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DataGrail Supports Women in Technology Careers with $500 Donation

DataGrail, March 6, 2020

As a woman (and mother) in the technology space, the topics of career growth, balance, and mentorship are near and dear to my heart. These topics have also become increasingly visible in my daily news feeds. One hot question I had seen floating around recently was this: What advice would you give your younger working self? 

DataGrail posed this question to attendees at the recent Women Impact Tech event in San Francisco on March 5th, along with a fun activity to bring it to life. We constructed a tree that highlighted our 5 company values:

  • Be Transparent
  • Make Each Other Better
  • Build Trust
  • Learn from Failure
  • Be Bold

We then asked participants what advice they would give their younger selves, and to write it on a colorful leaf to populate our tree. For each piece of advice shared via social media, DataGrail donated $5 to Women Who Code, a nonprofit organization helping women lead careers in tech.  At the end of the day, participants had helped us create a beautiful and colorful tree filled with words of wisdom. Here are some of the popular themes that emerged:  

Speaking Up:

  • “Speak up! People want to hear from you!”
  • “Ask for a reward when you think you deserve it.”
  • “Learn to advocate for yourself. You are the only one who will.”
  • “Just ask for what you want!”

Learning & Skill Development:

  • “Communicate early & often.”
  • “Keep finding new learning opportunities!”
  • “Focus on developing skills! (not only GPA)”
  • “Give feedback. Accept feedback.”
  • “MVP is better than perfection.”

Self Love & Compassion:

  • “Be patient and kind, as well as competent. Be honest to yourself.”
  • “Be yourself. Be strong. This too will pass.”
  • “Be humble!”
  • “Trust yourself & be more confident!”
  • “Be YOU!”

Conquering Fears:

  • “Don’t be afraid to fail / be wrong / ask questions / take risks/ to stand out!”
  • “Don’t take criticism personally.”
  • “Don’t hesitate to ask for help.”
  • “Don’t compromise.”
  • “You are as good as you think! Don’t hold back.”
  • “Be more confident and ask for mentorship!”

Happiness:

  • “Do what you love, love what you do!”
  • “When you get a new job, take what you like from your current one and leave the rest!”
  • “Be creative, pursue your goals!”
  • “Work hard. Stay happy.”

General Life Advice:

  • “Take responsibility for your finances.”
  • “Travel when you are a teenager!”
  • “Never waste time! It’s so precious that you can’t get it back!”
  • “Listen to the people who know you.”
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I truly enjoyed reading all these words of wisdom, which reflect many different perspectives on career, growth, and balance. One of DataGrail’s core company values is ensuring we make each other better through actionable feedback - and this doesn’t work if everyone thinks the same. From the early days of the company, founders Daniel BarberEarl Hathaway, and Ignacio Zendejas have ensured there are a variety of voices at the table and have invested in diversity and inclusion at all levels because it’s not something you can “get to when you’re big enough.” We believe that diversity needs to be woven into the fabric of the company from the start. This is evident in the fact that our company’s executive team and board of directors both have an even gender split, and the percentage of female employees has always been roughly 40% (never fallen below 30%). The company also has a parental leave policy in place already (extremely rare for a company this stage and size!) – and I can personally attest to how beneficial and important that policy is in supporting women in their careers over the long run.

At the conclusion of the Women Impact Tech event, DataGrail is proud to have donated $500 to Women Who Code. A big thank you goes out to both Women Impact Tech and Women Who Code for their partnership. We hope participants had a fun time reflecting and contributing to our tree, and are honored to have participated in supporting this worthy cause. Now we pose this question to you: What advice would you give your younger working self?

Check out all of DataGrail’s open positions and learn more at https://datagrail.io/careers.

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