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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Women to Watch alumni offer tips for girls, advice for business and government
By Mass High Tech staff
MHT's Jackie Noblett: Lessons from the 2007 IPOs
MHT's Rodney Brown: Honoring tech citizenship among companies
MHT's Galen Moore: Honoring innovation in New England
Mass High Tech’s Women to Watch honorees are singled out each year for standing out in a typically “man’s world” of business and technology and bringing their feminine touch of equal parts determination, perseverance, aptitude and maybe an ounce of stubbornness. The result is a lineup of entrepreneurs and scientists whose accomplishments need no explanation nor context.
Nevertheless, they stand out for rising above the obstacles that can sidetrack young girls from a bright future in science, engineering and technology. To help others like them, three of the 2009 Women to Watch honorees offered some tips to girls who may be interested in entering a technology-based field of study and future career. They also gave their opinions on what needs to change in business, government and academia in order to help these girls fulfill their interest in tech careers.
Advice to girls interested in technology and science
Anna Mracek Dietrich, co-founder and chief operating officer, Terrafugia Inc.:
- Don’t listen to anyone who tries to tell you that what you want to do is impossible. Really hard is fine; it will just be more rewarding when you accomplish it. Impossible is a word to be used with the greatest caution.
- Prepare today to change the world tomorrow.
- Go for it! Science and engineering are the tools you need to make things happen in the real world. Whether you end up building airplanes, curing diseases, designing toys, or you go in a completely different direction, learning how to solve problems and think creatively and practically about a challenge will serve you well in anything you want to do.
- Don’t go it alone. Reach out to mentors and peers alike to work with you and help you. You might be surprised both by how much others are excited to help out and by how much more you can get done in a team.
- Have fun! We live in an amazing universe. Unlocking its secrets and getting it to do what you want can be truly daunting, but try to enjoy the ride and appreciate the beauty, both in the natural world and in what you can create within it.
Susan Leschine, founder and chief scientist, Qteros Inc.:
- First, study and learn! Build a strong foundation of understanding in a field of science or engineering that excites you. This takes time, so be persistent and don’t become discouraged by setbacks. Even the most successful scientist will encounter bumps in the road on her way to success.
- Take time to explore the world around you and discover new things. Enroll in programs and join groups that promote exploration and discovery. Share your discoveries with others.
- Seek out opportunities to gain experience in the lab, in the field, with businesses, with government, with schools. Most experiences can be valuable.
- Most importantly, nurture your dreams and follow your passions.
Jill Becker, founder and CEO, Cambridge NanoTech Inc.:
- Follow your interests and what’s important to you to make a long-lasting and fulfilling career. From a young age, I knew that I had an interest in science. As I grew older, I honed in on chemistry. It’s been a learning experience to understand myself and what I enjoy enough to make my life’s work. I learned to never take no for an answer.
- Don’t be intimidated by the field you have chosen. There have been many great scientific and technical breakthroughs in the last 100 years. Become inspired by the great minds that have come before us and determine how you can add to an existing base of knowledge that excites you.
- Women are in a unique position to have leadership roles in technology-based fields. The strong collaboration and communications skills associated with women coupled with technical skills will put you at the forefront for leading and making a difference. Besides new technology companies have no such thing as a glass ceiling so the playing field is level.
What do you think businesses/government/academic institutions have to do in order to help these girls follow a technology career path?
Anna Mracek Dietrich, co-founder and chief operating officer, Terrafugia Inc.:
- In terms of getting girls involved in STEM in the first place, I think we’re on the right track. We shouldn’t be afraid of rigor nor the possibility of failure in our educational programs. We need to be willing to stretch our kids, both girls and boys, and give them challenges big enough to be inspiring. Failing is like falling when you’re learning to ski; once you’ve had a good yard sale and lived through it, you’re more inclined to lean down the mountain. We also need to make sure that when we try to teach them tools (math, physics, etc.) we make the connection to their real world applications.
- I think that the biggest thing that needs to happen to keep girls and women in high-tech careers is actually something that needs to be done for the men in their lives. The maternity-leave policies that are now in place are wonderful, but without corresponding paternity leave, we’re implicitly expecting women to give up more of their careers than their partners to have a family. I am grateful that in creating my own company with my husband, Carl Dietrich, we have the opportunity to give our team the flexibility to find a family solution that will be beneficial for all involved. I hope that more companies and institutions, high tech and not, will recognize that if women are going to do “men’s work”, we have to give men the opportunity to do “women’s work”! Personally, I think there’s just plenty of work to go around on all sides and we shouldn’t limit our options for how to get it all done as a society.
Susan Leschine, founder and chief scientist, Qteros Inc.:
- Support programs that empower girls to explore and discover; for example, Science Club for Girls in Cambridge, and Girls, Inc. of Holyoke. Support educational programs that are based on exploration and discovery, rather than on performance. Ensure that all girls have access to the digital world.
Jill Becker, founder and CEO, Cambridge NanoTech Inc.:
We’ve reached a time when boys and girls work alongside each other in science class from elementary school through graduate school and beyond school. The inroads have been laid for these girls to pursue their dreams in the scientific and technical fields of their choice.
I think that letting children explore their world at very young ages is pure science and should be furthered. The fact that the government does not regulate schooling prior to the age of 5 is a mistake, and we are doing our future a disservice. A huge window of opportunity closes fast in those early formative years. My own daughter, starting from the age of 2, has shown an aptitude for science and math. When she was an infant I used to show her the Periodic Table of Elements. It used to make her laugh.
I believe that encouraging young children to explore the world around them and providing role models for them are the best ways to help girls pursue a career in technology. Having their curiosity validated at such a young age teaches them that science is fun and being exposed to scientific and technical career paths at a young age shows them what this natural curiosity can translate to.
Being mentored by a female or male engineer or scientist can be an extremely powerful experience. For a young girl to be inspired by a woman or a man who has succeeded in a technical field could awaken her to possibilities that she might not otherwise have realized about her own potential.
When businesses, government and academic institutions hold career days for young girls, I think it would be helpful to share the typical career paths of technical fields. Learning about undergraduate, graduate degrees and the other training that’s expected for them to reach these careers helps to set the groundwork and gets them thinking about it, even if it’s still years away. Not all children are taught about these options at home, so it’s important for them to be exposed to this information in other venues.
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