Dear Members, Sponsors, Volunteers, Supporters and Friends,

Time is flying by this spring; I can hardly believe we are at the end of April already! This was a busy month for Women & Hi Tech as we hosted our second Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) of 2021, titled, S.T.E.M. – The “E” is for Entrepreneurship! During this inspiring, informative and authentic discussion our EWF Director, Linda Calvin moderated for our esteemed panel of entrepreneurs and executives turned entrepreneurs. Our panelists, Kristen Cooper, Irma Mesa, Joy E. Mason and Daryle Johnson shared with us their journeys to entrepreneurship and many of the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Don’t worry if you missed this virtual event or want to review the lessons shared from our entrepreneurs we’ll have a recording of the event available soon on our YouTube channel.

Women & Hi Tech was also delighted to participate in a community virtual event titled, All IT Community Meeting, in collaboration with the Indy CIO Network, IT Leaders Indianapolis and the Society for Information Management (SIM) Indy. During this meeting, our moderator, Stefanie Krievins, lead a discussion on the topic of resiliency with an exceptional panel of Indiana IT leaders including, You can watch the recording of the event online.  

Women & Hi Tech has also been busy planning our first in person event since the onset of the pandemic, the Women & Hi Tech Multicultural Celebration. We created this inaugural, signature event to celebrate and appreciate the unity, authenticity, and cultural diversity imbued by the collective body of women in STEM that enhances, enriches, and empowers our local community and statewide STEM landscape to grow a pipeline of female talent driving innovation in Indiana. We invite you to join us on the evening of June 9, 2021 from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm (EST) at the Indiana State Museum Great Hall in downtown Indianapolis. This evening will celebrate the array of cultures represented in the Indiana STEM community and showcase the diverse connections represented within Women & Hi Tech. Our celebration will feature culturally diverse hors d'oeuvres and dinner, networking with other STEM professionals, and honoring the Health and Science Innovations High School STEM Summer Camp award recipients. We will also dance and enjoy festive tunes from the live band, Chamber Music. Purchase your tickets now.

Also, if you haven’t heard Women & Hi Tech’s Virtual Book Club chose, Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi for our quarter two book. It’s not to late to grab a copy of the book and register for this virtual book club to be held on Monday, June 21, 2021

And, we recently extended the application deadline to apply for a position on our Board of Directors until May 12, 2021. We are looking for candidates who are actively engaged with the organization, and will bring wisdom, experience, effectiveness, candor, and creative thinking. We are passionate about our organization and the meaningful work we do and are looking for like-minded individuals. We do not take the term “working board” lightly. At any given time, a Director is leading her/his own area of responsibility while also contributing to other areas of the organization, including serving on committees, participating in Women & Hi Tech events, and representing Women & Hi Tech in the community.  Click here to learn more and apply online.

In our 27th edition of "Grown from STEM" we are excited to be featuring Women & Hi Tech Treasurer, Ben Phillips and our dedicated member and male ally, Cody Rivers. Both Phillips and Rivers are highly accomplished in their respective disciplines and share how their unique paths and careers have led to their success and passion for tech and allyship for women in STEM. Phillips and Rivers are champions for diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly for women in STEM, in their careers, volunteerism, and personal lives. Please read more about Philips and Rivers and how their backgrounds, STEM expertise, and passion for equity and inclusion for girls and STEM professionals helps fuel their support and involvement in Women & Hi Tech.

As we began in the October 2020 edition of "Grown from STEM," we are delighted to continue to feature one of our 2020 Virtual Leading Light Awards (LLAs) recipients in this newsletter. This month we continue to celebrate and recognize Women & Hi Tech's Risk Taker Award recipient, Teresa Plummer. Teresa has been integral to the success of the Sallie Mae technology department for over fourteen years. She has worked her way from Program Manager to Director of IT Governance and Delivery Services. Leading the company’s Agile transformation, she purposefully did not implement hard and fast rules but designed a process that, given a chance, would evolve over time; trusting people to do what is right. Please watch this segment of the 2020 Virtual LLAs to learn more about what fuels Teresa's passion and drive for equality for all in the STEM fields and beyond. Again, Congratulations Teresa!

Best Regards,

Rebecca Bormann
Women & Hi Tech President