Snow blanketed the city as I made my way to the “Women in Tech Galentine’s Day Breakfast and Fireside Chat” at Built In Chicago located on the riverwalk. Stepping in, I noticed two things: one being the tremendous rush of energy I felt from being in a digital tech company in the heart of the city, the other - I felt different, as I was above the average age, and wondered if it would matter.
It wasn’t the first time I had this set of feelings, but the circumstances had changed. I was transported back to a time years ago when I walked into Motorola as a young woman out of college. Motorola was a top name in telecommunications, making headlines with each new product introduction, and exceeding market growth expectations. As is typical today in the tech industry, most of the employees were male.
Having grown up with four brothers, I know not to let that intimidate me. After all, I was raised with a strong work ethic. I had done well in college, could throw a good spiral, make free throws like a champ, and was used to whatever jokes they tried to shock me with. I knew my tenacity and intelligence would not let me down, and had learned how to maneuver the landscape well.
Nothing would stand in the way of getting my job done.
Still, adjustments needed to be made. It would take time to earn respect in my new environment, and I wasn’t giving away any free shots. I knew I had a seat at the table, just like at home; however, it might be awhile before they knew it too. The key was to stay focused on what I needed to learn about my job, products, and industry. I relied on my “street smarts” while I built my confidence and knowledge base. I would develop teams inside and outside the company, and do my job well. That was my short list, and I was persistent in each challenge big and small.
Flash forward to 2020, what changed? For starters, this was a Women in Tech event. As I looked around the room, I saw 100 young women preparing to take their seats with Kelly Keegan, VP of People, and Maria Katris, the Co-Founder and CEO of Built In. It wasn’t long before I was engaged in conversation with a UX Designer, and reminded how across generations, each person in the room had unique abilities and barriers to contend with. While our experiences and circumstances differed, we too could adjust and help one another.
The room was infused with insight and the positive mindset required to help ensure more women would claim their seat at the table, in the boardroom, and in the C-Suite of companies. Afterall, Built In recently raised a $22 Million Series C round of funding, Chicago’s “second-largest venture capital round raised by a woman CEO leading a digital technology company.” With a network of online communities in (Austin, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco), Built In is taking a leading role in the effort to evolve and grow the tech ecosystem.
Kelly shared her own story of choosing to work for a woman CEO who applies confidence and a “mind over matter” will in everything from completing her ski run with a broken foot, to raising four rounds of funding with “particular purpose” in order to build a successful and sustainable business model.
“Our vision is to connect the world through a shared passion for tech and the human need for purpose.”
Maria had strong words of advice for this room full of professionals: “Lead with data, not emotion”. Emphasizing the need to “make conscious decisions to provide opportunities for women to have a role” in everything from investing in the company, as employees (with over 50% of her company being women), and ensuring their next product and tech-focused Board member would be chosen from a diverse group of candidates.
In this age of online applications and ATS systems, the data doesn’t lie. According to Linked In research: on average, women refrain from applying for roles unless they meet 100% of the stated criteria, whereas men apply after meeting about 60%. Maria encouraged women to build the confidence to “know what you want and go for it … nothing will be handed to you … it’s up to you to say I know most of this, and I’ll figure out the rest”.
My takeaway: don’t let anything stand in the way of your vision. Apply for the jobs, develop support, do the work, and build a new seat.
It’s up to you to make a difference.
While fiercely competitive, Maria’s goal is to have an impact by earning every win through incremental milestones, setting herself up for success with each win. She encouraged the group to develop a keen sense of self awareness. Fully in tune with her own strengths and weaknesses, Maria chooses to exploit her strengths and surround herself with a team of people who make up for any weaknesses.
“Know what you’re good at, and not good at, and be really OK with it.”
You are not alone. Find people you connect with to be mentors in your personal and professional life, and respect their time by doing the work necessary to ask specific questions. You have the power to lead yourself towards purpose-driven work so that you will love what you’re doing. Ask yourself “What is right for me in this period of time?” and acknowledge tradeoffs may need to be made. It is your own choice to determine what it is you really want and the value of each compromise.
While accompanied by my own ambition, as well as several new connections providing additional seasoning to any perceived barriers, I was reminded to not let anything stand in the way of what I would do next.
"Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.”
While that word wasn’t explicitly stated, it was “Built In” to the event, and carried back out the door with each attendee.