Women to Watch in Tech in 2021
Fariha Tasnim
Aerospace + Tech — STEM Advocate — Gen Y + Z Career Coach
Fariha Tasnim — LinkedIn
Fariha is a powerhouse in the world of tech. She entered the tech space spontaneously after implementing a trial and error approach in her career development. Eventually, she was recruited for a role in sustainable tech, which gives her the ability to be an engineer in the pursuit of a zero-emission future. Accessibility for marginalized communities is something Fariha wishes could be different about the tech world. She says,” The barrier of entry for these communities is too high, ranging from unrealistic qualifications required for open roles to systemic oppression present across big tech culture. It shouldn’t be a barrier, it should be an open floodgate. Talent is out there, talent is diverse and talent deserves a fair chance to enter tech.” Fariha is proud of launching a career coaching firm, The Cohort Collective. The main goal is to embolden the Gen Y + Z career, equipping young people with the mindset and skillset to drive their careers forward. One of Fariha’s future goals is merging her personal and professional life and prioritizing a work-life balance with an emphasis on mental and physical health.
Bedilia Ramirez
Employee Partnerships — DEI and First Gen Advocate
Bedilia Ramirez — LinkedIn
In 2015, Bedilia worked at New York City College of Technology, providing career services to freshman and sophomore STEM students. In 2016, she transitioned to a contract role recruiting college candidates for Google. This role for her was very eye-opening. She says, “I realized applying and interviewing with tech companies is a process that you can’t go into blindly, you definitely need coaching.” Bedilia wishes there could be more females and BIPOC communities represented in leadership roles in tech. Bedilia believes that tech is a space with so much possibility- it allows employees to have flexible work schedules, earn a well-paying salary, connect with colleagues from different backgrounds and parts of the world, and most importantly it encourages collaboration and continuous learning. Bedilia is proud of the work she has completed with NYC Tech Talent Pipeline where she joined as a Career Coach and later became a Technical Recruiter. During her time with TTP, she interacted with over 500 candidates, helping them land their first roles with companies like Etsy, Google, Spotify, IBM, Apple and Facebook. Bedilia’s ongoing goal is to continue working within the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion space. With her experience working with candidates and diverse populations, she’d like to implement more apprenticeship programs for both tech and non-tech roles. She’d also love to do consultation work and collaborate with companies that are invested in creating an inclusive workspace. One personal goal is to continue coaching women of color interested in transitioning in tech.
Juliana Almeida
Software Engineer — Remix at Via
Juliana Almeida — LinkedIn
Ten years ago, Juliana moved to the United States from her hometown São Paulo, Brazil. Juliana currently works as a Software Engineer at Remix. On top of her full-time role, she is regularly posting helpful resources, new roles and apprenticeships on LinkedIn for others seeking opportunities. She is also continuing to grow her skills by taking a Python class at Foothill College. Juliana entered the tech world landing a contract role at Facebook as a content moderator. While the position was anything but easy, it exposed her to her first classes in coding. As her contract neared completion she looked for other opportunities and came across Techtonica, a Software Engineering bootcamp specifically for womxn and non-binary folx. She applied and was accepted to the bootcamp, and six months later she started interning at Remix. Initially one of the reasons Juliana wanted to get into tech was because she wanted to be a part of positive change in the industry. She acknowledges that it’s an ambitious task but cherishes the small wins. Some of the issues she highlights are lack of diversity, especially in tech leadership, and work-life balance. ”Work-life balance seems to be a rare thing in tech, and that may be one of the reasons some people can’t break in, especially mothers.” Proud moments in her career include completing the Techtonica bootcamp, in which she built an app with the help of more experienced engineers, and building and delivering a real project with clients during her internship. Anytime she has a new project at work she uses her growth mindset to view challenges as opportunities to grow and learn and celebrate once she’s able to ship it.
The tech community can only continue to thrive with help from people like Fariha, Bedilia and Juliana who are making a positive and impactful difference. These community-driven leaders help to inspire, share knowledge, and evolve the tech space to be a uniting, fair, inclusive space. Let us all continue to help open the doors for others to make their way into the tech space with more access and opportunity.
