2x Women in Tech Chelsea Behrens

If you’re looking to feel inspired – and hopeful – you’ll want to hear from Host Chelsea Behrens’ guest on this episode of The 2x Women In Tech Podcast. Jessica Nava, Chief Growth Officer at The Moxie Exchange, made a leap out of her longtime and very successful career in sales and development to take on the mission of making workplaces more diverse and inclusive. She is all about empowering marginalized people with the ultimate goal of being a boardroom that represents currently under-represented people – and sooner than later! You’ll learn all about The Moxie Exchange’s evolution into an app that provides organizations metrics, predictive data, and a platform for meaningful change in the workplace. Their Everyday Inclusion offers a safe space for people to explore, interact and grow in their commitment to DEI, fostering a sense in everyone that they belong. Jess shares highlights from her unexpected career trajectory as well as amazing words of wisdom for women who are contemplating a leap into tech. The opportunities are abundant, she says, so listen to your intuition, take a risk, and leap in!
For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website

If you’re not feeling the fire, then Host Chelsea Behrens’ guest on this episode of The 2x Women in Tech Podcast has a strong suggestion: Time to move along! Jennifer Smith has found career fulfillment at every juncture because of a few simple things she brings to every job: Confidence that she has something to contribute, curiosity about new things, and excitement about problem-solving. Currently Senior VP of Revenue Effectiveness at Payscale, her career has evolved organically from selling booking software in the infancy of online travel through a series of challenging roles that ultimately led her to Payscale – doing a job she loves for a company whose mission (pay equity and transparency) she finds meaningful. 

You’ll learn about the values and wisdom Jennifer brings in mentoring her team members, whose advancement is a personal passion. She also shares candid thoughts on “seasons of life” and how they factor into the choices all parents have to make when it comes to modulating their careers. The episode wraps up with some fundamental – and tremendously important – tips for women interested in pursuing a career in tech – especially those who are letting Impostor Syndromes or fear of change keep them stuck! Says Jennifer: “People think women in tech are all deep in technology knowledge. No! Tech is all roles. There’s so much opportunity … that doesn’t require that specific skill set.” For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website

This episode of The 2x Women in Tech Podcast features a woman who has combined her passion for children and future generations with next-level tech that is reimagining our broken childcare system. Jessa Santangelo, VP of Business Development at Wee Care, shares her journey through various entrepreneurial crash-and-burns to a robust embrace of fear.
Failing fast and often isn’t just okay, says Jessa, it’s critical to paving the way to innovation. Wee Care, the female-led application connecting families with child care, has done exactly that by providing a platform that finds, promotes, and advocates for the support families require. The goal is to move the U.S., which has seen a steady erosion of women in the workforce, towards better systems to ensure accessible and affordable child care options. Ultimately, the goal is to persuade corporations to adopt child care allowances as a standard benefit! By being fearless, practicing failure, and supporting one another in acquiring tech skills, women can lead the way on this important mission. Supporting more than 65,000 facilities nationwide, Wee Care is providing not only an exciting new child care eco-system but also modeling what it looks like for women to leverage tech – now and as an example for future generations! For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website

Presentations and pitch decks can be highly effective, but there is no sales technique more persuasive than empathetic, inclusive communication. That’s where Leigh Carter, a Senior Solutions Consultant at Zendesk, excels and adds value.
Beyond process and procedure, customer-centric software-as-a-service (SaaS) products such as those offered by Zendesk encompass a narrative, collaborative dimension that Leigh believes is especially well suited to women. “What (we) bring to the table is this sort of inherent, intuitive ability to drive consensus,” she says. In this episode, you’ll learn what differentiates consultative from transactional sales, which so-called “soft skills” are associated with the job of solutions consultant, and creative strategies for bringing stakeholders into alignment. Leigh’s actionable sales advice includes: Doing your homework, being prepared to pivot, and leveraging the power of numbers – concrete metrics – to get everyone onto the same page. The conversation wraps up with Leigh’s wish for the tech industry as a whole and a personal reflection on the incomparable power of interpersonal connection. “Technology can do enormous good in this world,” says Leigh, “but what my time in the Peace Corps taught me is that … it’s that relationship between two people that is most valuable.” For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website

Fasten your seatbelts for this episode of The 2x Women in Tech Podcast, which features a young powerhouse who is breaking down barriers for women of color in the tech industry and beyond. Grace MacJones is not only a talented Microsoft Cloud Engineer but also the host of Tech Unlocked, a podcast devoted to introducing the broad spectrum of ways that people from all walks of life can, and should, access their piece of the internet pie. Emerging technologies are of special interest to Grace, who is teaching Black women in particular how to get educated, support each other and break into a world that has traditionally been dominated by white men. Born in Nigeria, Grace acquired a special superpower when she came to the U.S. as a teenager. Her lived experience schooled her in how to take risks, advocate for herself, accept uncertainty, and empathize with people whose backgrounds differ from her own. 
Whether we’re talking about AI, social media platforms, cryptocurrency, or Web 3.0, Grace has made it her mission to render challenging concepts accessible. Find out how this dynamic young woman defeated the odds to find her place in the world of computing as well as the myriad ways she is lifting up her community, providing invaluable forums for exchanging ideas and tapping into opportunities available to anyone willing to do the homework and adopt new technologies. There is room for all kinds of related skill sets. Grace shares advice for entrepreneurs, her wish list for the tech industry, and important advice for women, especially women of color, making their way in a field where their voices are valid and long overdue! For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website

The tech industry offers not only lots of opportunities for women but, as we learn on this episode of the 2x Women in Tech Podcast, it also represents a huge opportunity to advance social impact projects.
Liz Coufal talks about her path from the nonprofit world to a start-up company whose playing field changes daily. If you’re looking for growth, then the workplace environment at a place like Valkyrie is a definite fit. See a gap or room to innovate? Liz says that’s an invitation to shine, and you needn’t be a hardcore math or science person to do so.
She wants non-technical women to know that they’ve got the skills tech companies need in Austin, where she’s based, and beyond. It’s an exciting time to jump on board, especially at young start-ups that encourage team members to take ownership, try, and fail.
Liz says, “Because of the lack of structure, you get to create your own structure and your own definitions of success – and prove that out.” You’ll enjoy learning about some of the programs Liz has initiated at Valkyrie to advance diversity and seeing first-hand the very real impacts that result when we work from within the tech sector to ensure accessibility, inclusivity, and social responsibility. For episode resources and more info, visit our 2x Women in Tech website