Meet
Tuse Benson

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

I learned about PDXWIT by sheer accident. My best friend, Ochuko, forced me to go to with her to a PDXWIT event during our junior year of college. As an English major, I thought I had no place in tech and initially refused to go. After she bribed me with a trip to Little Big Burger, naturally, I said yes. And I'm so glad I did. What I found at that event was a room full of people who truly cared about what they did, and who were welcoming enough to include me, a book-loving international student who still wasn't sure where she fit into the world. I kept coming back because I met and connected with people who inspired me, people that I wasn't afraid of. Even after I realized I wanted to pursue a career in publishing, it's people like Hazel and Kelly (from Slalom) that inspired me to believe that I could do it too.

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

I definitely considered a career in tech. For a few months, I really wanted to be a technical writer, for no other reason than the people I met in the tech industry seemed willing to make space for me. Although I have decided to pursue a career in media and publishing, I'm taking the innovation, humility, and creativity I found in the tech industry with me wherever I go.

Anything else you’d like to share with us?

I love PDXWIT for creating a space where I feel like I belong.