GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On this seventh annual Dress for STEM Day, we’re recognizing a West Michigan woman working to make the tech industry more diverse. She’s a veteran in the industry and says there’s more than one way to break into the field.
Joanna Udo has been working in the tech industry for about 11 years and says, “I actually have the most boring career path to tech. I went to college and I got a degree in computer networking and network security,” after which she noticed that, “Throughout that journey, I didn’t see a lot of women in the workforce. I didn’t see a lot of women of color. So, even when I was being active in the community and going to all of these tech events in West Michigan, there just wasn’t enough representation.”
After years of volunteer work to bring more diversity to the field, two years ago she started Bridges in Tech. She prefers “to think of it like a lifestyle program.”
The organization creates a safe space for women of color to express their interest in STEM-related careers, offering not just mentoring, coaching and resume building, but the whole package.
“We bring everything together. We start by looking at you as a whole person and understanding the things that you enjoy doing, understanding what your goals are for your life and then helping you identify a technology job that kind of meets all of those,” said Udo.
Then, Bridges in Tech leaders help members fulfill the steps necessary in order to qualify for the jobs of their dreams, no matter their backgrounds.
“Tech is a very, very broad field and there is something for everyone. So, your skill sets are needed and they’re not all technical, analytical and mathematics-oriented,” said Udo.
She also says they’re targeting women 25 and older to provide the support and resources that are often already being offered on college campuses.
For more information, visit the Bridges in Tech website.
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