INDIANAPOLIS — As many jobs have turned digital during COVID-19, working from home, advocates say now is the time to encourage more people to get into tech. Leaders in Indianapolis are trying to engage women in technology, and especially minority women, to flip the script on race and women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
“I think it’s made people more aware that it’s something that they need to push themselves towards,” says Audrey Taylor, CEO or Netlogx.
In a time where everyone is using technology tenfold to do their jobs from home, Audrey Taylor with Netlogx hopes this is encouraging more women to get into tech.
“I’ve always said I think the tech industry is very welcoming to work life balance for women,” says Taylor. “I think the pandemic has shown that in spades.”
A consulting services company that helps organizations manage change in the IT space, Netlogx works to promote and be “diverse by design.” They support minority organizations though partnership and mentorship to inspire women to pursue stem-related jobs in Indiana.
Recognizing that minorities are often pigeon-holed to certain careers or believing they can’t pursue something, says, Taylor, “I think businesses need to look like the society we are part of. We know women make most of the financial decisions in our private lives so recognizing that they’re good managers of those kind of decisions. It seems silly to not allow them to make decisions and board rooms and all the way down.”
How businesses can create a more diverse workforce, she suggests, “Our Latino Institute here in Indianapolis is a very very vibrant organization. We’ve got a Latino part of the Indiana chamber. We’ve got that for the black community too. So engaging in those organizations and finding ways to those relationships with ivy tech and IUPUI. So that we can be more engaged with a slightly different looking part of the student community. And our interns through those organizations have been fantastic and really aided in our growth.”
To learn more about getting involved with STEM, visit: https://netlogx.com/.
