Ahead of the curve
Photo: Contributed
The Okanagan is ahead of the curve when it comes to women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce, but only barely; the number of women entering the STEM workforce is gradually increasing, but growth is slow.
Statistics Canada says women hold only 27 per cent of all the STEM jobs in the country, while here in the Okanagan, 28 per cent of tech employees are female.
Nevertheless, the Okanagan’s tech sector is flourishing with women whose contributions to the industry are worth acknowledging.
In honour of Women in Tech Week, Accelerate Okanagan sat down with three who are making waves in the Okanagan tech industry.
A Finger On The Pulse of Okanagan’s Tech Industry
Photo: Contributed
As director of the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Corie Griffiths recognizes that the tech industry is where the glamour is. But she’s also seeing tremendous growth in other industries that rely on technology in some way.
Businesses in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing and forestry are using technology to improve their processes and bottom line.
As these traditionally non-tech sectors continue to integrate technology, Griffiths is confident more women will enter STEM fields.
Griffiths says she’s even seeing gender equality in many Okanagan boardrooms.
“Here at the local level, I see that women are extremely influential in the tech sector,” she says. “Whether it’s staff, board members, women CEOs in growth stage companies, I am seeing many more women today.”
She noted that this positive growth has been in the last five years or so, a stark contrast to when she first started working with the EDC where she would often be the only woman in many meetings.
Never Underestimating The Importance of Education
Photo: Contributed
When Lisa St. Laurent graduated from Okanagan College in 2002, she was already deeply immersed in the technology industry as a co-founder of Accuro, a private software company.
Two years later, Accuro was acquired by QHR Technologies. Since then, St. Laurent has worn many hats in her tech career and is currently the product manager for QHR.
For women and girls looking to get into tech, St. Laurent sees education as a top priority.
“I really got my start through education,” she says. “Education got me to connect to colleagues and allowed me to grow. I always had a computer in my house; we were early adopters. I was encouraged at home, at school, and in university where math, computers and science were important.”
She says the great thing about the Okanagan is the growing tech trend and the equally increasing job market, something she says is validated by the amount of hiring she’d done in the last year.
Knowing Yourself and Your Strengths
Photo: Contributed
Janice Taylor, CEO of Mazu, has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and started her company as soon as she moved to the Okanagan from Regina.
In 2010, she founded Just Be Friends, and her company has grown and evolved to what it is now: a creator of products that encourage kids to take an active part in bringing their online experiences into the real world.
Taylor’s advice for women about to enter the technology industry is to have a clear understanding of the problem they would like to solve.
“Women view problems with a different lens, therefore solve problems with a different lens,” she says. “In today’s age we need women to solve problems in a way our male counterparts may not. It is time for women to enter technology in droves!”
When Taylor started her company, she experienced a multitude of challenges: sexism, cruelty, ignorance, struggles for funding, understanding and teammates.
Yet these challenges, she says, made her stronger.
The Future Is Bright
All of these tech-savvy women are optimistic about the future of the tech industry and women’s role in making it even better.
“For someone looking to start their own company, this is a great time,” St. Laurent says. “There is a lot more mentorship available than when we started our company. It’s an industry that’s constantly evolving and innovating.”
“I think the tech industry is in for a course correction and an implosion of what used to be the path to success,” says Taylor. “It is time for all of us to take a step back and begin to include more humanity and both masculine and feminine energy into the technology creations.”
“The number of women in technology actually depends on what metric you’re using to measure,” Griffiths says. “The numbers I’m seeing in my experience are good. I am encouraged by and enthusiastic about women in technology today and into the future.”
While true gender equality within the STEM fields is still years away, the progress being made by women like Griffiths, St. Laurent and Taylor represents cause for optimism.
Written by Mark Stone.
All Columnists Stories
