She Sparks Tech

Sarah Sterner is a former science teacher turned instructional designer and learning design strategist. Her passion is creating innovative and engaging experiences for learners of all ages and professional backgrounds. Her career has allowed her to wear many hats. In my second year of teaching, she started developing and selling the educational resources that she found herself designing for her ow...

For the last episode of the year, I want to celebrate everything that has come from She Sparks Tech. 30 episodes Doubled listener-ship Listeners in over 20 countries I launched my How to Identify Transferable Skills Guide this month. And if you aren’t following along on instagram @shesparkstech, you are missing some truly great content and that is really where I’m trying to bring the party to in 2...

Sidney Collin is the creator of NexStride, a small, versatile device that attaches to canes, walkers, or walking poles to help people overcome mobility issues. Sidney created the device as a student at Cal-Poly, after befriending a local veteran named Jack - who suffered from freezing of gait stemming from Parkinson’s. Determined to help Jack, Sidney used her knowledge of engineering and her passi...

This episode is all about TRANSFERABLE SKILLS. Yes, transferable skills are communication, teamwork, problem solving, organization, analytical, technical, selling – but you can represent them SO MUCH better than that. I’m sharing my process for finding transferable skills for a new role, walking through an example using a real job posting that you can follow along with. My goal for sharing this is...

This episode digs into applying for roles from the perspective of a recruiter. For anyone getting ready to apply for a new role - this is must listen! Sanja was oblivious to tech throughout her undergraduate schooling, having majored in Child and Youth care. She began her tech career by fluke (and a little luck) as a customer support rep at Shopify, helping merchants with their business needs and...

Nicole Mills started her career in a classroom as an excited foreign language teacher, but she quickly found herself burntout and overwhelmed trying to be the best educator for her students. She knew she has to leave behind the teaching job she had long since worked for to save her well-being. So what the heck does that even look like when you come from a field as specialized as teaching? Thankful...

Danielle Boris is the author of The Energy of Weirdos and the founder and CEO of Sandbox, a SaaS platform that acts as your personalized guide to consistently high-performing teams. Danielle believes that far too often, corporations put employees in boxes, labeled by job title. This siloing not only limits talent development but also inhibits organizations from leveraging the full knowledge, skill...

Trina L. Martin is the founder and CEO of Trina L. Martin International. She is a technologist, international speaker, advocate for women of color in tech, and best-selling author. Trina is a retired US Naval Officer and former computer programmer. She has over two decades of computer programming, digital forensics, and intelligence experience. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and e...

SimpliFed is the telehealth platform democratizing access to baby feeding and breastfeeding services. By providing high-quality virtual care covered by insurance, the Ithaca, New York-based company envisions a world where every parent feels good about feeding their family – because baby feeding and breastfeeding are central to maternal and infant health. Founded in 2019 by Andrea Ippolito, a biome...

Like so many women in tech, I struggled to find the right balance for myself - the work-life balance, the unpaid additional work balance, the bullshit balance. In this episode, I share my story that takes you through my engineering career, how I struggled with uncertainty and the need for change, and how I made my own change when I couldn't get it elsewhere. The projects I started as hobbies turne...

Elinor once stood at the periphery of her own career, feeling lost, invisible, confused. She gave away power and agency over her own trajectory, feeling dulled and limited. She then realized diminishing herself to fit in will never work, as standing out is her prerogative. She realized there is so much more possibility than where she was. Elinor took back control over her career and maintained ext...

Alexandria Tomayko is a nature advocate, sustainability connoisseur, nomadic traveler & experience planner. Her life work has been in creating memorable experiences for others as an Experience Coordinator. The main reasoning behind her success is her understanding of the need for human connection and how events can satisfy this. She is the Founder of the Little Black Book Series, through a nee...

In this episode, Courtney Greenwood digs into health data and how she made a way for herself in tech with no STEM degree and no coding. We talk about how she found her path, the major work in healthcare tech, and how it's improving our lives after being pushed live during the pandemic. Connect with Courtney: LinkedIn Instagram @courtgreenwood Note: this episode was filled in 2021, and there have b...

In this conversation, Nina Froriep and I discuss her background in tv and video and how that love of storytelling has brought her to what she does now - video marketing. This is one you won't want to miss f you create and consume video content! Connect with Nina: LinkedIn Consistent Video Quiz Remember to Rate & Subscribe if you love the podcast and to follow allow on Facebook & Instagram...

Lorena Soriano is on a mission to create a world where Sci & Tech products are representative of the population that uses them. Growing up Lorena wanted to be a scientist and doctor but due to the lack of representation, she didn’t think her dream was possible. While completing her degree in Biochemistry she realized that once again I lacked representation, having no Latina STEM professor. All...

Virgginnia is a talent acquisition professional based in the Bay Area with a proven record of building and improving processes that help find companies find the right talent when they need it as well as orienting candidates on career advising and interviewing coaching.  She has a passion for consulting with companies to build incredible teams and operational strategies with a DEI lens. If you...

Daniella Flores is a software engineer, a serial side hustler, entrepreneur and cat lover. After her wife Alexandra and her were able to pay off $40,000 of debt with the help of side hustles, she fell in love with dabbling and the idea of financial freedom. Now she helps other multi-passionates create side hustles to gain back more control in their lives, careers, and financial futures. iliketodab...

Toni Collis is an award-winning leader in the field of Supercomputing/High-Performance Computing, turned Executive and Leadership Career Coach for Women in the Tech sector. She is the Founder of Women in High-Performance Computing - a non-profit operating across more than 70 countries - as well as a host of the Leading Women in Tech Podcast. She works with high-achieving women who are successful b...

In this episode with Danielle Meadows-Stinnett we are talking all things graphic design and being true to who you are. Danielle is the owner of minority-led branding agency Octane Design Studios and is also a podcaster, mentor, wife, mom of 4, and lover of cosplay, comics, chai tea, and live MMA. She chooses to mimic her Creator, living humbly & laughing often. With over 12 years of marketing...

Afifa Siddiqui started her career as an electrical engineer and then worked to build several successful companies for herself, based in improving systems with technology. From recruiting to job board software to payroll services, she has worked to continuously challenge the status quo for the hiring process and simply how companies go through the process. You can get in touch with Afifa online thr...

Libby Robinson has spent her career doing many things. Settling for the status quo isn't one of them. And her new app BackFeed+ is helping to breakdown the current standards of feedback to help people have feedback that is actually helpful and actionable.  You can download the app BackFeed+ from the app store and google play store and learn more about the app on their website https://www.back...

In this episode, Kelli Lucas shares her story of how her art degree led her to the user experience world. Not only has she held many high achieving roles in the industry, she also started a company to help people build apps by designing the user interaction components - which is important to establish before paying someone to code it. Kelli is an advocate for women looking for roles in technology...

In this interview with Stephanie Slocum, she is sharing a story that I find inspiring. She is an engineer, turned project manager, turned author and coach for women in STEM. Dream job trajectory if you ask me. She is sharing some great information about navigating the career fields as a woman and we chat about her book She Engineers. Here are some of the great links mentioned in the episode: Websi...

This episode is another great one covering environmental applications using technology. Chelsea Whelmer works as the Palm Oil and Conservation Program Coordinator at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and she is sharing the conservation work she does for sustainable palm oil, how it impacts our lives every day, and how we can make more environmentally friendly choices with our at-home purchases. You can f...

In this episode, I’m speaking with Melissa Cristina Marquez, who works as a marine biologist and Shark Behavioral Ecologist. Melissa’s research has been featured in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and she hosts her own podcast, ConCiencia Azul. She is also a freelance wildlife writer, TedX speaker, Scholastic author. In 2021, Melissa was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree. If you want...