Women in Technology and Beyond

I have written about Women in Technology for many years.

This post marks the end of Women’s History month.

But, it’s the beginning of Women in Technology and Beyond.

There was a whole lot more than I could possibly cover here. You can follow along with the hashtag #WomensHistoryMonth. You can also get more information from the Women’s History Month site, or the The National Women's History Project.

Instead I’m going to highlight a few of the women that inspired me --- directly and indirectly.

And, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize my wife of almost 28 years and my daughter for all they do every day of the year.

Much To Do

There is a massive stack of things to do. Good news. Women are in charge of this effort.

Why is this good news? Because women know how to organize and get things done.

This has been an amazing month for Women in History.

Also, for Women in Technology.

It’s not new

Women have been making history for ask long as history has been made. It’s great to have a month dedicated to their efforts, but as we all know … this is a year long effort. Recognize and remind the women in your life that they are an inspiration. Recognize the young talent you see around you and encourage them to keep going. Dr. Jane Goodall has three tips for getting things done and making a difference (see below). Hint: Get Started!

Jane Goodall

I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Dr. Jane Goodall speak this month.

She’s 83 and amazing. I’ve been following her life’s work for almost as long as she’s been doing it.

She spoke at Microsoft and was interviewed by Microsoft’s President Brad Smith. One of the best things was that there were a lot of kids in the audience. I hope at least a few of them were inspired by her words, work, and legacy.

She covered a wide range of topics … all stemming from her work at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. But, as she discussed it started a lot earlier when she was just a child.

Dr. Goodall’s tips for getting things done:

1. Work really hard
2. Take advantage of opportunity
3. Never give up

Follow her and the work her team is up to on Twitter @JaneGoodallInst and on Facebook and on their website. As she mentioned at Microsoft there are options to get engaged, involved, and contributing. Check out Roots and Shoots … this is a grassroots effort (pun intended) to get people of all ages involve in something they are passionate about – spanning People, Animals, and the Environment. Where young people ARE making a difference.

Melinda Gates

I heard a fantastic podcast with Melinda Gates being interviewed by Ezra Klein of Vox at SXSW.

Read the post Melinda Gates is Amazing … Live with Ezra Klein at SXSW and listen or watch the interview.

"When you get women in roles of leadership, we make things happen."
~ Melinda Gates

She shared her thoughts on Maize, Mosquitos, and the Micro-Biome.

And, she spoke about her greatest fear and where she would live and what she would do … if money were no object.

Abigail "Abby" Harrison, aka Astronaut Abby

Another woman I’ve been paying attention is Astronaut Abby. Although she is young, she is making history. She wants to be the first person on Mars. She is passionate about STEM / STEAM education and has founded a non-profit call The Mars Generation to help educate people about the mission.

You can follow her efforts on her Twitter feed @AstronautAbby, her YouTube channel, and her websites – Astronaut Abby and The Mars Generation.

She is funny, insightful, and she takes your questions. I don’t know if she will be the first person on Mars, but I applaud her passion, commitment, and bold statement.

What I Heard and Read

I saw Dr. Jane Goodall live and I heard Melinda Gates within a few days of her speaking at SXSW an I’ve been following Astronaut Abby’s social channels. I also read a lot of the posts that were tagged with the #WomensHistoryMonth hashtag. The stories are amazing and some of it seems to be lost history. But, thanks to Twitter and people digging up and sharing amazing stories we all get to learn about them. Going forward … There are amazing women out there getting it done every day. I look forward to seeing how they contribute to history.

From young to old … women are making history.
Age is just a number.

Don’t miss these posts on great Women in History / Technology

• Marie Curie
• Women in Cloud
• One Named Tech Rock Stars

Inspire(d) Women – Make sure you attend the WIT efforts at the Microsoft Inspire event

• Microsoft Inspire is coming to Las Vegas in July … WIT will be there.
  Will You?
• It’s a week of deep partnering and community development
• If you are in the technology space you should think about joining the IAMCP. There is a strong and growing effort for the IAMCP Women in Technology chapters all around the world.
• We need more STEMWIT’s
• The Microsoft Partner Community is Stronger Together

Thank you for reading. Share your favorite Women in History in the comments. And, if you see me at the Microsoft Inspire event please say hello. Of course, you can always contact me directly if you want to share, collaborate, or comment

I’ll leave you with this image.

Image Credits: NWHM, The Mars Generation

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Jeff is business advisor, mentor and community engagement expert. He brings over 20 years of Channel Sales, Partner Marketing and Alliance expertise to audiences around the world in speaking engagements and via his writing. He has worked for Microsoft, Kodak, and K2.

Connect with me on Twitter @jshuey

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He is a contributing author to Entrepreneur, Elite Daily, Yahoo, US News and to
the Personal Branding Blog with over 250 articles published.