Women in Tech

Welcome to 84.51° Data University, a series of quarterly insights for prospective and current data-science professionals. 

Can you tell me about Women in Tech and the group's mission?

Women in Tech (WiT) is a subgroup of EDGE. Through WiT, we enable women technologists to succeed throughout their technical career. We foster an environment of allies where women technologists feel supported and valued in their work and are able to achieve their career aspirations. There are 2 subgroups: Peer Mentoring and Tech Chats. Peer Mentoring is an opportunity to get matched with another WiT member with similar goals and objectives. Tech Chats occur once a month and are informal peer sessions centered around development work.

Why do you think this group’s work is needed?

Women in technology-oriented fields are often a minority class and face unique challenges and barriers in their careers, including bias, discrimination and imposter syndrome. Research has shown that diverse teams and inclusive workplaces drive innovation, creativity and overall success. By supporting the advancement and empowerment of women in tech, WiT contributes to the overall success and competitiveness of the organization.

• WiT helps attract and retain top talent, fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration.

• WiT provides a supportive community where women can connect with peers facing similar experiences helping women navigate their technical careers and overcome obstacles.

• WiT facilitates career development opportunities through our monthly connects and Tech Chats that enable women to enhance their technical skills, expand professional networks, and access resources and insights to support their career growth and advancement.

Do you have any examples of things that have come to life because of your engagement with this group?

Of course! I joined WiT when I first started working at 84.51˚. Being a member of WiT throughout my time at the company has helped me build my network and feel supported as I grow my career. I’ve learned more about different business teams and and work being done across the organization. In addition, I’ve personally been supported and seen other women technologists supported as they work towards their career aspirations. Being a member of WiT, I know I will always have someone willing to be a sounding board and helping hand as I work in this business!

“Women in Tech fosters an environment where women technologists feel supported and valued and enables them to achieve their career aspirations.”

How do you apply your experiences as a data scientist to this group?

A majority of this group is data scientists, but we are growing across other technology functions as well. As a data scientist, I seek to bring my work experiences to monthly meetings and Tech Chats to help others in their work. I also think it is important as data scientists to know more about how other functions work and we are making an effort to make this group more inclusive of all functions. We seek to support all women technologists regardless of job title! As a data scientist knowing we currently make up a majority of this group, I think it’s important to help ensure other functions are appropriately represented so that we can all learn together!