Rachel Parrott, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at New Relic shares actionable programs any organization can take to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace. Join us in learning the difference between an ally and an accomplice, finding career growth through employee resource groups, the neuroscience of why we should treat each other well, and many other tips.

Get inspired to make a difference with Ochuko Akpovbovbo, a talented student and entrepreneur, who joins us to share her passion for tech, startups, and making capital accessible for women of color. She shows us the power of being involved in the community through her work with Girls Inc., the Portland Incubator Project (PIE), and PDXWIT.

Wonder what the current COVID-19 situation means for PDXWIT, an organization where coming together in person feels foundational? Join Kimberly and Dawn as they interview Hazel Valdez and Elizabeth Stock, PDXWIT's Operations Manager and Executive Director, to explore what changes the community can expect, both short and long term. And how we can still enjoy what we love about this community in new formats as we navigate this new normal, apart together.

Continuing our WIT(H) series (women in technology history), hosts Dawn Mott and Kimberly Embry celebrate Women's History Month. We highlight the stories of these women in technology: Everlyn Boyd Granville, who increased access to information and promoted education, Joan Ball, who revolutionized computer dating despite hardship, the innovative mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, and Donna Hammond, a Portland native and electrician who work has made trades a safe place for women and diverse workers.

Jesselle Hedman shares how her background in organizational communications theory helped her impact the workplace through an equity, inclusion, and diversity lens. From building out a diversity and inclusion program at Vacasa to recruiting for Thinkful, a forward thinking career accelerator program with an emphasis on student success.

Sometimes a new year means a new beginning, and maybe some new travel plans too. On this episode of Breaking the Glass Ceiling, we meet with Megan Bigelow, mother, wife, Director of Customer Reliability Engineering and founder of PDXWIT. Listen in as Megan shares her plans for 2020, including a shift in one of her many major roles.

In a new series of Breaking the Glass Ceiling, hosts, Dawn Mott and Kimberly Embry, learn about and reflect on the inspiring women that have paved and continue to pave the way in mathematics, science, and technology. For the month of February, this episode of WIT(H) (or Women in Tech History) starts with Black History Month. Join us as we focus on the accomplishments and experiences of Annie J Easley, Latanya Sweeney, Dr. Gladys Mae West, and Lindsey Murphy.

Dana Lawson makes coding exciting and human interactions deep and authentic. From a modest beginning on the New Mexico - Texas border, Dana Lawson has achieved the prestigious title, VP of Engineering at GitHub. But she did not get to where she is now by simply chasing a title; she put in the work and continues to study and hone her craft.

Join us as we venture with Dana from studying Fine Arts in college, through her early years programming in the Army, to working with many startups, to where she is now. Dana gets personal with the podcast team, sharing experiences of discrimination and stories of growth and shedding ego in this technology-centric episode.

Ever the team player and coach, Marcus Carter joins us to talk about self-awareness and ultimately, self-acceptance. Marcus shares personal stories of realizations through conversations with his wife and moments of growth with his two daughters. He shares the steps he’s taken to get into tech throughout his career path and into his current role as a talent partner and community advocate.

There are lessons of acceptance of self and others. Marcus Carter’s inquisitive mind and non-judgemental nature enlivened our recording studio. His willingness to open up with us was inspiring. We hope this episode motivates you to bring your full, compassionate self to the office and uplift those around you where ever you go, as he did with us.

Like many of us, Gabrielle Blackwell longed to feel included in her one-time chosen home of Portland, Oregon. But something didn’t feel right. Although organizations like PDXWIT provide us with a safe space to be ourselves and many ways to get involved, Gabrielle felt something was missing, but could that something be found inside herself?

From her first commission-based sales job in tech to her current role as a sales manager, her story is one of both hope and hardship. Back in her native Chicago, Gabrielle joins us to share some lessons on how being vulnerable allowed her to take the first steps to feeling included in the world of tech.

Episode Guide:

• 0:00 - 20:00: Introduction to Gabrielle Blackwell

• 20:00 - 35:00: Discussion about inclusion

• 35:00 - 50:00: Discussion about vulnerability

Natalie Ruiz shares her story of authenticity rocketing into career growth. Once a used-car salesperson, Natalie entered AnswerConnect through a temporary agency in a sales position. Through her fearless honesty and proven track record of workplace wins Natalie has achieved something she never dreamed possible, she is now CEO.

We explore what happened when she opened up at work about changes in her personal life and the community that vulnerability can foster. A fabulous mom, an efficient “work from anywhere” CEO, Natalie Ruiz shares how she gets it all done.

We start our exploration into living the PDXWIT values with Max Western and Kilaa Slaughter-Scott. At PDXWIT we believe in nurturing our community through career growth and opportunities, mentorship, and skill-building events in a way that is authentic, clear, accessible and relatable. Kilaa and Max are both co-chairs of Cambia Employee Resource Groups.

Our guests share their experiences building community where none previously existed. Max Western shares their community efforts through their time spent at the kettlebell gym and work with Smyrc. Kilaa Slaughter-Scott volunteers within her community on the board of North by North East Community Health Center as well as being an involved and enthusiastic mother. Enjoy this community focused episodes as we bring awareness to initiatives we’d like to learn more about.

On the Season Two opener of Breaking the Glass Ceiling, new hosts Kimberly Embry and Dawn Mott interview Megan Bigelow. For those who don’t know, Megan is the founder and president of PDXWIT. In this episode, she shares the evolution of PDXWIT's values.

Megan goes deep into her journey with self-awareness and how she’s leveraged some uncomfortable realizations to create a more inclusive organization. Megan also gives some real life examples of how an individual's small scale efforts can make a big difference.

Karvari Ellingson was having a hard time after getting her Fine Arts degree. She got tired of having to choose between eating and paying bills, so she picked up “computer programming” out of a list of “10 highest paying careers” and ran with it.

Karvari joined a coding school and couch surfed to make it work. After completing the program, she earned a coveted paid internship and after trying different programming teams she found her spot in DevOps. Along with a new job, she is a mentor at the PDXWIT mentorship program, and she helps code school recent grads with interviewing skills.

It all sounds like the tech turn-your-life-around dream, but she still has to put up with a lot of sexism, and other -isms that a career in tech seems to bring.