Taking Initiative at Microsoft with Katharine Holdsworth

About Design: Tabitha Yong – Khan Academy Product Designer: Tabitha Yong is a Senior Product Designer at Khan Academy. Tabitha studied graphic design at the Rhode Island School of Design, and we talked about what graphic design is, and how it is affecting technology. Tabitha also gave an insight on how products are developed at Apple and Khan Academy, the technologies she uses, and her workflow as a designer. I really enjoyed this conversation and hope that you will too. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Microservice Architecture with Michele Titolo: Michele Titolo is a Lead Software Developer at Capital One. Michele has built microservices at Capital One which is a Bank in the United States. We talked about the increasing popularity of microservices, what they are, and the value that they add to an organization. Michele also gave an insight on her experience developing microservices and good practices. We also talked about mobile app development and how it has been evolving. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Halo: Storytelling in Video Games with Kiki Wolfkill: Kiki Wolfkill is Studio Head at Halo Transmedia in 343 industries. Kiki loves storytelling since she was young and we had an interesting conversation on the process of developing a story line for Halo, one of the most successful video games of all time. Kiki also explained how the Halo Universe has expanded to other platforms such as novels, comic books, toys and the challenges of maintaining a consistent story and deciding what to explore in each platform. We also talked about the involvement of fans in Halo and how that affects the video gaming industry. Video games have become more sophisticated and the reasons why Halo is so popular is because of its rich story line, so it was very interesting to learn how this is tied with the other areas involved in video game development. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Making a Better World Through Code with Maria Naggaga: Maria Naggaga is on a mission to make a better world through code. She is actively involved in projects to help the community, and this is one of the reasons of why she is in technology. We talked about the diverse projects she has worked on, and also about her work as a Technical Evangelist at Microsoft. Maria enjoys building projects, using ASP.NET, contributing to open source, expressing herself artistically and is currently a Program Manager at Microsoft. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Research in Tech with Jessica Su: Jessica co-authored “The Effect of Recommendations on Network Structure” while at Twitter and is currently a PhD student in Computer Science at Stanford University. We talked about doing research in the industry and academia, the state of recommendation systems and their implications, and also about careers and technical interviews. I hope you like this episode. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Hacking for Good with Vidya Srinivasan: Vidya Srinivasan is a classical singer since she was 3 years old and has been translating ideas into action at Microsoft as a Technical Program Manager. She is a tech-for-good hacker and has won several awards hacking including the Microsoft global hackathon for the past two years. We had some interesting conversations about hackathon projects, diversity in tech, program management, career strategy and Grace Hopper. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Mobile First at Zillow with Rebekah Bastian: Rebekah Bastian talks about the current state of mobile and developing for mobile web vs native apps. Rebekah is a VP at Zillow and has been successfully driving the execution of products. She got an early start on mobile and also saw the potential for building effective experiences in this platform. We also talked about measuring engagement in mobile, her hobbies, volunteering opportunities, and about her blog post titled “Why I’m not a Woman in Tech”. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

The Importance of Mentorship with Cynthia Tee: Cynthia Tee is Executive director at Ada Developers Academy. For 20 years, Cynthia worked at Microsoft leading diverse products and during this time she also served as a mentor for many women. We talked about the ways in which she has helped other women grow in their careers and her work at the Ada Developers Academy. The Ada Developers Academy is a tuition-free program in Seattle where women can become Software Developers and get work experience. We also talked about her perspective on staying at a company for 20 years and how she would approach her career if she was starting it in 2016. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Launching a Tech Company with Andrea Goulet: Andrea Goulet is the CEO and Co-founder at Corgibytes. When Andrea was 24 years old, she started a consultancy where she worked with some of the world’s largest brands. We talked about how she leveraged that experience to lead Corgibytes, a company focused on continuously improving codebases through software remodeling. Andrea also explained the process of working with legacy code, and the community she built around it called Legacy Code Rocks. We also explored topics on building inclusive environments in tech and her personal experiences in the field. I really enjoyed this episode because Andrea shares the path to starting Corgibytes as well as the early exposure she had to the world of computers when she was a kid. Show Notes: Legacy Code Rocks! Code: Debugging the Gender Gap Purple Cow by Seth Godin by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

A Year of Code with Jackie Luo: Jackie Luo is a Software Engineer at Nylas and Student at Columbia University. In this episode I talked to Jackie about how she, with little experience and exposure to coding, took on the challenge of writing code frequently, committing to github daily. We talked about the types of projects she worked on and what she learned with each experience, and also about putting school on hold, as she took a leave from Columbia to start a full-time Software Engineering role in the bay area. Jackie is a very driven person, and I learned a lot from talking to her and I hope you will too. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Software Engineering for Kids with Felienne: Everyone should learn how to code. Felienne, Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology, explains the importance of learning to code even if we are not going to code for a living. We talked about her approach to teach kids about programming and software engineering. Felienne is bringing teaching methods seen in other disciplines like writing into programming. She explained the progress the children make and how to create an inclusive environment that keeps them engaged. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Finding a Path with Mentors with Marrissa Hellesen: Today’s episode is a bit more on the career development and mentorship side. I had the opportunity to speak with Marrissa Hellesen and we talked about the time when she went from being in a gifted program to taking several jobs through her teenage years while not being enrolled in a high school. As she struggled to get her life back on track for a better future, she emphasized on the importance of mentors in her life. Marrissa has been a volunteer, educator, and mentor and she’s currently a Software Engineer at Microsoft. I hope you like this episode. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

From Scientist to Software Developer with Blithe Rocher: Blithe Rocher graduated from a PhD in Physical Chemistry and went from being a Scientist to a Software Developer. In this episode we talk about this career switch and the steps she took to get immersed in the field. I liked this conversation a lot because I think these aspects also apply to people that are already working in the tech industry and they are looking at working in a different area of technology. We also talked about her work on APIs for the Hilary Clinton campaign website among other interesting projects. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Leveling Up: A Career in Video Games with Katie Stone Perez: Katie Stone Perez is a Senior Program Manager at the Independent Developer Xbox Team. Katie comes from a background in Psychology and we talked about the interesting perspective that this brings to building a team and how to approach product development in the gaming industry. We also talked about independent game developers and how these are changing the gaming industry by creating very unique games that have contributed to engaging a more diverse community. One interesting example is a video game called “I hope” where you are battling cancer. We also explored topics around career development and initiatives to bring more diversity to the gaming industry. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Retaining Women in Tech with Rosario Robinson from The Anita Borg Institute: Rosario is a Director at The Anita Borg Institute. Our conversation explored the experiences that led her to get involved in communities that improve the careers of Women in Technology. We also talked about how she works closely with businesses to make sure they have inclusive environments to retain women in tech, and the role of men in helping with this effort. Rosario also explained the benefits of being a part of communities from The Anita Borg Institute as well as volunteering opportunities and The Grace Hopper Conference. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Galvanize: A Tech Community with Tracy Aiken: Tracy Aiken, General Manager at Galvanize explains how Galvanize is helping entrepreneurs, aspiring technologists, as well as people that already work in technology. Galvanize has beautiful locations in the United states that nurture a community that strives to improve. Tracy talked about what people can do once they are at Galvanize and the variety of opportunities that they give their members. Given Tracy’s 20 years of experience in leadership positions, we also talked about leadership and her work in ensuring that the community at Galvanize remains inclusive. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Unconscious Bias in Hiring with Stephanie Lampkin: Stephanie Lampkin is Founder and CEO of Blendoor. Stephanie was named by MIT Technology Review as one of the 35 innovators under 35 in the category of Entrepreneurs. After graduating from MIT and Stanford, Stephanie applied for an analytics job at a major tech company but was offered a job in sales instead. After this experience, Stephanie created Blendoor on her own at a Hackathon. Blendoor is a job search platform that hides candidate’s names and photos in the initial stages of the process. This is helping tackle bias issues that can occur in the hiring process. We talked about how the idea of Blendoor was formed, and how she built a team and has been growing the user base. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Machine Learning in the Medical Field with Evelina Gabasova: Evelina Gabasova is developing machine learning models and mathematical models for cancer research. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Cambridge. We talked about how to apply machine learning models in the medical field and the state of AI. Evelina also gave an insight into the types of problems that are being tackled with machine learning and some of the implications on having access to medical data. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Taking Initiative at Microsoft with Katharine Holdsworth: Katharine Holdsworth has been a Program Manager at Microsoft for 13 years and she is currently part of the Windows Insiders team. We talked about her experiences at Microsoft, the Windows Insiders program and about Program Management. Katharine also gave her advice on career growth and getting involved in speaking at technical conferences. We also talked about the "Meet our Leaders" speakers series that she started at Microsoft along with other women, and how this is helping the community at Microsoft. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Becoming a Better Programmer with Sonali Sridhar: Sonali Sridhar is Co-Founder of The Recurse Center, a free three month educational retreat for new and experienced programmers. Sonali talks about building a successful learning organization for programmers and how to establish and maintain a diverse environment through a set of lightweight social rules. She also explained what people work on while they are at The Recurse Center and strategies to become a better programmer. The Recurse Center is a very unique experience because it is not a boot camp and there is no curriculum, programmers build their own path to learning. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

CTO Insights with Yvette Pasqua: Yvette Pasqua is CTO at Meetup and has been in leadership roles for more than a decade. We talked about the process of growing and evolving the Engineering Organization at Meetup. Yvette explained key strategies to align the company with new technology solutions and how she involves people from different divisions at Meetup. We also talked about the experiences that prepared her to take on the role of CTO and how she stays up to date with technology trends. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Building Products with Bri Connelly: Bri Connelly is a driven engineer, product manager and entrepreneur. While at college, she participated in the IBM Watson University competition along with other students and developed an app that makes social services more accessible to people. We talked about this, and also about entrepreneurship, software engineering, product managment and Gboard, Google's latest keyboard. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

DevOps with Bridget Kromhout: What is DevOps? How does it relate to Operations and Software Development? Bridget Kromhout, Principal Technologist for Cloud Foundry at Pivotal answers these questions. Bridget explained what Operations Engineering is and what she used to work on when she was focused in this area. We then talked about how DevOps emerged and how it differs from Operations. At the end we talked about VoiceOps and ChatOps and the future of DevOps. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Grace Hopper Celebration – Part 1: The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. It is organized every year by the Anita Borg Institute and this year there were 15,000 attendees. In this episode I talked to three attendees, Sundas Khalid, Chih-yu Chao, and John Kingsly. Sundas is a first time attendee, Chih-yu is a returning attendee, and John is one of the male attendees. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

From Intern to Corporate Vice President at Microsoft with Joy Chik: Joy Chik is a Corporate Vice President at Microsoft on Cloud and Enterprise. We talked about her career journey that started as an intern at Microsoft in the 90s and how she has kept a growth mindset throughout those years. Joy also explains what a path to leadership looks like and the challenges involved once you are in a leadership position. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Think Fast: Web Performance and UX with Tammy Everts: Tammy Everts is Director of Research and Content at Soasta. Tammy has over 20 years of experience researching the relation between Human Behavior, User Experience, Web Performance and Business Metrics. We talked about what the panorama was like 20 years ago and how it has been changing through the decades. Tammy also talked about biological and neurological reasons that can explain how we interact with machines and how this relates to Web Performance. In addition, we explored topics around the use of machine learning to get different insights from performance metrics, areas of opportunities with third party scripts and the future of mobile web. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Robot Teams with Nora Ayanian: A team of robots can accomplish tasks that a single robot can’t. They can be in charge of dangerous tasks that are difficult for humans to do and help society. Nora Ayanian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Southern California explains how robots can work as a team. Nora talked about the components of building a team of robots and gave examples of tasks that they can do as well as the current challenges in this space. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

The Linux Kernel with Shuah Khan: Shuah Khan is Senior Linux Kernel Developer at Samsung. The Linux Kernel is one of the biggest open source projects in the world and it is used by devices that we interact with on a daily basis. Shuah explained what an operating system kernel is and how the Linux Kernel is architected to support different types of devices. Shuah also talked about how quality is ensured, how tests are run, and the process of contributing to an open source project. In a project of this magnitude and with contributors all over the world, it is important to have a consistent and effective process in place. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Diversity Throughout the Decades with Andrea Taylor: Andrea comes from an interesting background as when she was very young witnessed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech on the National Mall.This event had a positive impact in her life, and we talked about the role that having a background in civil rights has played throughout her various positions in her career including at Microsoft. Andrea gave an insight to her trajectory and the motivation for deciding to lead the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and work preserving the history of the united states and the civil rights movement. Andrea also explained the initiatives that she worked on at Microsoft to make technology accessible to underprivileged people. We also talked about diversity and the types of activities that can help improve it in the technology field. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

Human-Centered Design with Jasmine Lawrence: At 13 years old, Jasmine Lawrence founded EDEN BodyWorks, a company that provides natural products for the hair and body. Jasmine explained the challenges of building tangible products, and how this is different than building software. Jasmine is a Program Manager at Microsoft in the HoloLens team. She has worked in robotics and designing software in the gaming space. by The Women in Tech Show: A Technical Podcast

20 min listen

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Taking Initiative at Microsoft with Katharine Holdsworth

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