Revision Path

"Despite your background, if you are a solution-oriented type of person, you will succeed." When Rashida White shared that with me before we started recording, I knew it was going to be a great interview.

Rashida talked about her residency at General Assembly, her love for user experience (and why it's important), and even talked about DJing and music. Even better -- we talked about vegan ice cream!

Rashida's enthusiasm about her work is inspiring, so I hope you get a lot out of this interview!

This is our 50th podcast interview! And I couldn't be more excited to share with you this conversation with Angelica Ross.

Angelica is the CEO and executive director of TransTech Social Enterprises, a training academy and apprenticeship program that aims to empower, educate and employ the trans community through the use of technology while promoting innovation, independence and entrepreneurship. She is someone who has made her career out of helping others navigate the challenges that come along with being a member of more than one minority.

Angelica's path is truly inspiring, and I couldn't be happier to share her story with you. Thank you Angelica, and thanks to you all for 50 episodes of the Revision Path podcast!

This week, my conversation is with indie game maker Rokashi from Toronto.

We talked about the current game industry and the need for diversity throughout (journalists, makers, characters, etc.) as well as the process behind his own game titled "I'm Fine". I think you'll really empathize with Rokashi's work and his willingness to get involved in gaming vis-à-vis his own personal experiences.

Who says you need to be a master programmer to create your own games? Not Rokashi! Find out more in this week's interview!

LGBT History Month continues with Courtney Eimerman-Wallace, a UI/UX engineer in Washington, D.C.

What's most interesting about Courtney is her non-traditional path into technology. But it's clearly worked to her advantage! Aside from her work with BlueLabs, Courtney has also worked as a creative technologist for iStrategyLabs and is currently the City Director for Washington, D.C. for Lesbians Who Tech. Courtney's positive outlook and outlook on life can be attributed to her two B's: be there and be involved. Enjoy the interview, and thanks to Leanne Pittsford at Lesbians Who Tech for the introduction!

October kicks off with David Dennis -- a software engineer in New York City. David has worked for Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and even in the startup field with AppNexus and Happify.

We spoke about his path to success, as well as what companies can do to help increase diversity in the technology field. He also shared his insights from attending an Innovation Summit at the White House back in June. We even got to geek out a little bit over Bitcoin!

We're ending September with a great conversation with Martin McNeese. With over 15 years experience as a design and technology professional, Martin has in depth working knowledge of corporate branding, graphic design, integrated promotions, website and internet development, strategy and consulting and business management. Simply put, Martin's the man.

We talked about how he founded his design firm TechnikOne, how networking has been important for his business, and about how his passion for design and improvement helps him to get better every day. Thanks again for reaching out to us Martin!

This has been a really great month for interviews, and we've got another killer one for you this week with creative director, global designer, and digital strategist Ced Funches.

Ced's resume reads like a designer's wishlist. He's worked in the NBA, the video game industry, higher education, wrote a children's book, and heads up his own digital agency Flippo+Interactive. Our interview touches on all of this, as well as Ced's thoughts on the design industry and what we can all do to make it better for designers to come.

Antionette Carroll is one of the leading people championing for diversity in the design community. As the chair of AIGA's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, she's spearheading initiatives with the organization to increase the numbers of women and minorities in the field through outreach, mentorship, and more.

Our conversation explores why diversity is so important when it comes to design, why inclusion is a crucial part of solving this problem, as well as a bit about her own background and career. You'll definitely hear more about her work in the future!

Kimberly Bryant is a force of nature. As the founder and executive director of Black Girls Code, she has been a tireless advocate for increasing the number of women in STEM fields through mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities for young and pre-teen girls of color. The mission: introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders who will become builders of technological innovation and of their own futures.

But I wanted to go a bit beneath the surface and learn more about Kimberly Bryant herself. We did talk a lot about diversity in the tech fields and how Black Girls Code also embraces the STEAM movement, but we also talked about her own path to success (and where she wants to go in the future). It's a really great interview with someone who is a real game-changer in this industry. Enjoy!

This week's conversation is with one of my closest and dearest friends, Dr. Christopher Charles Stewart. Christopher is an assistant professor of computer science at The Ohio State University. He also leads the ReRout Lab, a program that uses computer systems to broaden participation in computer science and build real systems that people use. He's also a recipient of the prestigious NSF Career Award! Way to go, Chris!

We talked about his research over at OSU with cloud computing systems, "greening as a service", and how to increase diversity in the field of computer science.