Meet the Women Who Are Thriving in Hard-Tech Careers Today
Image credit: UnsplashWe may have welcomed more women into US workplaces and boardrooms in recent years, but there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. Despite making up 50% of the country’s workforce, women only hold 25% of jobs in the tech industry. And in sectors like hard-tech, which includes robotics, AI, and wireless technology, women founders get less than 3% of the country's venture capital dollars, despite ballooning investor interest.This is especially worrisome as diversity is essential in ensuring that today’s technologies cater to everyone. Thankfully, despite their small number, a lot of women are making significant strides in their chosen tech field. And today, we're putting the spotlight on three thriving women in hard-tech.Tara Dunn, founder, and president of Omni PCBhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgZssDf6FTEKnowing how to design a PCB is no easy feat. You need to be knowledgeable about schematics, circuit board layout, and various electrical components, along with different design software. It’s easily one of the most complex fields to get into, which is why seeing Tara Dunn in an executive position in PCB design is nothing short of impressive.As connected devices grow smaller and smaller, experts like Dunn who are very much well versed in flex and rigid-flex PCBs will become even more instrumental in the creation of future IoT systems. Rigid-flex PCBs are gaining tremendous popularity due to their reduced weight and size, durability, and flexibility. Components like these are the ones that enable the latest gadgets to come in portable sizes and exciting shapes.Dunn graduated from the Minnesota State University with a degree in Business Administration and Economics. Aside from being the founder and president of Omni PCB, she is also the founder of Geek-A-Palooza, a networking event tailored for the electronics industry, and the vice president of marketing and business development in Averatek.Gwynne Shotwell, president, and COO of SpaceXhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dar8P3r7GYAAnother outstanding woman making waves in a male-dominated field is Gwynne Shotwell. Before becoming the president and COO of SpaceX, Shotwell worked in the policy and analytical segments of the space sector for a decade. Then, when she became the vice president for business development, she built the Falcon family manifest to over 70 launches.Under her guidance, SpaceX became the first private space organization to launch, orbit, and recover a spacecraft. SpaceX also became the first to launch and recover astronauts through its series of Crew missions. As the 11th employee of SpaceX, Shotwell played a major role in the introduction of the Starlink project.The Starlink project aims to develop a low latency broadband internet system that can serve even those in remote locations for a low price. With the advent of 5G, Starlink will play a key role in making the next-generation network affordable to all. Shotwell graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master's in Applied Mathematics.Mary Barra, CEO, and chairman of General Motorshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu7dN_FRZUgAfter working in departments like HR and serving as the global vice president of product development, Barra became General Motors’ CEO and chairman in 2014. As the first-ever woman to lead any major auto company, Mary Barra has influenced significant changes in her field.She has a vision of zero crashes that could save lives; zero emissions that could ensure the future generations have a healthier planet to live in; and zero congestion that will save passengers from wasting time on the road. Barra is also taking GM to greater heights by focusing on the ways connectivity, electrification, and autonomous driving can improve the core strength of their cars, trucks, and crossovers.Under her leadership, General Motors was ranked number one on the 2018 Global Report on Gender Equality. Barra graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in Engineering and a master's in Business Administration.With women like Tara Dunn, Gwynne Shotwell, and Mary Barra leading large hard-tech companies, a future tech industry filled with as many women as men wouldn't be too far in the future. Do explore our site for more on exemplary women revolutionizing STEM. About the author:
Romy Jacobs is a part-time writer, part-time teacher, and former professor of biology. She currently resides in Portland with her fiancé and a mischievous samoyed named Albert.romyjacobs.writes@gmail.com