Women In Tech: Battling All Odds with an Intrapreneur Mindset

Grit and resilience are more than just metaphorical muscles we must train throughout our lives. They are tools that help us navigate life and battle out all odds. In this article, our Expert Contributor, Debbie Botha, Women in AI Global Chief Partnership Officer, looks back on her journey through the world of tech and shares advice and strategies for the next generation of techpreneurs.

The world of tech is noticing the need for equality, inclusivity and diversity. However, shifting to a more conscious work environment is a journey across the inclusivity spectrum. We need to focus on every step along the way and encourage a culture that embraces people and technology with the aim to create collective value. Read to know in Debbie’s narrative what being a woman in tech means.

Growing a Career In Technology

I always felt that I was blessed with enormous job satisfaction. It is possible if you have an intrapreneur mindset, where your career is your business, where grit, resilience, growth, values, integrity, humility and excellence is your focus. It will drive success in one’s career at any stage and in any organization.

Having at least three mentors at a time is an integral part of professional growth for all facets of one’s career.  I remember my first mentor at IBM, Ahmed Abbas, told me to learn active and deep learning skills and apply them as much as possible.  It helps with excelling at your job, delighting your customers and managers, managing teams and other relationships. It is no wonder that Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis player, attributes his career success to his ability to listen.  

Furthermore, if your studies included computer programming, try to apply it in as many and broad ways, with as many technologies you can for as long as you can. It will tremendously benefit your career as you grow into domains like architecture or management.

Most importantly, prioritize your health and family when integrating your work with your personal life. And remember, in your career, nothing is a test and therefore, nothing can be a failure – it is only an outcome that you can learn from.

Driving the Digital-first Movement

My biggest accomplishment when I worked at IBM was when I became the most senior certified female IT Architect in MEA, and subsequently was invited to the prestigious IBM Academy of Technology and received The Open Group Distinguished IT Architect certification.

A digital-first company is a cognitive enterprise. One of the pieces of evidence that I submitted for my re-certification was this graphic presentation that I developed to describe how data and AI flow in the cognitive enterprise. We call it the System of X (SOX) model. It is suitable for high-level discussions about becoming digital-first for that competitive advantage. I also use it to discuss the importance of data, analytics and AI in the cognitive enterprise for domains to have visibility of each other’s data, insights and business expertise. Disciplines with diverse sets of people at the table can thus ensure responsibility and accurate data. I have specific models for a few industries, which helps to describe the industry applications within the systems.

Gartner and IBM have developed some versions of this model, and I have enhanced it for my purposes. It took many iterations to simplify the model and make sure it resonated with a broad audience. I used squares when talking to IT architects in the beginning but quickly realized that the circles work better with executives. It is a helpful conversation starter and fun to unpack the relevant areas with a whiteboard.

Find Your Calling

I never felt like I was a woman in a man’s world or even noticed that men and women are treated differently at any point in my career, but maybe I’ve been one of the lucky ones. I love working with men and women equally and have had many male and female mentors over the years.

I always have this desire to make a difference and get recognition for it, and I know it’s silly, but to be loved by everyone.  I had imposter syndrome most of my career, always working harder than anyone else I know. I had a wake-up call in my career the last couple of years when I learned that not even all women would love me. Some people say they might feel threatened, but either way, I had to focus on not feeling bullied or offended, but I worked even harder to make a difference and please everyone.  

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, I realized what I was doing to myself.  I had to become much healthier and calmer. I spent the past year recovering from surgery (very glad to say I am cancer-free) and working for the non-profit, Women in AI, as their Chief Partnership Office. The support, excellence, wisdom and compassion that I have perceived here have been beautiful.

I am grateful and happy, much healthier now and looking forward to finishing my EMBA.  I am optimistic about the future with a fresh mindset of prioritizing my health and family when integrating work and personal life. I will be mindful of my performance and not take negativity personally but learn from it and grow.

Becoming an Effective Tech Professional

I would advise women considering entering the profession to read and apply “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey as early as possible in their career. It will tremendously help with the soft skills needed for this profession. 

To help you make up your mind, read as many books, blogs and papers on soft skills, digital transformation, emerging technologies, data analytics and AI. My favorites at the moment are “People Skills for Analytical Thinkers” by Gilbert Eijkelenboom, “Infonomics” by Douglas Laney, “The Economics of Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation” by Bill Schmarzo and “Fail Fast, Learn Faster” by Randy Bean. Mo Gawdat recently released his brilliant book, “Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World,” and I’m sure we can all learn from these forward-thinkers.

Bridging the Gender Pay Gap 

Many resources help us understand how easy it is for AI to become biased at scale, no matter its best intentions. For the Cognitive Enterprise to reduce the bias and noise, diversity and inclusion should be baked into all levels of the organization, with seats at the strategy tables, to diverse teams using diverse sets of data for training the solutions.

Around the world, AI has become embedded in all our everyday lives. It touches on how we work, communicate, play, and purchase. The potential to improve lives is the power of AI, but only when AI represents the entire population can this potential be realized. 

Look at the fourth industrial revolution, the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the worldwide diversity drive. We live in an era where there is a huge push to get more women involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and in our context, specifically artificial intelligence.

Onward Together 

Women need to be included more aggressively in innovation and gain more visibility with the advancements in technology. Women, as technologists, bring invaluable resources and innovation to the global community, helping to amplify the good. 

According to World Economic Forum research, the number of women represented in data and AI positions in the workforce is still 26%. Crucial to delivering equitable outcomes is increasing diversity in AI development.  

It is clear that bias has not been addressed adequately globally, and one very effective way to address discrimination in AI is to engage diverse teams throughout the entire process.  According to World Economic Forum, and specifically two wonderful female leaders, Kay Firth Butterfield and Beena Amnanath, there are five ways to increase women working in AI – supporting STEM Education, showcasing female AI trailblazers, mentoring women for leadership roles and creating equal opportunities. Ensuring a gender-equal reward system is an absolute necessity as well. Global organizations are doing great work to help women play a key role in the AI sector, but these efforts need to be bolstered to make a tangible difference at scale.

What is your take on including more women in the field of AI? Would it help to encourage careers in STEM from an earlier age? Share with us on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We’d love to know what you feel!

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