Moms In Tech: A Remote Panel Discussion
We will be hearing from other moms who are currently in the tech industry which has been voted a top industry for mothers. We will hear from software developers to program managers but all have one common thing: they successfully balance work life and mom life. If you’re interested in a career in tech bring your questions and learn from these mom bosses!
Panelists
Kassie Jones
“I was born and raised in the great state of Michigan we call home. I grew up downriver and focused heavily on academics which lead me to Wayne State University where I studied Political Science. Professionally, I worked in the bar and restaurant industry throughout high school and college, well into adulthood. It was this transitionary period of my life when I had my first child with my husband and it threw my 5-year plan into a tailspin. My little family was focused solely on survival as we struggled to make ends meet. When I had my second child, I knew that I had to do something different to provide a better life for my girls. I started the backend Java bootcamp at Grand Circus in Detroit for the January 2018 cohort and finished in March. I was selective with the offers that came from local companies and the wait was well worth it. I landed in a very flexible, down to earth team at a Quicken Loans family of companies, Amber Engine. I work as a full-stack Software Engineer at my company. I write code with Python, NodeJS, and JavaScript (React and Angular) as well as build out infrastructure with the team utilizing the AWS suite for our platform.”
Karina Lopez
Karina’s official title is CRM Dynamics Developer at Heritage Academies, but her work doesn’t stop there. She instructs coding classes for Grand Circus. Karina is also a co-host on the Brown Eyes and Caramel Thighs podcast, which discusses issues that affect the modern minority (brown), woman. Karina is a mom of one and an avid runner.
This event is brought to you by:
Project Rising TIDE
Project Rising TIDE connects local residents to introductory and advanced coding training opportunities while enhancing the talent pool to support local companies. We believe that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” By actively supporting both people and businesses, we all grow stronger together.
Grand Circus Grand Rapids
Grand Circus trains Michigan’s next generation of programmers and connects businesses to truly talented people. With campuses in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are the state’s largest tech-focused learning institution.
Grand Circus offers immersive 12- or 26-week coding bootcamp in three language tracks: Front-End, C# .NET or Java. We’re proud to have more graduates and employer connections than any other bootcamp in Michigan.
momHIVE
momHIVE is a co-working space for ambitious moms. Located in the heart of Grand Rapids on Wealthy St, they provide a clean, distraction-free workspace for remote working parents. This women friendly, mom-centric co-working space builds community and connection while preserving the sanity of mothers used to working at home.
Various Characters
The Various Characters organization is a way for West Michigan’s women in tech to connect with each other, through a variety of platforms. Their vision to provide a network for any womxn new to the area or new to tech to plug into, is driving programs like: a virtual happy hour, a thriving Slack group, an asynchronous mentoring community.