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In 1999 when Georgia Miller invited a group of women to meet in the IUPUI library, none of them knew they were part of what would one day be called STEM. They were all women working in business IT or information systems roles; one or two women per company among many male employees. But the gender gap wasn’t the only potential Miller saw to draw the women in the room together.

“My focus in education has been connecting business and academia,” Miller explained. “When I saw the room full of people and later heard from other women who couldn’t make it but wanted to meet again, I knew we had something of value. Business people don’t tend to stay engaged with academics. That combination is what really gave us the strength.”

After a few meetings, the group decided to officially organize as Women & Hi Tech, with Miller and fellow founding member, Joyce Boadt, serving as co-Presidents. “That’s not a great idea as a matter of practice, but we both had a technical side and a people side so it worked well for us. She was finding the biology and science pieces of the foundation. Because I was on the business side, I knew lots of people in business, education, and information systems.”

Miller skipped programming and went straight to the systems part of early information technology. “Systems thinking or systems perspective is the most useful tool I could give anyone,” she says. “You can’t make decisions in isolation without looking at the environment and the intended and unintended consequences of your decisions.” She believes the work of Women & Hi Tech today is directly related to the potential for better systems thinking. “STEM is how you expand the environment,” she said. “You can add data and science to every other industry in life. Informatics is how it came into shape at IU—this idea that information and use of analytics around data is part of every profession.”

Miller was hired in a tenure track position at IU Bloomington Kelley School of Business in 1976. At that time, she and two other women hired the same year were the first women to ever be hired to tenure track positions in the School. After the first years, she integrated Business School administration with faculty roles, and in 1993 she made a transition to the administrative side of academia. Georgia became the Executive Director of Integrated Technologies at IUPUI and transitioned through four other roles before transferring to IUPUC in Columbus. In 2010, she was awarded Outstanding Woman Full-Time Faculty Leader at IUPUI, and on her retirement from IU in 2016 the Business Advisory Committee created a scholarship in her name for students who exemplify systems thinking skills.

When asked to reflect on the lessons of her over 40-year STEM career in Central Indiana, Georgia says “The thing that has been most important to me is mentoring. Encouraging young women to find a home that works in their world.” She has been amazed and proud to see the strides in outreach that Women & Hi Tech has made to mentor women & young girls and believes that the organization will continue to facilitate opportunity for all backgrounds.

“As our group has grown right along with the importance of STEM, our recognition of all the categories that includes has been impressive. I know we will continue to intentionally seek opportunities to recognize and encourage those from business and academic backgrounds, to promote members of all genders, creeds, and walks of life,” Georgia said. “The organization is doing an amazing job of this already and is only headed to greater heights. We all want the same thing in our hearts and now have to model the behavior of integration so it’s no longer women vs men, us vs them, but a community where we all work together.”

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Merri Beth Lavagnino caught her STEM bug where many passions for knowledge are inspired—in a library. In her case this was the library of Temple University, where in the early 1980’s Lavagnino was tasked with helping digitize the library’s punch card system. “Since I was in a library, I was surrounded by women doing tech. For the first half of my career, most of the people I knew doing information technology were women. It never occurred to me there were reasons women like me in other places might need to be encouraged.”

As a child, Lavagnino got the same impression that women had a rightful place in STEM from her mother, who enrolled at Indiana University in 1949 and graduated with a degree in chemistry. She got a job at Eli Lilly, where she met Lavagnino’s father. “When she got pregnant later in the 1950s, they forced her to quit,” Merri Beth shared. “She told us that story a lot. Even after us kids were in school and she went and got her master’s and got re-hired by Lilly, she never forgot. Interestingly, she never talked about men not recognizing her contributions,” Lavagnino added, “but that’s what you hear women struggle with today in lots of STEM roles. We are not fighting for rights like that ability to work at all or to get paid maternity leave. I hear more talk of unspoken and under the radar barriers today.”

As she chose to focus her expertise in information security and privacy at the university level, Lavagnino left the library to take a role at Indiana University. Up the ladder, she found herself surrounded by male peers. That is when she started to relate more to the stories of other women in tech and their struggles even on an administrative level. “In 2005 when the Office of Women’s Affairs reached out to me and asked for ideas about how to help women in these roles, I jumped at the opportunity to sign up.” Through her network she found Women & Hi Tech in 2009. She got engaged as a volunteer and supported the organization’s efforts. In 2018, she joined the corporate engagement committee. “We conducted a survey of our corporate sponsors to learn what they want and need from their sponsorship, and how we can work together to take Women & Hi Tech to the next level,” Lavagnino said. “One thing we learned is that many sponsors are willing to host Women & Hi Tech events at their workplaces. We’re excited to roll out a pilot event in 2020 and provide members more exposure to the diverse, world-class STEM companies in the Indianapolis area.”

While the committee work was wrapping up, Lavagnino saw an open board position for collegiate outreach director. She didn’t even know the position existed before, but applied, and was elected to take the reins of Women & Hi Tech’s work with Indiana colleges and universities. “Darcy Lee was president when I was nominated, and she charged me to take our reach beyond Indianapolis to all corners of Indiana. I have now connected with every college in the state. I have also set up panels featuring Women & Hi Tech members from industries like engineering, IT, and science for many colleges and universities within the state. Our member-panelists share experiences as professionals, and when possible speak alongside alumni from the host university.” It’s a great opportunity for Indiana collegiate women in STEM to be exposed to Women & Hi Tech members who are leading female STEM practitioners in this state, and to learn from them tools and tips to successfully navigate corporate and academic STEM cultures and environments after graduation

Lavagnino was also excited to see the results of her collegiate outreach manifest in the Women & Hi Tech 20th Anniversary scholarship applications. “I shared our 20th Anniversary scholarship opportunity with every college in the state, and we awarded over $25,000 of scholarships to students from Notre Dame to IU Southeast--the very top to the very bottom of our state. That doesn’t just mean our reach has extended, but also sends back the signal that there are incredible women rising in STEM careers and education across Indiana.” Women & Hi Tech is excited to invest in developing a robust pipeline of female STEM talent throughout Indiana.

Merri Beth thinks Women & Hi Tech has an important role to play in continuing that momentum. “The events we host like Ignite Your Superpower and Passport to Hi-Tech don’t just expose girls to STEM opportunities, they connect those opportunities to college campuses in our community. That young person carries the memory of their experience every time they pass that landmark.” She went on to acknowledge this is also a deep responsibility. “Current members should feel fortunate to have connected with this organization that is built on 20 years of extracurricular volunteer work by professional women and men dedicated to our mission. Even after a long time as a volunteer, it did not occur to me that Women & Hi Tech does not have a single staff person until I joined the board.” One of Lavagnino’s hopes for the organization 20 years from now is to have transitioned to a more formal infrastructure with staff members, an office, and an executive director. “That would enable Women & Hi Tech to respond to some needs faster, set more goals, and expand our programming to reach more women, girls, and members of the STEM community.”

For now, as the organization continues to be operated by an all-volunteer working Board of Directors, Lavagnino is confident the organization will continue to exceed its mission in the years ahead. “Our events allow people to share experiences and explore perspectives,” she said. “That value is why our group has lasted 20 years and continues to grow today.”

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Dear Women & Hi Tech Members, Sponsors, Partners, and Friends,

I hope this message finds you all doing well and spending some quality time with loved ones. This is the time of year to step back and reflect on the many blessings, people, and great things happening around you.

As I think about Women & Hi Tech’s 20th Anniversary year, I am proud and grateful of all the accomplishments of our organization. This has been a BIG year for Women & Hi Tech, from our Executive Women’s Forums to the Spring Networking Event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Passport to Hi Tech, Ignite Your Superpower, our fabulous 20th Anniversary Event, Celebrating Our Past and Investing in Our Future, while giving over $30,000 in scholarships and grants to extremely deserving young ladies and women pursuing STEM degrees in Indiana. These events were followed by the Fall Retreat in French Lick, our 2nd Annual male allies event, OperationALL^TM – Lead Like an Ally, as well as countless other womens’, girls’, and equity and diversity events our Board of Directors and members support regularly by attending, volunteering, presenting, and speaking on panels. The accomplishments of Women & Hi Tech in advancing our mission of changing the landscape of women represented in STEM to be equally inclusive to all is nothing short of amazing!

All of this is only possible because of the hundreds of passionate and enthusiastic women and men that volunteer their time and talents at our events and programs each year. In addition, we are so thankful for our dedicated annual corporate, event, and scholarship/grant sponsors who support Women & Hi Tech and our mission. To our members, volunteers, sponsors, and my fellow Board Members, THANK YOU for all you do and for continuing to support and believe in Women & Hi Tech’s mission. Because of all of you, Women & Hi Tech is an organization that continues to thrive and make a positive impact on equity and inclusion in the STEM fields here in Indiana.

In this eleventh edition of “Grown from STEM,” Women & Hi Tech would like to introduce you to Carol Ganz, the Board of Directors’ Membership Administrator and Active Emeritus Member, Rajinder Heir. Carol and Rajinder are both in the technology field, but took very different paths to get there. Both of these women have made major career successes, including significant philanthropic contributions at Women & Hi Tech, to advance equity and inclusion of women in the technology field. Please read more about Carol and Rajinder and how their backgrounds, technical aptitude, and passion for equity and inclusion inspires those around them and fuels their support and involvement in Women & Hi Tech.

With Gratitude,

Rebecca Bormann
President-Elect
Women & Hi Tech Board of Directors

For many Women & Hi Tech members, they pursued a STEM field from a young age. However, for unique individuals like Carol Ganz, the journey to the STEM industry has been a lifelong and interesting one.

“I actually graduated college with a degree in agricultural marketing,” said Ganz. “I had original goals of joining the Chicago Board of Trade. I also eventually became a professional chef and worked 12 years for a heating and cooling company. Eventually a friend of mine said ‘Come work for my tech company.’ I said, ‘Doing what?’ and she said, ‘Don’t worry, we will figure it out.’”

That leap of faith into the unknown world of software sales and development has proven to be a good one for Ganz. Since joining Indianapolis-based Six Feet Up in 2006, Ganz has served in a variety of roles. However, the majority of her tenure has been spent as Director of Client Experiences.

“I started as a project manager,” said Ganz. “I was handling some of the office management, such as in the construction and renovation of our new offices. But because of my people skills, I ended up coming into sales. Now I’m focused on client experiences and client relationships. I want to make sure everyone gets that white glove experience, from the smallest to the largest client. In the end, I’m all about being an advocate.”

It’s that same commitment to advocacy that drove Ganz to join up with Women & Hi Tech roughly six years ago. She spoke about her love for helping and interacting with those around her, particularly when mentorship is involved.

“I wanted to be somewhere you could really make a difference. That’s one of the same qualities that drew me to the organization, getting to go and talk to people, help people, and mentor them. In fact, it’s great even if it’s accidental mentoring. You could just be having a meeting with someone, and suddenly something you’ve said ends up moving the needle for them in a positive direction.”

In her second year on the Board of Women & Hi Tech, Ganz has truly utilized and enhanced her people and organizational skills as the Membership Administration Director. Retrospectively, Ganz’s board tenure began as a voluntarily assumed non-voting board role to assist the Board of Directors to operate the group’s member management system ensuring that sponsors and members alike got the most out of their membership experience. Ganz showed such expertise, leadership, and value in this voluntary role with her management and interpersonal skills that the Board created a new voting position that Ganz currently holds. In this board role, Ganz leads and supports the operational infrastructure by which Women & Hi Tech interacts with corporate and individual members in the community. All along the way, Ganz has found the community to be one of the most important aspects of Women & Hi Tech.

“I knew that I needed to find my tribe. I needed people who spoke my same language, people who knew how to help me get my feet under me as far as the sales side of things go,” said Ganz. “Women & Hi Tech lets you meet people in your community, and often times those folks are on your same level.”

That sense of camaraderie and working with your peers has blended effortlessly with the organization’s dedication to helping members find their voice and their position. This understanding of independence, agency, and personal choice is what Ganz thinks sets Women & Hi Tech apart from other organizations.

Women & Hi Tech realizes that “[y]ou don’t always have to work upwards to increase your span or impact. Horizontal movement and lateral connection can be and often are just as important or effective. Not everyone wants to move up a corporate ladder. They just want to do something that they have passion for and be an agent of change and improvement in their environments or communities,” said Ganz. “Every little thing you do can affect someone, even if it feels like nothing to you.” Ganz points to Women & Hi Tech’s passion for helping others and growing inclusivity as cornerstones of the organization’s mission and future.

“Everyone has become more aware that what they’re doing affects others and folks are more and more understanding of the importance of being inclusive. We discuss these needs all the time. For example, Women & Hi Tech’s OperationALL is a program to invite male leaders to hear what others experience in the STEM workplace and how to be a champion of increased inclusivity. Even our Executive Women’s Forum is based around networking with peers from other organizations. There’s always that importance of reaching out to those around you to help people grow. That’s my passion, and I get to explore it in this organization.”

Over the last several years, Women & Hi Tech focused its mission on diversity, equity, and inclusion of all women in STEM, including at all ranks and reach of any organization, including our own. For example, Women & Hi Tech currently has its first woman of color as President, a clear demonstration of the organization’s dedication to diversity at all ranks of our own organization. And, while we are nowhere close to where we’d like to be, Women & Hi Tech continues to make purposeful advances to ensure that our organization continues to include, expose, inspire, support, and promote all women in STEM.

When asked about the next 20 years of Women & Hi Tech, Ganz wants Women & Hi Tech to continue the journey for inclusivity, regardless of where on the gender spectrum folks may fall. “I want to see gender and sexual orientation not be a discussion, but an accepted inclusion metric across the board. Whether you identify as bi, queer, pan, or gender fluid, I want it to be a non-discussion and for everyone to be honored for who they are. If we can make Women & Hi Tech a safe space for all, including gender fluid and non-cis people, I’ll be happy,” said Ganz. “We need inclusive to include everybody.”

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Variety is the spice of life for Rajinder Heir. The Women & Hi Tech Active Emeritus Board member and former Director of Corporate Sponsorships has led a life in STEM that weaves its way through a plethora of sectors and life experiences. Though Heir first joined the board of Women & Hi Tech in 2013, the Indianapolis-based C-suite tech executive has been familiar with the organization since its inception.

“I was on the membership roster several years before joining the Board,” said Heir. “I was struck by the professional breadth of members, as well as the opportunities for networking.”

Once Heir joined the board, she quickly found a home and purpose working to strengthen and grow the partnerships that help drive Women & Hi Tech. While the organization always knew the importance of the sponsorship process, Heir saw a chance to make a difference by revamping the materials used to cultivate sponsor relationships. “I saw a need for promotional materials that would put the organization’s best foot forward,” she said. “The foundation built by others was a good jumping off point. I set out to create a new stakeholder experience to communicate the value of engagement with Women & Hi Tech.”

When asked about her inspiration, Heir said one word comes to mind, “Empathy, “recalling how she felt for a governmental agency relying on IT services she was managing as COO during a data center shutdown. Similarly, “I immediately put myself in the shoes of these businesses and organizations, some of whom may not have heard of us. It was my responsibility to be a brand ambassador for Women & Hi Tech in the Corporate Sponsorships role.” In doing so, Heir utilized her leadership skills and professional relationships to help grow awareness and exposure of the organization resulting in increased corporate sponsorships for the organization.

Though Heir didn’t have specific STEM role models growing up, she found encouragement from her father who shared his early experiences as a new immigrant from India to the United Kingdom. “My dad arrived in the UK with no English language skills and endeavored to advance his family in challenging times. Myself, I didn’t learn English until I was 5, but it quickly became my favorite school subject, even in college. By happenstance, I met with an education and career advisor, who referred me to a technology program that I was accepted into.”

Heir said it didn’t take long for her interest in the tech industry at-large to grow. “I became consumed by writing code. The structure and logic of it resonated with me.” With a Bachelor’s in Computer Technology with Honors, Heir’s career to date has spanned a variety of fields, which include telecoms, insurance, a high tech software start-up, non-profit, consulting, and the government sector. In particular, after a professional stint in government as Chief Operations Officer of a large IT environment with over 7000 users, Heir has found her most recent position at ESI Technology Advisors, a local long-standing veteran-owned leader in IT solutions and consulting.

Heir’s professional leadership experiences also fueled her engagement in the Indianapolis community. Her insights about the local community were particularly enhanced by her experience in the competitive Stanley K. Lacy (SKL) Executive Leadership Series and the FBI Citizens Academy program. “I hold these two paradigm shifting community leadership programs in high regard. Each had an impact on my outlook, especially as it pertains to the local community.” In addition to her commitment to Women & Hi Tech, Heir has served on the board of Girls Inc., as Chair of the Technology Task Force and on the Technology Committee for Park Tudor School.

As a regular mentor to students pursuing STEM, Heir recently had a chance meeting with a young mentee that reinforced the current positioning of Women & Hi Tech. “I was mentoring a male IU student who was close to graduation. I thought about his desired career in tech, and realized that we need to meet men where they are, especially those aspiring middle managers.” “In more than one hiring capacity, I’ve seen first-hand the challenges of gaining a diverse applicant pool for roles, like Network Engineer, for example.”

Women & Hi Tech continues to recognize the critical importance of male allies in the leadership journey for women in STEM. Heir also recognizes and appreciates Women & Hi Tech’s current focus on increasing engagement of male allies in middle and executive management of women in STEM through its OperationALL program. In this regard, the organization has also created an OperationALL Male Allies Award that will have an inaugural presentation at the Leading Light Awards on October 1, 2020.

When asked about her hopes for the future of Women & Hi Tech, Heir said she wants to see men take advantage of the broad array of opportunities to get involved with this organization through volunteer, board, and/or committee positions. “We have an opportunity to shine a spotlight on men who endorse the mission of Women & Hi Tech; those that walk the talk and practice what they preach.” While larger corporations often have internal programs to support such diversity and inclusion efforts, we also need community organizations like Women & Hi Tech to engage and recognize our male allies in small businesses, startups, academic, governmental, and non-profit STEM sectors. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are important for the benefit of all individuals and businesses in the Indiana STEM community.

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Dear Women & Hi Tech Members, Sponsors, Partners, and Friends:

Fall is officially upon us! Tis the season where the days draw short, the air turns brisk, and the leaves change to beautiful autumn hues. Notwithstanding the weather, Women & Hi Tech recognizes that there is no off-season or out-of-season for issues related to opportunity, equity, and inclusion of all women in STEM in Indiana. Therefore, Women & Hi Tech continues to provide strong programming and events to address these relevant and current issues.

In September, we convened our Fall Retreat at The French Lick Resort for an overnight educational excursion focused on connection, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Retreat attendees dressed in their best 1920’s flapper or gatsby attire, before arriving at the beautiful West Baden Hotel Veranda offering fall foliage, an exceptional buffet meal, photos in a classic car, dancing, games, and gifts. In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, Women & Hi Tech was pleased to welcome our first male attendee this year at the Fall Retreat!

In October, Women & Hi Tech also hosted over 200 registered attendees at our OperationALL^TM event, a training program focused on providing tools for increasing gender inclusion in the workplace. OperationALL is an annual professional development seminar uniquely tailored for male allies, friends, and supporters of Women & Hi Tech to focus on increasing equal opportunities for promotion and advancement of women in STEM fields. This year’s interactive program was facilitated by local and highly-acclaimed leadership trainer, executive coach, and keynote speaker, Julie Kratz. Each attendee also received a complimentary copy of Julie’s book, ONE: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality.

On November 18, 2019, Women & Hi Tech will host our final Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) of 2019 entitled “Putting Confidence and Self-Worth into ACTION!” This program will be facilitated by Jessica Gendron, President of The Center for Leadership Excellence (see more details in the article below). Primarily focused back on the female STEM population, this professional development seminar will provide tools and tips on how to build confidence and remove “limiting beliefs” as an important step in the career advancement of women in STEM.

Finally and in response to overwhelming request following the inaugural program in 2018, this event series by Women & Hi Tech will also include a Special Edition EWF entitled “A Double Whammy or Triple Threat Part II: The Disparity of Diversity Amongst Women in STEM.” This program will be held on February 5, 2020 and will feature a privilege exercise, followed by a dynamic panel discussion featuring diverse female leaders across all facets of STEM. Please save the date, as registration will open soon.

Women & Hi Tech is very proud to offer resources that continue to focus on increasing diversity and inclusivity in STEM in Indiana, and this tenth edition of “Grown from STEM” is no exception. Women & Hi Tech would like to introduce you to our board members who manage technology projects and/or products. More specifically, we invite you to meet the Secretary of Women & Hi Tech’s Board of Directors, Kelly Ragle, a product manager for a cybersecurity company. Emeritus Member, Ali Hromis, also manages computer software solutions for her IT company. Both ladies play key roles in how their corporate customers and clients interface with new technology product solutions. Please read more about Kelly and Ali and how their backgrounds, business acumen, and passion for driving inclusion for all women in the technology sector of STEM fuels their support and involvement in Women & Hi Tech.

Sincerely,

Angela B. Freeman, M.S., J.D.
Women & Hi Tech President
President@womenandhitech.org

Kelly Ragle likes to think she’s been a woman in tech since the age of eight years old. Her first introduction to a computer was in second grade, when she discovered one in the basement of her friends’ house. She became fascinated by the computer, and luckily her friend offered to help her learn how to use it (with her dad’s permission of course). Kelly learned quickly how to navigate the screen, use the mouse, and of course, play computer games.

Since the first day she saw that computer, Kelly knew she’d always be connected to technology in some way.

Fast forward to October 2012, and Kelly had just moved to Indianapolis from Chicago. Though technology had been in the background of her career in other cities like Chicago and Atlanta, her role in Indy was in the IT department of a logistics company. This meant a return to her roots, since she had studied Business and Information Systems at IU. And one day, a lightbulb went off that she needed to find other women in tech.

“When that realization hit me, I turned to Google right that minute,” Ragle described. The search result she landed on was Women & Hi Tech. “I joined as an individual member that night. It was just me saying, I know that my tribe includes women in tech fields, and I need to find them.”

Ragle began volunteering with Women & Hi Tech as soon as she could, staffing their holiday toy drive gift table and helping with networking events. “It was a way to get in front of people more easily,” she explained. Ragle’s eagerness and dedication to volunteering for Women & Hi Tech led to her being named the 2017 Volunteer of the Year by the organization. This led Ragle to meet and form close relationships with board members, and when 2018 board applications opened up she decided to self-apply. She is currently serving in her second term as Secretary of the Board of Directors.

“With 15 active board members and 5 active emeritus members—there is a lot of information reported by board members to the board every month,” she said. “It is ridiculous how much we accomplish and as Secretary I get to make that success visible to the Board of Directors. I also make sure we talk about all the important things we need to during the 90-minute meeting we have each month.”

Ragle’s ability to help the Board stay on track and see each project to completion is supported by her certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute. After moving away from IT support to manage projects for Simon Property Group, she accepted at Pondurance a little over two years ago, and now serves as their Product Manager. Pondurance is an Indianapolis-based cybersecurity consulting and managed services company, with a Security Operations Center that is staffed 24/7/365. Ragle served as product manager and helped guide the development for Pondurance’s very first product to compliment their 24/7/365 threat hunting and response service.

“There’s a lot of elements of project management in product management. On other types of projects, the budget or schedule or goals could be wildly changing. But with product management, there’s a lot more of the people component. And the product may never be complete,” she added. “Part of my ongoing role is to help our team build the product into something that is continuously more valuable for current and new users alike.”

Ragle also has thoughts about how to build Women & Hi Tech into an organization with more constant value for new and current members. “Every week we get new sponsors, which means new members,” she said. “With over 1500 members, it’s becoming apparent we need more regular opportunities to both network and volunteer, because its guaranteed someone in our membership will always have that need.” Ragle also pointed out that even today, outside of begin an event volunteer or a board committee member, there aren’t numerous opportunities to get involved with the organization between being an individual or corporate member and being a full-fledged board member. “Expanding what engagement opportunities come in between that space provides opportunity for those 1500 members (and counting) to get involved in a different way.”

When Ragle thinks of the future ahead for the girls and boys that all learn more about STEM through Women & Hi Tech’s programming, her outlook is bright. “We may not be able to close the gaps for girls everywhere, but we can step in to close them here where we live,” she said.  “Girls with interest in STEM will encounter barriers at all different points of their lives, it’s not guaranteed to happen by a certain age or in a certain way. They must have safe environments going into high school and college.” “I love being a woman in tech in Indy and getting to pave the way for those who come next.”

“We have so many companies here that have created the cultures in tech and STEM where diverse people are welcome, and desire to be here,” she concluded. “The more that happens, the more attractive Indiana becomes. Those companies leading the way with diversity are the ones who can pave the way. Others hold them up as role models and will emulate what they are doing to succeed.”

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Women & Hi Tech’s Leading Light Awards has become a cornerstone of the organization’s premiere event lineup. It gives the organization a chance to identify and elevate women who have made waves in the STEM field, particularly those who have acted as tenacious innovators throughout their career.

While the awards are undoubtedly a team effort, Ali Hromis played an important role in the 2018 iteration of the Leading Light Awards, a long-standing, biennial event for Women & Hi Tech. Hromis showed great dedication to the cause and helped to make the celebration memorable.

“We knew we wanted the Leading Light Awards  to give meaningful recognition to the women who deserve it” said Hromis. “With the help of a great committee, we were able to make it the largest Leading Light Awards to date and I am so grateful to have helped.”

Hromis joined Women & Hi Tech back in 2014, after her mentor and former Women & Hi Tech President, Rosanne Burge, urged her to connect with other women in tech in Indianapolis. . She was encouraged to check out the Leading Light Awards, as well as the Executive Women’s Forums. Hromis was impressed with the programming and felt inspired to engage as a member. After her contributions to the 2016 Leading Light Awards, Hromis joined the board as the first Leading Light Awards Director. When the 2018 ceremonies rolled around, she was given the chance to lead the planning and execution of the entire experience.

Hromis’ efforts focused largely on growing awareness and recognition of women who have contributed to the advancement of STEM in Indiana. Though the awards are already Women & Hi Tech’s most visible event, the 2018 Leading Light Awards landed over 600 attendees. In addition to the spike in attendance and awareness, Hromis worked to attract over 120 nominees for the various awards and scholarships, as well as adding an important new award category.

“We gave out over $15,000 in scholarships that night. Women & Hi Tech already gives 20% of our sponsorship dollars for scholarship, but community partners contributed even more,” she said. “We also rolled out the Change the Landscape Award. We created it to honor a driving force in changing the landscape for women represented in STEM.”  Hromis looks forward to all of the improvements she and her team implemented during the 2018 program to be capitalized upon at Women & Hi Tech’s 2020 Leading Light Awards being held on October 1, 2020 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, which she expects to be even bigger and better than ever. 

Hromis’ journey into STEM began somewhat unexpectedly. While attending Valparaiso University, she studied marketing and business as opposed to technology. Though she greatly values her area of study, Hromis said her decision was based in some part on societal expectations.

“I was a girl and wanted a job where I could make money, so I was supposed to be a business major, right?” she said. “My other options were something like law or medicine, but those didn’t appeal to me. I didn’t even consider studying technology.”

After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2011, Hromis joined the team at Apparatus, a technology  firm in the Indianapolis area. While she would end up working in technical roles, her first position at Apparatus was primarily based in tech marketing. She eventually moved into a role analyzing business processes and their supporting systems, which inspired her to learn more about technology. Before long, Hromis was excelling at  tech companies like Allegient (now DMI) and Project Lead the Way, where she led an IT team.

In 2018, Hromis found a new home at Salesforce’s second largest location in Indianapolis. There, Hromis is a release manager where she coordinates the deployment of code produced by hundreds of engineers.

“I start with ensuring pre-release requirements are met, then plan and lead teams through the release of new code to customers, until the release has been successfully validated and considered complete ,” Hromis said. “I also play a management role. I’m kind of the quarterback of all these handoffs between teams. While I’m not the only one calling the plays, I am responsible for leading the team through the execution of whatever play is called. We continually analyze releases in an effort to make them more enjoyable and valuable for our customers and our engineers.”

When asked to reflect on her experience as a woman in the STEM field, Hromis says that while it started off unbalanced, she’s already seen an improvement with inclusion in the workplace.

When asked the benefits of diversity in the workplace, Hromis makes sure not to mince words.

“I think it’s incredibly important to have women and minorities on the team.. We need diverse opinions and thoughts and approaches to create better outcomes. I also think that women are uniquely positioned for success in a diverse workplace. We have a tendency to be more empathetic. I’m serving the people I work with, so my engineers are my customers. I know they’re under an incredible amount of stress. But, bringing a sense of empathy to the job helps determine a way to move forward without leaving a path of destruction behind you. Through that empathy, we can manage through complex situations  in a positive and inspiring way, as opposed to a way that demotivates and discourages those we are leading.

“In short, empathetic roles helps create stronger relationships with our customers but also with our team.”

Though great changes to the industry are occurring nationwide, organizations like Women & Hi Tech are making measurable impact on the Indiana area. When Hromis is asked her vision for the future of Women & Hi Tech, she’s nothing short of excited.

“I see Women & Hi Tech as a leader,” she said. “I want the problem we’re addressing to evolve. I hope our mission continues to expand and morph with the problems themselves .”

But that’s not all Hromis wants out of the next 20 years of Women & Hi Tech. She said that the group should continue to be a champion of inclusivity and a model for those who want to change the world, even if it’s in their backyard. 

“Now, I want to help other groups get started. I want to show the types of things communities can do with volunteer time to change the world. You don’t need a huge corporation or a huge sum of money. You can just be a group of passionate people acting as an inspiration to others.”

LinkedIn Profile

 

 

This year marks Women & Hi Tech’s 20th anniversary as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and we have been “Celebrating Our Past and Investing in Our Future” all year! On September 26-27, 2019, an intimate group of Women & Hi Tech members and friends convened at The French Lick Resort to continue our 20th Anniversary celebration at The Fall Retreat with a focus on connection, relaxation, and rejuvenation. In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, notably, Women & Hi Tech was pleased and honored to welcome our first male attendee this year at the Fall Retreat!

Informally, the retreat began on Thursday afternoon with the Women & Hi Tech Board participating in a bowling teambuilding event. Later, retreat attendees dressed in their best 1920’s flapper or gatsby attire, before they paraded through the French Lick/West Baden campus to their dinner venue. Resort onlookers, which coincidently included Dr. Sue Ellspermann, President of Ivy Tech Community College, joined the fun by taking pictures and bantering with the retro-clad group.

The official kickoff of the Fall Retreat occurred with a 1920’s-themed dinner and reception at the beautiful West Baden Hotel Veranda overlooking the fall foliage offered by historic French Lick. In addition to an exceptional buffet meal, the welcome reception included photos and rides in a classic car, dancing, games, and gifts. The evening was capped off with other activities available at the French Lick Resort, including big wins for some ladies at the casino!

Friday began with activity or personal relaxation time. Attendees then enjoyed a lavish brunch before a powerful and inspiring professional development seminar delivered by keynote speaker, Paula López Reck. Paula’s talk was followed by an open, honest, and critically necessary conversation amongst the attendees representing early, mid, and senior career professionals about the importance and necessity for authenticity, equity, and opportunity in STEM professions in Indiana.

Women & Hi Tech sincerely thanks all attendees, sponsors, and supporters of this year’s Fall Retreat. It was truly a historic event to cap off a year of celebrating our 20th Anniversary. If you missed this biennial event, Women & Hi Tech invites you to attend the next Fall Retreat in 2021!

As I read the stories of the women highlighted in this edition of “Grown from STEM,” I am reminded of two very important lessons I’ve learned during my professional and personal journey. The first is, we are not alone. We are in it together. In difficult times, when trying to navigate a new situation or when we need guidance or a word of encouragement, all we need to do is be brave enough to raise our hand for a bit of help. There are endless numbers of women and men standing by, ready, and willing to help and support us.

The second, is the gift we each have to positively impact the lives of others by being willing to share our stories. Your story could be the one that encourages a young girl to go after that big dream to work at NASA, or it could be the story that provides the confidence a professional woman needs to nail her big presentation. Women & Hi Tech offers women and men in STEM many opportunities to raise our hand for help, to share our stories, and to learn from and support one another through networking, professional development, mentoring, and K-12 or collegiate outreach programs.

In this ninth edition of “Grown from STEM,” Women & Hi Tech would like to share the stories of two board members leading the way in their respective engineering disciplines. Former Women & Hi Tech President and current Active Emeritus member, Tiffany White, is the Head of Engineering Operations for all of Defense at Rolls Royce. Linda Hicks, Executive Women’s Forum Director, spent 33 years working in the field of chemical engineering and is currently the VP of Midwest Operations at ECC Horizon, an environmental consulting firm focused on cleanup and investigations. Both of these women have openly shared some of the challenges they’ve faced being in male-dominated fields and why they are so passionate about organizations like Women & Hi Tech that fill a need to support, inspire, and encourage women and girls in STEM.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tiffany White and Linda Hicks, and all the women in the past editions of “Grown from STEM,” for being willing to share their stories!  As told by our own outstanding ladies of Women & Hi Tech, these stories consistently inspire and encourage me as I hope they do you as well. Please read more about Tiffany and Linda and how their STEM backgrounds and passion for helping other women and girls fuel their involvement in Women & Hi Tech.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Bormann
Women & Hi Tech President-Elect