STEMming in Stilettos with Dr. Toshia

Episode Summary

1. She's a 1st generation college student that didn't know she wanted to be in STEM.

2. Her scores on the ACT launched the idea that maybe STEM was an option for her. She started getting excited about the sciences.

3. She fell in love with Biology and the rest was history.

4. She has many stories to tell about being the first and only. She struggled to figure what type of scientist she wanted to be. She did undergraduate research that led her down a path.

5. She feels that she now as a Biotechnologist has earned the right to innovate. 

Dr. Ti'Ara Griffen Bio
Dr. Griffen supports drug development efforts for cancer patients by advancing computational precision medicine research. As a cancer biology and bioinformatics scientist, she has dedicating my career to exploring the intersection of genetics and medicine in order to increase the life expectancy of those who are diagnosed with cancer.

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Susanne got into STEM later in life. Though I think that finance is a STEM profession as well. She decided that she didn't want to do that anymore.
2) She went back to school for IT. She was doing volunteer work to get her into the field and build a network. 
3) She acknowledges that being the first and only is hard work. She had a hard conversation with herself about whether she wanted to stay in. 
4) She believes that being in STEM is a choice but also believes that when you say yes to something, there has to be a No someplace else. 
5) We need other people to be successful in STEM.
6) Her book is an amazing book that talks with and to women of color in Tech. It is a great read. Get your copy today. 

Susanne Tedrick Bio:

 Susanne Tedrick currently works as a cloud infrastructure specialist and is the author of the critically-acclaimed book, “Women of Color in Tech” for John Wiley & Sons. Fiercely committed to increasing the participation of women and people of color in STEM professional opportunities, Susanne performs community service work for several non-profits, including serving as Vice Chair of the Advancing Tech Talent and Diversity Executive Council for CompTIA and as a coalition member for the Command Shift initiative for NPower. Susanne is the winner of CompTIA’s 2020 Diversity Technology Leader Spotlight Award, for her advocacy for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech industry. 

Website: www.susannetedrick.com

Book website: https://webelongintech.com/

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

I love a good book. Reading is one of my favorite things to do. Fun Fact about me: I always have a book on me at all times. The airport, the grocery store, the doctor's office. I am never without a book. 

The truth is that reading these books have been therapy for me. There are books on this list that I've read multiple times and the pages are marked and tabbed. They were just that impactful for me. I hope they are for you also.

These books are all written by women and the majority of them speak to women and women of color. I hope you enjoy them.

Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones (https://amz.run/4ysm)
Career Rehab by Kanika Tolver (https://amz.run/4ysl)
Letters to My Sisters in Engineering by Brittany Wilkins (https://amz.run/4ysk)
You're More Than a Diversity Hire Women in STEM by Angelique Adams, PhD. (https://amz.run/4ysj)
Maybe Its You by Lauren Handel Zander (https://amz.run/4ysi)
The Memo by Minda Harts (https://amz.run/4ysh)
Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper (https://amz.run/4ysg)

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Erica's love of computers started early when her mom brought home a computer. She says that the computer was her babysitter.
2) Her whole world changed when they were able to get the internet. Her knowledge of the computer and its capabilities really grew.
3) She got used to being the only Black girl in the buildings when she went to college at the University of Alaska.
4) She really loves Tech. Her love for tech is greater than her disdain for things (discrimination, harassment, etc.) that happened to her in tech.
5) She is about making the needed changes so that the industry she loves can be more inclusive and more diverse for the betterment of us all.

Erica Joy Baker Bio:

Erica Joy Baker is an engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chief Technology Officer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and known for her outspoken support of diversity and inclusion. Erica's career in tech began fourteen years ago doing domain administration for the University of Alaska Statewide System, before becoming a Googler in 2006.  She has worked at companies including GitHub, Google, Slack, Patreon, and Microsoft. Erica is on the Advisory Boards for Atipica and Hack the Hood, and is a Tech Mentor for Black Girls Code.

Want to learn more about Erica?

www.ericajoybaker.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericajoy

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

This episode is Dr. Toshia and the mike talking about her experience working through workplace trauma and the toll that it took on her. She gets candid and real about her experiences and her thoughts on how she made to the other side of it. 

This is a great listen with good solid advice about how to be the best you. 

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1) Julia has been coaching in this area since before it was a thing. She is very passionate about it.
2) Coached her friend to a 6 figure job and thus a career was born.
3) She has some really good advice for Black women on the market. 
a) The cover letter is still a thing
b) Spend time on your resume
c) Get your LinkedIn profile together
d) Practice for the interview
e) Do a skills match.

Julia Rock Bio:

By day Julia provides project advisory expertise for Finance & Accounting projects, identifying opportunities to harmonize financial data sources and streamline analysis to facilitate faster, more efficient decision making and drive profitability.

From 5-9, she's a career strategist and leadership coach, helping ambitious corporate professionals across the globe define their career goals and develop clear action plans to achieve success.


You don’t have to work below your potential. You don’t have to continue your career in a toxic workplace with no growth opportunities. You can find a career that is worthwhile, fulfilling, and lucrative. And she's got the tools to help you do just that.

Her signature coaching methods will help you take the guesswork out of your job search and career advancement journey so that you can not only discover your dream career, but take the actionable steps to make it your reality.

To date, she's have been featured in:
✔️ Business Insider
✔️ Fortune
✔️ Entrepreneur
✔️ Monster
✔️ xoNecole
✔️ Blavity

website: https://rockcareer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-rock

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1. She grew up in STEM. Her parents are both biologists. She worked in her mother's biology lab when she was very young.

2. She was surrounded by a community of support for STEM.

3.  She found that within biology there were things that she didn't feel comfortable with.

3. Sci-Fi Art is one of her passions.

Dr. Semarhy Quinones Bio

She is a bacterial geneticist from Puerto Rico. She earned her bachelor's degree in Microbiology from the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, where she participated in PR-LSAMP and MARC-U*STAR undergraduate research programs. She completed her PhD degree in Microbiology from the University of California, Davis, where she studied the origin of mutations under stressful conditions with John R. Roth, Ph.D. as her doctoral advisor. Currently, She is a full-time Biological Sciences lecturer at Sacramento State. She also works with the CSU-LSAMP Statewide Alliance, the CSU-LSAMP at Sacramento State, and the RISE Programs preparing the next generation of scientists. 

She also works as an independent artist creating artwork to increase the visibility of women of color, who have historically been underrepresented in STEM. 

website: https://www.semarhyquinones.com/
artwork: https://www.redbubble.com/people/semarhy/shop
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semarhyquinones

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary

1. Aicha's STEM story started very young. She's always been a tinkerer.  She has loved math and science for longer than she can remember. She was one of three girls to go to school in Morocco. 

2. She believes that kids don't have limiting beliefs. We instill them later. Kids are free thinkers and we should embrace that knowledge for as long as possible.

3.  She also believes that productivity includes time for play and leads to being creative.

4.  She is six sigma certified.

5. Believes in the mission of Rocket Club for all kids. 


Aicha Sharif Bio:

Aicha Sharif is the Dean of Rocket Club, the award-winning, global entrepreneurship, coding, and robotics academy for kids aged 7 to 14. Aicha’s passion for her works started as a child when she worked on her family’s farm in Morocco. She was the first female in her family to go to high school and eventually paid her way through college in England. She is Six Sigma and Hashin Kanri Certified and holds an MBA in Project Management and an MA in International Business from the London Business School. Aicha climbed the ranks quickly to become an executive at companies like Inhabitr and 3M. Aicha is very passionate about education, especially for girls and under-privileged children, she runs the SuperGirls Forum within Rocket Club and is an active volunteer with the Arman Roy Foundation. She enjoys building relationships and teams through inclusive and supportive cultural practices. When she’s not working, Aicha enjoys spending time with her two daughters (who are members of Rocket Club!), cooking, reading, and playing tennis.


website: www.rocketclub.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aicha-sharif

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Episode Summary
1) Paula is from a family of engineers!! She learned a lot watching her brother's journey to engineering and knew fairly early on that she wanted to be an engineer.
2) She learned early on that asking questions and being curious are tools that she used to help advance opportunities for herself and her career.
3) She enjoyed her time at Penn State.
4) Loves the works she has had the opportunity to do in the Pharmaceutical industry. But wasn't afraid to change paths.
5) Is a BIG STEM advocate for women internationally.

Paula Garcia Todd Bio
She became a chemical engineer because she comes from a family of engineers.  Her father, grandfather, brothers and uncles are all engineers…  She was incredibly lucky to have this exposure from such an early age, constantly surrounded by examples of how engineers improved her life, so it felt obvious to pursue this path herself.  She wants all kids to experience this – to be surrounded by the confidence and optimism that they have the power to fix anything in this world.

She loves helping people.  She was first drawn to medicine, but since she fainted at the sight of blood, becoming a doctor was not in the cards for her.  This is what drew her into pharmaceuticals, where she has worked for 17 years.  Her career allows her to witness the magic that happens when difficult problems are met by innovative solutions through STEM.

She is passionate about introducing STEM to children. She has volunteered on boards and organizations focused on increasing the number of female and under-represented students in STEM fields, especially engineering, for the past decade. She has developed new K-12 programs aiming to improve understanding of the real world applicability of STEM while changing the face of what an engineer looks like. She has been active in diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy within the industry, working through women’s and Latinx employee resources groups at each of her companies to create awareness and improve company cultures. In 2019, she was named an AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassador by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her devoted work in STEM outreach and will be featured in a life-sized statue exhibit of outstanding women in STEM fields (debuting in Dallas, TX in 2021). In 2020, she was named both Woman of the Year in Engineering by Women in Technology and a Community Trailblazer by STEMConnector’s Million Women Mentors. 

Hard to believe that this Brazilian girl, born from Chilean parents, has adjusted so well and found her own definition of success. She went on to receive my B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State.  Engineering has proven to be a solid foundation that has opened many opportunities through her career progression.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-garcia-todd-8b88716
Website: https://www.paulagarciatodd.com/
Website: https://www.fabfems.org/users/paula-garcia-todd

Support the show

You can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:

https://www.drtoshia.co

STEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A