In this episode of Tech It ’Til U Make It, I’m giving flowers to some of my earliest tech role models - my older brothers, Tatenda and Tendai. Long before I ever called myself a techpreneur, designer, or trainer, I was the little sister watching, listening, and learning from the guys who unknowingly sparked my love for all things tech.

Growing up, my brothers were the cool ones with the gadgets, the game consoles, and that sense of curiosity that made everything feel like an adventure. Whether it was watching them set up a computer, connect the TV to random devices (don’t ask), or navigate through games with the kind of ease I found magical, those moments mattered. They planted seeds. They made tech feel familiar before I even knew it would one day be my world.

They didn’t treat me like the “little girl” who should stick to dolls. They let me explore. They answered my questions. They handed me the controller. And in doing so, they gave me permission to play, to ask, to try, and to belong in spaces that weren’t always seen as “girly.” And even though they may not have known it at the time, those early experiences helped shape the woman in tech I’ve become today.

Now, as a Microsoft-certified Women in Digital Business Trainer, Creative Techpreneur, and SheEO of PattiePixels, I look back with so much gratitude. My brothers helped me believe that I could figure things out. That I could build, design, create, and compete. They gave me a head start without even trying, and their quiet support continues to echo in everything I do.

So in this episode, I’m raising a mic (and a heart full of thanks) to the brothers who made tech feel like home before it was ever my career. This one’s for the siblings who lift us up in the most unexpected, beautiful ways.

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