Welcome to the first episode of our podcast after a hiatus, on this podcast we often dive into the world of technology through the unique lens of diversity. We are your hosts from Bridges in Tech, an inclusive community dedicated to empowering black and brown women to start and excel in technology careers. In this episode, we look back at an enlightening conversation about mental health at our weekly happy hour in 2021.  This replay is a timeless treasure filled with practical advice, strategies, and insights on managing our mental health, specifically during challenging times like a pandemic.  Despite the context, the wisdom Jummy shares transcends beyond the pandemic era and is applicable to all areas of life and various career paths. From dealing with stress and anxiety to finding balance and peace, Jummy provides invaluable tips that can help listeners navigate their mental health journey.  Jummy is the owner of the Focus Conseling Clinic and has a wealth of experience in various aspects of mental health care, including anxiety, depression, trauma, and family counseling, among others. Her expertise and compassionate approach makes this episode a must listen for anyone seeking to improve their mental well-being.  About Bridges in Tech  Our mission is to increase representation of black and brown women in technology careers by offering resources, coaching, mentoring, and raising awareness of the myriad opportunities in the tech. Our community stands as a beacon for aspiring and current tech professionals, diversity allies, and employers or recruiters seeking to enrich their understanding and practices in the tech sector. Our podcast is an extension of this mission. Every week, we share inspiring stories of women of color in tech, learn from leaders, recruiters, and celebrate our diversity in tech allies. From enlightening interviews to insightful discussions, we explore the challenges, triumphs, and evolution of diverse representation in tech. So join us on this journey as we bridge the gap in technology, fostering an environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has the tools and knowledge to succeed. Visit https://bridgesintech.com/ to learn more about our community, upcoming events, and how you can get involved. Together, we can shape a more inclusive future in tech.

Gwendolyn is the founder of The Wellness Loft, where she educates and empowers women of color to kick the glucose habit and sugar addiction by adopting a healthi -her lifestyle.  On this episode she's sharing tips & tricks to help you as a technology worker live a healthier lifestyle.  More about Gwendolyn: She also contracts with government and corporate agencies through a subset of her business called Wellness WERKS 8. With an innate compassion for helping others, she's living out her dreams as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).  This career path led her to step into my purpose and become a Pre-Diabetes Lifestyle Coach and a Public Health Partner recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Secure Access Management Services (SAMS). I use my decade of nursing and nutrition experience to educate others about overcoming health obstacles and not succumbing to generational illnesses. You can connect with Gwendolyn using any of the following links:  Website: bit.ly/createyourhealthy FB : https://www.facebook.com/thenutritionistandnurse IG : https://www.instagram.com/thenutritionistandnurse Email: [email protected] ============================================================================== Learn more about Bridges in Tech at www.bridgesintech.com . Interested on being a guest on the podcast let us know on the website.  Follow us on your favorite social media platform: @bridgesintech

Podcast - Yulkendy On this episode I sit down to learn more about Yulkendy and her company Forefront. Yulkendy is a Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, storyteller, and TEDx speaker. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Forefront, she helps employers, schools, and nonprofits create low-barrier, culturally relevant virtual experiences for youth (ages 16-24) to facilitate their transition from education to career. Yulkendy brings a diverse set of both corporate and nonprofit experience to the table. She’s worked with Bank of America, EY, Puma, and Innosight Consulting as well as the International Institute of St. Louis and Betty Jean Kerr People’s Centers. Yulkendy has received numerous fellowships, including the Resolution Project, Young People For, Opportunity Nation Leaders Program, Future Founders Fellowship, Net Impact Racial Equity Fellowship, Harvard Kennedy School Public Policy Leadership Conference, One Young World, StartingBloc, and PPIA Indiana University. She is a proud alumna of Babson College, #1 school for entrepreneurship. More recently, she was named one of the Latino 30 Under 30 honorees by El Mundo Boston and a top millennial in Boston by Get Konnected. With roots in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, Yulkendy has traveled to over 30+ countries for work and fun. You can learn more about forefront at https://www.getforefront.co ================================== Follow us on your favorite social media @bridgesintech email us at info@bridgesintech if you’d like to get on the show or know someone who should! Visit bridgesintech.com/virtualhappyhour to sign up to attend our weekly happy hour.

On this episode, I sit down with the Founder & CEO of Blaq App to learn more about this app that protects black and brown people in life threatening situations, or during incidents of racial profiling. Follow the journey: www.instagram.com/blaqapp www.twitter.com/Appblaq ================================================== We love to hear from you, connect with @bridgesintech on your favorite social media platform and leave us a message!  Questions or interested on coming on the podcast? email [email protected]

Andrew Ysasi (EE-SA-SEE), MS, FIP, FIIM, CIPM, CIPP, CISM, PMP, CRM, IGP, CIP has worked in information management since 2007. As Vice President of Advocacy for VRC, Andrew is tasked with mentoring, educating, volunteering, and advocating for all matters related to information governance (IG). Andrew is the President of IG GURU®, an IG news organization and a resume expert with Admovio® where his work is published on CIO.com. Andrew is a frequent guest on the Inside the Records Room podcast, a contributor to ARMA's IGBOK, a contributor to Wiley's Information Governance 2nd Edition, a former Regent for the ICRM, a former board member for i-SIGMA, and a former adjunct professor at Davenport University. Andrew has a bachelor’s degree in information technology and holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. Find Andrew on your favorite social media platform => @andrewysasi @VitalRecordsCtrl @1gguru @Admovio ================================ Learn more about bridges in tech at www.bridgesintech.com and find us on your favorite social media platform @bridgesintech If you’d like to come on the show or have any questions please email us at [email protected]

Madoree Pipkins is a career coach and recruiter that helps recent graduates and mid-career professionals transition into tech roles. She’s spent the last 6 years at various tech startups of different industries, sizes, and stages. Madoree knows what makes your resume stand out and what truly drives receiving offers after interviews — and it’s not applying to hundreds of jobs online. It’s how well you connect and network to share your expertise emphasizing and showcasing how you can do the role before you have the job. She’s helped thousands of students land their dream internships and helped professionals negotiate over $900K in additional salaries and benefits. In addition to her extensive recruiting and coaching experience, Madoree is a social good entrepreneur and owns an online fashion boutique where proceeds fund black led and serving non-profits creating an ecosystem of positive impact through fashion. You can follow @highermenow for career tips and tricks and @forwardchicboutique to shop women's trends for good. Madoree shares over 250 resources that will help boost your job search on her medium page => bit.ly/madoreejobsearch ================== Learn more about Bridges in Tech at bridgesintech.com questions or interested in coming on the show? Email us at [email protected]

Taylor is deeply passionate about virtual and augmented reality for education and training. He started his journey with VR in 2014 by hosting parties and events in San Francisco where people were invited to try VR in a fun and social environment. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Over the following years, he and his team built UploadVR.com, the industry's largest daily VR news site reaching millions of people per month, established two co-working spaces in LA and San Francisco with 150 VR, AR and AI startups, hosted over 500 VR and AR focused events, trained nearly 1,000 creators on VR and AR development, and worked with companies like Google, IDEO and NASA JPL on immersive education. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ As an advocate for inclusive leadership, Taylor is a founding council member of XR Inclusion and sits on the board of Women of AI. Taylor taught the first remote in-VR class at MIT, and was awarded Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work building the VR industry. ⁣ ⁣ =============⁣ www. bridgesintech.com⁣ @bridgesintech on your favorite social

Joyce is a 23 year old young black professional working in the tech industry. She graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in computer science and minor in psychology. She's currently rotating through different areas of technology at a bank and shares her experience with us.  When she’s not working, she works on her YouTube channel, JoyOfMyLife, which is a lifestyle channel focused on fashion, beauty and tech, in addition to her fun vlogs.  You can follow her on your favorite social media platform: Instagram Twitter YouTube,  Search JoyOfMyLife on Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest! Learn more about Bridges in Tech at www.bridgesintech.com and follow us on your favorite social: @bridgesintech

After all the protests, black screens and angry posts on social media, what's next? Join me on this episode as I sit down with two men to discuss the way forward.   Guests: Aaron Bregg, Lead Information Security Analyst  Dereck Burchette II, Business Systems Analyst & information security professional Aaron hosts the #Realtalk with Aaron Bregg where he discusses information security topics.  Want to come on the show or learn more about Bridges in Tech? visit www.bridgesintech.com Bridges in tech also hosts a virtual happy hour every week and you are invited! Sign up here

Gabrielle Williams is a Technical Sourcer at Facebook focusing on recruitment within the Consumer Facing Product Management Space. ⁣ ⁣ She comes with 3 years of experience, a Bachelor's Degree in Biopsychology from Oglethorpe University, and a Master's in Business Administration from American University's Kogod School of Business. ⁣ ⁣ Williams is a current partner at Hrblgy, an herbal wellness initiative and apothecary. There, she manages finances, logistics, and operations. During her tenure at Real Staffing she was the recipient of the 2018 Midwest Recruiter of the Year and the Customer Experience Champion Awards. ⁣ ⁣ She also led fundraising efforts for the African Science Academy, raising over $4,000, where she later volunteered on-site in Ghana. Gabrielle is an avid New Orleans Saints fan and OrangeTheory attendee. ⁣ ⁣ She has aspirations to one day work in Business Strategy or Product Management within the Technology Industry. ⁣ ⁣ Social Media Handle (Insta/Twitter): @GlobeTrottaGabs⁣ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-williams94⁣ ⁣ Learn more about this podcast at www.bridgesintech.com⁣