Meet LaToya Bailey

How did you learn about PDXWIT and what keeps you coming back? 

LaToya Bailey moved to the Portland area about 5 years ago. While trying to find her fit in the local tech community “stumbled upon” a PDXWIT Happy Hour. She has been coming back ever since, drawn by the resources that PDXWIT has for its members – and the community at large.

Can you give us some background on your career in tech? Did you intend this career path? 

Raised in Chicago, LaToya attended Morgan Park High School. Math and science came easy to her, and she was always a tinkerer. Her face lights up when she talks about how she would pull apart computers and put them back together “back when computers were huge.” Dr. Mae Jemison was her role model and she was determined to follow in her footsteps. LaToya already had a great start; Dr. Jemison had graduated from the same high school in 1973. Unfortunately, circumstances kept LaToya from attending Stanford University as Dr. Jemison had done, but not to be deterred, she attended University of Illinois – Chicago. LaToya graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and became the first in her family to attend and finish college. LaToya’s first job was in a soda can manufacturing plant assembling soda can lids. Quickly bored with the mundane work, she decided to go to San Francisco to attend a job fair. There she met representatives from Intel who were specifically looking to hire Black women in for their technical support operations. She and others were invited to Portland to see the Intel facility and the city itself. Based on that experience, she decided to give Intel a try. 

A passion or activity you pursue with dedication.

LaToya recently returned from a 17-day cruise in Tahiti, the longest she has ever been on a cruise. Ports of call included Tahiti, Bora Bora, Sydney, and others. She shows so much excitement when she talks about everyday being a new city and a new experience. She visited remote villages and was granted the opportunity to drink beverages reserved for the elders. In Tahiti she loved that she was surrounded by people who looked like her and she immersed herself in the culture.

LaToya Bailey says that she only expected to stay a couple of years, but now she admits that she has “grown roots” here. I am extremely glad that she is here and part of our PDXWIT community.