She Sparks Tech
By Casey Bertelsman
She Sparks TechMay 04, 2023
Going on Hiatus 2024 - Cheers to She Sparks Tech
Hey She Sparks Tech community! As 2023 wraps up, Casey here with some news— She Sparks Tech is taking a break in 2024 after three fantastic years.
It's not a goodbye but a chance for Casey to dive into new opportunities and projects. She's pumped about some exciting prospects, especially after relocating to a thriving tech hub.
The decision to step back is a nod to change and growth. Thank you to all of you for making community one of incredible support.
Some other great podcasts about Women in Tech:
Nightingale: Navigating your STEM Career
SFTP (Successful Females in Tech Podcast)
Building a Tech Career Out of Your Unique Experiences with Michelle Cherian
Michelle Cherian is a Product and Go To Market Expert helping companies and established online entrepreneurs transition their IP into SaaS products and apps so they can scale their business, while growing their impact in the world. After working with big companies like Adobe, Yahoo! Intuit and lots of VC backed startups she’s now turning her focus to help entrepreneurs build meaningful products that serve their communities. Michelle has a background in design, has been a founder herself and loves guiding zero to one product development. She believes continuous communication and community building with your customers is a key driver to success. She lives between Brooklyn and the Catskills with her husband and 2.5yr old French Bulldog, Loki. When she’s not helping women tech founders create and launch their products she’s getting messy in her studio painting candy colored landscapes and planning her next trekking adventure.
5 Unfair Advantage Online Entrepreneurs Have In SaaS
Website: www.michellecherian.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellecherian_
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-cherian/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Community Led Growth with Mariana Padilla of KIKrr
Mariana Padilla is the co-founder and CEO of KIKrr. She is a self-described smasher of status quos and there’s nothing she hates more than being told “this is the way we’ve always done it.” This mentality is what led her to sign as a co-founder of KIKrr. KIKrr is the disruptive software sales platform of the future. Their unique model allows buyers access to immersive demos so they can try before they buy with cybersecurity software. Mariana’s strengths include storytelling, team building, and operations.
Mariana previously founded Red Lab Marketing, a social media marketing agency committed to elevating the stories of brands making the world a better place.
Mariana is passionate about social justice and keeping it real about business. In her spare time, you can find Mariana exploring Chicago, walking her dogs, or eating croissants at her favorite patisserie.
Connect with Mariana & KIKrr
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heretoshakeshitup/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kikrr/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Exploring Ai with Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi, an Applied AI Evangelist
Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi is an ambitious and purposeful Community Builder, Talent Development Strategist, and Applied AI Evangelist. She is the Co-founder & CEO of Dextego. Dextego is an AI Coaching Platform for reducing top talent attrition by half via personalized soft skills training. Ioanna is passionate about utilizing the power of technology as a tool to help people hone their essential skills and tap into their inner brilliance. Before co-founding Dextego, she was the VP of People & Chief of Staff at Aptivio, a B2B SaaS Revenue AI startup in NYC, building the Aptivio Ecosystem. Ioanna is an inspirational Gen Z leader devoted to building a community of lifelong learners.
Connect with Ioanna:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannemantzouridou/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
From Corporate Leadership to Fintech Startup with Sasha Yablonovsky - Women Redefining Entrepreneurship
Sasha Yablonovsky is a trailblazing executive and a passionate advocate for gender diversity in the technology industry. As the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Loanspark, a fintech startup revolutionizing business lending, Sasha has not only redefined her career but is also reshaping the tech landscape. Her journey is a testament to the power of technology to drive personal and professional growth.
With a background that spans senior leadership roles in established corporations like CareerBuilder, Sasha's transition into the dynamic world of fintech startups embodies the spirit of embracing technology for career transformation. Her leadership at Loanspark has been marked by innovative solutions that ignite customer engagement and drive revenue growth for SMBs. Through co-branded lending products, she's not only empowering businesses but also fostering inclusivity within the tech sector.
Sasha's dedication to continuous innovation ensures that Loanspark remains at the forefront of the fintech field, creating opportunities for businesses to flourish. Sasha's visionary leadership isn't just transforming her company; it's setting new standards for excellence and diversity-focused innovation in the tech and finance sectors.
Sasha Yablonovsky's story is an inspiration, demonstrating how embracing technology can lead to a fulfilling and impactful career. She embodies the mission of "She Sparks Tech," inspiring women to embrace technology, pursue unique career paths, and contribute their diverse voices to the tech industry. Her journey serves as a beacon of hope, showing that anyone can thrive in tech and helping all women envision a place for themselves in this dynamic field.
Connect with Sasha:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashayablonovsky/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/loanspark/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Building diverse and inclusive workplaces with Selma Hadzic
Selma Hadzic is a freelance data science tech lead with 10 years of experience building end-to-end data products in production in the Energy, Digital Marketing and Logistics industries. She has 5+ years of experience leading and scaling teams of international data scientists, analysts and machine learning engineers in fast-paced hyper growth environments.
Additionally, Selma is a professional coach and diversity & inclusion consultant, guiding tech companies to close the gender gap.
Connect with Selma:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/selma-hadzic-9630625b/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/selma-hadzic-coaching-consultancy/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/
Exploring the Clean Energy Tech with Sugandha Talwelkar
Sugandha Talwelkar is an Electrical Engineer with a Masters Degree in Power and Control Systems. She has rich experience in the clean energy sector and has worked with the North American distribution utilities to modernize the electric grid. Her latest stint as a product manager building wholesale energy market products has given her deeper insight into the overall grid operation. As a climate activist, she has been leading a zero-waste life (imperfectly as she puts it) and if determined to neutralize her individual carbon footprint. She even coaches people to reduce their daily carbon footprint and lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
She was in love with New York City and moved to the United States 9 years ago to live her dreams. As an immigrant, she had some interesting experiences which would love to share with everyone. Apart from tech and product stuff, Sugandha loves to read fiction and write poems and short stories. She is currently working on her first novel "Tara - a star in making" which is the journey of a immigrant, brown girl in the United States.
Connect with Sugandha:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sugandhatalwelkar/
Energy Blog: https://oorja.substack.com/
Blog: https://anuttybiscotti.substack.com/
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/
Breaking into the Start Up Industry with Nicole Coustier
Nicole Coustier is a veteran medtech advisor, consulting on innovative products for over 20 years to align incentives to embrace and scale disruptive technologies. She currently specializes in clinical evidence development for AI/machine learning applications in medtech, and she is an executive coach for tech leaders with a focus on high stakes/ high consequence decision making.
Connect with Nicole:
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
https://www.instagram.com/shesparkstech/
Re-building with Sarah Ing
Sarah Ing coaches women in tech - leveling up their career & confidence to feel belonging. Previously, she was a career changer, going from English major to senior software engineer to engineering manager at a number of startups and consultancies. She is passionate about empowerment, building communities, and believes everyone can learn to code.
Connect with Sarah:
Website: sarahingcoaching.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahing/
Twitter: @sarah_ing
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Mace Cheng: Scientist Turned Product Manager
Mace Cheng is a geneticist turned product manager. She started her career as a scientist, performing biological and neuroscience research for over 10 years before going into industry. Since then, Mace has spent her career working at the intersection of healthcare, tech and data. She has worked at all scales, from small 8-person startups to companies that went public while she was there. She has focused on bringing innovative products to market from bench to bedside. She has worked on tools to help biologists design their experiments more effectively, tools to help doctors determine if patients have depression or anxiety, and software for non-technical commercial teams to sell to very technical customers. She has a PhD in Genetics from Stanford and a BS in Biology from MIT. She is an active speaker and mentor for PM Dojo, an accelerator that helps professionals break into product management.
Connect with Mace:
Follow along with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
From Idea to Launch with Indy Greg, Founder of WeDo
Indiana Gregg's story is one of innovation, reinvention, and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Her journey in tech comes from her background as a rockstar. In looking for other opportunities for music performers as the internet grew, Indiana founded one of the first on-demand streaming networks, Kerchoonz. Since then she has founded five ventures to solve problems for various groups of people. Now, Indiana is disrupting the freelancing landscape with Wedo.ai, a groundbreaking social freelance network and banking app.
Learn more about WeDo & connect with Indiana Gregg:
Website wedo.ai
Twitter @wedo_hq
Instagram @wedo_hq
Youtube @wedo_hq
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/indianagregg/
Keep up with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Maintaining your Wellness while Building your Career with Julie Zaruba Fountaine
Julie Zaruba Fountaine is a well-being Specialist based in Duluth, MN, who specializes in health promotion and change management. She has her MBA in Change and Leadership and an MS in Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science and over ten years of experience guiding leaders and learners from a state of overwhelm, stress, and procrastination into to a state of action.
She strives to build a world where all can thrive, and delivers workshops, online classes, keynote presentations, and is a consultant. When she is not facilitating and consulting you can find her hiking, biking, or paddling in the great outdoors.
Connect with Julie:
Website: empowerpossible.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julie-zaruba-fountaine-6b527636
Facebook: facebook.com/people/Empower-Possible-LLC/100086568280125
IG: instagram.com/empowerpossible
Youtube: youtube.com/@empowerpossible
Pinterest: pinterest.com/empowerpossible
Pitching Yourself to a Start-Up with Julia Kim
Julia Kim helps technology startups drive revenue growth by increasing forecast accuracy, accelerating sales pipeline velocity and reducing customer churn. She specializes in data driven predictive analytics, enabling automation through the GTM tech stack and using revenue intelligence to reduce operational inefficiencies by 20-30%.
Julia also teaches as an adjunct instructor through the School of Engineering, Columbia University and is the Technology Chair for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs.
Connect with Julia:
linkedin.com/in/juliajuleskim/
If you leave a review on Apple for the podcast or send me a voice message on Anchor / Spotify about why you love the podcast and then contact me via email at podcast@caseybertelsman.com, I’m offering you a free 30 minute coaching session to talk all things career & tech transition. I am offering 5 of these for reviews & messages sent in the month of July 2023.
See link to leave a voice message below!
Privacy Tech & Policy with Debra Farber - Part 2
Debra J. Farber is the Host of The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast show; globally-recognized Privacy, Security and Ethical Tech Advisor; and CEO of Principled LLC. Through Principled, she works with early and growth stage startups to craft go-to-market messaging that resonates with privacy, security, and governance buyers; evangelizes privacy-by-design and privacy engineering approaches, methodologies, and tactics; and evaluates the uses of privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) for building ethical, transparent, safe, and trusted systems / products.
Debra thrives when she pours her passionate energy into building ethical ecosystems and communities. She led the Privacy & Security Program at The XR Safety Institute (XRSI), serves as Advisor to The Rise of Privacy Tech, and mentors startup founders at DayOne. Previously, she held privacy and security leadership roles at Amazon, AWS, BigID, Visa, TrustArc, and IBM.
The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast: shiftingprivacyleft.buzzsprout.com/2059470
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/privacyguru
Twitter: twitter.com/privacyguru
If you leave a review on Apple for the podcast or send me a voice message on Anchor about why you love the podcast and then contact me via email at podcast@caseybertelsman.com, I’m offering you a free 30 minute coaching session to talk all things career & tech transition. I am offering 5 of these for reviews & messages sent in the month of June 2023. See link to leave a voice message below!
Privacy Tech & Policy with Debra Farber - Part 1
Debra J. Farber is the Host of The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast show; globally-recognized Privacy, Security and Ethical Tech Advisor; and CEO of Principled LLC. Through Principled, she works with early and growth stage startups to craft go-to-market messaging that resonates with privacy, security, and governance buyers; evangelizes privacy-by-design and privacy engineering approaches, methodologies, and tactics; and evaluates the uses of privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) for building ethical, transparent, safe, and trusted systems / products.
Debra thrives when she pours her passionate energy into building ethical ecosystems and communities. She led the Privacy & Security Program at The XR Safety Institute (XRSI), serves as Advisor to The Rise of Privacy Tech, and mentors startup founders at DayOne. Previously, she held privacy and security leadership roles at Amazon, AWS, BigID, Visa, TrustArc, and IBM.
The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast: shiftingprivacyleft.buzzsprout.com/2059470
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/privacyguru
Twitter: twitter.com/privacyguru
If you leave a review on Apple for the podcast or send me a voice message on Anchor about why you love the podcast and then contact me via email at podcast@caseybertelsman.com, I’m offering you a free 30 minute coaching session to talk all things career & tech transition. I am offering 5 of these for reviews & messages sent in the month of June 2023. See link to leave a voice message below!
Building a Sales Career in Tech with Mikael Austin
Mikael Austin is an account executive at Cockroach Labs, moving her way through the company from SDR, to AE, to manager, back to AE. She's passionate about negotiation and empowerment for women in business. In her free time she loves dancing, golf, cooking, and exploring restaurants. She is passionate about all things Italy and is a self described harry potter nerd, identifying as a Gryffindor.
Connect with Mikael on LinkedIn.
If you leave a review on Apple for the podcast or send me a voice message on Anchor about why you love the podcast and then contact me via email at podcast@caseybertelsman.com, I’m offering you a free 30 minute coaching session to talk all things career & tech transition. I am offering 5 of these for reviews & messages sent in the month of June 2023. See links below!
Explore Product Marketing with Melanie Crissey
Melanie Crissey is a Product Marketing Manager with more than 11 years of experience in high-growth SaaS startups. She is passionate about customer experience and product-led growth. With a background in customer service and marketing operations, she has most recently been focused on developer marketing, promoting tools and applications that improve daily experience for people who code. Melanie is currently building the foundations for a product marketing practice on the growth team at Warp, a next-generation terminal application with AI built-in.
Find Melanie at the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniecrissey/
Twitter @melaniecrissey
Instagram @melaniecrissey
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
Transitioning into Tech for a More Flexible Career with Anna Miller
As a Product Manager + Career Coach, Anna Miller creates user experiences that are easy to follow and create intended results. With 10+ yrs experience working in tech, she has been through enough job searches herself, to learn a great deal about the job search process. If you are looking to grow your confidence in getting the job you want, asking for more money, or finding a more fulfilling career path, Anna works with clients daily to provide guidance in these topics.
Find Anna at the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annamiller/
https://www.createnewpaths.com/
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
GIS Tech Applications with Diana Hu
A native of Taiwan, Diana Hu (she/her) started her leadership journey at the age of 6, reigning over her neighborhood streets. Since 2005 she has worked in technology groups dominated by a patriarchal culture where she was often the only minority. Her work titles have included: Geospatial Development Lead, Senior GIS Developer, and Agile Coach. She helps teams adopt agile mindsets as well as improved agile and DevOps practices.
In 2022, Diana started Azimuth Coaching to help women and marginalized groups shine in STEM, as well as serving as a DEI Agile Coach for companies to incrementally develop and implement DEI strategies.
Find Diana at the links below:
www.instagram.com/coachdianahu/
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
Tech Sales & Being an Ally with Jennifer Pollock
Jenny Kay Pollock leads monetization at Together Labs, where she focuses on strategies that help keep IMVU a top 5 social app by spend in the US. Jenny routinely speaks on mobile monetization, women in the workplace, and building a tech career. She has published on these topics in outlets like Forbes and Ellevate. Find her discussing all things tech on Twitter at @Jennykaypollock.
Find Jenny at the links below:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennykaypollock
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
Transitioning into Tech with Polina Norina
Polina Norina is an account manager at a SaaS company specializing in project management software. Before working in tech, she was a content manager and led projects in publishing and consumer insight research. She delivered projects for companies such as Meta and Google, and now uses her project management experience to consult clients on the right project management solutions for their organization.
Connect with Paulina on LinkedIn.
Looking to transition into tech? Start exploring what comes next for you & your career with my easy to use Transferable Skills Guide! Download it here: https://linktr.ee/caseybertelsman
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
There is no such thing as "too young" with Anemari Fiser
The combination of analytical thinking, a realistic way of looking at the world and the passion for solving problems, drove Anemari Fiser to a career in Software Engineering without giving it a lot of thought.
Once she had her first job as a Developer, she quickly identified her next career goal: becoming a Tech Lead. And she made the decision to move countries and companies to join a team that supported her in pursuing a Tech Lead role faster than “the straightforward path”. And she became a tech lead at 26.
But like so many of us, she struggled with burnout once the pandemic hit. Anemari quit her job and was looking for a way to heal. 3 months later, she received her certification as a coach and started her business as a Career Coach in tech. 3 more months later she was working with a bootcamp to support their students getting their first tech roles.
In 2022, Anemari joined the CodeOp team as their Education Lead/Product Director. CodeOp is a company supporting women+ transition into tech. This led her to pursue a topic very close to her heart: working with companies on training and coaching their Tech Leads on tech leadership skills. -
Anemari still supports women+ transition into tech, but her main focus is growing Tech Leads, as she believes the best way to amplify positive change in a team is by having great leaders.
Connect with Anemari:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anemari-fiser/
Looking to transition into tech? Start exploring what comes next for you & your career with my easy to use Transferable Skills Guide! Download it here: https://linktr.ee/caseybertelsman
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
Exploring Cybersecurity with Schlaine Hutchins
Schlaine Hutchins is a Cybersecurity Professional with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology. Her responsibilities have grown from the helpdesk to leading Cybersecurity teams. Throughout her career she has worked in the healthcare industry, banking and insurance industries. Ms. Hutchins has worked with companies from 350 employees to more than 50,000 employees giving her unique insight into various organizational structures.
Connect with Schlaine on LinkediIn - be sure to send her a message knowing you found her on the podcast!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/schlainehutchins/
Looking to transition into tech? Start exploring what comes next for you & your career with my easy to use Transferable Skills Guide! Download it here.
Stay in touch with Casey & She Sparks Tech:
Instagram @SheSparksTech
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-bertelsman/
Celebrating Women in Tech for Black History Month
History serves as an important way of recording the past. By being able to recognize important figures, people can understand current circumstances and pave the way for a better future.
However for centuries, Black voices have been erased from the historical narrative, as storytelling has been told by primarily white voices and predominantly celebrates white figures.
Many students (including myself) have not been taught about the contributions of Black people, especially Black women, to this country’s history; even when they are, those lessons are often cursory and superficial, and minimize the impact of those contributions.
So this episode is dedicated to bringing some of those stories to life.
Emphasis on *some* because I know these highlights don’t even scratch the surface of the impactful women who have been ignored by history.
Resources:
https://woz-u.com/blog/black-women-history-impact-technology/
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53158292
https://builtin.com/women-tech/women-in-tech-workplace-statistics
https://www.paconsulting.com/insights/celebrating-black-women-in-tech-for-black-history-month
https://www.womentech.net/blog/black-history-month-30-outstanding-black-women-in-tech
https://girlstart.org/celebrating-black-history-month-women-in-stem/
https://www.media.mit.edu/people/joyab/overview/
Some accounts mentioned in this episode:
@girlswhocode
@joyfulcode
@t_equitable
Exploring People Ops & Tech Foundership with Jen Paxton
Jen Paxton is an HR and recruiting leader experienced in high growth tech startups whose degree was NOT related at all. She committed to really learning about the tech industry after starting her career in technical recruiting. That commitment led her to amazing HR success, focused on building HR and Recruiting strategies from scratch; including direct sourcing and employment branding, delivering exceptional candidates; working with managers to streamline hiring process; welcoming, onboarding and training new employees; driving initiatives to create company culture; advising new managers on best practices and counseling employees on career growth and transition.
Then Jen made the leap to take all of those recruiting and people ops skills into creating Jamyr - a tech start-up platform that helps busy recruiting teams scale employee generated video content to attract more of the right candidates.
Looking to connect with Jen? Reach out at the links below!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenpaxton/
jamyr.com
Leaving Education for Instructional Design with Sarah Sterner
Her career has allowed her to wear many hats. In my second year of teaching, she started developing and selling the educational resources that she found herself designing for her own use in response to the change in state science standards. She loves approaching learning design through the lens of problem-solving because it reflects her approach to life: Identify the need or gap, work tirelessly to research and determine the best solution, and then find the most effective way to implement that solution in an effort to help not only herself, but also any other people who may find themselves in a similar situation.
Since leaving the classroom in 2021, she has been working concurrently in corporate instructional design and K-12 educational publishing. She enjoys both of these remote roles for the variety of challenges and opportunities for creativity that they bring.
Connect with Sarah:
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-sterner
Instagram @ssedudesign
Twitter @ssedudesign
2022 She Sparks Tech Reflections with Casey
For the last episode of the year, I want to celebrate everything that has come from She Sparks Tech.
30 episodes
Doubled listener-ship
Listeners in over 20 countries
I launched my How to Identify Transferable Skills Guide this month.
And if you aren’t following along on instagram @shesparkstech, you are missing some truly great content and that is really where I’m trying to bring the party to in 2023.
Listen to the episode for all of the advice that I want to revisit for the LAST EPISODE OF 2022. (Re: supposed to be posted in 2022, but I'm a human, whoops!)
Ep 30: Using Tech to Build Life Improving Devices with Sideny Collin
Sidney Collin is the creator of NexStride, a small, versatile device that attaches to canes, walkers, or walking poles to help people overcome mobility issues. Sidney created the device as a student at Cal-Poly, after befriending a local veteran named Jack - who suffered from freezing of gait stemming from Parkinson’s. Determined to help Jack, Sidney used her knowledge of engineering and her passion for how the brain works, and created a device that allowed Jack’s brain to properly “communicate” with his body, helping him to overcome freezing of gait. Years later, Sidney’s device has been proven to help improve outcomes for people suffering from mobility issues stemming from strokes, cerebral palsy, MS, Parkinson’s & more.
Sidney’s academic research background is in computational neuroscience, including a research paper published in the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. Previously, Sidney was awarded Cal Poly’s 2019 Outstanding Woman in Engineering Award, Outstanding Student Award, Lisa Hufford Scholarship Award, and was identified among the most influential women at Cal Poly by the Wire in their 30 under 30 list. Sidney has also been recognized by The Pacific Coast Business Times as an accomplished young business leader in their 40 under 40 list, as well as their Who’s Who in Health Care, Insurance & Life Science list.
Learn more at https://www.getnexstride.com/
Connect with Sidney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidneycollin/
Ep 29: How to Identify your Transferable Skills
This episode is all about TRANSFERABLE SKILLS.
Yes, transferable skills are communication, teamwork, problem solving, organization, analytical, technical, selling – but you can represent them SO MUCH better than that.
I’m sharing my process for finding transferable skills for a new role, walking through an example using a real job posting that you can follow along with.
My goal for sharing this is to help you see new opportunities in what your past roles CAN bring to the table. It’s a skill to learn to communicate that, one everyone is continually working on!
Also, I will be releasing a guide on identifying transferable skills and creating a resume before the end of the year – it’ll be the ultimate how-to guide based on this episode with other great tips & tricks and resources pulled together.
I will share more about how to access this guide before the end of the year, so be sure to tune in on upcoming episodes!
In the meantime, you can find me over on Instagram @SheSparksTech.
If you’re joining in on the example job posting breakdown, use this link.
Ep 28 Tips for Applying for Roles in Tech with Expert Recruiter Sanja Mitar
This episode digs into applying for roles from the perspective of a recruiter. For anyone getting ready to apply for a new role - this is must listen!
Sanja was oblivious to tech throughout her undergraduate schooling, having majored in Child and Youth care. She began her tech career by fluke (and a little luck) as a customer support rep at Shopify, helping merchants with their business needs and problems. After having an incredible recruiting experience at Shopify, she realized recruitment was a perfect tie between what she learned in school and technology. She transitioned to the Shopify Talent Acquisition team in 2017 and hasn't looked back since.
She has held various roles in TA and People including Director of HR and Director of Talent Acquisition for various start-up and scale-up tech companies as well as leading a Go to Market team for a 10-person start-up. She is currently leading recruitment at Noibu and believes her skills are best suited to building a company's initial talent layer.
You can connect with Sanja on LinkedIn here.
Ep 27 From Teaching to Tech with Nicole Mills
Nicole Mills started her career in a classroom as an excited foreign language teacher, but she quickly found herself burntout and overwhelmed trying to be the best educator for her students. She knew she has to leave behind the teaching job she had long since worked for to save her well-being.
So what the heck does that even look like when you come from a field as specialized as teaching? Thankfully Nicole knew several friends and family members who worked in tech and actually enjoyed their jobs. So she knew that was what she would work towards.
Join Nicole & me as we talk about how she prepared herself for a career in tech and how she currently works as a Quality Assurance Analyst (and loves the challenge!).
If you want to learn more about Nicole, you can connect with her on LinkedIn here.
Rate, review & subscribe to the She Sparks Tech Podcast, and follow us on Instagram @SheSparksTech
Ep 26: Unboxing Humans with the Power of SaaS Solutions Featuring Danielle Boris
Danielle Boris is the author of The Energy of Weirdos and the founder and CEO of Sandbox, a SaaS platform that acts as your personalized guide to consistently high-performing teams. Danielle believes that far too often, corporations put employees in boxes, labeled by job title. This siloing not only limits talent development but also inhibits organizations from leveraging the full knowledge, skillsets, and innovation in their workforces. Only by unboxing humans can employees, managers, and organizations all win together and create future-proof success.
A researcher at heart, Danielle graduated with a B.S. from Cornell University and an MBA from the Cornell University Johnson School of Management. Her studies focused on leveraging technology to enhance human interactions. She practices what she preaches, designing her life to be something she looks forward to living every day and infusing the world around her with positivity, motivation, and bright colors. Danielle believes that being authentic, and bringing our whole selves into everything we do, is the key to individual and societal happiness, which in turn, always leads to success.
For more information, you can connect with Danielle at the following places:
LinkedIn
Twitter @DanielleBoris
Instagram @pinkismypersonality
Sandbox Website
Don’t forget to pre-order Danielle’s book the Energy of Weirdos here!
#TheEnergyofWeirdos
Ep 25 Overcoming Challenges in Tech as a Woman of Color with Trina L. Martin
Trina L. Martin is the founder and CEO of Trina L. Martin International. She is a technologist, international speaker, advocate for women of color in tech, and best-selling author.
Trina is a retired US Naval Officer and former computer programmer. She has over two decades of computer programming, digital forensics, and intelligence experience. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and extensive expertise, Trina has experienced the biases of the tech industry. Trina's resilience helped her navigate the obstacles and make strides in her career that many said weren't possible.
Qualified but often overlooked, Trina calls herself 'The Queen of Equality in Tech.' She is on a mission to close the tech industry's racial, gender, and wage gap for women, especially women of color, and help them elevate into leadership positions, as well as help companies create a genuinely diverse and inclusive workplace.
If you want to get in touch with Trina or more learn about how she is empowering women of color in the tech industry, you can use the resources below:
Ep 24: Baby Feeding Education with SimpliFed CEO + Founder Andrea Ippolito
SimpliFed is the telehealth platform democratizing access to baby feeding and breastfeeding services.
By providing high-quality virtual care covered by insurance, the Ithaca, New York-based company envisions a world where every parent feels good about feeding their family – because baby feeding and breastfeeding are central to maternal and infant health.
Founded in 2019 by Andrea Ippolito, a biomedical engineer and mom of two, SimpliFed provides evidence-based and inclusive virtual baby feeding services to everyone, no matter how they choose to feed their baby.
SimpliFed’s mission is to create a new model for optimal baby feeding by building trusted relationships with parents, partnering with healthcare payers and providers, and shifting policy, practice, and narratives to drive health and economic equity, starting with baby’s first foods.
If you want to get in touch with Andrea or more learn about SimpliFed, you can use the resources below:
Andrea Ippolito on LinkedIn
SimpliFed on LinkedIn
SimpliFed on Instagram
SimpliFed Website
Ep 23: How I Went from Engineer to Business Owner & Reignited my Passion for Tech
Like so many women in tech, I struggled to find the right balance for myself - the work-life balance, the unpaid additional work balance, the bullshit balance.
In this episode, I share my story that takes you through my engineering career, how I struggled with uncertainty and the need for change, and how I made my own change when I couldn't get it elsewhere.
The projects I started as hobbies turned into side hustles that became my full-time business. I can choose when, where, how, and with whom I work.
I love it every day and I know that my path does not have to be straight & clear, and by embracing the possibility of exploring what feels right to me, I have experienced a whole new world of opportunities.
If you're looking for a change and want to take about it, reach out. This is your sign to join that group, email that recruiter, or start what you've been thinking about.
If you want to connect here is where you can find me:
The resources I mentioned in the podcast are below. If you are interested in learning more or a referral code, send me a message and I will share it!
Ep 22: Constructing your Unique Career Path with Elinor Moshe
Elinor once stood at the periphery of her own career, feeling lost, invisible, confused. She gave away power and agency over her own trajectory, feeling dulled and limited.
She then realized diminishing herself to fit in will never work, as standing out is her prerogative. She realized there is so much more possibility than where she was.
Elinor took back control over her career and maintained extreme ownership and unwavering self-belief in her vision and her purpose.
This led to Elinor founding Australia’s first ‘construction coach’, The Construction Coach. As a Thought Leader, Elinor is also the host of the leading industry podcast, Constructing You, and the author of Constructing Your Career.
You can connect with Elinor at the links below:
Ep 21: Bringing Event Planning to the Tech Industry with Alexandria Tomayko
Alexandria Tomayko is a nature advocate, sustainability connoisseur, nomadic traveler & experience planner. Her life work has been in creating memorable experiences for others as an Experience Coordinator. The main reasoning behind her success is her understanding of the need for human connection and how events can satisfy this. She is the Founder of the Little Black Book Series, through a need she had when planning national and international events for clients and herself.
In this episode, Alexandria shares her journey as a founder of an app that is bringing the event planning industry into the 21st century! She set out to build an app even though she had no background in technology - minus her limited AV knowledge for live events.
Here are some highlights:
- Considering the power of your time vs your money
- No code tools
- The reality of timelines & expectations
- Finding community & support
You can connect with Alexandria here:
LinkedIn
Website
Join the Little Black Book Webinar Series here!
Ep 20: Product Marketing in Healthcare Tech with Courtney Greenwood
In this episode, Courtney Greenwood digs into health data and how she made a way for herself in tech with no STEM degree and no coding. We talk about how she found her path, the major work in healthcare tech, and how it's improving our lives after being pushed live during the pandemic.
Connect with Courtney:
LinkedIn
Instagram @courtgreenwood
Note: this episode was filled in 2021, and there have been questions and developments about health data and private data since then. I encourage everyone to do their own research to understand where their data is protected and where it isn't.
Ep 19: The power of Video Marketing with Nina Froriep
In this conversation, Nina Froriep and I discuss her background in tv and video and how that love of storytelling has brought her to what she does now - video marketing. This is one you won't want to miss f you create and consume video content!
Connect with Nina:
LinkedIn
Consistent Video Quiz
Remember to Rate & Subscribe if you love the podcast and to follow allow on Facebook & Instagram @SheSparksTech.
Ep 18: Nonprofits and Equal Opportunities with Lorena Soriano
Lorena Soriano is on a mission to create a world where Sci & Tech products are representative of the population that uses them.
Growing up Lorena wanted to be a scientist and doctor but due to the lack of representation, she didn’t think her dream was possible. While completing her degree in Biochemistry she realized that once again I lacked representation, having no Latina STEM professor. All of these experiences ultimately led her to start Every POINT ONE, a public benefit corporation that helps innovative science & technology leaders create guided and actionable Policies using their Standards to create an inclusive, diverse, ethical and unbiased organization.
You can learn more about Lorena & connect with her at the links below:
Website: https://lorenasoriano.com/
Twitter: @STEMpreneurlife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/girlchangetheworld
Learn More about Every POINT ONE:
Website: https://www.everypointone.com/
IG: @everypointone
Twitter: @everypointone
Ep 17: Breaking Latinx Stereotypes in Talent Acquisition with Virgginnia Buccioni-Hillmann
Virgginnia is a talent acquisition professional based in the Bay Area with a proven record of building and improving processes that help find companies find the right talent when they need it as well as orienting candidates on career advising and interviewing coaching. She has a passion for consulting with companies to build incredible teams and operational strategies with a DEI lens.
If you want to get in touch with Virgginnia, check out the links below! She is always up to something great on LinkedIn, so be sure to find her there!
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/virgginniab/
Email - vbuccioni@gmail.com
Hire llama has since rebranded! Find the new site here - https://www.awana.io/
Note: This episode was recorded in mid-2021, before She Sparks Tech went on hiatus.
Episode 16: Using Tech to Build Financial Independence with Daniella Flores
Daniella Flores is a software engineer, a serial side hustler, entrepreneur and cat lover. After her wife Alexandra and her were able to pay off $40,000 of debt with the help of side hustles, she fell in love with dabbling and the idea of financial freedom. Now she helps other multi-passionates create side hustles to gain back more control in their lives, careers, and financial futures.
https://simpleprogrammer.com/remote-programmer-side-hustles/
https://iliketodabble.com/side-hustle-quiz/
Twitter @iliketodabble
Instagram @iliketodabbleblog
Facebook I Like to Dabble
Pinterest @iliketodabb0327
TikTok @iliketodabble
Episode 15: Breaking the Glass Ceiling with Toni Collis
Toni Collis is an award-winning leader in the field of Supercomputing/High-Performance Computing, turned Executive and Leadership Career Coach for Women in the Tech sector. She is the Founder of Women in High-Performance Computing - a non-profit operating across more than 70 countries - as well as a host of the Leading Women in Tech Podcast. She works with high-achieving women who are successful but not thriving, ready to break through the glass ceiling, whether as an up-and-coming leader or someone already in the C-Suite.
Free mini-training on Ditching Yourself Doubt and Imposter System: https://tonicollis.com/resources
If you want to get in touch with Toni, you can find her through the links below!
Website: www.tonicollis.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tonicollis
Instagram: @ToniCollis1
Podcast: https://tonicollis.com/leadingwomenintech
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadingwomenintech/
Email: support@tonicollis.com
Episode 14: #MorethanGraphics with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett
In this episode with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett we are talking all things graphic design and being true to who you are.
Danielle is the owner of minority-led branding agency Octane Design Studios and is also a podcaster, mentor, wife, mom of 4, and lover of cosplay, comics, chai tea, and live MMA. She chooses to mimic her Creator, living humbly & laughing often.
With over 12 years of marketing and multimedia agency experience, Danielle is a Grassroots Developer & Curator, helping brand and launch over 100 local businesses across America; ⅔ in Kentucky. She is always seeking to amplify voices and stories to both inspire and evoke change whether designing digital campaigns or designer sneakers. Danielle is also an advocate of non-traditional education, leading online meetups, and workshops for DIY marketing, motivated by her belief in empowering others.
Although Danielle is passionate about providing creative services, she strives to be more than just the graphics she creates. Over the years her hashtag #MoreThanGraphics has become a life principle for herself, one she executes through storytelling and sharing life chronicles as producer and co-host of the #MoreThanGraphics podcast.
Episode links:
Website: https://lexoctane.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/octane-design-studios/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/octanedesigns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/octanedesigns/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octanedesigns/
Podcast: https://www.mtgthepodcast.com/
Reach out at info@lexoctane.com or via dm on Instagram @octanedesigns!
Epsiode 13: Afifa Siddiqui on Executing Ideas and Professional Pivoting
Afifa Siddiqui started her career as an electrical engineer and then worked to build several successful companies for herself, based in improving systems with technology. From recruiting to job board software to payroll services, she has worked to continuously challenge the status quo for the hiring process and simply how companies go through the process.
You can get in touch with Afifa online through her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afifas/
Episode 12: Improving Feedback with Libby Robinson
Libby Robinson has spent her career doing many things. Settling for the status quo isn't one of them. And her new app BackFeed+ is helping to breakdown the current standards of feedback to help people have feedback that is actually helpful and actionable.
You can download the app BackFeed+ from the app store and google play store and learn more about the app on their website https://www.backfeedapp.com/.
You can connect with Libby and her team on social media and their website. Check out the links below:
Twitter: @LibbyRobinson
Integral website: https://www.integralcoaches.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/integralcoaches/
Episode 11: Kelli Lucas on User Experience
In this episode, Kelli Lucas shares her story of how her art degree led her to the user experience world. Not only has she held many high achieving roles in the industry, she also started a company to help people build apps by designing the user interaction components - which is important to establish before paying someone to code it. Kelli is an advocate for women looking for roles in technology and her career is a great example of how to make technology unique to where your passions lie.
A few of the resources that appear in this conversation:
- Medium https://medium.com/
- UX Collective on Medium https://medium.com/user-experience-design-1/about
- No Code App Builder Information https://www.nocode.tech/
- Ruined By Design By Mike Montiero https://www.ruinedby.design/
- MisMatch By Kat Holmes https://katholmesdesign.com/the-book
If you want to get in touch with Kelli, you can do so through her website and social media.
- Website: lunarlab.io
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelliklucas/
- Twitter: @kelliobeans
Episode 10: Supporting Women in STEM with Stephanie Slocum
In this interview with Stephanie Slocum, she is sharing a story that I find inspiring. She is an engineer, turned project manager, turned author and coach for women in STEM. Dream job trajectory if you ask me. She is sharing some great information about navigating the career fields as a woman and we chat about her book She Engineers.
Here are some of the great links mentioned in the episode:
- Website: https://www.engineersrising.com/
- Link to the free physical book promo: https://www.sheengineersbook.com/freebook
- Direct link to 2 Hour Career Visioning Document: https://bit.ly/3bF7WTM
- Brene Brown interview of Melinda Gates: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-melinda-gates-on-the-moment-of-lift/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=bb_unlocking-us
You can get in touch with Stephanie on several social media platforms. Check her out and connect!
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/engineersrising/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieslocumpe/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephtheengineer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephslocum
Episode 9: Creating Widespread Awareness of Palm Oil Conservation with Chelsea Whelmer
This episode is another great one covering environmental applications using technology. Chelsea Whelmer works as the Palm Oil and Conservation Program Coordinator at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and she is sharing the conservation work she does for sustainable palm oil, how it impacts our lives every day, and how we can make more environmentally friendly choices with our at-home purchases.
You can find more information on the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s website: https://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/orangutans-palm-oil/
Palm Oil App Google Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.venturedna.palmoil
Palm Oil App Apple Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/palm-oil-shopping-guide/id671945416
Email the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Palm Oil and Conservation Team here: palmoil@cmzoo.org
Episode 8: Marine Science Technology with Melissa Cristina Marquez
In this episode, I’m speaking with Melissa Cristina Marquez, who works as a marine biologist and Shark Behavioral Ecologist. Melissa’s research has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and she hosts her own podcast, ConCiencia Azul. She is also a freelance wildlife writer, TedX speaker, Scholastic author. In 2021, Melissa was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.
If you want to connect with Melissa, you can follow her on her social media. She uses interactive learning posting to get people excited about sharks.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcmsharksxx?s=20
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3oESElA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaCristinaMarquez
If you want to track sharks on twitter, check out a few of the options below:
https://twitter.com/trackingsharks?s=20
https://twitter.com/MaryLeeShark?s=20
https://twitter.com/Shark_Katharine?s=20
And follow us on Twitter while you’re at it!