwright-Williams proves that every challenge you overcome only makes you stronger

10| By the Numbers

These numbers don’t lie! Check out the stats on women in STEM

12| A Matter of Facts

Can we close the gender pay gap? Find out as we walk through new report

14| Women Who Inspire

The leaders of tomorrow are shaped by the volunteers of today

16| Global Sisters in Innovation

These women are changing the world

18| Product Review

These STEM products are must-haves for the young people in your life

36| Know Your Worth

Leaders aren’t born; they’re made. We show you the best pathway to leadership

38| My Healthy Life

Why relationship building is the No. 1 skill for 2020

42| Last Word

Here’s what’s on the minds of some of today’s most influential women

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PUBLISHER’S PAGE Career Communications Group’s

The Decade in Women of Color Magazine Covers

For Today’s Career Women In Technology & Business

T

he cover of Women of Color magazine’s spring edition has traditionally featured women in government, defense, and healthcare, among other sectors. At the beginning of a new decade, and in the leadup to the 25th anniversary of the Women of Color in STEM Conference, we looked at all our magazine covers over time. On the first cover of the 2010s were three Latina engineers at AT&T. The Technologist of the Year for 2011 also happened to come from the world’s largest telecommunications company. A year earlier, Rear Adm. (retired) Eleanor Valentin made the cover of the first conference edition of the 2010s. She was one of the first Filipino-American officers to lead the Medical Support Command. By the spring of 2011, the auto industry was hiring again, and we featured a director of talent acquisition and global diversity from a Detroit automaker. The subject of the 2012 spring magazine cover story was later nominated as Technologist of the Year in 2014. She joined a long list of women in high-tech leadership on our covers that decade. They include Sonya F. Sepahban (2012 Tech of the Year), Lt. Gen. Susan Lawrence (one-time U.S. Army chief information officer), Camille D’Annunzio (2013 Tech of the Year), Fortune 500 CEOs from Lockheed Martin, General Motors, General Dynamics, and Ingredion; Renu Thomas of Disney/ABC, Delia Grenville (2015 Tech of the Year), Monica Wilkins (former VP of quality systems at Abbott), and Aleksandra Boskovic (2016 Tech of the Year). By 2017, the world now knew the real woman behind cultural icon Rosie the Riveter. Our spring magazine paid homage to Naomi Parker Fraley (August 26, 1921‑January 20, 2018) and all-American women workers who went unrecognized in the 20th century. Olabisi Boyle, a 2012 Women of Color Award winner for Managerial Leadership, talked about everyday commerce from the driver’s seat for our spring cover of 2018. That fall, Denise Gray, 2017 Technologist of the Year, passed the torch to the 2018 Technologist of the Year Donna Bell at the Women of Color in STEM Gala. On our spring cover for 2019, we recognized our most diverse Congress and Congresswoman Maxine Waters for her push to revolutionize inclusion in finance. Fittingly, the 2019 Technologist of the Year, Dr. McCauley Bell, has a great Women of Color in STEM Conference story all her own, dating back 25 years.

Tyrone D. Taborn CEO and Chief Content Officer

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VOLUME 20 | NUMBER 1 EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Chief Content Officer Jean Hamilton, President and CFO

Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of

Partner Services

Eric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and

Professional Training EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Rayondon Kennedy, Managing Editor Lango Deen, Technology Editor Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director Bryan Davis, Digital Director Rachael DeVore, Digital Channel Manager Joe Weaver, Global Design Interactive

CORPORATE AND Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee ALUMNI RELATIONS Chair and President

Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group

Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret)

National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni

Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager,

Historically Black Colleges and Universities/

Minority Institutions, Boeing

Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM

Conference National Chair

Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager

Stars and Stripes Committee Executive Director/

Chief of Staff for VADM Walt Davis, USN (Ret.)

Ty Taborn, Esq., Corporate Development SALES AND MARKETING Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development

Kameron Nelson, Account Executive

Jay Albritton, Social Media Specialist JOBMATCH AND STUDENT Ashley Turner, Recruitment Team Manager DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Courtney Taborn, Talent Management Specialist

Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations

Shelia Richburg, College Coordinator CONFERENCE AND EVENTS

Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator Jennifer Roberts, Customer Success Manager Brandon Newby, Administrative Assistant Toni Robinson, 360 MMG Rutherford & Associates

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Women of Color (ISSN 1937-0555) is a publication for today’s career women in business and technology. Women of Color magazine invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership. Article queries and letters should be sent to: CCG – Women of Color magazine, Editorial Department, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Women of Color magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. Subscriptions are $13/year. Please write to: CCG – Women of Color magazine, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright © 2020 by Career Communications Group Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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We understand that our future is tied to the success of diverse talents and future leaders of innovation and technology. And to develop the world’s most advanced systems, we need the contributions and talents of all employees.

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VC19-05928

TAKE FIVE

Dr. Elodie Billionniere aims to broaden the participation of minority groups in STEM Dr. Elodie Billionniere, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, Miami Dade College

scholarships and wraparound services toward preparing them for STEM careers, which are in high demand and critical to building a competitive workforce that will help grow America’s economy. Enrolled scholars will take classes full-time and are expected to complete the program in two years and participate in supports that research has proven effective in promoting achievement among STEM students.

As an associate professor in the School of Engineering and Technology, Dr. Elodie Billionniere aims to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus of Miami Dade College.

T

he National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program funds low-income, academically talented students with unmet financial need, who are enrolled in an associate, baccalaureate, or graduate degree program, with a major in an S-STEM eligible discipline.

The NSF not only seeks to increase the number of low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated financial need obtaining degrees in STEM eligible disciplines; it also wants to improve the education of future scientists, engineers, and technicians, and generate knowledge to advance understanding of how interventions or evidence-based curricular and cocurricular activities affect the success, retention, transfer, academic/career pathways, and graduation of lowincome students in STEM. Over a five-year period, the NSF S-STEM funds will support 45 Miami Dade College students with

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1. I am serving as the program director, also known as principal investigator, for this NSF-funded program.

I oversee the program design and implementation, and report to NSF. I also teach the two STEM interdisciplinary courses that each cohort must take during the fall term: Tools for Success (Year 1) and STEM Transfer Success (Year 2).

2. The global cloud services market is expected to reach $555 billion by 2020. The Dade Enterprise Cloud Computing Initiative (DECCI) at Miami Dade College is a partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to raise cloud literacy for underrepresented minority groups in Miami-Dade County. Through the program, we provide students with in-depth, project-based learning opportunities and access to leading AWS technology, giving them a competitive advantage by strengthening academic offerings that lead to not only an academic credential, but also an industry certification, and ultimately employment that leads to high-wage positions.

This initiative created a professional development program with AWS to train Miami Dade College (MDC) technology faculty members to teach cloud computing courses, utilizing project-based learning methodology.

It also created new academic pathways—college credit

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by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

certificate and an associate degree in enterprise cloud computing—to align with baccalaureate degrees in information systems technology; and created a K-16 pipeline by offering a Cloud 101 summer boot camp for high school students from traditionally underrepresented populations.

3. In addition to the STEM-Mia (or “My STEM” in Spanish) scholarships, this interdisciplinary STEM program includes high-impact practices using social cognitive career theory (SCCT)-based interventions, such as undergraduate research experiences, advising and mentoring by STEM faculty, implementation of academic pathways and early alert systems, yearround STEM colloquia, and extensive assistance in transfer to four-year institutions. Employing SCCT as a framework, STEM-Mia seeks to advance the body of research on low-income community college students in STEM education by focusing on math and science support activities and psychological interventions.

4. One of the critical needs of 21st-century workforce development is the recruitment, retention, and graduation of women in STEM fields. Research suggests that women drop out of academic programs and leave the workforce to care for their families, deal with financial setbacks, tend to personal obligations, and offer service in military programs. It is important that women in these positions, i.e. returning women, have pathways for reentry to college and opportunities to advance their careers.

Some areas within STEM fields, such as emerging technology (EmTech) in computer science (e.g., cybersecurity, data science, mobile development, and cloud computing) are expected to experience increases in job opportunities more quickly than traditional areas. The demands of these jobs can only be fulfilled by creating pathways for untapped STEM talent pools, including returning women.

Hence, the goal of the NSF INCLUDES DCL: ReEnter STEM through Emerging Technology (RESET) Conference, taking place in March 2021, is to discuss and share the current state of knowledge on what will support women looking to (re)enter the education and

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professional pipeline, especially after a career break, and to contribute to an improved understanding of the complex challenges that women encounter in EmTech disciplines. It is intended to provide a platform for experts from higher education institutions and STEM policy to discuss and make recommendations about the individual, programmatic, institutional, evaluationbased, and evidence-based strategies that can enable women to (re)enter the EmTech pipeline in greater numbers.

5. Both STEM-Mia and DECCI–Cloud 101 bootcamp have been named recipients of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

In this program, we host free and open-to-the-public monthly STEMinars across the STEM curriculum with a focus on emerging technologies, STEM research, and opportunities. Some of the topics that we have covered by bringing in professionals and researchers to present are: • Cybersecurity in International Tourism • How Plants Grow and Respond to a Changing Environment: Insights from Cell Biology, Genomics and Physiology • Insights on Station (Altaeros): Research and Development Internships • Impetus and Innovation: Making Your Mark in the STEM World (panelists were all women STEM professionals) • Seeking Sustainability in Everglades National Park • “Facts” or Fictions: Debating the Science of Gender Identity and Climate Change • Maximize Your Learning In addition, we have two STEM interdisciplinary elective one-credit courses that STEM students may take during the fall term: Tools for Success (Year 1) with a focus on self-efficacy in math and science, and STEM Transfer Success (Year 2) with a focus on requirements, capabilities, and resources. Technology, math, and science faculty members come together to design the instructions that can be used across the STEM curriculum based on the foundations that any STEM student should acquire, especially in mathematics and computational thinking. 

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SHE THRIVES

Dr. Carla Cotwright-Williams proves that every challenge you overcome only makes you stronger C

arla Denise Cotwright-Williams grew up in Los Angeles and attended public schools in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second largest school district in the U.S. She attended Westchester High School, as well as a summer enrichment program for minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at the University of California, Los Angeles. One STEM summer trip included a visit to the space shuttle at NASA’s Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base. In 1991, the hardworking student graduated from high school, but she knew little of the obstacles and challenges that lay ahead.

While at California State University, Long Beach, Dr. Cotwright-Williams struggled as a math major after changing from civil engineering. Because of low grades, she was academically disqualified (“kicked out”) from the university after being on academic probation for two semesters. Undaunted, she returned and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 2000.

Despite the adverse experience, she went on to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics from historically Black Southern University in 2002. Initially intending to follow a teaching track, she was persuaded to shift to the study of pure mathematics by Professor Stella R. Ashford, who became the advisor for her master’s thesis.

In her Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) profile, Dr. Cotwright-Williams said that as an undergrad, she was focused on careers in education and teaching. She thought only engineers did engineering work or scientists only did science. But she quickly discovered that math touches so many areas.

While doing her Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi, she was also active on campus and was elected vice president of the UM Graduate Student Council. In 2004, she earned a second master’s and completed her Ph.D. in 2006, becoming the second Black woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics at the institution. She is also part of a famous group of four African Americans who were granted Ph.D.s in mathematics at one commencement.

Dr. Cotwright-Williams began her career in academia— spending more than a decade in research and teaching.

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Carla Denise Cotwright-Williams Acting Chief of AI at Joint Artificial Intelligence Center

Among her many stellar achievements, she has conducted research with NASA and the U.S. Navy. In her first faculty position, she learned about science policy and participated in new research areas to broaden her applied mathematical experiences. She also learned about the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship after attending a conference and meeting a former fellow.

The American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences (AAAS), which is the largest scientific society in the world, provides opportunities for outstanding scientists and engineers to learn firsthand about federal policymaking while using their knowledge and skills to address today’s most pressing societal challenges. In 2012, Dr. Cotwright-Williams was named an American Mathematical Society (AMS-AAAS) Congressional Fellow. As a fellow, she worked as a congressional staffer/legislative aide. During her time on Capitol Hill, she worked as a staffer on the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a House personnel office. She had the distinction of being the only fellow to travel to Boston to

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by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

interview first responders and law enforcement for the Senate hearing on the emergency preparation for the Boston Marathon bombings.

Three years later, she served as the Hardy-Apfel information technology fellow at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore, MD. The Hardy-Apfel IT Fellows Program is a two-year leadership development program involving information security, systems policy and management, software design and development, and database administration. As a fellow, you can choose four- to eight-month rotational assignments on several the agency’s top IT projects and receive executive networking and mentoring, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits.

Currently, she is the outside academia representative for the National Association of Mathematicians, a nonprofit professional organization in the mathematical sciences with membership open to all persons interested in promoting excellence in the mathematical sciences and promoting the mathematical development of all.

Recently, she was elected to the Association of Women in Mathematics Executive Committee, the governing body of the nonprofit organization founded in 1971. The AWM currently has more than 3,500 members (women and men) representing a broad spectrum of the mathematical community—from the United States and around the world.

Be open to change—changing careers

paths is difficult. Most people don’t do it. It will take grit.

You will have to take risks. But you

don’t have to go it alone. Identify trustworthy people in your personal and professional circles with whom you can share your goals and dreams.

“Do your research—explore other areas of interests and talk to people in those areas. Set up informational interviews to learn about key aspects of their line of work to help decide on your options. Network. Meet people in the sectors you want to work in. Meet people who know people in the sectors you want to work in. Your network can come in handy at times when you least expect it.”

As her career continues to evolve, the award-winning mathematician is said to be taking steps to prepare for subsequent stages of her career based on things she has learned about the larger math/science community and the world around us—to use her math to have a broader impact on society.

“Be open to change—changing career paths is difficult.

Most people don’t do it. It will take grit. You will have to take risks. But you don’t have to go it alone. Identify trustworthy people in your personal and professional circles with whom you can share your goals and dreams.

Seek their feedback and recommendations. Utilize helpful tips as you make your career transitions.”

In a recent publication entitled “A Mathematician’s Journey to Public Service” from the book A Celebration of the EDGE Program’s Impact on the Mathematics Community and Beyond (Springer), Dr. CotwrightWilliams discusses her personal story describing her career path from academia to government. At the time of this article, she shared some additional advice to people looking to establish or change their career:

“Treat everyone well—whenever you meet new people or engage with people you know well, do your best to treat them with the same level of respect you wish to be treated with. You never know if you will need the help of the assistant you came across as rude to. Only being nice to those people you think can help you may mean you miss out on being nice to the career enablers whose path you likely will have to traverse often.” 

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BY THE NUMBERS

by Terrence Dove & Lango Deen editors@ccgmag.com

The State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2020 T

he State of U.S. Science and Engineering 2020, a recent report by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Science Board (NSB), shows the most recent quantitative data regarding the U.S. science and engineering (S&E) sector. S&E employment in the United States—made up of occupations like software developers, computer system analysts, chemists, mathematicians, economists, and engineers—has grown more rapidly than the workforce overall and now represents 5 percent (about 7 million) of all U.S. jobs.

Highlights show the number of women grew in all S&E occupations. Women account for about half (52 percent) of the college-educated workforce, and between 2003 and 2017, the number of women in S&E jobs rose from nearly 1.3 million to nearly 2 million. Despite this increase, women in 2017 accounted for 29 percent of S&E employment, compared with 26 percent in 2003.

The skilled technical workforce is made up primarily of men—only 28 percent are women.

According to the latest data from the NCSES’ Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering report, more men than women were employed full time in 2017 (12.8 million men versus 10.1 million women) and about twice as many women were employed part time (2.9 million women versus 1.5 million men). Almost 70 percent of scientists and engineers employed full time are white.

Demographic characteristics of Employed Scientists and Engineers by Sex in 2017

Source: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | Demographic characteristics of employed scientists and engineers, by sex: 2017

.2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander female .3% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander male

73% White male

.3% American Indian or Alaska Native (male and female combined) 1.5% More than one race male 2.1% More than one race female 5.9% Black or African-American male 7.7% Hispanic or Latino male

67% White female

9% Black or African-American female 9.5% Hispanic or Latino female 11.9% Asian female 14% Asian male

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Ad

A MATTER OF FACTS

Gender Gap Report: 2020 A

new Global Gender Gap Report was published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the dawn of 2020.

Projecting current trends, the report expects the global gender gap will close in 99.5 years. If the year 2120 seems like eons away, the slow speed experienced over the period from 2006–2020 means it could take 257 years to close this gap.

Gender gaps can potentially be closed in: • 54 years in Western Europe • 59 years in Latin America and the Caribbean • 71 and a half years in South Asia • 95 years in Sub-Saharan Africa • 107 years in Eastern Europe and Central Asia • 140 years in the Middle East and North Africa • 151 years in North America • 163 years in East Asia and the Pacific

The good news is the educational attainment gender gap is on track to be closed over the next 12 years.

Still, the report points out that even in countries where educational attainment is high, women’s skills are not in line with those required to succeed. In addition, they encounter barriers in the most in-demand occupations.

Using data from LinkedIn, the report found that women are underrepresented in clusters with the highest employment growth rate, including data and AI, engineering, and cloud computing.

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Other key findings in the 2020 report: •

Globally, 36 percent of senior private sector managers and public sector officials are women.

•

On average, only 55 percent of adult women are in the labor market, versus 78 percent of men, while over 40 percent of the wage gap (the ratio of the wage of a woman to that of a man in a similar position) and over 50 percent of the income gap (the ratio of the total wage and non-wage income of women to that of men) are still to be bridged.

The Global Gender Pay Report 2020 says that while the gender gap across politics, education, health, and work has narrowed, the economic gender gap has widened. The report identified several factors causing this, including women being more likely to work parttime to carry the burden of motherhood and other work associated with running a household. Also, there is evidence of discrimination, stereotyping, and implicit biases still playing a role in earnings and promotion opportunities for women. This plays out in the U.S. where we see white women earning about 86 cents on the dollar versus white men while Black and Latinx women earn 64 cents and 48 cents, respectively.

Gender parity expert Bianca Caban is CEO of SheWorx and head of partnerships at Republic, a global platform and event series empowering female entrepreneurs to build successful companies. She says companies need to take responsibility to avoid further widening the gender pay gap.

“In light of the recent World Economic Forum findings that the economic gender gap has widened, it’s imperative that companies track and examine certain metrics at least annually in several categories,” Caban said. “The percentage of women and underrepresented women of color (Black, Latinx, and/or Native American) employees in their workforce, salaries of women and women of color versus their male counterparts who are at their same level, and percent of the company’s male versus female employees who take advantage of family leave policies. This is especially important at companies that are in ‘frontiers of the new economy’ as noted by WEF, i.e. tech and startups, where women are more likely

www.womenofcolor.online

by Lango Deen editors@ccgmag.com

2020 Global Gender Gap rankings; Global Top 10 1. Iceland 2. Norway 3. Finland 4. Sweden 5. Nicaragua 6. New Zealand 7. Ireland 8. Spain 9. Rwanda 10. Germany

Economic opportunities for women are extremely limited in:

Of the 153 countries covered by the report this year, the four new entrants ranked:

India (35.4%) Pakistan (32.7%) Yemen (27.3%) Syria (24.9%) Iraq (22.7%)

Trinidad and Tobago (24th)

to be underrepresented and where the highest earning opportunities in our economy exist.

“Excitingly, research shows that woman-owned businesses are growing two times faster on average than all businesses nationwide. This trend is led by women of color (Black, Latinx, and Asian) business owners.

However, women-owned businesses are also more likely to stagnate and not reach $1 million in revenues versus their male counterparts due to a lack of access to capital, resources, and networks. At SheWorx, we strongly believe that if more women-owned businesses reach their full economic potential, this will create more female leaders who will pay both themselves and their employees an equal wage. Let’s take advantage of this exciting growth in women-owned businesses to ameliorate the gender wage gap,” she added. 

Zambia (45th) Vanuatu (126th)

Most-improved countries in the overall index this year Ethiopia Spain Mali Albania Mexico

Most-improved scores compared to last edition Cape Verde Mali Nigeria Sierra Leone

Papua New Guinea (127th)

“Excitingly, research shows that

woman-owned businesses are

growing two times faster on average than all businesses nationwide.

Scan for more stories like this! l.ead.me/bbSxmw

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WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

The Leaders of Tomorrow Are Shaped by the Volunteers of Today W

hen it comes to leadership in STEM fields, there is more to making an impact than simply delivering at work every day. True leaders understand the importance of giving back and working toward building future leaders.

We’ve acknowledged many women and minority leaders who go above and beyond when it comes to community service and charitable acts. While many people understand the importance of servitude, few know where to start or how to make an impact. We spent some time with previous Women of Color award winners to discuss the importance of volunteering in your community and giving back to the next generation of leaders.

Jennifer Turner Global Procurement Environmental Strategic Sourcing and Operations Manager, IBM As the global procurement environmental strategic sourcing and operations manager at IBM, Jennifer Turner is responsible for securing cutting-edge technology for her research team. She leads her team by ensuring fluid communication across departments on a regular basis and ensuring that team members receive the support they need through training and technology. While she is a well-respected leader in the tech space, Turner shines brightest when in “give back” mode. Some of the organizations that she spends her time working with outside of her office job include Peekskills Girl Scouts, where she is a service unit manager and the leader of her daughter’s troop, IBM Volunteers, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Peekskill District Schools, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

It may come as a surprise that a woman oversees purchasing for one of the world’s largest technology companies, but the most intriguing piece of information is how Turner became involved with the Girl Scouts without ever growing up seeking a badge herself.

“When I had my first daughter, I was looking at different activities that she might be interested in,” Turner reflects on her first experience with Girl Scouts. “There are so many different activities that you can do within Girl Scouts. My daughters became involved, and I volunteered as often as I could until their troop leader left, and I was

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asked to step in. I was a reluctant leader because I really didn’t believe I had the time.”

Her work with Girl Scouts quickly evolved and began to blend with her role at IBM as IBM Volunteers brought in engineers to help with community volunteer activities.

This year, the joint partners, along with other surrounding programs and businesses, will come together for the 12th Annual Engineering is Fun Event in Peekskill, NY. Other STEM events that have evolved from community efforts that Turner is involved with include Girls & Boys TechKnow Camp, Family Science Saturdays, and Yorktown Research. Turner has seen with her own eyes the transformative experience that exposure to STEM education can have on our future leaders.

“To encourage students to try science, technology, engineering, and math, volunteers from my organization go into schools. In one classroom, a girl came in late, and it was the last place that she wanted to be, based on her body language. By the end of the very interactive session, she was so excited and running out of the room to tell her friends all about her experience, she said, ‘I am going to become an engineer!’ And I bet she did!”

When it comes to inspiring others to find ways to give back, Turner encourages others to find any way possible to need it. While organizations may have their leaders, the troopers on the ground helping are just as important as the leadership. Start with research and find out how you can go to a meeting or volunteer at an event.

Tina Terrell Acting Associate Deputy Chief for National Forest System, USDA Forest Service Tina Terrell began her journey with natural resources and forestry 35 years ago, and she is still just as passionate about her projects as she was the day that she started.

Her day-to-day activities at the Forest Service involve coordinating information and people on issues that cover the very land we see and touch every day. She has witnessed how education and regulation can not only shape our landscape but also impact the lives of people everywhere.

Volunteering has always been something that Terrell focused on, inside and outside of her job. As someone

www.womenofcolor.online

by Jessica Rafaeil editors@ccgmag.com

Left to right: Jennifer Turner and Tina Terrell

who was inspired at a young age by nature, she works with youth, especially urban minority youths, to teach them how to become engaged in things related to natural resources. She wants urban communities to understand that they can have a say and become involved in discussions and actions related to our natural resources.

You can be involved in 10 things, but is that the best use of your time? Think strategically and find a way to put your

efforts to good use

her bachelor’s from Tuskegee, a master’s from North Carolina State University, and achieved her dream of completing a Ph.D. with Duke University. Now, she teaches at NC State and continues the legacy of the program—finding young people with a dream of going to college and pursuing a career in natural resources, forestry, and agriculture.”

Terrell frequently volunteers with different community organizations including YouthCorp and AmeriCorps to help provide environmental education to youth, connecting them to the outdoors and getting them excited about the different job opportunities that are available.

Her advice to those seeking to give back is to find something that you are passionate about. Once you’ve done the research and find something that piques your interest, start contacting organization members and find out how you can become involved and help.

“Because communities use landscapes and nature, it’s our responsibility to show the next generation how to become engaged and utilize their natural forests and surrounding areas,” said Terrell. “Many urban people don’t have that understanding because they have always lacked the resources. I want to help continue to connect youth to nature.”

“You can be involved in 10 things,” said Turner, “but is that the best use of your time? Think strategically and find a way to put your efforts to good use.”

Her favorite story of community impact comes back to a young girl named Zekya who she met in 1994 while working as a recruiter for Tuskegee University.

“In 1994, I got a letter from a young lady raised in a small town called Tiny Woods, MS. She loved nature and agriculture and wanted to go to college to pursue a degree. I made a trip out there to visit with her and saw the one-room schoolhouse where her mentors encouraged her to go to college. She told me she wanted to go Duke. At the time, I wasn’t working with Duke directly but had developed a 3+2 program with Tuskegee and partnering universities. Zekya went on to receive

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She also recommends limiting where you put your time.

She also recommends getting out of your comfort zone. Do not be afraid of spending time and becoming involved in groups, organizations, and communities that are different than yours in order to achieve a better understanding. That better understanding will allow you to have a deeper impact in those communities and your own.

Whether you are looking to spend a few hours volunteering at a STEM event, working the kitchen at a shelter, or implementing a new program that helps future students, the future starts with you. Take a leap and find a new way to give back that will make an impact in your community and the world. You might find that in helping others and building the leaders of tomorrow, you also help yourself grow. 

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GLOBAL SISTERS IN INNOVATION

Visions for a New America B

Achenyo Idachaba

to courtesy of TED Talk)

olivia is one of South America’s poorest countries, and one of its proudest immigrants in America is Lili Gangas. She believes in fostering inclusive tech ecosystems for all. Gangas earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and systems engineering certification from UCLA Extension, before doing an M.B.A. at the New York University Stern School of Business. In 2018, she was named a New America CA Fellow. New America is a nonprofit working to amplify the reach of California change agents whose innovations solve public problems in bold new ways.

heartlessly immigrant Latinx children are separated from their families in search for the same opportunities I got, haunt me. I could have easily been one of those 2000plus kids feeling the unbearable if it were not for a piece of paper via a green card lottery.”

Writing about her efforts to empower the Latinx community in the summer of 2018, Gangas spoke about her immigrant experience, tech, and innovation:

On its website, the Kapor (pronounced KAY-por) Center says it aims to make the technology ecosystem and entrepreneurship diverse and inclusive. “We are particularly interested in positive social impacts for communities that have historically been on the periphery of access to opportunity, participation, and influence in the United States,” the center states as a mission.

“The first time I stepped into the U.S. was when I was 6 years old,” Gangas said on Medium, an online publishing platform. “Little did I know what opportunities traveling 5000-plus miles from Bolivia to California would bring into my life,” she said. “(S)eeing and hearing how

Gangas went on to describe how she has used her influence and social reach to help the Latinx talent in the U.S. “Through my work at the Kapor Center, I aim to create generational opportunities into the fastest growing, most economic upward mobile sector known as tech,” she said.

Gangas is the chief technology community officer at Kapor. In this role, she helps catalyze the emergence of Oakland, CA as a social impact hub of tech done right— where tech, diverse talent, and action-driven partnerships can tackle pressing social and economic inequities of our communities head-on.

Oakland is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country. According to the 2010 census, AfricanAmericans maintained their status as Oakland’s single largest ethnic group, with 27 percent of the population, followed by non-Hispanic whites at 25.9 percent, and Hispanics of any race at 25.4 percent. Newspaper reports say thousands of people in the city have marched in support of reforms benefiting immigrants.

Before coming to the Kapor Center, Gangas was an associate principal at Accenture Technology Lab’s Open Innovation team, building bridges between startups and Global 2000 commercial clients through cross-sector collaboration. She was also a founding member of the team at Booz Allen specializing in crowdsourcing, prize

Lili Gangas Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center for Social Impact

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www.womenofcolor.online

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

challenges, and open data solutions for the public sector.

Before that, Gangas could be found in the lab working on firmware solutions for the aerospace industry as a senior multi-disciplined software engineer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. In addition to her day jobs, Gangas was an active TechStars Startup Weekend DC organizer, a judge of the Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Startup in a Day Challenge, an open data innovation panelist at the White House Council of Women and Girls session, and advisor to Dreamwakers. org and OpenDataNation.com. Outside of work, Gangas enjoys getting to know cities via distance races—she’s a five-time half marathoner and last year completed her first full marathon.

Two years in at the Kapor Center as the chief technology community officer, Gangas wrote on Medium that they have started creating new narratives with their local community.

“Alongside Carolina Huaranca, principal at Kapor Capital, we prototyped and validated ways to educate and empower our local Latinx community to go beyond seeing themselves as consumers of tech but rather see themselves as the creators of purposeful tech. In 2016, we hosted the first ever Techstars Startup Weekend Latinx in Tech edition in Oakland that reached 80-plus Latinx community members. In 2017 we scaled to four cities with passionate local Latinx leaders and reached 300-plus. In 2018, we’re going to nine cities with the goal to mobilize 900-plus. But we are not stopping there.

We will also host the first Latinx in Tech (LTX) Summit that will bring together 300 community members from the nine cities as well as serve as a homecoming for the talent that attended our first events,” she said.

One of the key things Gangas learned was that activating communities can be temporary if networks are not interconnected.

“This year we are connecting the public/private nodes of nodes in an inclusive tech ecosystem approach by working across sectors—starting by cultivating and investing in local Latinx community leadership,” she explained. “The need for a national cross-sector collaboration and tech strategy was evident at this year’s

www.womenofcolor.online

“The first time I stepped into the U.S. was when I was 6 years old,” Gangas said. “Little did I know what

opportunities

traveling 5000-plus miles from Bolivia to California

would bring into my life.”

Unidos US Conference,” she added quoting Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO and president of Voto Latino: “We need to start occupying tech, tech entrepreneurship, and venture capital like never before.”

During Gangas’ New America CA Fellow fellowship, she was part of the cohort focused on opportunity, education, tech for good, and civic engagement. She helped in creating and fostering an inclusive tech ecosystem and regional economic growth.

Tanya Menendez studied technology and its socioeconomic impacts on rural economies at the University of California San Diego. Menendez’s research, “The Economics of Migration,” was published by the University of California. She has been included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30. She has also been named one of Business Insider’s “Coolest People in Tech” and listed in PopMechanic’s “25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream.” After experiencing the pains of an outdated sourcing process as co-owner of a leather goods line, all produced in New York City, Menendez had the idea to create a platform where entrepreneurs could connect with U.S. manufacturers. The platform grew to become Maker’s Row, which has been helping more than 150,000 businesses get their projects produced in America since 2013. 

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PRODUCT REVIEW

by Rayondon Kennedy editors@ccgmag.com

Education, Inspiration, and Imagination These Products make STEM fun for everyone!

Tinker Crate

Piper Computer Kit

T

he need for STEM professionals in America is at an all-time high, but an introduction to STEM ideas and concepts early in life can increase the pursuit of a STEM-related career path. Every day we hear from successful STEM professionals that they knew from childhood they would be an engineer because they couldn’t put their Lego set down, or that they were constantly taking apart the electronics around their home and putting them back together. You never know which spark will light the path of your future.

The STEM products listed below will entertain and educate your future STEM professional. They trigger imagination, introduce basic STEM concepts, and produce hours of fun with your family. Let us know what your favorite STEM toys are by messaging us at:

Hydropower

Tinker Crate Tinker Crate is a monthly subscription service that encourages kids ages 9–16-plus to discover and learn about science, engineering, technology, and math (STEM) through hands-on activities. Each month,

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Tinker Crate will send a kit with a new STEM project to build. The kits are made to be fun and to increase problem-solving skills and confidence. The kit will include all the materials needed to build the project, illustrated instructions, and a link to a step-by-step video.

For more information on Tinker Crate and other products from KiwiCo, visit its page at www.kiwico.com

Piper Computer Kit v.2: The Piper Computer Kit provides the user with everything needed to build their very own fully functioning computer. This DIY kit aims to teach the user exactly what goes on behind the screen of a computer. The Piper Computer Kit provides an engineering blueprint enabling students to engage in a sensory experience that bridges visual and tactile learning. PiperCode uses Blockly by Google, a drag-and-drop coding language that enables students to modify and change how their electronics work on the Raspberry Pi. Learners can also explore the virtual world of the Raspberry Pi Edition of Minecraft and learn electronic concepts through engaging, interactive game levels.

You can learn more on the Piper Computer Kit by visiting Piper’s website: https://www.playpiper.com/

Hydropower Hydropower is a renewable energy science kit aimed to teach the user how different devices are used to extract useful energy from moving water, from a waterwheel in a small stream to a giant turbine in a tidal power station.

The science kit will give the user the option to build 12 different models including a watermill, a sawmill, or a hammer mill, to name just a few. The user will be able to explore the power of water and conduct experiments such as constructing a hydroelectric power station that can generate electricity and light an LED. The science kit comes with a 32-page direction manual with step-bystep instructions.

Explore some of the other products by Thames and Kosmos at their website: https://www.thamesandkosmos.com/ 

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Nebiat Abraha IT International Regional Engagement Specialist

Ad YOUR FUTURE IS BUILT HERE Join a diverse team that is united in pushing the boundaries of imagination and excellence. Come shape the future with us. boeing.com/careers Boeing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Jaron & Tarielle at her PhD graduatio

n ceremony

n i l Al amily F Tarielle

the

Myles Hunter, 22, majored in electronic engineering and technology at Florida A&M University (FAMU) before graduating last spring. During the fall of 2018, he landed a job as a systems engineer with Raytheon Technologies, a global defense company and technology company, at the Women of Color (WOC) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference. WOC is one of two major STEM events hosted by Career Communications Group (CCG), Inc. Each year, CCG produces the WOC Conference during the fall internship season, and the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) kicks off the spring internship season in February.

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Recently, we spoke to Hunter, his sister, Tarielle M. Jones, and brother-in-law, Jaron Jones, about their experiences as first-time CCG conference attendees.

“I got my job at the Women of Color STEM Conference when I attended in 2018,” Hunter said. “I got to hear about the conference through my advisor. I had spoken to my advisor to coordinate a trip to BEYA with mostly juniors and seniors.”

While at FAMU (2015–2019), Hunter became quite a conference veteran. He was active with the Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity, Big Brother Little Brother, NSBE, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE),

Tarielle and Myles

at WOC24

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

HOW RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES HIRED 3 FAMILY MEMBERS AT CCG EVENTS

where he served as president for the 2018–2019 school year. During his tenure, his responsibilities included coordinating the attendance of FAMU students at conferences like the IEEE SoutheastCon, BEYA, and its sister conference, Women of Color (WOC) in STEM. Another first-timer at the 2018 Women of Color STEM Conference was Tarielle M. Jones, 29. She was as excited as her brother Myles to make the most of the three-day event.

“It went very well,” Tarielle said. “It was amazing to be surrounded by so many women currently working in industry and academia. It was comfortable and gave

www.womenofcolor.net

Myles in his FAMU cap and

gown in 2019

C24

WO Jaron and Myles at

me a nice, warm feeling to know so many of us are out there and doing well. I got to meet a lot of people,” she said.

porous wafers loaded with retinoic acid for the treatment of glioblastomas after a bulk tumor removal surgery.

Tarielle not only found the WOC conference engaging while serving as a presenter for a seminar, but she also had quite a memorable experience at the career fair.

“Naturally, we were both looking at positions for her and making the best decisions for our family,” said Jaron, a nationally recognized TED speaker. He earned a Ph.D. in leadership development from the University of Florida, Gainesville, after a bachelor’s degree in natural

“Raytheon Technologies was the first booth I walked up to,” she recalled. “That day, I also had the panel, so I didn’t get to rush in when they first opened. I talked to a few of the Raytheon Technologies employees. They were impressed with my Ph.D. and my D&I work experience,” she said.

Two months later, Tarielle started work as a senior multi-disciplined engineer with Raytheon Intelligence & Space in Dallas, TX. Much earlier in 2018, Tarielle and her husband, Jaron, then a director of diversity and inclusion for the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, had networked at Black professionals’ events in Gainesville, FL. Six years earlier, after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Norfolk State University in Virginia, Tarielle had gone on to do a master’s degree at the University of Florida, Gainesville before finishing a doctorate in materials science and engineering during the summer of 2018.

For her graduate research, she analyzed

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FOR A FAMILY WITH A LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE IN THE U.S. MILITARY, WORKING FOR A MAJOR DEFENSE CONTRACTOR IS A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO AMERICAN TROOPS. RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES’ SPACE AND AIRBORNE SYSTEMS resources and environmental sciences and a master’s in agri science education from North Carolina A&T University.

A former USDA 1890 Scholar, Jaron said he did a lot of research on hiring companies during conference planning to learn about opportunities. At one local job fair early in 2018, he heard about the

Jaron

BEYA Conference for the first time.

“Once I discovered there were opportunities in HR and not just in engineering, I started to do more research,” Jaron added. “I called my wife and said, ‘Hey, do we have enough funds for travel?’ and I called my brother who lives in D.C. and said, ‘Do you have a couch I could sleep on for the weekend?

Because I have a career fair to attend in D.C.’ Of course, he said yes.”

In April, Jaron started a new position as manager, diversity and inclusion for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, the same business unit his wife had joined more than a year earlier. For a family with a long history of service in the U.S. military, working for a major defense contractor is a way to serve American troops. Raytheon Intelligence & Space build radars and other sensors for aircraft, spacecraft, and ships. The business also provides communications and electronic warfare solutions and performs research in areas ranging from linguistics to quantum computing.

As a diversity and inclusion (D&I) project manager, Jaron oversees the development and execution of annual D&I initiatives that are aligned with key business strategy components. He’s also a co-lead for National Diversity Conferences for Raytheon Technologies and responsible for external relationship management

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Myles

Jaron

Tarielle

with organizations, as well as managing the planning and execution with crossfunctional project teams, including career fair planning with the Talent Acquisition and Engineering departments.

For his part, Hunter had just finished a controls engineering internship at Universal Orlando in the summer of 2018. The then-college senior was set for graduation the following spring, but he was interested in attending another conference to learn more about opportunities in STEM. Like the women she met at the Raytheon Technologies booth at the 2018 Women of Color STEM Conference job fair, Tarielle plans to stay active in recruiting at future hiring events.

“It’s important for prospective employees to see someone who looks like me,” she said.

At Hunter’s alma mater, an annual trip to the BEYA Conference is a significant event in the calendar year to ensure you get the job you want. Hunter plans to get as many students as he can to BEYA and WOC and keep the connections he made.

Finally, the best part of working with family: • Carpools • Apartment hunts/home buying • Instant messages about things they all understand • Employee events • Employee resource groups • Talking shop with family. 

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5 TIPS FOR THE 2020 BEYA-WOC CONFERENCE SEASON 1. APPROACH EVERYTHING WITH CONFIDENCE. “I did that at the Women of Color STEM Conference,” said Tarielle. “I know that I earned my degree, and I know what I know. And I know that I’m very good at what I do,” she said. “At conferences, talk with people,” she went on. “Carry yourself with confidence. Be kind and be yourself.”

2. STEP INTO CAREER FAIRS WITH CONFIDENCE IN YOUR STORY. Reflecting on other conferences he’s attended since he was hired as D&I manager at Raytheon Technologies, Jaron says he encourages students to remember that they know their story and resume better than anyone else. “At career fairs, showcase your experiences and show that you can overcome challenges, think critically, and embrace diversity,” he said. “A lot of times, people feel intimidated because they’re in a minority, or the only person of color in a class or a room. You might have that ‘impostor syndrome,’ but that diversity is your strength.”

3. HAVE MENTORS. “They help me understand the dynamics and the big transition from college to the workforce,” Hunter said.

“Those Raytheon Technologies mentors have always been there to guide me on the right path, elevate, and advise me on steps to be taking now and in the future.”

4. MAKE SURE YOU NETWORK. At the 2018 Women of Color STEM Conference, Hunter just happened to be seated next to a Raytheon Technologies employee. After receiving a WOC STEM Award, she encouraged him to stop by at the career booth with his resume. Call it serendipity or luck; just then, his sister, Tarielle, was also talking to hirers at the same booth.

5. EXPLORE Continuing the sentiments of his brother-in-law, Jaron urged students to network and take full advantage of conference workshops, and the spaces in between. “Explore everyone there,” he said. “Remember, you have a goal when you go to these conferences,” he said.

“You never know what will spark your interest.” www.womenofcolor.online

RAYTHEON PEOPLE

INCLUSIVE. INSPIRING. INNOVATIVE. Raytheon fosters an inclusive culture that harnesses the power of different ideas and experiences to deliver the innovative solutions our customers depend on.

Raytheon.com @Raytheon Raytheon

© 2019 Raytheon Company. All rights reserved.

Ad

CHAMPIONS OF DIVERSITY

WOMEN THE TOP

IN FINTECH

by Lango Deen and Kameron Nelson editors@ccgmag.com

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www.womenofcolor.online

During the 2019 Women of Color (WOC) Conference, a popular seminar discussed strategies for getting more female talent into the executive pipeline and increasing the number of students in the financial field.

As populations become more mobile and services more independent, disruption in technology sectors will evolve at a much more rapid rate.

This is especially true in the financial industry, where financial technology continues to be one of the fastest-growing industries, presenting new challenges for future graduates. However, the ever-evolving landscape also offers opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)focused programs.

WOC

STEM fintech career workshops focus on how tech is transforming the financial landscape, examine practical steps that can be taken to keep moving women forward in the industry, and look at how sustaining a distinctive and diverse leadership culture is critical to the success of technology in the financial sector.

Earlier in the year, a report by global investment firm Franklin Templeton examined how demographics and technological advances were changing financial services. The study “Automation for the People: FinTech in the Real World” showed how advancements in digital experiences, artificial intelligence (AI), and ledger technology are enabling companies to better meet consumers’ demands for service and support with fintech services. The report defined fintech as a word derived from “financial technology”—which began life as a term referring to the technology employed at the back-end systems of financial institutions.

More recently, the report said, its meaning has expanded to include any technological innovation in—and automation of—the financial sector. The report estimated that investment in fintech reached $55 billion worldwide in 2018. The authors expect that trend to continue as demographic and technological trends converge in financial services and technology.

Also, last spring, Women of Color magazine published its last “Top Women in Finance” list of the decade. At the oldest financial institutions, our researchers found women leading diversity and inclusion initiatives. Many employers on the list offer investment banking, loans, credit card services, mortgages, asset management, and insurance to millions of Americans. In the biggest banks in the world, diversity analytics are helping to increase minority representation and developing leaders that look like America.

Joannie Diaz-Balbi

Iesha Scott Davis

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion

Joannie Diaz-Balbi is the vice president of diversity and inclusion at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In her current role, she manages and executes the diversity and inclusion strategy for Global Banking and Markets (GBAM).

Diaz-Balbi received her Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics from Syracuse University.

www.womenofcolor.online

Senior Information Technology Engineer Iesha Scott Davis is a senior information technology engineer at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Davis has worked over 12 years with the bank, where she has helped design intricate models, programs, and systems to help improve organizational performance. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the Georgia institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Emory University.

Shavonne Gordon

Vice President, Diversity Recruiting and US Card Talent Acquisition

Capital One

Shavonne Gordon joined Capital One in 2001 She joined HR recruiting in 2014 after years of partnering with the organization to follow her passion for recruiting great talent to Capital One. In April of 2018, she stepped into a role initially leading tech talent acquisition, and now U.S. card talent acquisition, responsible for all professional hiring in Capital One’s U.S. credit card organization.

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Nancy Nee

Senior Vice President

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Nancy Nee is a senior vice president in the eGovernment Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, where she manages all aspects of the electronic tax program, including the creation of an end-to-end plan for its development, launch, and operation. She is accountable to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Treasury Relations and Support Office for the program’s success.

Evelyn Magas

Senior Vice President and CIO

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Evelyn Magas is a senior vice president and chief information officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. She is responsible for the strategic leadership of the bank’s information technology services, information security, and business continuity functions. Magas began her career with the Cleveland Reserve Bank in 1985 as a bank examiner.

Miho Kusaka

Vice President, Senior Engineer in the Securities Division

Goldman Sachs

Miho Kusaka is a vice president and senior engineer in the Securities Division of Goldman Sachs. She has worked 14 years with Goldman Sachs as a software engineer. Kusaka earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in electronical and electrical engineering from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan.

Monica Maher

Senior Engineer/Vice President of Cyber Threat Intelligence

Goldman Sachs

Monica Maher is a senior engineer/vice president of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Goldman Sachs. Maher has also worked for government agencies on cybersecurity infrastructure projects

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to mitigate organizational risk. In her current role, Maher helps equip the firm with knowledge and tools to measure risk, identify and mitigate threats, and protect against unauthorized disclosure of confidential information for clients, internal correspondence, and their extended supply chain.

Arathi Kalathur

Executive Director of IT Organization

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Arathi Kalathur is an executive director of IT organization at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Kalathur has over 10 years of experience with the firm. While at JPMorgan, Kalathur has had various roles in application development and program management. Kalathur received her master’s degree in computer applications from B.M.S. College in Bangalore, India.

Jacki Kim

Vice President Solutions Engineer

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Jacki Kim is a vice president solutions engineer at JPMorgan Chase & Co. within the Asset and Wealth Management division. Kim has over 15 years of experience with JPMorgan. Kim earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Franklin University.

Lorie Valle-Yanez

Diversity & Inclusion Executive Head of Diversity and Inclusion

MassMutual

Lorie Valle-Yanez is the Diversity & Inclusion executive head of diversity and inclusion at MassMutual. Valle-Yenez has over 30 years of experience within the field of workforce diversity. While at MassMutual, she spearheaded the design and implementation of MassMutual’s first D&I strategy. Valle-Yanez received her Bachelor of Science degree in organizational behavior from the University of San Francisco.

Swati Singh

Senior Data Engineer

PNC Financial Services Swati Singh is a senior data engineer at PNC Financial Services. She has over 10 years of technical IT and engineering experience. Singh’s expertise includes big data analytics and solutions, cloud computing solutions, data mining, data processing, database development, and machine learning. Singh received her bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Technocrats Institute of Technology in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Imani Herndon

Senior Software Engineer

T. Rowe Price

Imani Herndon is a senior software engineer at T. Rowe Price. Herndon has worked over 10 years with the firm and previously worked for Lockheed Martin.

Herndon received her bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in management information systems from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Melissa Donaldson

Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Wintrust Financial Corporation

Melissa Donaldson is the vice president and chief diversity officer for Wintrust Financial Corporation. Donaldson has been in this position for over three years.

Her responsibilities include establishing the diversity and inclusion strategy for Wintrust Financial Corp. Donaldson holds degrees from Wright State University, Central Michigan University, and Northwestern University. 

Check out our Seminars on FinTech!

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Calling all employers Are you an employer looking for great ways to share your company's new job opportunities for an incredible career in STEM?

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Women are making strides in the workforce, moving up the corporate ladder, and, in some cases, breaking through glass ceilings. However, challenges remain. Many corporations, as well as smaller businesses and startups, have been putting an emphasis on barriers to upward mobility and access to involvement for women, pay equity, and the concerns of female employees and female vendors/suppliers.

Following is a list of some companies that boldly report what they are doing to foster a more equal playing field for women.

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www.womenofcolor.online

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

supporting

women workplace in the

A PRIORITY FOR COMPANIES LARGE AND SMALL

AFFIRM Affirm, Inc. is a financial technology company that provides “transparent and consumer-friendly payment alternatives to cash and traditional credit.” It was founded with the goal of creating “honest” financial products and services that empower consumers. “Our goal is to revolutionize the banking industry to be more accountable and accessible to consumers,” states its website.

Affirm committed to making diversity and inclusion a priority in 2016 and now has 12 employee resource groups (ERGs) designed to “help foster a vital sense of inclusion and belonging in the workplace,” according to one Affirm ERG member. Among the ERGs at Affirm: Immigrants at Affirm, Blacks at Affirm, Latinx/Hispanic/Chicano, LGBTQ, Jewish, and Women.

The company’s 2018 Diversity & Inclusion Report stated that “Technology and finance have traditionally been maledominated industries and achieving representative parity for women continues to be one of our biggest goals as we grow.”

www.womenofcolor.online

The company states that to proportionally increase its number of female employees, it has examined its hiring pipeline and recruiting efforts and come up with ways to infuse even more diversity, “particularly when recruiting recent grads in engineering.”

ALLIANZ With 1,800 employees, Allianz is a provider of retirement solutions including fixed and variable annuities and life insurance for individuals.

“To do what matters means giving employees the tools and opportunities they need to create innovative, industryleading products, to discover and embrace new trends, and to strengthen the customer experience,” is stated on the Allianz website. “As a company it means creating a culture that is inclusive, where doing the right thing comes naturally, and promoting an environment that develops talent, seeks excellence, encourages smart risks, and recognizes and rewards people for their performance.”

It offers several ERGs including women, military, and LGBT groups.

Allianz, rated by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, states that it is “committed to creating positive employee experiences.

We offer programs such as Work Well, Women Sponsorship, Challenge Accepted, and Allianz Pride. We also empower employees to create networks.”

AMERICAN EXPRESS On its website, American Express indicates that women make up more than half of its global workforce. “Additionally, nearly 20 percent of our Board of Directors are women, and more than 40 percent of our Executive Committee are women,” the firm states.

The firm offers a bi-annual Global Women’s Conference, which in 2018 brought together nearly 200 senior women and male allies from around the world to discuss leadership, ambition, culture, and ways to continue to elevate and empower women across the company.

American Express offers 16 employee networks reflecting the diversity of its workforce including:

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• • • • •

Black and Asian Network Christian Network Muslim Network Women’s Interest Network Women in Technologies Network

“Inclusion and diversity are at the heart of the American Express culture. Providing an environment where every colleague can be themselves, embrace differences, and truly feel included is something we’re very proud of and continue to work on every day as the world continues to evolve. When our colleagues feel supported and thrive, we all win,” states Sonia Cargan, chief diversity officer for American Express.

BLACKSTONE Blackstone is a leading investment firm with more than 2,500 employees in 24 offices worldwide. Its portfolio companies employee more than 360,000 people across the globe.

Blackstone’s Women’s Network (BWN) is designed to “recruit, develop, and retain talented women” and create a strong community of female professionals within the firm.” BWN provides a platform for “female employees to connect globally and access career development tools firm-wide.”

Also, the company has established BX WIN, described as an “innovative program designed for incoming professional women at the analyst and associate level across the globe to create a critical network across Blackstone. Each class is partnered with senior sponsors and team leaders who regularly meet with participants throughout the year.”

Blackstone’s Future Women’s Leaders Program “brings a high-achieving group of sophomore women to Blackstone’s New York and London office each spring to give participants early exposure to finance and business through interactive information seminars, networking, and critical skill-building sessions.” The program is open to sophomores and second-year university students who are interested in exploring careers in the financial services industry.

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JPMORGAN CHASE & CO.

WELLS FARGO

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a global financial services firm with assets of $2.5 trillion and operations worldwide, according to its website.

Wells Fargo is a diversified communitybased financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets, according to its website. It provides banking, investment, and mortgage products and services as well as consumer and commercial finance.

The company has approximately 261,000 team members in 7,000 locations.

“Nothing is more vital to the long-term growth of JPMorgan Chase than our ability to attract and retain talented and dedicated employees,” said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The firm proclaims that 20,000 of its colleagues belong to more than 70 business resource groups within the company. “These groups foster leadership and networking opportunities and advance the firm’s commitment to diversity and community involvement,” states the website.

One of those resource groups at JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the Women’s Interactive Network, which provides access to tools that enable the “successful development, advancement, and retention of women at all levels of the firm.”

PAYPAL PayPal’s digital payment platform is dedicated to “better ways to manage and move money” and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments or getting paid. It reports that it has 227 million active account holders.

PayPal stresses that empowering an open and diverse workplace is one of the tenets of its foundation. “Diversity is the catalyst of innovation,” states PayPal on its website. “We’re committed to empowering talented people from every background and perspective to thrive.”

The company states that it actively supports employees through its diversity and inclusion communities. “Through Unity, a PayPal affinity group of women and men working together to create more opportunities for women at PayPal, we are focused on gender equality and gender balance.” Founded in 2007, Unity is described as “helping women thrive, provide them with growth opportunities, and help the next generation explore the world of technology.”

“We continue to focus on building a diverse pipeline of candidates for positions at all levels of the company, including leadership positions and promoting diversity and inclusion awareness through education and training,” states the company’s website.

“In 2018, more than 44 percent of our U.S. workforce was ethnically/racially diverse, 57 percent of our U.S. workforce was female, and 8,380 team members selfidentified as military veterans.”

Wells Fargo offers employees the opportunity to participate in team member networks and has 10 networks including Middle East Team Member Network, Native Peoples Team Member Network, and Women’s Team Member Network.

The firm also recognizes that womenowned businesses are among the fastest-growing segments of small businesses. Wells Fargo teamed up with STEM Connector for the Million Women Mentors Entrepreneurship Initiative Mentor Program. This oneyear business development program pairs female owners of well-established small businesses with accomplished executives who serve as mentors to help female CEOs strengthen and grow their businesses. 

Read more here https://l.ead.me/bbSxtt

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TEEN ENVISIONS

g n i r a h Ri d es p p A y Sa fe t

Those with a negative impression of Generation Y—who think they lack drive, focus, and ambition—probably haven’t met Moria Bowman.

Bowman shared her idea with her father, Matt Bowman, a retired Army lieutenant commander, who she described as having “lots of connections.”

The 14-year-old came up with an idea for an app to make ridesharing safer for passengers, and a version designed specifically with the safety of girls and women in mind.

Matt Bowman said his daughter has a history of enterprising efforts including involvement in Girl Scouts projects and creating a video and digital content for Black farmers in Florida.

Bowman said she started working on the idea for the app in June after learning about and growing concerned about passengers and drivers who end up in dangerous situations and women who are sexually assaulted during ridesharing.

“Even though she is my daughter, she is a person I admire for her smarts, focus, and interest in solving problems,” said Matt Bowman, adding that he’s “always amazed” by Moria’s views and concerns.

The ninth grader who is homeschooled said she uses ridesharing services “every now and then,” and that the transportation service can be dangerous.

“Sometimes I hear about these sexual assault cases, and that’s scary,” said Bowman.

On its website Zinger is described as “the fast, affordable and secure way to ride.”

Bowman said male and female drivers with the best reviews and driving records are recruited and made available to rideshare users via the Zingerapp. For a more selective experience, there’s Zinger SAFe, which allows female passengers to select only female drivers with good reviews and driving records.

Zinger drivers are screened, and “the best of the best” are chosen, she said.

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“We are working with people from around the world—Africa, UK, Europe, India, America,” she said.

She credits Wale Abba as the programming expert who brought the app to life. In November, Zinger and Zinger SAFe were released through Google Play and Apple’s app store. She estimates that the free app has been downloaded about 100 times as of early January.

“We have integrated safety into your Zingerapp experience, and this goes beyond your trip, from latest technology to rules and guidelines with the goal of making your trip a pleasant one,” states the Zingerapp website.

The service has been in test mode in Gainesville, FL, with planned rollout in the first quarter of 2020.

Sonia Kumar, chief operating officer of Zinger, said after getting a foothold in Florida, the company plans to make the app available throughout the region before moving on to other states.

“My vision has been clear from the beginning…to help women and other individuals feel safe,” said Kumar. “From the beginning, we want our riders and drivers to feel safe.”

Kumar said drivers are put through a vigorous review.

“We give our drivers the best company culture, so they feel supported, so they know they are not alone,” she said.

In addition to background checks and review of driving records, Zingerapp also conducts ride-along with prospective drivers and requires participation in driving refresher courses.

Kumar added that working with a young entrepreneur like Moria has been inspiring.

“She may be small in stature, but she has a huge idea that will help the whole nation,” said Kumar. “It’s very commendable for a teenager.”

Moria currently has her future ambitions focused on pursuing a career in health care—possibly in nursing, anesthesiology, or pharmacy.

“I like helping people,” she said. 

www.womenofcolor.online

“She may be

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

small in stature, but she has a huge idea that will help the whole nation,” said Kumar.

“It’s very commendable for a teenager.”

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WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2020

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KNOW YOUR WORTH

Staff Writer editors@ccgmag.com

Three Qualities That All Great Leaders Possess Any great CEO will tell you that leadership is about more than just talent. After all, just being skilled and knowledgeable about your industry doesn’t mean that you have what it takes to lead a team to success.

No, to be a great leader, individuals must possess a few other traits. They must have a vision and be able to inspire those around them to pursue that vision. They also need to have a strong set of core values to guide them when the road ahead feels unclear.

So, if you’re hoping to climb the ranks of your industry, you’ll need a fair amount of technical know-how. And you’ll have to be savvy to the inner workings of your organization and industry. But if you want to be a truly effective leader, there are a few more traits you’ll have to possess.

The best leaders are people who others enjoy being around.

When we enjoy working with someone, we’re far more likely to trust their instincts and follow their lead.

Integrity Good leaders have a solid moral compass. They know what’s right, what’s wrong, and where the lines are that they’re unwilling to cross.

They use their values to motivate and inspire the people around them. It’s this sense of integrity that allows great leaders to garner respect from their co-workers.

“When people see that you’re genuine and that you have values, you’re going to get more out of them,” says Brenda JohnsonTurner, director of real estate for the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, “They might not even be your best friend, but they’ll respect the fact that you care.”

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And as she points out, it’s important to have people in your corner if you want to accomplish your goals as a leader. “I have a plaque on the wall of my office that says, ‘People First,’” she says. “The mission is important, but you need people to deliver that mission. Without them, you’ll never get anything done.”

Conviction It takes a lot of work to achieve a leadership position.

By the time you find yourself in a managerial position, you’ve probably spent years, if not decades, working toward it. So, you should be proud of your skills and have confidence in your abilities, even if there are people around who doubt you.

Dr. Kelley A. Peatross, retired superintendent and current regional community affairs manager for Consumers Energy, says that as a woman of color, she’s often felt that the odds were stacked against her.

“As a woman, I have to be three or four times better than my counterparts,” she says. “And women of color have to be even better than that. We have to work harder than everyone else.”

Yet, Dr. Peatross acknowledges that her three decades of working against the odds have equipped her to lead other women in the same situation. “I’ve spent most of my career working with people who don’t look like me,” she says. “So I’m good at navigating the game, and I can navigate it well. I try to inspire and teach others to go forward and play that same game.”

Charisma The best leaders are people who others enjoy being around. When we enjoy working with someone, we’re far more likely to trust their instincts and follow their lead.

That’s why charisma is such a valuable quality for leaders to possess—charismatic people can inspire action in the people around them. They’re able to instill a sense of purpose and motivation in the folks they work with.

“People need to see that you’re real, that they can touch you,” Dr. Peatross says. “If you build that type of relationship with the individuals around you, there isn’t anything they won’t do for you.”

When we think of charismatic leaders, we often picture

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Left to right: Aracely Godinez, Regional Marketing Director, Global Leasing, The Boeing Company; Kelley Peatross, Regional Community Affairs Manager, Consumers Energy; Brenda Johnson-Turner, Director of Real Estate, USACE; Shanna Sarsin, CEO, Sarsins LLC

confident, funny people with strong public speaking skills. But author and public speaker Shanna Sarsin points out that charisma also involves a fair amount of humility.

“When you’re humble in leadership, people are drawn to you,” she explains. “They want to work around you.”

So, as a leader, you should never take your position for granted. A sense of gratitude will help you remain gracious and kind to the people around you.

Listen to the full seminar here l.ead.me/bbS1Ga

“Every night, I write down the things I’m grateful for,” Sarsin says, offering a piece of advice to new and aspiring leaders. “That puts me into a good space, which resonates with my team. If nothing else, they know that I genuinely care about them, and that’s the best charisma I can bring to the table.” 

www.womenofcolor.online

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MY HEALTHY LIFE

Why Relationship Building Is the No. 1 Skill for 2020—and the Next Decade

S

trong relationships are vital to a healthy career. When you can’t make real connections with others in the workplace, they won’t feel loyal to you. You become a tradable commodity. When times get tough, you may be the first one pushed out the door. On the other hand, when you have a small group of close professional relationships, you’re able to get your ideas recognized and supported. You’re able to be a successful leader.

You’re able to collaborate and innovate effectively and serve your clients in the way they deserve.

Trust is the foundation of strong relationships—yet it’s noticeably absent from our culture. Over the last few decades, nearly every measure of trust has declined.

This trust deficit and our professional relationship woes have grown in tandem with the rise of the Internet—and they’ve crept in so insidiously we may not have realized it was happening.

The “normalizing” of digital relationships has masked the weakness of many professionals’ face-to-face relationship-building skills. This is especially true for younger professionals, who have grown up on a steady diet of online “friends” and connections and are less schooled in the art of face-to-face relationship building.

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The ability to build trusted professional relationships should never be left to chance. We must get intentional about learning and practicing the attitudes and skills that allow us to build the 15–25 trusted relationships that matter to our careers. (Contrast this to the hundreds of “surface” online connections people seem obsessed with racking up.)

Through 20 years of research and extensive experience working with over 50,000 professionals, I have identified nine attitudes and skills that allow us to build solid, trust-based relationships. In my masterclass, “Building Relationships That Matter,” I teach people how to cultivate them and give very specific tips for implementing them in their day-to-day relationships.

If you’re looking for a good New Year’s resolution, here you go: work on boosting your relationship IQ by focusing on these nine attitudes and skills in 2020.

GENEROSITY. If trust is the universal lubricant for relationships, generosity is the fuel that gets them started and keeps them growing. Generosity is the willingness to give freely of your time, expertise, experience, and social capital. In other words, it’s not just about giving money

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By Andrew Sobel editors@ccgmag.com

(which is what most of us think of); it’s often about being willing to forgive someone who has hurt you or being happy for other people’s good fortunes.

Most of us aren’t as generous in practice as we’d like to be. We have a “me” focus. Sometimes this is due to a lack of role models. Other times it’s a fear of being taken advantage of. We need to strengthen our generosity muscle by taking small, daily steps.

For example: Think about someone in your professional network who has experienced a success or positive development in their life. Speak to them in person, call them up, or write a short note (ideally, not an email or text). Express your admiration and how excited you are for them.

CURIOSITY. This attitude helps you learn about people, giving you a better basis to build rapport with them. It drives you to understand what’s important to others. The more you learn from those around you, the more proprietary knowledge you’ll accumulate (i.e., stuff you can’t Google!). Curiosity tends to atrophy as we age—but it doesn’t have to. We can intentionally initiate and cultivate it.

For example, when you talk to people with whom you’re trying to form trusted professional relationships, ask them about their goals, aspirations, and dreams.

What have been the most important experiences in their lives and turning points in their careers? If you feel uncomfortable doing this, “practice” with a family member or friend.

RAPPORT. Rapport is a harmonious, sympathetic connection between you and the other person. It requires effective communication and an understanding of each other’s feelings and ideas. You can’t manipulate others into feeling rapport by, say, simply mirroring body language. People see through such tricks. To create rapport, you must come across as trustworthy, competent, and likeable—and all three qualities require preparation and being present and human.

There are things you can do to project all three qualities.

Find commonalities and similarities—this increases your likeability. So does walking in and thinking, ‘I like this person’—studies show it makes them like you.

www.womenofcolor.online

If you’re looking for a good New Year’s resolution, here you go: work on

boosting your relationship IQ by focusing on these nine attitudes and skills in 2020.

Ask questions and show an active interest in the other person, which increases trust. And of course, nothing demonstrates competence like being prepared and having a well-developed point of view on the topic you’re discussing.

POWER QUESTIONS. The CEO of a large, global corporation once said to me, “I can always tell how experienced someone is by the quality of their questions and how well they listen. Good questions are far more powerful than quick, easy answers.” Power questions dramatically improve the quality of your conversations and help build stronger relationships. Of course, not every question is a power question.

For starters, a power question is open-ended: Not, “Is it a priority to bring new skills into your department?” but rather, “In your department, how will your mix of employee skills need to change in the future?” It typically surprises the other person—so don’t fall back on clichés like “What keeps you up at night?” Instead ask, “What’s the most exciting thing you’re working on right now?”

A power question gets you focused on the right issues, helps you understand the other person’s agenda, and brings the strategic context and higher-level goals into the conversation.

CARING THROUGH EMPATHY. Empathy is the ability to sense other people’s emotions and imagine what they are thinking and feeling. It’s a fundamental skill that enables us to walk in the other person’s shoes.

The four main foundations of empathy are an interest in others, self-awareness, humility, and listening skills.

Take listening skills. We may not think of listening as an

WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2020

› 39

MY HEALTHY LIFE (con’t.)

expression of empathy, but it absolutely is. And most of us have bad listening habits: rushing people through conversations, finishing their sentences, “faking” paying attention. We check emails while on the phone with them. All these things tell people, “I don’t care about you or what you’re saying.”

DEVELOPING TRUST. Trust reduces the inevitable frictions inherent in working with others, the way oil keeps a car engine running smoothly. It enables the creation of deep, resilient connections at work and at home. When people trust each other, everything is easier: You can work together faster and more efficiently, because you don’t need to check up on each other all the time. You can express yourself to others without fear.

Collaborating becomes a pleasant experience. In a hightrust workplace, you need fewer rules and controls.

To build trust, demonstrate that you are always acting with the other person’s best interests in mind. You need to meet commitments, keep confidences, and answer questions without hedging. Make these qualities tangible by sometimes doing something for the other person that is clearly not in your interest and telling people quickly and openly about mistakes or bad news. Prepare carefully for meetings to showcase competence. On the other hand, trust-busting behaviors include criticizing others who aren’t in the room, exaggerating, and always ensuring that your needs are met first.

AGENDA HELPING. A person’s agenda is their top three to five priorities, needs, or goals. It’s what is important to them over the next six to 12 months. We all have both a professional and a personal agenda. When you understand a person’s agenda, you can add value by helping them meet their goals—by sharing ideas or introducing them to others who can help. You may even anticipate or help shape their future agenda.

Anticipating what may impact someone in the future is extraordinarily valuable. It’s the difference between saying, “Here’s an idea to help you climb your career ladder faster and better,” and, “I think your ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” You’re looking ahead and giving them the big picture, but be careful: You must be certain you understand what they’re focused on today.

Don’t be one of those boors who tells people what to do without first getting to know them!

INFLUENCE. Simply put, influence is the power to change or affect someone. If you have it, you’ll be able to convince others of your ideas and proposals and gain support for your goals. The foundation of influencing is

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having a strength of character and depth of knowledge that commands others to listen to you and follow your advice. This is your “pull” strategy. The second part of the influence process involves “pushing” via the use of persuasion strategies.

There are seven main persuasion strategies: selfinterest, rational appeal, emotional appeal, consistency, reciprocity, social proof, and scarcity. All are valid in certain scenarios. I typically use the first three in combination, as they work well in most situations. Then I may draw from the other four to supplement these three. I tend to avoid scarcity—I find that it’s close to scaremongering. Appealing to self-interest and rational analysis is more powerful.

RELATIONSHIP HEALING. Your ability to help resolve conflicts and heal broken relationships is paramount to your own well-being and that of those around you. Unresolved conflicts will fester, fueling anger and resentment. That’s why it’s crucial to be able to hold healing conversations. But first you must be able to forgive the other person.

Forgiveness is often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean that what the other person did is now okay or that you absolve them. Rather, true forgiveness is when you drop your demand to make them pay for what they did—you stop seeking revenge and compensation. This means you absorb the pain in the short term, but then enjoy longterm peace.

The alternative is to try to punish the person—perhaps badmouthing them to everyone or somehow sabotaging them. But if you don’t let go of your anger and resentment, you’ll become, as my mother used to say, an “injustice collector” who is perpetually angry at everyone and stuck in a spiral of unending retaliation.

Becoming a master at developing and nurturing strong, trusted relationships may be the best New Year’s resolution you’ve ever made. It can impact every area of your life—professional and personal—in a profound way.

Life is complicated, and it’s easy for us to put off relationship development until “things settle down” or we have more free time. The problem is, that day never comes. This is how people lose touch, and how relationships atrophy. You must carve some time out of your schedule, put it on your to-do list, and commit to making it happen. Relationships rarely stay the same— they either deepen and grow, or they wither on the vine. 

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LAST WORD

Where Are the Black Women in STEM Leadership?

By training diverse women in science and tech to become leaders, the whole ecosystem benefits Today, Black women are working in every industry imaginable and doing jobs that, just a generation ago, we could only dream of. However, the number of those working at senior levels in STEM fields remains low. In March, the National Science Foundation reported that in 2016, Black women earned more than 33,000 bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering, and 24 percent of doctorates awarded to Black women were in STEM. However, that same report showed that in 2017, only 5 percent of managerial jobs in STEM were held by Black women and men combined.

This disparity is occurring amid record employment levels, and and founder of Black Women there is a critical need for technical in Science and Engineering workers—but we cannot expect (BWiSE) Consultant women and underrepresented minorities to remain in work environments where they cannot grow and thrive. We also cannot expect girls to enter fields where they do not see positive role models.

It is imperative that we stop the constant drip from the leaky STEM pipeline by working hard to retain women— and especially underrepresented women of color.

Erika Jefferson, president

At one time, Fortune 500 companies had their pick of graduates from the best schools. A brilliant young engineer from a top university will be heavily recruited but is just as likely to create her own company as she is to go work for a long-established one. Some industries are already feeling the impact of this and are trying to adapt.

While leaders may say this is to address the ongoing gender imbalance in technical fields, dig a little deeper and it becomes clear companies already know they will not have enough capable talent to fill these roles in the digital revolution and are trying prepare for the loss of a preferred demographic.

Globally, we are still struggling to attract and retain women in STEM fields. While the problem has been getting more attention, the change is occurring much too slowly. The underlying reasons why diversity and inclusivity have not taken root have not changed over

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time. Women and minorities cite feelings of isolation, mistreatment by colleagues and management, and lack of opportunities for advancement as the reasons they leave STEM fields.

One solution is to create more diversity in emerging technologies by preparing women already in STEM for roles in leadership. These efforts would provide the skills necessary for diverse women with traditional STEM degrees to transition into artificial intelligence, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity while leveraging their previous experience. Such resources could ensure women with technical backgrounds get the support necessary to become leaders in these industries far more quickly than we could be waiting on the next generation of workers to advance.

By training diverse women already in technical roles to become leaders, the entire ecosystem benefits. Women scientists and engineers understand the challenges of working in male-dominated fields and can better prepare others wanting to learn how to excel in management and entrepreneurship.

In 2015, we launched Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE) to support underrepresented women via networking, mentoring, and career development. The group consists of women with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math, even if they no longer work in these areas.

With BWISE, employees can get what they need despite—or in addition to—company offerings. Here, they have a safe space to discuss challenges and receive coaching, training, and insight outside of the workplace.

Companies can sponsor employees to be a part of BWISE to supplement their existing diversity efforts and can also assist by bringing in speakers and supporting our events. The organization helps to prepare, train, and develop the next generation of Black women leaders in STEM. We also have hosted successful networking events across the country in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; and Washington, D.C. Each event attracts the best and brightest in the STEM field, ranging from mid-career to top-level executives. In 2019, we will

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by Candace Howze editors@ccgmag.com

Women scientists and engineers understand the challenges of working in male-dominated fields and can better

prepare others

wanting to learn how to excel in management and entrepreneurship.

expand to three more cities—Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; and New York, NY—and provide more in-depth training in emerging technologies to meet the career demands of our membership.

The network of BWISE chapters and women around the world consists of experts and thought leaders in business, government, and academia who are focused on engaging and empowering girls and women everywhere to join the digital revolution. Our members from the U.S., Europe, and Africa are poised to become leaders in their own countries, impacting the lives of underrepresented people around the globe. By creating a more diverse workforce globally in emerging technology fields, we can help reduce gender-based financial inequities and be better prepared for the workplace of the future. 

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Read about other phenomenal women at www.womenofcolor.online

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