The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

Startups can get funding in different ways. Susan Preston, Managing Partner at SeaChange Fund explained how startups can get funding from angel investors and venture capital. We talked about what the differences are and to evaluate companies before deciding to invest in them. Susan also talked about her first investments in the 90s and what she has learned throughout the years.

There are many ways in which organizations share their message and build a brand. One of them is through social media and social networking. Lauran Driver, Senior Client Partner at Twitter, explained the difference between Social Media and Social Networking. We talked about how digital media strategies are built by leveraging these tools. Lauran also explained her workflow for working with clients and partners in this space.

People that work in tech adapt to new technologies, learn new skills, and can work in different roles throughout their career. Asya Kamsky, Principal Developer Advocate at MongoDB, started her career in the late 80s. We talked about her experience working in software development, systems architect, product management, and most recently in developer advocacy. Asya gave advice about navigating a career in technology. We also talked about her work at MongoDB in measuring the performance of databases.

Behavioral science and artificial intelligence can enable recruiters and candidates to find a job that matches their skills and potential. Frida Polli, CEO and Founder of Pymetrics explained how behavioral science can be used to get insights from a candidate that we would not get from a resume. We talked about how games based on neuroscience can help candidates find a job. Frida also explained ways in which a recruiting can function like a recommendation engine.

Natural language processing is used across many different systems that people interact with. It can help us extract information and get insights from data. Thamar Solorio, Associate Professor at the University of Houston explained what Natural Language Processing or NLP consists of. We talked about how systems use it and different approaches of implementing it. Thamar explained how NLP is used to determine the author of a text and some applications for this system. Note: AnitaB.org was formerly known as Anita Borg Institute. Grace Hopper Conference refers to Grace Hopper Celebration.

Cybersecurity is about protecting systems, networks and programs. Jen Easterly, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley explained the core ideas behind cybersecurity. We talked about understanding and assessing threats and about the importance of understanding the adversary. Jen also explained what cybersecurity in financial services consists of and different roles in this domain.

Many applications we use are distributed systems. Some examples are ATM systems, social media and currency trading. Depending on the type of application, we might need to process system events in a logical order also known as causal order. Aly Cabral, Lead Product Manager at MongoDB, explained how causal order is implemented in a database system. We talked about several design implementations that she and her team at MongoDB considered. Aly explained concepts like distributed systems, clock synchronization and dependency tracking. MongoDB is a sponsor of the show.

Nimmi Ramanujam is developing technology to improve women’s health and well-being. While in graduate school, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Her experience with this diagnosis led her to develop a portable cervical cancer screening device. Nimmi explained how the device works and the process of designing it. We also talked about existing structural, emotional and cultural barriers present in women’s healthcare.

Design is a fundamental component for building technology. Heather Winkle, started her career in design in tech in the 90s. We talked about the panorama of the tech industry when she was first starting out and about some of the areas that she worked on. We also talked about leadership roles in design, designing financial products and the impact of design in an organization. Heather is Head of Design at Capital One.

Since 1994 hundreds and now thousands of women in technology gather for the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. Just this last year, 2019 it attracted 25,000 attendees from all over the world. The Grace Hopper Celebration, also known as GHC is organized by AnitaB.org, a global non-profit helping women in tech succeed. Kety Esquivel Vice President Head of Marketing and Communications at AnitaB.org explained the different goals they have to help reach gender equity in the tech industry. Kety also talked about AnitaB.org’s mission, GHC, and other programs that they organize throughout the year.