Walker Women in STEM

Walker’s all-girls robotics team – The Spyder Bytes – hosted its first Women in STEM event last week. This inaugural event included a panel of women in the Walker community who work in STEM-related fields. 

Panelists included Walker parent and alum Amanda Taylor (’04), Walker parent Alyssa Small and Hetal Gordon (’93), an alum, Walker parent and member of Walker’s board of trustees. The panel was facilitated by Spyder Bites Team Leader Anna Ronsini. 

Panelists shared what it is like to be a woman in STEM – what attracted them to the field, the challenges they have faced, and some of the very best parts of the job. 

Taylor, director of cybersecurity at Insight Global, recalled an incident that occurred while she was working at The Weather Channel where she accidentally sent a “zombie alert” to thousands of customers. 

“I love the moments when everything goes wrong,” said Taylor, vice president of infrastructure at Insight Global. “I like the heated value of trying to figure it out. You build so much camaraderie and learn so much from those moments.”

“I like how we are always trying to solve a new problem,” said Smalls, analytics lead at IBM Sports & Entertainment. Her team collects data for major sporting events including The Masters and the US Open. “When I started 13 years ago, it was a male-dominated culture and I often felt belittled. But now my boss is a woman and there are generally more women onsite at our events than men. I love working on a team. We’re a tight-knit group.”

Gordon, who has over 30 years in the industry, managed multiple high profile global partnerships at Google and The Trade Desk, helping companies leverage technology to grow their advertising footprint. 

“So many aspects of tech were appealing to me. I loved the fast-paced culture and the energy and expansive mindset of being able to see the world through a global lense,” said Gordon. 

In 2015, she was promoted to Director of Global Client Lead at Google. 

“There are fewer and fewer women as you move up. At The Trade Desk, I was the only senior vice president-level woman. Currently, there isn’t one,” said Gordon. “You have to find your people. At Google, there was a Women at Google community and later a Breadwinning Women at Google community. Wherever you end up, you have to have real conversations.”

“Women in tech often feel ‘less than’ and have self-doubt. When I was first promoted, I had coworkers say that I wasn’t ‘technical’ and I was compensated at a lower rate than my male counterparts,” said Taylor. “I love what I do and there are times when I feel super-confident. I have never reported to a woman, but I have had many who have supported my career.”

Any advice for women considering entering the STEM field?

“As I reflect now, I would say to keep checking in on your heart,” said Gordon. “Yes, you want to succeed, but also follow your heart. Never stop learning. You can pivot at any time and take on a new skill, but always keep your heart in check.”