The story below is from our March/April 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
See our Season 2 Episode 3 podcast segment with Angela Pope Dickerson as we talk about her inclusion in our feature, her work as Chapter President of the Southwest Virginia Chapter of Blacks in Technology (BIT) and her advice for those aspiring to join the tech field:
Women are reigning across the local digital landscape.
Technology is an expanding field and incorporates a diverse range of occupations. While women are still underrepresented, they are expanding their presence in the various arenas including computer science, information technology, software development and design and engineering. Here, women in various fields share their insights and advice on being a woman in technology.
Dr. Bevlee A. Watford, PE
Professor, Engineering Education, Virginia Tech
Courtesy of Dr. Bevlee Watford
Dr. Bevlee A. Watford, PE, says that while there are significantly more women in engineering than when she was in school, and most university programs consist of at least 20% women, everyone would like to see more women and diversity.
Watford, who is also Associate Dean of Equity and Engagement and Executive Director of the Center for the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity, says there are more woman faculty across programs now.
“Anecdotally, women have leaned towards fields where they felt they could make a difference such as environmental and biological engineering,” says Watford. “Now, they are expanding into more technical, less social areas though many fields can be social and impactful.”
Watford believes a key factor in expanding the number of women in technical fields is to expose children to various opportunities that exist. Then, help them create an educational path to pursue the ones that interest them.
“My best friend’s father, when I was 10, was an engineer. I didn’t know what that was,” she shares. “When he explained it to me, it seemed fascinating.”
Watford stresses that if he hadn’t taken time to explain it to her, her life trajectory would have been different. Because he sparked an interest, she went on to earn all her degrees from Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering: BS Mining Engineering, MS and PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. She enjoyed the academic environment and working with students so much she stayed.
She encourages parents to introduce children to different fields as that can change the direction of their future pursuits. Camps held at Virginia Tech, Virginia Western Community College and other colleges give students opportunities to explore options.
Watford shares her advice for women pursuing a career in technology is like what she would offer in any field.
“Believe in yourself. Have faith in your own abilities. There may or not be people like you in the room so be confident in yourself so you can work with diverse types of people.”
Dr. Sarah Snider
CEO & Co-Founder of BEAM Diagnostics, Inc. (BEAM)
Courtesy of Dr. Sarah Snider
Dr. Sarah Snider didn’t plan to pursue a career in technology. Trained as a Behavioral Pharmacologist with a special focus on behavior and substance use disorders (SUDs), she realized the future of science, behavioral health specifically, requires technology to create tools to fill gaps in healthcare.
As a Post Doctoral Associate, she worked to understand human behavior and decision-making in adults with alcohol and SUDs. Her training and research led to her founding a spinout company from Dr. Warren Bickel’s academic laboratory at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke.
BEAM participated in RAMP’s (Regional Accelerating and Mentoring Program) second cohort in 2018. Snider says one of the biggest benefits was the business mentorship from two incredibly successful female entrepreneurs, Dr. Mary Miller and Cynthia Lawrence, who served as guides, not only for business, but also being a woman in business.
“They helped me find, develop and have confidence in my voice in a male-dominated industry,” Snider says. “And I’m still developing that voice, trying to ignore the imposter syndrome every woman knows all too well.”
Her advice is “Don’t quit. When the imposter syndrome creeps in, remind yourself that if you were invited to the table, you can and should use your voice. That is your seat so own it. Don’t just observe, participate – ask questions, answer questions, counter, collaborate and lead. And once you start feeling like you own your seat, invite other women to the table. Or, better yet, make a place for them at the table.”
Snider suggests finding a support system where you can “talk, motivate, share, uplift, guide, vent to and celebrate.”
Angela Pope Dickerson
Customer Experience Manager at Bullish
Angela Pope Dickerson began her career with AT&T Wireless when cell phones were the emerging technology. Over the past 10 years, she has worked in customer experience for various tech companies including cyber security, edtech and blockchain.
Courtesy of Angela Dickerson
She serves as Chapter President of the Southwest Virginia Chapter of Blacks in Technology (BIT) where they are looking to diversify participation in the technology ecosystem. BIT has a goal of using technology to close the racial wealth gap.
“I know the value of community and I am honored to help build the community of Black technologists and tech adjacent folks,” says Dickerson. “While members must identify as Black, events are open to everyone.”
Dickerson is pleased to see women in the tech ecosystem in our region. She’s excited that the numbers are growing and about the contributions that women are making.
“Personally, I have seen more women in coding, technical operations and cybersecurity,” she shares. “While there are more women, there is still not a significant number of women. I’m encouraged by what I see, but I’m not satisfied with the status quo.”
For women considering the technology field, her advice is to give it a try and don’t be afraid to try different areas until something grabs your interest. She also suggests finding a mentor.
“Through BIT, I have been introduced to Black women founders, technologists, recruiters and evangelists,” says Dickerson. “We are not waiting for someone to give us a chance, we are creating our own because we are that motivated!”
Wendi Pannell
CEO, Pannell Consulting
Courtesy of Wendi Pannell
Wendi Pannell started out in hotel restaurant management and when that didn’t work out, she fell back on something that felt familiar – computers. She had played around with them in her father’s business over the summers. That decision led to over 20 years of experience in operations and leaderships roles and to opening her own consulting business.
As Chairwomen of WoTech, an initiative of the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council, Pannell has enjoyed empowering members to soar in the tech world through mentorship and shared successes. WoTech provides opportunities for women in technology fields to network and connect, to share challenges and opportunities, to learn and brainstorm and to celebrate successes.
“Seek out a village of women who support you, develop and nurture your network, speak up and be prepared for challenges,” Pannell says. “Embrace your unique perspectives. It’s not just WHAT you do but HOW you show up. Expect respect and earn it by giving others the same.”
She encourages women to think of their work and professional lives as seasons, knowing that things change and that is okay.
“This area needs more bold women in technology to grow our area. We need more women on local stages and pulling each other up. We need more support from our community to hold and create programming for these women that WANT to be in the field. Want to see innovation explode? Invest in women in tech. We’re the secret sauce that will unlock the next wave of breakthroughs.”
Taylor Spellman, Director of RBTC, says that whether by industry or occupation, there are many opportunities for women in tech and biotech.
“RBTC hopes to further our efforts to do our part filling the gap of women and minorities in tech through our DEI committee’s efforts,” she says.
WoTech programming includes quarterly Lunch and Learns and Power Hour socials and Morning Jolt, a virtual monthly gathering with professional development topics.
RAMP has a growing number of female entrepreneurs who have graduated in recent years. They work to connect these women-owned tech and biotech startups with specialized resources and funding.
Spellman encourages women to get curious about STEM and learn where those avenues may lead.
The story above is from our March/April 2024 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!