By Nita Singh Kaushal, Founder of Miss CEO
When I was majoring in Electrical Engineering in college, it was hard to ignore that I was one of just a handful of women in my classes. It was surprising — I remember being surrounded by so many bright girls in my high school math and science classes. Where did they all go?
Women make up just 25% of the STEM industry. Many girls and young women lack access to mentors and exposure to meaningful opportunities in these fields during their formative years. In order to change the landscape, I founded Miss CEO, an organization dedicated to empowering young women with leadership training, mentorship, and career exploration opportunities. Since our launch in 2011, we have trained over 20,000 students from all over the world, providing them with a leadership toolkit at critical stages of their academic, professional, and personal development.
We have been fortunate to collaborate with world-class partners like The Tech Interactive. The Tech believes in investing in our next generation of problem-solvers and provides a welcoming environment for curious young minds to explore and embrace their creativity, with programs and activities thoughtfully designed to engage and inspire diverse audiences.
This past year Miss CEO and The Tech hosted a series of events to help young women explore various career pathways in STEM and develop the skills required to succeed on their journey. During Career Exploration Day, high school girls from all over the Bay Area came to The Tech to listen to three inspiring female trailblazers who successfully forged their own unique paths in STEM. After a highly engaging and interactive panel session, students networked with speakers and Silicon Valley professionals to learn how they could continue developing their interests and strengths in these exciting areas.
Career Exploration Day panel [from left to right]: Nita Singh Kaushal, Founder of Miss CEO; Angela Harris, Director of Research and Advanced Engineering at Ford Greenfield Labs; Gloria Ho, Senior Manager at NetApp; Jean Lau, VP of Engineering at Hitachi Vantara.
During our second workshop, Building Your Brand, high school girls learned specific strategies to connect with interesting opportunities and demystify the road ahead. Students rotated through four stations practicing how to pitch themselves, conduct informational interviews, craft compelling resumes, and participate in career Q&As. Each station was staffed with a team of experienced professional mentors who coached students and offered valuable advice and feedback. Leena Tantawy, a senior at Leland High School, noted, “It was wonderful to work on these skills in such an encouraging environment. It was also inspiring to see all the girls’ confidence increase more and more as we rotated through each station.”
In the spring, Miss CEO and The Tech hosted Navigating Uncertainty and Developing Leadership Skills Along the Way, a special online workshop to respond to the needs of students and families who suddenly found themselves having to navigate distant learning, cancelled summer programs, and indefinitely-postponed plans. During our virtual conversation, students brainstormed how they could spend this unusual time learning new skills, exploring remote opportunities, and finding creative ways to give back to their communities.
Along with the young women, our professional volunteers find these events to be a rewarding experience. Doug Portnow, patent attorney and a principal at Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner and member of the Girls at The Tech Leadership Council reflected, “The students are engaged, ask great questions and it’s fascinating to see career plans blossoming right in front of my eyes. It’s also a lot of fun to be around people with a lot of positive energy. I wish I had something like these workshops when I was a student.”
In order to promote more women in STEM, we must connect girls to the training, resources, and community that can develop their confidence and strengthen their sense of belonging. It’s been a privilege to work closely with The Tech Interactive to empower the next generation of women leaders and innovators. As Stanford Online High School student Lily Sun exclaimed, “These events opened my eyes to what is possible, and I can’t wait to make an impact!”
The Tech Interactive’s Girls at The Tech program is committed to closing the gender gap in Silicon Valley and there are many ways to get involved. For more information about how you or your company can support this important program, please contact Linda at lanton@thetech.org
