Can you share your journey into the tech industry? What inspired you to pursue this field?
My journey into tech has always been about leverage and opportunity. I grew up in Utah, where I didn’t see many people who looked like me, but I was raised to believe that preparation creates opportunity. My first exposure to technology came from watching my father move from a typewriter to an early computer as an author; I saw how innovation changes outcomes.
I didn’t enter tech through engineering. I started as an executive assistant at a software company, where a sales leader encouraged me into sales. That mentorship changed my trajectory. I later joined Zoom just before COVID during a period of hypergrowth, and today I’m at Microsoft as an AI Specialist helping enterprises adopt AI at scale. For me, tech has always represented momentum , and I’ve learned to dive all in when opportunity shows up.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you first entered tech as a minority woman working in technology?
Early in my career, I was often the only Black woman in the room. I chose to see that as differentiation, not disadvantage. Performance creates credibility.
A deeper challenge came when I became a mother. After health complications and a brief career pause following my first child, I re-entered the workforce and became acutely aware of perception. I was asked in interviews how I would “handle” being a wife and mother while delivering results. That was a turning point. Motherhood is not a weakness; it sharpens prioritization, resilience, and leadership. Building a career while raising a family is not an individual decision, it’s a family one. And it deserves to be normalized, supported and celebrated.
Over the last year or two, what positive changes have you seen in the tech industry regarding diversity and inclusion?
I’ve seen greater appreciation for leadership traits like adaptability, emotional intelligence, and resilience; all critical in an AI-driven era. That broader lens benefits women and minorities who bring multidimensional experience to the table.
How has being a part of the ACW influenced your confidence and sense of belonging?
ACW reinforces the power of proximity. When you’re connected to women who are leading in the channel, running organizations, and navigating similar life phases, the path becomes tangible.
In a fast-moving industry like technology, network equals access. ACW creates a space where growth, mentorship, and confidence compound.
What advice would you give to other minority women considering joining ACW and entering the technology field?
Joining ACW and working in the technology field has been extremely rewarding!
My advice: don’t wait until you feel perfectly positioned. Do it anyway.
Build your network before you need it. Protect your mindset. This industry rewards resilience. You will face perception, but perception can be reshaped by performance. And if you choose both career and family, know that it’s not a liability. It’s leadership forged in real life.
