Diversity in Tech with Joanna Udo

Welcome to the first episode of our podcast after a hiatus, on this podcast we often dive into the world of technology through the unique lens of diversity. We are your hosts from Bridges in Tech, an inclusive community dedicated to empowering black and brown women to start and excel in technology careers. In this episode, we look back at an enlightening conversation about mental health at our weekly happy hour in 2021. This replay is a timeless treasure filled with practical advice, strategies, and insights on managing our mental health, specifically during challenging times like a pandemic. Despite the context, the wisdom Jummy shares transcends beyond the pandemic era and is applicable to all areas of life and various career paths. From dealing with stress and anxiety to finding balance and peace, Jummy provides invaluable tips that can help listeners navigate their mental health journey. Jummy is the owner of the Focus Conseling Clinic and has a wealth of experience in various aspects of mental health care, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and family counseling, among others. Her expertise and compassionate approach makes this episode a must listen for anyone seeking to improve their mental well-being. About Bridges in Tech Our mission is to increase representation of black and brown women in technology careers by offering resources, coaching, mentoring, and raising awareness of the myriad opportunities in the tech. Our community stands as a beacon for aspiring and current tech professionals, diversity allies, and employers or recruiters seeking to enrich their understanding and practices in the tech sector. Our podcast is an extension of this mission. Every week, we share inspiring stories of women of color in tech, learn from leaders, recruiters, and celebrate our diversity in tech allies. From enlightening interviews to insightful discussions, we explore the challenges, triumphs, and evolution of diverse representation in tech. So join us on this journey as we bridge the gap in technology, fostering an environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has the tools and knowledge to succeed. Visit https://bridgesintech.com/ to learn more about our community, upcoming events, and how you can get involved. Together, we can shape a more inclusive future in tech.

Gwendolyn is the founder of The Wellness Loft, where she educates and empowers women of color to kick the glucose habit and sugar addiction by adopting a healthi -her lifestyle. On this episode she's sharing tips & tricks to help you as a technology worker live a healthier lifestyle. More about Gwendolyn: She also contracts with government and corporate agencies through a subset of her business called Wellness WERKS 8. With an innate compassion for helping others, she's living out her dreams as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). This career path led her to step into my purpose and become a Pre-Diabetes Lifestyle Coach and a Public Health Partner recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Secure Access Management Services (SAMS). I use my decade of nursing and nutrition experience to educate others about overcoming health obstacles and not succumbing to generational illnesses. You can connect with Gwendolyn using any of the following links: Website: bit.ly/createyourhealthy FB : https://www.facebook.com/thenutritionistandnurse IG : https://www.instagram.com/thenutritionistandnurse Email: host@thenutritionistandnurse.health ============================================================================== Learn more about Bridges in Tech at www.bridgesintech.com . Interested on being a guest on the podcast let us know on the website. Follow us on your favorite social media platform: @bridgesintech

Podcast - Yulkendy On this episode I sit down to learn more about Yulkendy and her company Forefront. Yulkendy is a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, storyteller, and TEDx speaker. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Forefront, she helps employers, schools, and nonprofits create low-barrier, culturally relevant virtual experiences for youth (ages 16-24) to facilitate their transition from education to career. Yulkendy brings a diverse set of both corporate and nonprofit experience to the table. She’s worked with Bank of America, EY, Puma, and Innosight Consulting as well as the International Institute of St. Louis and Betty Jean Kerr People’s Centers. Yulkendy has received numerous fellowships, including the Resolution Project, Young People For, Opportunity Nation Leaders Program, Future Founders Fellowship, Net Impact Racial Equity Fellowship, Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy Leadership Conference, One Young World, StartingBloc, and PPIA Indiana University. She is a proud alumna of Babson College, #1 school for entrepreneurship. More recently, she was named one of the Latino 30 Under 30 honorees by El Mundo Boston and a top millennial in Boston by Get Konnected. With roots in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, Yulkendy has traveled to over 30+ countries for work and fun. You can learn more about forefront at https://www.getforefront.co ================================== Follow us on your favorite social media @bridgesintech email us at info@bridgesintech if you’d like to get on the show or know someone who should! Visit bridgesintech.com/virtualhappyhour to sign up to attend our weekly happy hour.

On this episode, I sit down with the Founder & CEO of Blaq App to learn more about this app that protects black and brown people in life threatening situations, or during incidents of racial profiling. Follow the journey: www.instagram.com/blaqapp www.twitter.com/Appblaq ================================================== We love to hear from you, connect with @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform and leave us a message! Questions or interested on coming on the podcast? email info@bridgesintech.com

Andrew Ysasi (EE-SA-SEE), MS, FIP, FIIM, CIPM, CIPP, CISM, PMP, CRM, IGP, CIP has worked in information management since 2007. As Vice President of Advocacy for VRC, Andrew is tasked with mentoring, educating, volunteering, and advocating for all matters related to information governance (IG). Andrew is the President of IG GURU®, an IG news organization and a resume expert with Admovio® where his work is published on CIO.com. Andrew is a frequent guest on the Inside the Records Room podcast, a contributor to ARMA's IGBOK, a contributor to Wiley's Information Governance 2nd Edition, a former Regent for the ICRM, a former board member for i-SIGMA, and a former adjunct professor at Davenport University. Andrew has a bachelor’s degree in information technology and holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. Find Andrew on your favorite social media platform => @andrewysasi @VitalRecordsCtrl @1gguru @Admovio ================================ Learn more about bridges in tech at www.bridgesintech.com and find us on your favorite social media platform @bridgesintech If you’d like to come on the show or have any questions please email us at info@bridgesintech.com

Madoree Pipkins is a career coach and recruiter that helps recent graduates and mid-career professionals transition into tech roles. She’s spent the last 6 years at various tech startups of different industries, sizes, and stages. Madoree knows what makes your resume stand out and what truly drives receiving offers after interviews — and it’s not applying to hundreds of jobs online. It’s how well you connect and network to share your expertise emphasizing and showcasing how you can do the role before you have the job. She’s helped thousands of students land their dream internships and helped professionals negotiate over $900K in additional salaries and benefits. In addition to her extensive recruiting and coaching experience, Madoree is a social good entrepreneur and owns an online fashion boutique where proceeds fund black led and serving non-profits creating an ecosystem of positive impact through fashion. You can follow @highermenow for career tips and tricks and @forwardchicboutique to shop women's trends for good. Madoree shares over 250 resources that will help boost your job search on her medium page => bit.ly/madoreejobsearch ================== Learn more about Bridges in Tech at bridgesintech.com questions or interested in coming on the show? Email us at info@bridgesintech.com

Taylor is deeply passionate about virtual and augmented reality for education and training. He started his journey with VR in 2014 by hosting parties and events in San Francisco where people were invited to try VR in a fun and social environment. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Over the following years, he and his team built UploadVR.com, the industry's largest daily VR news site reaching millions of people per month, established two co-working spaces in LA and San Francisco with 150 VR, AR and AI startups, hosted over 500 VR and AR focused events, trained nearly 1,000 creators on VR and AR development, and worked with companies like Google, IDEO and NASA JPL on immersive education. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ As an advocate for inclusive leadership, Taylor is a founding council member of XR Inclusion and sits on the board of Women of AI. Taylor taught the first remote in-VR class at MIT, and was awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work building the VR industry. ⁣ ⁣ =============⁣ www. bridgesintech.com⁣ @bridgesintech on your favorite social

Joyce is a 23 year old young black professional working in the tech industry. She graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in computer science and minor in psychology. She's currently rotating through different areas of technology at a bank and shares her experience with us. When she’s not working, she works on her YouTube channel, JoyOfMyLife, which is a lifestyle channel focused on fashion, beauty and tech, in addition to her fun vlogs. You can follow her on your favorite social media platform: Instagram Twitter YouTube, Search JoyOfMyLife on Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest! Learn more about Bridges in Tech at www.bridgesintech.com and follow us on your favorite social: @bridgesintech

After all the protests, black screens and angry posts on social media, what's next? Join me on this episode as I sit down with two men to discuss the way forward. Guests: Aaron Bregg, Lead Information Security Analyst Dereck Burchette II, Business Systems Analyst & information security professional Aaron hosts the #Realtalk with Aaron Bregg where he discusses information security topics. Want to come on the show or learn more about Bridges in Tech? visit www.bridgesintech.com Bridges in tech also hosts a virtual happy hour every week and you are invited! Sign up here

Gabrielle Williams is a Technical Sourcer at Facebook focusing on recruitment within the Consumer Facing Product Management Space. ⁣ ⁣ She comes with 3 years of experience, a Bachelor's Degree in Biopsychology from Oglethorpe University, and a Master's in Business Administration from American University's Kogod School of Business. ⁣ ⁣ Williams is a current partner at Hrblgy, an herbal wellness initiative and apothecary. There, she manages finances, logistics, and operations. During her tenure at Real Staffing she was the recipient of the 2018 Midwest Recruiter of the Year and the Customer Experience Champion Awards. ⁣ ⁣ She also led fundraising efforts for the African Science Academy, raising over $4,000, where she later volunteered on-site in Ghana. Gabrielle is an avid New Orleans Saints fan and OrangeTheory attendee. ⁣ ⁣ She has aspirations to one day work in Business Strategy or Product Management within the Technology Industry. ⁣ ⁣ Social Media Handle (Insta/Twitter): @GlobeTrottaGabs⁣ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-williams94⁣ ⁣ Learn more about this podcast at www.bridgesintech.com⁣

Alexandria Noel Butler, affectionately known as Lexi B, is considered one of Silicon Valley’s candid and prominent voices. ⁣ ⁣ Her thought provoking advice and opinions on how to create a more equitable work environment stem from her own experiences working in some of the most popular tech companies. ⁣ ⁣ In 2013, she founded Grown Up Truth, an online magazine dedicated to the new college graduate experience. ⁣ ⁣ This platform not only inspired young professionals but also experienced leaders that used this knowledge to better support their young adult workforce and how to guide them. ⁣ ⁣ In April 2017, Lexi B founded Sista Circle: Black Women in Tech, a community that supports Black women in tech companies and tech related professions. ⁣ ⁣ This 5,800+ international community has partnered with organizations such as Phenomenally, Instagram, Youtube, Linkedin and Slack. Lexi’s main mission is to inspire people to create their desired life journey by understanding their purpose and life goals. ⁣ ⁣ In her own words, “People deserve to live the life that caters to their strengths and passions. When they truly understand what they need and what they offer, they can then implement tools to create their own path and thrive.” You can follow Lexi’s career journey on Instagram and Twitter at Unfiltered By Lexi B where she discusses career tips and tricks on how to be authentic and successful in your profession. ⁣ ⁣ IG = https://www.instagram.com/unfiltered_27/⁣ Twitter = https://twitter.com/ByUnfiltered

As a seasoned User Experience and User Interface Designer, Ashley Janelle focuses on designing customer-centered experiences that target her users everyday pain points. ⁣ ⁣ At Caterpillar Inc., Ashley taps into user needs and challenges while designing solutions that allow them to save time, money, and increase productivity. ⁣ ⁣ As a UX coach and course creator, she’s developed an online course, “Learn UX Online in 16 Weeks” to help aspiring UX designers go from beginner to experienced UX Designers and land jobs at top companies. ⁣ ⁣ Using her UX expertise and passion for working with people, Ashley’s not only helped others land their dream roles, but build the confidence to become successful UX Designers.⁣ ⁣ Connect with her using these links: ⁣ ⁣ https://www.ashleyjanelle.com/ux-course⁣ https://www.instagram.com/theashleyjanelle⁣ https://twitter.com/theashleyjanell⁣ https://www.facebook.com/groups/uxcareeraccelerator

Tomiko Evans was nominated for multiple awards during 2018, and currently in 2019 nominated for a Cyberjutsu award as a rising star in the cybersecurity field. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ After working nearly 20 years in the information technology field, in May of 2018, Tomiko Evans earned a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Technology degree with honors from the multi-award winning program at University of Maryland University College (UMUC). She currently serves a US federal government agency as a Cybersecurity Consultant. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Tomiko Evans holds a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 certification, where she is licensed as an FAA Certified Drone Pilot. In order to pursue her passion to integrate the cybersecurity discipline into the protection of systems and information in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and drones, she launched a startup called Aerial Footprint, LLC, where she partnered with Red Tail Aerial Network (http://RTAN.co). ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ She is an active speaker and has been featured in various events as well as podcasts. As an exemplary alumnus, Tomiko Evans was featured several times in various UMUC websites and social media stories. She has also been featured in "The Baltimore Sun" newspaper. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ She wrote an article that was published in eForensic Magazine. Tomiko has also been combining her interdisciplinary professional skills and innovative artistry to produce introductory videos and educational content such as a CyberRap and DroneRap. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Just recently on Jan 2020, she became the founding member of Atlanta Chapter Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu. She was also chosen as one of the judges for the Alley of the Year 2020 Awards. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ As Tomiko Evans continue her journey, she hopes to lead the younger women towards a passion of cybersecurity and Drones.⁣ ⁣ Find Tomiko Evans on LinkedIn or join her Linkedin group Cybersecurity Momentum Movement⁣ ⁣ Connect with @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform and feel free to send any questions you may have to info@bridgesintech.com⁣

Moya shares her experience as a developer, lessons learned and the power of social media. ⁣ ⁣ “I am a Senior Full Stack Developer. I currently write code for a company called Safco Dental Supply. At Safco, my work mostly involves writing internal applications that are used for the daily operations of the business. I run the largest JavaScript Group on Facebook with over 105k members. I write blogs on Medium and Dev.to about JavaScript and Programming in general.⁣ ⁣ I usually stay under the radar, but I thought about it... and came to the conclusion that if i want to see more #womenInTech, I have to show up and raise my voice and say, "I am here, you can be too, let me share my past experiences and what I seek to accomplish".⁣ ⁣ I want to build a community where Developers are allowed to be vulnerable, where they are free to seek help with coding, get real time career advice, and make friends.”⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Connect with Moya using these links👇🏾⁣ ⁣ https://www.facebook.com/moya.richards.dev⁣ https://medium.com/@codingstorytime⁣ https://dev.to/moyarich⁣ https://www.facebook.com/codingstorytime⁣ ⁣ Visit www.bridgesintech.com to learn more about the podcast and be sure to follow @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform.

Chris Roberts has many years of experience in cybersecurity, he’s founded or worked with a number of companies that specialize in Open-Source Intelligence/Human intelligence research, intelligence gathering, cryptography and deception technologies. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ He shares his experience as a hacker & diversity in tech ally. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ He also answers questions from women of color in tech and shares some tips on security topics. ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a hacker, have an interest in hacking or just want to learn more about Chris; you don’t want to miss! ⁣ ⁣ He can be found on LinkedIn and twitter as @sidragon1⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Do you have questions, you’d like answers to on the podcast? Email them to bridgesintech@gmail.com ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ Find us on social media ⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ facebook.com/bridgesintech⁣⁣⁣ twitter.com/bridgesintech⁣⁣⁣ Instagram.com/bridgesintech⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ www.bridgesintech.com⁣⁣⁣

Shanayla Sweat was frustrated with her career as a customer service representative, when she quickly realized that this career will never offer her the lifestyle she desires. ⁣ ⁣ Thanks to her college instructors, who peaked her interest in technology careers, today she’s not only a technology consultant but also a successful entrepreneur ⁣ She’s created a blueprint to help other customer service representatives start an IT career and offers a 15% discount to that program with code 👉🏾 BRIDGESINTECH ⁣ ⁣ Visit tektimellc.com for more details on the program. ⁣ ⁣ Be sure to follow @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform.

Morgan shares how she got started as a network administrator, tools to help you learn and her experience at Grace Hopper conference. ⁣ ⁣ You can find her on LinkedIn, www.runtcpip.com or twitter. ⁣ ⁣ Learn more about bridges in tech by visiting www.bridgesintech.com

Melanie started engineering school in her early 30s after over a decade of not knowing what she wanted to do with her life. ⁣ ⁣ Originally, her goal was to tour with bands. She booked and managed small tours in Europe in her early 20s and progressed to becoming an audio engineer in her late 20s, but never managed to break into the industry enough to make a living. ⁣ ⁣ Took her another 5-ish years to find the confidence and strength to start taking pre-engineering night classes at Seattle community colleges while holding down nanny day jobs so she could pay rent and bills to survive. ⁣ ⁣ "I was never good at math or physics or any other STEM class back in school, so me trying to go for an ME degree was an absolutely ludicrous idea. Turns out, I am not as bad at it as I thought!" ⁣ ⁣ She was accepted into the University of Washington's Mechanical engineering department in Fall of 2015, got a NASA internship at NASA MSCF in the summer of 2017 and was promptly hired by Virgin orbit after graduation to become a Structural Dynamics Engineer for Launcher One. ⁣ ⁣ Only a short while after that, she moved back home to Seattle to work for Blue origin on their New Glenn Rocket. ⁣ ⁣ you can learn more about her on Facebook/Instagram under @2inkfinityandbeyond and Twitter under @Mel2Inkfinity, as she has started sharing her journey with the world. Follow @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform.

Rhonda has created incredible things (including Fitbit clocks) over the years and started developing imposter syndrome about a year and a half ago. ⁣ ⁣ She couldn’t believe she was doing these great things, even when her friends and colleagues were praising her on how good she was. ⁣ ⁣ She shares how she worked through that and is learning how to celebrate her success. ⁣ ⁣ Of course we also talked about how she got started in tech and some her favorite projects. ⁣ ⁣ You can learn more about Rhonda using any of these links:⁣ ⁣⁣ rhondahill.dev⁣⁣ Instagram.com/rhonda.codes ⁣ ⁣ Be sure to check out www.bridgesintech.com ⁣ ⁣ Follow us on your favorite social media platform:⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ facebook.com/bridgesintech⁣⁣ instagram.com/bridgesintech⁣⁣ twitter.com/bridgesintech

Katia decided to turn her 9 month job search into a research project that she now uses to help others get hired into cyber security roles. ⁣ ⁣ She’s sharing every bit of that journey on this podcast, from searching for jobs, writing a resume, interviewing and negotiating her salary, the tips are fresh and ready for your use today! ⁣ She also shares a code for 25% off her deluxe pro package. This package offers a full circle job seeker’s guide, support educational materials and much more! So make sure you listen all the way to the end, you don’t want to miss out on the deal. ⁣ Learn more about her at katiascylife.tech⁣ ⁣ Be sure to check out www.bridgesintech.com ⁣ ⁣ Follow us on your favorite social media platform:⁣ ⁣ facebook.com/bridgesintech⁣ instagram.com/bridgesintech⁣ twitter.com/bridgesintech