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INDIANAPOLIS — A female-led tech firm in Indianapolis has created an intern program to empower a positive and diverse company culture. netlogx's CEO is a pioneer in Indy's tech sector and has a mission to pay it forward through internship programs at her company.
netlogx is no stranger to the Circle City. The information, technology and risk assessment consulting firm built their headquarters in Indianapolis in 1998. Originally from the United Kingdom, netlogx CEO Audrey Taylor, chose to live and start her business in Indy nearly two decades ago. It has grown from a local organization to thriving business across the country.
"I think Indiana is a great place to live, we are seeing that with some of the big companies that come into town, and that is part of the reason why we need to be strategic as a city to make sure we have a talent pipeline," Taylor said. "We have got plenty of people, we just need to give them the skillset they need to be able to move into the tech space."
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Taylor takes pride in being a woman leader in the tech industry and said she pays it forward by building a pipeline of diverse talent. netlogx has an internship program called Diverse by Design in order to create a positive and diverse company culture. Plus, the company partners with the Indiana Latino Institute and Ivy Works to find interns in a non-traditional way.
"I was given opportunities when I was first in my career so I think it is important that we give other people opportunities," Taylor said. "We have hired interns, we have seen interns go on to be successful in other places. It is really about building a tech community here in Indianapolis that we can be part of so I think we are really giving back to that tech community by offering internships."
A mother of two grown children, Taylor says it is a misconception of what kind of work-life balance a career in tech can be for women in particular.
"Obviously it starts with the fact that I am a woman in the tech industry," Taylor said. "So if I can do it, I would like to encourage other women to do it. I also think it is a good career for women. It does have flexibility, it supports having a career, having children, it supports a balanced lifestyle because you can do tech from where ever you are. So I really like to encourage other women to pursue what I think is a great career."
LEARN MORE | Career opportunities with netlogx
netlogx's internship program provides a mentor designed to help the interns succeed, with a focus on real-world experience.
Diane Walton is the compliance & bid manager at netlogx as well as the internship supervisor. She has been with the company for eight years and says she has been able to grow her career in the way she has been able to have control in. Walton plays a big role in the experience of netlogx interns.
Walton explains:
Walton says interns who take advantage of their internship at netlogx by being a self-starter will have a successful internship with the company.
Netlogx hires three to four internships per summer. One sport is reserved for a student from the Indiana Latino Institute. Walton starts taking applications in December and beings interviewing in January and February for the following summer.
The path Taylor has created with netlogx has opened the door for Indiana University senior, Erin Moher, a netlogx summer intern.
"I personally did not even think about the fact that there is not that many females in the tech industry," Moher said. "For me, it is just something I am interested in. It has great opportunities for the future, it is a career that just keeps building on itself and it's going to be obviously a field that is going to be in high demand for many years to come. So for me, being a female has nothing to do with it, I just wanted to get into it so I did."
Although Moher is not set on what career path she will take, interning at netlogx has helped give her a better direction.
"I don't know exactly," Moher said. "I have been looking into some business analysis, project coordination entry level roles, the whole process here as really helped me decipher what I really am looking for in a future profession. netlogx has really opened the door to so many connections for me."
Taylor explains how to get started in tech:
Taylor is an advocate for all who are interested to consider a career in tech, regardless of your ethnicity and gender. She says this career can lead to a comfortable and full life.
"It is a very profitable career," Taylor said. "It is a well-paid field, and I am a testament to it. It is truly an international career, if you ever thought you wanted to travel this is the career, there is no re-qualifications, it is the same language as the world all over."
