Ayori "Selfpreneur" Selassie was a panelist at the 2018 Blacks in Tech conference. She spoke with such gravitas on the panel that I knew I wanted to interview her.

After rebuffing a guidance counselor's advice to study African-American studies instead of computer science, she has embarked on quite a career in the technology space. She has worked in engineering, sales, and marketing, culminating with her current position at Salesforce leading its marketing efforts for Salesforce Einstein.

Ayori is also an entrepreneur, with a book coming out in 2020, and her other initiatives, Selfpreneur and Life Model Canvas.

Tune in to hear about how her mom was instrumental in her start with coding, what exactly Selfpreneur means (I had no clue), and how she handles nerves before public speaking.

Some takeaways from our conversation:

1. Care about what you're talking about when public speaking

2. Speak regularly to get better

3. Gospel music can go a long way...

To learn more about Ayori, you can find her at:

https://www.selfpreneur.com/ainewbies

http://www.lifemodelcanvas.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randomgirl/

https://www.instagram.com/iayori/

https://twitter.com/iAyori

https://www.facebook.com/iayori/

EP. 20 - Ayori Selassie