Making a Big Difference in a Small Town: Teaching Tech with Bella Minds
The problem isn't that we don't have enough women in technology, the problem is that we don't have enough people in technology. We're missing about 250,000 people to fill technology jobs in the US.
Jennifer Shaw spoke at the Women Techmakers Summit about two organizations she founded, New York Tech Women and Bella Minds. Jennifer was taught tech skills by her mother as a teenager and then went to school for business. When she was looking to enter the tech field a few years ago, the environment was not very welcoming and even the women weren't treating each other very well. New York Tech Women was established to help women feel welcome in technology and work together.With the initial success of New York Tech Women she was receiving emails every day from companies trying to hire their first female technologist. She was frustrated by the tokenism.
The problem isn't that we don't have enough women in technology, the problem is that we don't have enough people in technology. We're missing about 250,000 people to fill technology jobs in the US. ~Jennifer Shaw
Jennifer focuses on mid-career women instead of students. Bella Minds takes city-centric education resources and pairs them with small cities. By placing technologists in small cities to teach hands-on courses, they bring mid-career women technology skills. The curriculum includes 36 hours of workshops with experts and then eight weeks of online video sessions "where participants help each other confront the challenges inherent in learning and taking risks." By jumpstarting women already in the workforce she is quickly triaging our need for more technology skills.
Want to Teach?
Bella Minds is accepting applications for their first 15 teaching fellows.
My Inc. Interview: 7 Networking Tips for Women
Geri Stengel interviewed me about networking tips for women entrepreneurs in conjunction with my monthly Founder Friday events in New York City. I start many meetings reminding the 200 attendees to approach networking events in a thoughtful way designed to make the most of your time. Read the complete article about Networking Tips for Women on Inc.
...Connections open doors, doors to money, markets and qualified managers and employees.
- Pick your venue. There are plenty to choose from. If you don’t like the vibe of one organization’s events, try another. You can choose gender-specific hosted events such as Women 2.0 Founder Friday or the National Association of Women Business Owners, industry specific organizations, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or general business groups such as Chambers of Commerce.
- Know your elevator pitch. You are not here to make a sale, so you don’t need to close the deal. You do need to let people know who you are and what you do in a way that makes them want to hear more.
- Ask questions. Women are great at building closeness and connections through conversation. By asking questions you’ll engage the person and really get to know what they do. Still not comfortable? Pretend you are interviewing people for an article about the event; get the who, what, and why. Make the task less personal.
Read the complete article about Networking Tips for Women on Inc. [author]
Geri Stengel is the founder of Ventureneer.com, which connects socially responsible businesses, social enterprises, and nonprofits with the knowledge needed to make the world a better place while thriving as businesses. As a woman business owner herself and past board member of the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she understands the unique challenges women entrepreneurs face when growing their businesses beyond $1 million.[/author]
16 First Date Skills That Will Make You A Better Business Networker
You've heard that WHO you know is more important than WHAT you know, but your education focused on facts instead of making connections. Whether you use these skills to connect to your next investor or to meet the love of your life, many of the same principles that make you a great first date will make you a better business networker too.
BEFORE YOU MEET
- Prepare your soundbites. Almost every meeting will include questions like "what do you do?" and "where are you from?" Instead of the standard answers, prepare short stories that make you sound interesting, fun, and unique. Don't tell your latest acquaintance that you're building the next social network and looking for a technical co-founder. That's predictable and so common it's forgettable. Tell him how you combined your love of website design with yoga to create a video blog that teaches parents how to introduce yoga to their kids and it's gotten far more popular than you could have imagined. If this isn't natural to you, check out books on how to talk about yourself with just the right amount of self promotion such as BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus.
- Investigate to find common ground. It's easier to bond with someone when you have something in common. If you've lived in the same states, vacationed to the same places, or went to the same school, you'll want to bring that up early to build rapport. With all the free information available on the internet, there's no excuse to not know that they love shiba inu puppies too. I use tools like 123People to find where my potential connections lurk online. You'll make an amazing first impression if you can start the conversation with "Hey I really loved your blog post on Facebook's inflated evaluation last week, how did you..."
- Dress up, instead of down. People form judgements about you in the first 15 seconds of meeting you and clothes are part of that equation. I would lean towards looking a little too good instead of the opposite. If you can wear something distinctive, without looking silly, it might help you be more memorable. Gary Sharma, of GarysGuide, wears a red tie to all events, which he even mentions on his business cards and email signature so he's easier to find and remember.
STARTING THE CONVERSATION
- Practice walking up to people you don't know. You should be able to walk up to anyone at a networking event and introduce yourself. Look for people alone or in pairs at the endges of an event for an easy start and work your way up. People come to networking events to talk to new people but get stuck just saying hello to people they already know. Break out of the rut and you might just meet your next co-founder. If this is a tough skill for you, practice by introducing yourself in low-pressure situations like the person sitting next to you on the train tonight.
- Add value to join any conversation. The person you want to meet is at the center of a conversation and it seems impossible to break into the group. You can use the same method savvy guys employ to break into a group of girlfriends at the bar. Don't just shove your way into the group and interrupt, stay close and listen for an opportunity to add value to the conversation. When your target brings up how much they loved the gelato at dinner, offer that there's a new gelateria in town that they should try.
DURING THE CONVERSATION
- Smile a lot. Look like you're having a good time anytime someone can see your face. This is especially useful at events where you'd like to make an impression on the speaker. Sit in the front row and look really attentive by smiling, nodding, and taking notes on key points. Most people sit in an audience with a blank stare or spend the whole time checking their laptop. If you're the friendly and receptive face in the crowd, you'll be a welcome contact to meet after the event too.
- Focus on how you can help them. Many people approach networking opportunities selfishly trying to find people to help them. Flip your priorities around and focus on how you can help people you meet. Helping someone make a connection or find a resource will give you an excellent reason to trade contact information. Every time I've focused on helping the other person, they've returned the favor when I've needed something.
- Don't cross your arms in front of your body. I recommend everyone take a basic body language course to learn the visual cues that show you're receptive to the conversation. The very first lesson is to stop crossing your arms across your chest. Although it's a comfortable way to hold your hands, it makes you seem closed off. I take courses at the Nonverbal Group in New York City.
- Buy the next round. It may seem simple but offering to buy the next round is a skill men mastered ages ago to keep the conversation going. I learned how few women employ this technique when booking event spaces with bar minimums for Women 2.0's Founder Friday events. Events with primarily women sell the least drinks because women aren't culturally tuned to buy rounds. Events with men trying to impress women sell the most drinks for...obvious reasons.
- Banish distractions. You never know where your next important connection will come from so even if you don't think the person you're talking to is "important", don't check your phone. Don't look around the room. Don't sit there and think about your day or what you need to do next. Be fully present for your conversation partner. It's the best present you can give them.
- Be positive. Nothing says "steer clear" like somebody who spends half the conversation complaining about their company/ex/apartment/family or whatnot. Keep the first meeting topics upbeat.
- Don't let the conversation stall. Everyone needs a bank of general questions you can ask a new acquaintance to get them talking and find common ground. You already know the standards like "do you have any siblings" but now is the time to invent questions that make you more insightful. I like, if you had enough money that you didn't have to work, what would you do?
- Listen more than you talk. We are a culture starving to be listened to. We broadcast our most minor thoughts throughout the Internet, desperate to be read. Listening is much more powerful than talking. Also making people feel like their minor thoughts on the Internet are being listened to can help too so like, retweet, and up vote away.
- Compliment them. Try to offer at least one honest compliment to your conversation partner. This technique is over used so if you can't say something genuine, skip it.
AFTER THE CONVERSATION
- Follow up! Follow up! No really, follow up! We all think important people are too busy to respond, so most people never reach out in the first place. I've given out business cards to 50+ people at an event in which every single one promised they'd follow up with me and gotten 2 emails afterwards. If you get someone's contact information, send them a follow-up within 24 hours every SINGLE time. I use CardMunch to import business cards into my address book automatically and send LinkedIn invites. If you see a speaker that you'd like to connect with, the least you can do is tweet a useful tip from their speech with their username, tweet them a compliment, and follow them on Twitter.
- Personalize every follow up. I use the Gmail plug-in Rapportive to display everyone's social media updates along side every email I write to them. This allows me to personalize each email with something like "hey I saw you were in Chicago last weekend, did you find any good restaurants while you were there?" instead of the general "hope all is well with you" opening.
Jelly Belly photo by Mike Crain.
A Father's Day Wish
It may be from last year, but Jeff Perlman's article rings just as true in 2012. I grew up with two full-time parents who put my sister and I before work every time. We may not have had everything but I have a childhood full a great memories and none of them include them missing a school play.[quote]Order the wife to bug off: I recently met a mother who told me her husband hadn't been alone with their 9-year-old daughter for more than two hours ... ever. Inexcusable. Let your wife do her own thing: relax, take a run, whatever. Entertain your children solo. They don't bite (Note: CNN.com is not liable if your children do, in fact, bite).[/quote]Read the full article "A Father's Day Wish: Dads, wake the hell up!"
How To Get Serious About Continuous Learning On A Budget
[quote]In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." ~ Eric Hoffer[/quote]
- Use Audible to listen to books during your commute, workout, or while you do chores (about $15 each or less).
- Use Read It For Me for video summaries and workbooks of major business books ($29.99/month).
- Start a book club with some like-minded colleagues to keep each on top of reading. If you're in NYC, join my (Reading Optional) Business Book Club.
- TED - Instead of watching 20 minute sitcoms, watch 20 minute of the worlds greatest living ideas (free).
- Netflix Documentaries - They may not all be unbiased but they're definitely interesting ($7.99/month).
- Academic Earth is the largest directory of video lectures from universities like NYU, Harvard, and more.
- Most of us have skipped, forgot, or never really learned a few math topics. Use Khan Academy to really learn calculus or finance with easy to follow videos that build on concepts as you go.
- Open Courseware Consortium - Includes over 6,613 courses from 65 Universities in 12 languages.
- iTunes U - Hosts more than 350,000 free lectures from Stanford, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley and more. Free, even for Windows users, and easy to download to your iDevice to watch on the run.
- Stanford - Online classes in entrepreneurship, computer science, anatomy, and engineering (free).
- Lifehacker - Has a great list of online courses they recommend for common majors.
Going to school part-time may be cheaper than paying your student loans. Since you can defer your student loans (some interest-free) while you're in school at least half-time, it may be cheaper to continue taking classes than stop. I'm not an accountant so do your research first but it's an excellent excuse to keep taking classes if you're on a tight budget. Even if you work full-time, you'll find tons of night classes and online classes that work around any schedule.
Building Your Resume Without Going Back To School
When men want to learn a new skill they get a new job, when women want to learn something new, they go back to school -- or so I found in years of hiring. In my experience, men were more likely to apply for jobs that they were under-qualified for and plan to fake it until they made it. Overall they were right to do so, if you're only applying to jobs you already know how to do, you're underselling yourself and stumping your growth. Here's three methods to build up your resume, make connections, and learn new skills, without going back to school.SpeakYou're an expert in something and there are organizations that would love you to share your expertise. Not only will you get great practice at public speaking but the next time a friend of an audience member is looking to hire an expert in your field, you may be the first person they recommend. Contact the organizers of the following groups to get started:
- Meetup.com - lists thousands of groups on hundreds of topics. You may know nothing about restaurants but there's plenty of restaurant owners who would love your advice on social media.
- Local Chamber of Commerce, co-working spaces, and professional associations - anywhere business owners and managers meet, you need to be.
- Conferences - you may not be ready for the big time but there are thousands of smaller conferences desperate for speakers. Start looking early though, many conference start booking speakers up to year in advance. You'll typically get a free full pass to the conference in exchange and some clout to boot.
PublishIt costs almost nothing to self-publish a book these days. Although getting picked up by a publisher is better for your resume, there's no reason not to publish yourself now while you search for a publisher. Don't think you've got enough material or time to write a book? Start a blog in your area of expertise or start publishing white papers. Soon enough you'll have enough content to string together into a book.
- Lulu - Popular print on demand service costs nothing to make your book available by taking a cut of each sale. They'll also translate your RTF or Word file to eBook format for sale on the Nook and iBookstore for free (but they don't support Amazon's Kindle).
- BiblioCrunch - Free platform to create your eBook for any reader. They keep 15% of sales. Support this female-owned NYC start-up :)
- CatchAFire.org - Matches volunteers with non-profits. Plus they're a women-owned start-up based in NYC.
- Idealist.org - Lists thousands of volunteer and non-profit jobs throughout the world.
- VolunteerMatch - A wide variety of local volunteer opportunities.
- Serve.gov - Tends towards government-related opportunities like helping military families, disaster preparation, etc.
- Hackathons - Bring together business developers, graphic designers, and hackers to create technology over a weekend. Even if you don't have the skills to participate, volunteer to help run the event. You'll meet hundreds of working and freelancing technologists in about 72 hours.
- Always keep your business cards handy. Even if you don't have a current position, you should have personal cards made out with your name, general skill set/title, email address, and phone number. Add your personal blog, Twitter handle, and LinkedIn profile if you can.
- Get business cards from as many people as possible and follow up! Connect on LinkedIn within a week or send them a follow-up email thanking them for you their time and letting them know that you are looking for new opportunities if they hear of anything.
5 Enlightening RSA Animated Videos from 21st-Century Philosophers
The RSA hand-animates 21st century philosopher’s view points and ideas. Often amusing and always thought provoking. Professor Philip Zimbardo conveys how our individual perspectives of time affect our work, health and well-being. Time influences who we are as a person, how we view relationships and how we act in the world. Dan Pink‘s talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace. Taken from a speech given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education expert talks about the follies of judging people by “academic standards” and how the “epidemic” of ADHD is a lie. Acclaimed journalist, author and political activist Barbara Ehrenreich explores the darker side of positive thinking. Renowned philosopher Slavoj Zizek investigates the surprising ethical implications of charitable giving.Yeah he’s a “commie”.