Cambridge Business Association
The Adventures of Women in Tech
Book

The Adventures of Women in Tech

How We Got Here and Why We Stay

Alana Karen
Alana Karen, 2020
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Hear the voices of women recount their stories of triumph, and, alas, frustration, as they navigate their technology careers. Alana Karen, a director of search platforms at Google, recounts how women succeed in tech careers and why they stay despite the myriad challenges the industry presents, including an inhospitable work culture, persistent pay inequity, and the daily demands of balancing work and home responsibilities. Karen surmises that resolving these issues will require the collective effort of tech companies and women in senior roles to foster inclusivity and improve overall diversity.

Summary

Careers in technology offer women opportunities to immerse themselves in innovative and fast-paced work cultures.

Despite headlines to the contrary, the technology industry is a diverse workplace; male and female employees hail from a variety of cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and work and educational experiences.

Some women employed in the IT sector opted for technology careers from an early age, while others explore other avenues before landing there. Consider, for example, the paths these women followed toward their careers in tech: Wendy Zenone transitioned from public relations to information security and software engineering. Bethanie Baynes worked in photography and early on saw the opportunities that technology offered artists. Marily Nika knew from age 10 she wanted a career in IT. Ashley Sun aimed for medicine in college before switching to computer science. Annie Lange earned a PhD in poetry, and now works as an engineering manager. Kris Politopoulos moved from accounting to engineering operations.

A rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives creates an innovative and productive work environment and produces favorable economic...

About the Author

Alana Karen works in product development and innovation in the tech industry. She speaks at conferences on resilience, equity, inclusion and other industry-relevant topics. 

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