I have a new word to describe marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented individuals, and I’ve started using it since my friend and fellow entrepreneur and community advocate Rose LeJiste said it during a recent meeting we were at. The word is ‘underestimated’. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, Rose shares how she planned her exit from the corporate sector after excelling as an Industrial Engineer on the Space Coast (FL) for well over a decade. You see, Rose is a problem-solver and an agent of change that is best left to exercise her leadership free of any established (oftentimes limiting) systems that underestimate the knowledge, ingenuity, expertise, and competencies of diverse people, specifically Black and Brown people. “Innovation emerges out of necessity,” Rose states, “and communities that do not have access to basic resources will come up with innovative solutions to address or mitigate their needs.” However, she adds that many times we underestimate ourselves because we don’t receive enough encouragement or opportunities to demonstrate what we can do. As the CEO of RL Engineering and Tech Solutions, Rose utilizes data analytics, data science, business intelligence, optimization, process improvement, and performance management techniques to yield efficiencies and profits for her clients. As the Executive Director of Black Orlando Tech (BOT), a nonprofit organization committed to accelerating minority economic advancement through the workforce, small business, and socioeconomic development she dedicates a lot of her time to increasing the awareness, activities, network, and resources for local minorities who pursue careers or entrepreneurship in technology because their goals are grand. BOT is determined to train and inspire 10,000 minorities in Central Florida to enter tech by 2025. “The things that are happening in Tech are so new, that we have an opportunity to be at the forefront of something that is taking off and leading the way on some of these innovations that are coming out.” Rose’s advocacy for better access to good-paying tech jobs and her laser-sharp focus on building her tech business empire includes finding ways to help minority entrepreneurs and professionals understand that Tech is NOT coding and that it’s imperative that they integrate Tech into the way they navigate the business ecosystems they operate in. I listened closely and felt encouraged. You should, too!