International Women's Day (#IWD) theme this year is Embracing Equity. Ashley Brush and Navi Samra share what MetroStar's annual IWD event means to them, what to expect at the panel, and their thoughts on the theme.  

Join us for our hybrid event as our moderator facilitates an engaging discussion among speakers to share their journeys as women in technology, how we can work together for a brighter future, and advice to other aspiring women in technology.   

Register for IWD Panel: https://mss.fyi/3IKBwaE 

Stay Connected: 

+ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Tmi4mx

+ LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3WbxnRz

+ Listen to Ashley's episode: https://bit.ly/3pYDGcs

+ Careers: https://mss.fyi/3lSO2vM

Joe Early, MetroStar's VP of Product and Design, joins the podcast to talk about open-source in the government and the power it can have to do good. He shares more about the Onyx solution, an open-source machine learning platform that is helping agencies share data and information across secure environments.   

Check out Onyx: http://bit.ly/3YhenSo   

Stay Connected:  

+ Tech Careers: http://bit.ly/3NSI7AV

+ Insta: https://bit.ly/3Tmi4mx

+ LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3WbxnRz  

+ Marie: https://bit.ly/40xeafs

+ Liz: https://bit.ly/3YdR77P

Have you ever seen a job you thought would be perfect for you, only to read the description and decide you didn't check all the boxes? Marie and Liz passionately discuss why you should apply anyway while also discussing the recruitment process, interviewing tips, and answering that age-old (modern) question; do you need to have a portfolio or website to succeed as a UX'er or creative? Tune into the episode to find out.

Get Connected

> careers: https://mss.fyi/3ZV36bN

> Insta: https://bit.ly/3Tmi4mx

> LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3WbxnRz

Timecodes:

16:40 Do you need a portfolio?

21:50 Do you need a website?

23:48 Exploring social media and Instagram for work and job hunting

24:39 Recruitment paths at tech companies

33:00 UX and design job interview tips

Helpful Links:

> watch hidden gems video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClEvDMAjnoe/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=

> digital.gov article: https://digital.gov/2022/10/07/taking-a-design-led-approach-to-digital-modernization/

Travis Oliphant is an impactful programmer and data scientist. He is the CEO of OpenTeams & Quansight, the founder of Anaconda, and the creator of NumPy, SciPy, and Numba. On this episode of Mock IT, he joins Marie and guest host Wilson to chat about trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence (#AI) and machine learning (#ML).

Follow Along:

+ Website: https://bit.ly/3VNM5xL

+ LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3DY5oN7

+ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Tmi4mx

+ Open Jobs: https://bit.ly/3GAscny

+ Watch Episode: https://youtu.be/jL6AdYeDTaA 

Helpful Links:

+ Find Travis: linkedin.com/in/teoliphant/

+ OpenTeams: https://bit.ly/3vVuWqw

+ Quansight: https://quansight.com/

+ PyData #Python Event Recap: https://youtu.be/kMCnyLMhuJU

+ ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/

+ Google Colab: https://colab.research.google.com/

+ChatGPT in Schools Article: https://apnews.com/article/what-is-chat-gpt-ac4967a4fb41fda31c4d27f015e32660

Beyond chatbots, virtual assistants, and the evolution of GPS systems, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the tools behind making it all work are shaping the present and future world. It may feel like these technologies are in the infant stage, and perhaps they are, but #AI and #ML solutions are here to stay. Senior Data Scientist Wilson Rodden sat down with podcast hosts Liz and Marie to chat about how humans are kept in the loop of AI/ML, the common misconceptions behind the technology, and if it's really as dangerous as some people think.

Important Links:

Follow Along for More:

Timecodes:

1:28 Discussing the fourth anniversary of the IDEA Act

2:40 Five tips for managing stakeholder feedback as a UX'er

7:00 Interview with Data Scientist Wilson Rodden starts

8:50 What is AI/ML?

10:14 What is Big Data?

10:59 What is Predictive Modeling?

11:47 What is Computer Vision?

13:13 Common misconceptions about AI/ML

15:27 How to build trust in the government for AI innovations?

17:38 What is a biased algorithm?

24:34: What does human-in-the-loop mean?

35:22: Discussion on AI in the media

37:36 Is AI dangerous?

41:56: A data scientists' role on your team

What do you do if you can't tell the world about the work you create for your customers? Many marketers in government contracting run into this problem. Director of Corporate Affairs at MetroStar, Anne McCombe, works closely with the marketing team at the leading solutions and digital services provider and helps tackle these roadblocks daily as they serve the public sector. Tune in to this fast-paced episode to learn tips for government marketing and how to highlight sensitive material.

Helpful Links:

+ 508 Information: https://www.section508.gov/

+ Culture Guide Example: https://bit.ly/3FudGNk

+ TSO Win: https://bit.ly/3HzLbkm

+ Jobs at MetroStar: https://bit.ly/3NSI7AV

Stay Connected With MetroStar and Mock IT

+ Stream Podcast: https://bit.ly/3A4DUEe

+ LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3WbxnRz

+ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Tmi4mx

+ Website: https://bit.ly/3VNM5xL

Timecodes:

1:50: Chatting about the interagency accessibility form and plain language use in government

6:26: Interview with Anne McCombe, Director of Corporate Affairs, begins

8:54: Why is MetroStar expanding in Bloomington, Indiana?

11:23: What makes a good elevator pitch for a government contractor (GovCon)?

13:53: Chatting about working with secure customers and how to market your work with them

15:15: What are some key GovCon marketing tactics?

16:03: What are CPARS?

21:35: How can you market sensitive material?

32:37: What is it like working with the Marine Corps?

35:28: General tips for government marketers

Hosts Liz and Marie are back with Season 3 of Mock IT. They share highlights from the ACT-IAC Customer Experience (#CX) Summit and welcome Principal Designer Allison Turi. Turi discusses the process behind designing swag and marketing material for an organization's corporate social responsibility (#CSR) initiatives. The trio chatted about past fundraisers, what mistakes to avoid, and why t-shirts make everyone go wild. 

 More MetroStar: 

+ Website: http://bit.ly/3OP7VhQ 

+ LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/3OIcxWZ

+ Instagram: http://bit.ly/3Fcxsy8 

Episode Resources:

 + ACT-IACT Website: actiac.org 

+ Allison Turi's Art: instagram.com/allisonturi/ 

+ Figma Tool: www.figma.com 

+ Zander Whitehurst's Instagram: instagram.com/zanderwhitehurst/ 

+ Rainbow Families Website: rainbowfamilies.org 

+ Toys For Tots Donation Link (Exp. Dec. 8, 2022): amzn.to/3XHY8hj  

It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's Data Experts. Shane Mayti and Ahmed Awad sat down with Liz and Marie to discuss their work as summer interns at MetroStar. The pair joined a team of technologists who are collecting and analyzing data to aid in smart urban growth, including where to invest in things like community building, infrastructure, funding, and more. Community decision-makers (in this case, the city of Bloomington, Indiana) must have access to accurate, consumable population data to ensure they can lead sustainable growth. Tune into this episode to learn more about their data journey and how they used public data to answer or approach challenging problems. 

Read more: https://bit.ly/3QGhnDo 

More MetroStar:  

+ Website: https://bit.ly/3xn5QSu

+ LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3B8nHhc

+ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3d9a3SY

+ Facebook: https://bit.ly/3RTRhhq

+Twitter: https://bit.ly/3DnsL4e

VP of Federal Civilian at MetroStar, Ashely Brush, joined Liz and Marie this week to discuss her leadership role, empowering women in the industry, and how to balance motherhood during it all. 

Before the trio dived into their experiences as mothers at MetroStar, Ashley shared her path to leadership, what she believes makes a great leader, and her team's role in transforming civilian projects for the government. Their discussion includes topics like customer experience, user research, and dark patterns. 

More MetroStar: 

+ Website: https://mss.fyi/3pTzoDc

+ LinkedIn: https://mss.fyi/3R49Or1

+ Instagram: https://mss.fyi/3RoKeNp

+ Facebook: https://mss.fyi/3AAEOrz

+Twitter: https://mss.fyi/3cAIoKA

Do you find yourself only focusing on colors, fonts, and photos while designing for a client? Do you feel as if clients only provide feedback on those aspects of your work? This is when UX storytelling comes into play to help designers and clients dig deeper and solve their users' true problems. Associate Design Manager Marie walked Project Manager Liz through the process of crafting a story around your designs and how to present them to people. UX storytelling can make a big difference in end products, timelines, communication, and more!

More MetroStar:

+ Website: https://mss.fyi/3pp1wOo

+ LinkedIn: https://mss.fyi/3dDxPGR

+ Instagram: https://mss.fyi/3yWQyVP

+Facebook: https://mss.fyi/3ppyVZm

+Twitter: https://mss.fyi/3bXnDb5

Episode Resources:

+ Bob Ricca: https://bobricca.com/