Our Driving WinTech Community Conversation Recap in Saint John, New Brunswick
By Shahbano Zaman
The Driving WinTech Community Conversation drove into Saint John on October 25, 2017 The lively event was held at Connexion Works and was made possible by the support of Enterprise Saint John. The evening panel was moderated by Cathy Simpson, with panelists: Sharon Rathod, Project Manager at Mariner; Daniella DeGrace, CEO at ProcedureFlow; Rose Burley, Solution Designer at JD Irving.
Questions to the panel included:
How did you get started in tech?
What has kept you in tech sector?
What are your thoughts and experiences regarding diversity?
What advice would you give to children about opportunities in tech right now?
Your proudest accomplishment in the tech industry in New Brunswick?
Danielle described herself as a curious person who enjoys challenges. She was drawn to technology because it’s always changing. Having been a part of four start-ups, she expressed her passion to combine tech, business, customers and partners. When serving a mostly female market she was able to hire many women, but still saw a male majority in other companies. She described how women bring balance, creativity and perspective to the workplace. Her advice to the audience: “Develop self-awareness. Know your likes and skills. Once you have them figured out, leverage them.Know that you are enough.” Her greatest accomplishment is mentoring a circle of young women who are growing in the tech community.
After studying computer science in India, Sharon moved to Saint John to pursue an MBA. She was drawn to tech because she is motivated by challenges and inspired by people in this field. Regarding diversity she noted that everyone brings their own skillset, but finds women are more emotionally intelligent. Her advice is to take risks, adding that it’s okay to fail and more important to try. Being part of a wonderful company and mentoring others has been a source of pride. Watching the transformation of people who “don’t know what they don’t know” to confidence has been gratifying.
Rose grew up on a farm in the 1990s, during the early days of the internet. In university she pursued a degree in Computer Engineering followed by a Masters in Bio-edical Engineering. She loves IT because, “I get to build cool stuff.” In her current role she transforms the way people do business and the way the world works. Her passion is data and analytics. She has felt like a minority in a workplace but noted other companies with a more balanced gender ratio. Her advice to the audience: In order to be successful you have to try and fail. Keep pushing yourself to try because failure builds confidence and character. Her greatest non-technical accomplishment is watching someone she trained flourish and thrive.
Q and A:
1. What has helped or hindered your success a woman in tech?
Danielle:
Helped: I’m gutsy and take risks. Runs towards challenges that people avoid. Ability to relate to market and customers and translate what they want
Hindered: Confidence you have to work at it and build it every day. Practice. Know your stuff and your tech. the deeper you get into it, the more it helps your confidence
Sharon:
Helped: People, mentors. Challenge motivates her.
Hindered: Confidence, even before coming to the panel thinking of how there are others more qualified, better, can speak better – but then pause and think, maybe I bring value add. Keep motivating yourself.
Rose:
Helped: Rose has always been confidence and that has helped. Used to pushing herself earlier in sports and life. That becomes part of you.
Hindered: But confidence also holds her back. Quotes a well-known study. Women don’t apply to jobs they are not 100% qualified for according to the description while men go ahead with 50%. She’s restricted herself at different points in her career as well.
Moderator: worrying about what other people with think, especially if she fails. In meetings etc. Worked on that in 30s. in 40s – overcame it. wants girls to know that failure is good, it is the best thing that can happen to you – wants them to not have to get to 40 before they let go of limiting thoughts.
2. Are there lots of shortages and jobs in IT?
Answer: Yes.
3. How do you instill confidence and ‘trying’ attitudes in young children?
Danielle: Education. Put them in situations. The information we put in front of them and experiences they have. Expose them to tech very early. Give them specific tasks. Sports help.
Sharon: I worked with children. Younger children are more curious, they ask questions, fearless. Older kids are more jaded. Create avenues for curiosity to thrive. Reward trying. Grew up in an environment where boys were preferred and determined to prove them wrong. Musicians also practice a lot. So learning an instrument helps build this habit.
Rose: social conditioning leads girls to think they can’t do the same things. So raise them carefully: equal opportunity.
Moderator: shares story of her 10 year old daughter’s attitude and experience in basketball camp and school plays. Children are particularly impressionable at certain ages. Find roles models for them. Degrees are not enough, you need confidence and other qualities.
Recommendations
Danielle:
Recalls her student years when there not being many IT courses available in university. Instead, she took science, robotics and artificial intelligence. Did coding. There was one PC. There is long road in Montreal, made her way down the street with resumes in hand – giving one to every building on the street.
She’s had four start-ups, all of them built from ground up and all of which were lucratively sold. Sold the start-ups for hundreds of millions. Managed to successfully have her start-ups scale which is a common problem – how? hard work and grit.
Become self-aware of your likes and skills – once you’ve figured that out, leverage that, put them out front, display those gifts. Embrace yourself, it builds confidence, you are enough to do the things you need to do.
When she first started, didn’t fully grasp the importance and value of coaching, giving back to the community and helping
Sharon:
Sharon grew up in India where career options were primarily: doctor or engineer. Not being a fan of blood, she chose engineering.
Sharon’s aunts are her role models.
Being part of a family company is a great source of pride and mentoring opportunities. People start knowing nothing, “they don’t know what they don’t know” – helping and guiding them telling them that they are here to help and want them to succeed. Seeing the difference a year later, walking with confidence to a meeting and providing solutions – witnessing the transformation is very gratifying. Being in that role, people are impressed saying she’s too young to be a senior project manager.
Rose:
Grew up on a farm, in the 90’s, early days of the internet. One computer in the library, pictures took 5-10 minutes to load, mm by mm – it was fascinating at the time!
Is in IT and stayed in IT because she “gets to build cool stuff” – everything comes back to IT these days – provides a unique view of the world. In her current world – able to transform the way people do business and the way the world works which is “just awesome”. Her passion is data and analytics.
Was a minority in work place. Walked into new company saw a nearly 50:50 ratio which was great. But yes, each individual brings their own skillset.
Don’t worry about ‘perfect’. In order to be successful you have to try and fail, keep pushing yourself and try. Failure builds confidence and character.
Aside from technical accomplishments is the fact that she recently return from maternity leave (a month since back). Boss was concerned about a replacement but found someone on her team: a young man. The role required leadership. She taught him EVERYTHING and a year later she’s seen how much he’s matured and grown – that makes her feel very proud.
Moderator:
Planned to be in St. J for 2 years (from Nova Scotia), it became 27. Studied business, worked in internal audit, Worked for phone company, now Bell Aliant – doing great things, great leadership - investing in new technology that were about 10 years ahead of its time. Met wonderful people. They were trying to sell solutions to countries that didn’t have broadband. Proudest of the fact that they grew a business here in New Brunswick and having a footprint here – hiring from the community and helping the economy grow. Had no idea she would have a career in tech!
Held an event for high school students (500, 700) – to expose them to tech and its possibilities in New Brunswick. Hosted the event, had students take their phones out, told them to tweet and spread the word to all friends who couldn’t make it. Comments: 80% uplifting 20% I had no idea I could do something with math beyond being a math teacher. I dropped all the science subjects and now I can’t do this cool stuff anymore.