Technology is core to CZI’s mission. Our technology teams harness the power of engineering to accelerate progress in science and education.
Women in Tech (WIT), one of our employee-led resource groups, brings women from across CZI’s tech teams into community together. The group’s collective goal is to support the advancement of women and non-binary people in tech — a critical effort given that these groups remain underrepresented within the technology industry.
We invited WIT members to reflect on their journeys in tech — sharing how they started their careers and are building tech now for a better future.
Get to know six trailblazing CZI women in tech below.
Jen Erickson – Technical Program Manager, Security
How It Started
I’m part of the third generation of technology workers in my family. My grandmother was a punch card operator in the ‘70s and would bring home old punch cards for me to draw on. My grandfather and my dad also worked in tech, and I vividly remember going as a kid to a product launch for Data General, one of the first minicomputer firms.
When I went to college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I dropped out after a semester to rethink my education. I started attending community college and landed an internship at Adobe via a family friend. I would commute to class each morning, work at Adobe, and then return to school for night courses, three to four days a week.
My internship became a job, and I transferred to a degree program at the University of San Francisco. I continued to work during the day and pursue my degree at night, using a generous tuition reimbursement program. I’ve been in tech ever since.
Continue reading: https://chanzuckerberg.com/blog/celebrating-women-in-tech/
Women in Tech (WIT), one of our employee-led resource groups, brings women from across CZI’s tech teams into community together. The group’s collective goal is to support the advancement of women and non-binary people in tech — a critical effort given that these groups remain underrepresented within the technology industry.
We invited WIT members to reflect on their journeys in tech — sharing how they started their careers and are building tech now for a better future.
Get to know six trailblazing CZI women in tech below.
Jen Erickson – Technical Program Manager, Security
How It Started
I’m part of the third generation of technology workers in my family. My grandmother was a punch card operator in the ‘70s and would bring home old punch cards for me to draw on. My grandfather and my dad also worked in tech, and I vividly remember going as a kid to a product launch for Data General, one of the first minicomputer firms.
When I went to college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I dropped out after a semester to rethink my education. I started attending community college and landed an internship at Adobe via a family friend. I would commute to class each morning, work at Adobe, and then return to school for night courses, three to four days a week.
My internship became a job, and I transferred to a degree program at the University of San Francisco. I continued to work during the day and pursue my degree at night, using a generous tuition reimbursement program. I’ve been in tech ever since.
Continue reading: https://chanzuckerberg.com/blog/celebrating-women-in-tech/
