E70 Pariss Athena: #BlackTechTwitter
12/02/20 • 9 min
Episode 7-0!!!! That's 70 episodes worth of amazing guests. Today is no different as we have Pariss Athena, the creator of the the #BlackTechTwitter movement. Enjoy
Pariss believes it is difficult to find diverse talent when you do not personally have a diverse network. However, recruiters can find this talent if they are willing to branch out, network, and engage with people outside of their communities. She thinks that removing CS degree requirements from software roles is the equitable and right thing to do. Many people of color do not have the opportunity of going to college, but can still learn the skills necessary to be successful as a developer through alternative routes. Pariss is a fan of implementing apprenticeship programs within tech companies. It is a great way for someone who is just entering the industry to learn how the company operates, what tech stacks are used, and how teams collaborate. To retain diverse talent, Pariss would advise companies to survey how their staff feels about the current inclusivity and equity practices. Then work on making actionable steps towards constant improvement. Any policies, practices, or procedures that are implemented must be rooted in the foundation of the company and its culture.
Pariss Athena is the Founder & CEO of Black Tech Pipeline, a platform bringing exposure, resources, and opportunities to Black Technologists. She is the creator of the movement and community #BlackTechTwitter, a global movement that brought exposure to the existing Black community in tech.
- Pariss’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pariss-chandler
- Black Tech Pipeline: https://blacktechpipeline.com
- Pariss’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParissAthena
- More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com
SnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.io
Please share like and subscribe for more reach 🙌🏾
Episode 7-0!!!! That's 70 episodes worth of amazing guests. Today is no different as we have Pariss Athena, the creator of the the #BlackTechTwitter movement. Enjoy
Pariss believes it is difficult to find diverse talent when you do not personally have a diverse network. However, recruiters can find this talent if they are willing to branch out, network, and engage with people outside of their communities. She thinks that removing CS degree requirements from software roles is the equitable and right thing to do. Many people of color do not have the opportunity of going to college, but can still learn the skills necessary to be successful as a developer through alternative routes. Pariss is a fan of implementing apprenticeship programs within tech companies. It is a great way for someone who is just entering the industry to learn how the company operates, what tech stacks are used, and how teams collaborate. To retain diverse talent, Pariss would advise companies to survey how their staff feels about the current inclusivity and equity practices. Then work on making actionable steps towards constant improvement. Any policies, practices, or procedures that are implemented must be rooted in the foundation of the company and its culture.
Pariss Athena is the Founder & CEO of Black Tech Pipeline, a platform bringing exposure, resources, and opportunities to Black Technologists. She is the creator of the movement and community #BlackTechTwitter, a global movement that brought exposure to the existing Black community in tech.
- Pariss’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pariss-chandler
- Black Tech Pipeline: https://blacktechpipeline.com
- Pariss’ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParissAthena
- More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com
SnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.io
Please share like and subscribe for more reach 🙌🏾
Previous Episode
E69 Michelle Barnard: Closing The Unemployment Gap
Happy Monday, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. This new episode of SnackWalls pairs well with a helping of leftovers, enjoy!
Michelle has noticed that the diverse talent companies are looking for can be found overseas. Our current school system is not producing enough people to match the demand of the tech jobs here in the US. She doesnt think that a CS degree should be mandatory for software engineering roles because this requirement would exclude talented people that might otherwise be a good fit for the role. A degree should be listed on the “nice to have” list and employers should incentivize these candidates with a pay bump. Michelle believes that an apprenticeship pattern in tech would help with the talent supply shortage we face in the US. The next generation of workforce employees are growing up in a different world and might do well with a more hands-on-approach to training. From her experience, the best way to retain diverse employees in an organization is to treat them equally with everyone else.
Michelle Barnard is a results-driven human resources professional recognized for success in recruiting high-caliber candidates and repeatedly exceeding placement goals. She works as a Senior Recruiter for Kelly Services and also runs a website (MB Job Seeker Advice) with career services and resources for active job seekers. Aside from being an HR professional, Michelle is a talented tarot card reader.
- Michelle Barnard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-barnard-7949721a
- MB Job Seeker Advice: https://www.michelletaniabarnard.com
- Michelle’s Tarot Readings: https://mbempresstarot.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeChelle15
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbempress_hbic
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mtbarnard1s1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.barnard.1420
- More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com
SnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.io
Please share like and subscribe for more reach 🙌🏾
Next Episode
E71 Erin Orstrom: Confident Candidates Required!
Happy December! We are officially in the home stretch of 2020. As these next few weeks start getting busy, don't forget to tune into your favorite podcast for some great guests and positive vibes!
Erin believes that finding diverse talent doesn't have to be challenging for companies. There are plenty of people from non traditional backgrounds that are hungry and curious to break into the tech industry. However, many of these candidates are intimidated from applying to positions when the job description is looking for a “magical unicorn” candidate with unrealistic experience. She has found that a computer science degree will teach the theory behind computers, but it is not necessary for entry level software roles. There are alternative methods (bootcamp programs, online resources, etc..) to learn the necessary skills and help gain the hands on experience to start working in tech. Erin thinks that an apprenticeship pattern can be applied to technical roles if a company has a culture and values to support the program. She believes that in order to recruit and retain diverse talent, companies need to establish a culture that listens and adapts to their employees needs. People should feel encouraged to grow both professionally and personally within their workplace.
Erin Orstrom is a technology professional with 3+ years of experience in software development, business analysis, and 1+ year of product ownership. She excels at liaising between the business and the developers to translate requirements comprehensively between the two parties. Erin enjoys working with others to understand their challenges and implement solutions which create more positive and intuitive user experiences. She is currently serving as a Product Owner at naviHealth.
- Erin Orstrom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinorstrom
- naviHealth: https://www.navihealth.com
- naviHealth Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navihealth-inc-
- Erin’s Website: https://erinorstrom.com
- More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com
SnackWalls is powered by San Diego Code School: https://sdcs.io
Please share like and subscribe for more reach 🙌🏾
SnackWalls - E70 Pariss Athena: #BlackTechTwitter
Transcript
Welcome back to the SnackWalls podcast. I'm Mike Roberts, your host, and we're here to talk about increasing and maintaining diversity in tech, beyond the perks.
MikeWhile companies think they can lure people in with unlimited PTO and dogs in the office, we're here to talk about how you keep them.
MikeAlright I'm going to throw it over to our special guest today.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/snackwalls-216584/e70-pariss-athena-blacktechtwitter-24334313"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to e70 pariss athena: #blacktechtwitter on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy