What does the phrase “Women of Tech(nologent)” mean to you?
Women in tech, having chosen to make our careers in a predominantly masculine profession, have traditionally found ourselves being looked over, talked over, and often dismissed. At Technologent, however, I have felt celebrated, appreciated and respected, and this has allowed me to attain a higher level of comfort and confidence in my skill and position. I appreciate all the folks at Technologent who work hard to make sure all of us women here are treated fairly and equally, what a great time to be femme in tech!
Name a fun fact about yourself that you’d like more people to know?
I’m a professional/sponsored/competitive skydiver, with over 1200 jumps, and I coach other skydivers in learning new skills.
How long have you worked in the IT industry?
30 years
What would you say is the biggest challenge working in the IT field as a woman?
Our society’s deeply ingrained notion that women are less intelligent and/or less capable of being analytical creates a unique hurdle for women in IT. Creating a new picture, a new perception, of women in this business as strong, competent, intelligent, intuitive, and creative technologists, has been my goal throughout my 30 year IT career – a challenge, yes, but a challenge accepted accomplished.
What words would you use to inspire others facing an professional or project-related obstacle?
Just jump in and get started. You can't wait for someone to ask or tell you what to do. You'll meet a few road blocks and have some blunders, but these are only going to make you better next time. When doing this, always operate within reasonable and conscientious guidelines and act with integrity.
Can you describe a recent positive experience working with another woman at Technologent?
Any time I work with Monique Hilbring, it’s a positive experience. I’ve had the pleasure to work with her on several projects since joining Technologent, and she is always thoughtful, knowledgeable, and efficient. 10/10 would work with her again!
What is a professional/career goal for you this year?
I would like to learn to harness the power of chatGPT in new and creative ways – becoming an expert in AI application.
List 3 adjectives that you think are most important for exemplifying your best work self:
Trustworthy / Kind / Bold
Name a book, movie or music album you’re enjoying currently:
Right now I am enjoying watching the series “Silo” on apple TV, which is an adaptation of Hugh Howey’s trilogy by the same name (Wool, Shift, Dust, are the three books in the series). I read the books years ago, and then found out recently that Hugh was a campmate of mine at Burning Man in 2019. I met him then, but had no idea he was the author of these books at that time!
This series focuses on a dystopian future, a genre I’ve always found to be interesting due to the creative peek into the human psyche, and depictions of what we might become when faced with such drastic scenarios.
Are there any specific quotes, sayings or lessons that are important to you?
There are so many… but most of my favorite quotes are focused on living life as your most authentic self. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, and you can make your life whatever you want it to be. This doesn’t mean it’s easy or fast, but YOU have the power when it comes to your own life, take charge and create your dreams.
Quotes from the Team About Wendi:
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"Wendi is a talented systems architect specializing in enterprise load balancing and network security. She is an industry recognized expert and is highly sought after for configuration and troubleshooting efforts. She maintains a strong emphasis on being self-motivated, a creative innovator, quick learner, a team builder, and she utterly thrives at solving technically advanced challenges."
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"Wendi embodies the notion that an excellent work ethic and attention to detail produce high-quality results. Her 20+ years of experience in information technology have made her significantly skilled and a remarkable asset to Technologent."
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