Women’s History Month is a crucial time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women in all industries, including the tech industry. The tech industry has historically been male-dominated, with women facing various challenges to achieve success and recognition. However, the situation is slowly changing, and women are making significant strides in the tech industry.

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At RealWork Labs, we believe that diversity and inclusivity are essential to building a successful and innovative team. We recognize the importance of creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their gender or background. Celebrating Women’s History Month is one way we can show our commitment to these values and support the advancement of women in tech.

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We interviewed five women from RealWork Labs on their inspiration, how to step up as a woman in the workplace and tech industry, overcoming barriers, and their advice for other women in the tech industry.

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Sunny Jenkins

Who inspires you?

I’ve been lucky to have worked with some astounding women throughout my career. I find that each chapter in my career, each job I’ve held, has brought a new perspective and new women to learn from. From teaching in a preschool to working in the tech industry, I’ve been inspired by my coworker’s ability to show empathy in leadership and pave the way for growth in their careers. I can only aspire to do the same in my own career and inspire others along the way.

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How do you step up as a woman in your role, the workplace, and the tech industry?

I thrive in environments where I can nurture a team. The way I step up as a woman is to provide clear communication within a nurturing environment. I’ve only been in the tech world for 3 years but I’ve found that this leadership style is rare and has been valuable to the company’s culture.

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What have been your barriers, and how did you overcome them?

I’ve had a unique experience coming into this position from a 10-year stint as a Preschool teacher and Director. Barriers have felt consistent as I learn this new industry from learning the corporate lingo to fighting imposture syndrome, but I’ve been lucky enough to work in an environment where the company values strength in differences, empowers me to succeed and adopts a beginner’s mindset.

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What advice do you have for women in the tech industry?

My advice is to find the strengths in who you are as a woman and capitalize on them! We have the ability to nurture, empower, lead, cultivate community and so much more, and our feminine energy is something that the tech industry needs more of!

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Emily Griggs

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Who inspires you?

My mother is my biggest inspiration and has worked hard to provide for myself and my family. I dream of being as inspirational as she has been for me.

How do you step up as a woman in your role, the workplace, and the tech industry?

I step up as a woman by simply owning that fact. Instead of hiding behind that fact, I’m able to use that as a powerful tool.

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What have been your barriers, and how did you overcome them? ​

The barriers I have witnessed and been exposed to as a woman are not being taken seriously in the industry or being thought of as irrational/emotional. To overcome this is to prove them otherwise. Opinions are only changed by showing them why they are wrong!

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What advice do you have for women in the tech industry?

My advice is not to be ashamed or feel incapable based on a gender role. You can overcome a lot more in life if you open yourself up to possibilities and growth. Use this to your advantage and prove to them why you are here: to be successful, just like everyone else. If by chance, that isn’t your goal, you’re probably in the wrong industry.

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Amanda Laing

Who inspires you?

My dad was my major inspiration. My dad worked his way through the government ranks. He would go into work hours early, but at the end of the day, he was always at my swim meets or my parent-teacher conferences.  No matter how busy he was, he made sure he took time for me.

How do you step up as a woman in your role, the workplace, and the tech industry?

I think this is definitely something that I struggle with, but I try to be intentional in my actions. I’ve also learned it’s important to stand up for things you believe in, and if something is happening that you perceive as an issue, you should be comfortable bringing that to someone’s attention. This can definitely be harder than it seems at times to implement, though, but sometimes you have to push through your fears and stand up for yourself and other women around you.

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What have been your barriers, and how did you overcome them? ​​

I’d say my biggest barrier has been making sure that I am able to effectively communicate with everyone. Everyone has a different personality and way they like to communicate, so figuring out how to communicate effectively has been huge. One thing we started doing is communication style quizzes and personality quizzes, so everyone knows each other’s communication styles.

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What advice do you have for women in the tech industry?

Be yourself! You bring something unique to the table just by being you. It’s okay if you don’t fit into the stereotypical tech mold, you can learn from them, and they can learn from you. Let that thing that makes you special shine through, no matter what it is.

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Hannah Spence

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Who inspires you?

My husband and son inspire me to make myself a total gift to others. A rewarding life is a meaningful life, and living for others gives me meaning.

How do you step up as a woman in your role, the workplace, and the tech industry?

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I step up as a team member by looking for ways to streamline our workflow, bringing compassion for those who may be struggling, and raising the bar by holding myself and my peers to a higher standard.

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What have been your barriers, and how did you overcome them?

The main barrier I’ve faced is unfortunately common for many millennials: so many companies want a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree for positions that don’t necessarily require that knowledge. It weeds out anyone who either couldn’t afford to get a degree or didn’t have the guidance to do so as a young adult. Leveraging the work ethic instilled by my parents and low-wage jobs as a teen and young adult has helped me learn to code and work through a coding boot camp to get a job as a software engineer.

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What advice do you have for women in the tech industry?

In my experience, women have the upper hand in the tech industry because fewer women enter the tech industry, so don’t be afraid to be choosy about where to work. For example, if they don’t have maternity leave, but you might want to take advantage of that benefit someday, or if they demand an 80-hour week but you need a work-life balance, feel free to run in the other direction and save your skills for a worthwhile company!

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Ashlie Beirne

Who inspires you?

Ironically enough, Dr. Brené Brown, Ph. D, and MSW, has inspired me to be the truest version of myself, trust in the process, see people by their pages and not their cover, and ultimately find my voice – which got me into the tech industry. Through her, I’ve learned that women possess resilience through vulnerability and, because of that, are capable of conquering whatever life throws our way. Dr. Brown has also inspired me to be in competition with myself by doing better than yesterday and that if I’m going to fail, it needs to be forward.

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How do you step up as a woman in your role, the workplace, and the tech industry?

As a woman in my role, I have made becoming versatile a priority. Through versatility, I have allowed myself to become accessible to those who have questions, comments, or concerns.  Even if I don’t have the answer, I exercise those interactions as learning opportunities. Inevitably, this has allowed me to understand that there is no “right” way to be successful and that there are no such things as silly questions, it proves nothing to be arrogantly silent.

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What have been your barriers, and how did you overcome them?

In a male-dominated industry, being taken seriously and working harder to be proven an asset have been my two most prominent barriers. Luckily I have recently learned that you cannot grow in comfortability and have become familiar with being comfortable being unconformable. This requires being thirsty for knowledge, eager to learn, and open to any side project or opportunity that has presented itself. By doing so, this has proven that making temporary sacrifices result in long-term success.

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What advice do you have for women in the tech industry?

My advice for women in the tech industry is to take that chance on yourself so that others can take a chance on you, never let society change you, take control of what you can and don’t let what you can’t control you, and to get yourself ready for the path, don’t get the path ready for you (simply because you can’t). Remember, tech advances every day, and being able to adapt is the best thing you can do for yourself.

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Resources for women in tech

Austin Women in Technology – Austin Women in Technology is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a community of women interested in technology.

Built in Austin’s Women in Tech – A hub for articles on women making an impact on Austin Tech startups.

Austin Women in Technology Meetup – A professional organization committed to providing a community for women in technology to network and assist others who work in or have a passion for technology.

WITI Austin – A local forum for women to network with each other, forge connections, share resources and discover opportunities in the technology industry.

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