Tech Unlocked

Tech Unlocked

By Grace MacjonesBusinessTechnologyCareers
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Tech Unlocked episodes

  • 55| How I would launch my tech career in 2022

    Recently, I was asked what I would do if I had to start my tech from scratch in 2022 and it got me thinking about what I would do differently or if I would change anything about my tech career path. In this episode, I share 3 important things I would do if had to restart my tech journey. To hear how I got into tech in the first place, check out episode 16 of the podcast.

    Join my Women of Color in Emerging Tech study group:

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1w9-uRmEOvtNb0r4u_xnbJnsC8XQ-L2ZlT661bCpaxWcfiQ/viewform

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

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    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Instagram

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    22 min
  • 54 | Demystifying the role of a community manager in Web3 with Alisha.eth

    Community plays a vital role in the Web3 ecosystem. Community is more than a discord channel or a social media following. Who's responsible for helping to foster and maintain an engaged community in web3? Today on the show, Grace speaks with Alisha.eth about how she transitioned into web3 with a law & e-commerce background. Alisha shares what she does at Ethereum Name Service (ENS) as a community manager, skills needed to thrive as a community manager, and her experience working in web3 as a Woman of Color.

    demystifying

    Key takeaways:

    • What is Web3? and Why do we need Web3?
    • What is Ethereum Name Service (ENS)? how does it work
    • The problem ENS is solving
    • Decentralizations vs centralization
    • DNS vs ENS
    • What is the role of a community manager in Web3
    • What are some skills needed to thrive as a community manager in Web3
    • How does it feel to be a woman of color working in web3?

    Resources:

    Women of Color Blockchain 101 study session RSVP: https://lu.ma/oc87jut8

    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Instagram

    Connect with Alisha.eth:

    http://alisha.mirror.xyz

    https://twitter.com/futurealisha

    http://youtube.com/futurealisha

    Learn more about ENS:

    - Website: https://ens.domains

    - Twitter: https:/twitter.com/ensdomains

    - Discord: https://discord.gg/ens

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    1 hr 12 min
  • 53 | Top 5 Tech Predictions for 2022

    53 | 5 Tech Trends predictions for 2022

    The tech industry can be difficult to predict because tech moves fast. Two years ago, almost no one talked about NFTs, Web3, or the Metaverse, etc. Forward to today, those trending tech buzzwords of 2021 might be the foundation of what 2022 will look like. As we enter this new year Grace shares her top 5 tech trends prediction for 2022 in today's episode.

    Key takeaways:

    • Is there a healthy way to criticize emerging tech (Web3, NFTs, DAOs)?
    • Who is investing in the creator economy
    • Will the NFT hype finally die down in 2022?
    • How much is big tech investing in cybersecurity?
    • Which countries will be next to fully/legally adopt bitcoin?
    • Will AR/VR ever become mainstream?

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    Women of Color study group sign up:

    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1w9-uRmEOvtNb0r4u_xnbJnsC8XQ-L2ZlT661bCpaxWcfiQ/viewform

    Sources:

    5 predictions for bitcoin, NFTs and the future of money

    Local leaders, investors share top tech predictions for 2022

    5 Impactful Emerging Technologies for 2022 - Gartner

    The biggest tech trends of 2022, according to experts - Fast ...

    Ten tech predictions for 2022: what's next for Twitter, Uber and NFTs

    4 Cryptocurrency Predictions for 2022

    The top 5 wildest crypto moments of 2021

    From bitcoin hitting $1 trillion in market value to Elon Musk's dogecoin tweets: 12 key crypto moments from 2021

    Meta's Oculus Quest 2 has shipped 10 million units, according to Qualcomm

    Cybersecurity Breaches Of 2021 Worth Taking A Look

    Big tech firms pledge more than $31 billion and 250,000 jobs to strengthen cybersecurity

    In 2022, the new space race will get more heated, crowded and dangerous

    26 min
  • EP 52 | What is Web3? Is it the future of the internet? with Steph Orpilla

    What will the future of the internet look like? How will it be developed? Will it have the simple structure of Web1 (the early days of the internet) or maybe be structured like Web2 which is the internet we are currently using today? Today on the show, Grace chats with Steph Orpilla is a Software Engineer at Amazon and Blockchain developer about Web3 + the future of the internet, DAOs, the future NFTs and how to become a Blockchain developer.

    Steph Orpilla is a Software Engineer at Amazon (previously AWS, SONY, and startups). At work she focuses on frontend development, building bespoke experiences to enhance Prime Originals. After hours, she's a Web3 developer with 2 Dapps and counting built on the Ethereum blockchain. Steph is also the winner of the 2021 EthGlobal Hackathon. Whether developing a feature, writing a smart contract or trying something entirely new, she loves the challenge of creating elegant solutions while learning by doing.

    Key takeaways:

    • What is Blockchain technology
    • What is Web3 and why should you care about it
    • Web1 vs Web2 vs Web3
    • What are DAOs? Are they really decentralized?
    • How to find Blockchain dev jobs
    • How to know what NFT or Blockchain projects to invest in
    • Why you can't just right-click save (screenshot) an NFT
    • The future of NFTs
    • How brands/businesses will leverage Web3 tech

    Resources:

    How to Get Into Crypto and Web3 as a Developer

    Consensys, Chainlink, Colt Steele's Blockchain course

    NFT projects to look out for (Not financial Advice):

    Stapleverse by Jeff Staple: https://www.stapleverse.xyz/

    WGMInterfaces: https://twitter.com/WGMInterfaces

    Steph Curry NFT: 2974sc.com

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

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    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Steph:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephorpilla/ https://www.instagram.com/_steph.js

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    1 hr 4 min
  • EP 51| Practical Career Advice for Early Career Professionals

    Sometimes as an early career professional, you don't know what you don't know. This is why it is important to learn from other people's career journeys or mistakes. In this episode, we share top career advice from season two guests on the podcast. If you're looking for inspiration, motivation, or guidance in your career right now then this episode is for you. Enjoy!

    Join our Women of Color study group

    Looking for Save space to learn about emerging technologies like Blockchain, Crypto, NFTs? sign up for our WoC Study Group

    Follow Tech Unlocked for updates and career tips:

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Instagram

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Tag us @techunlockedpod on Instagram or Twitter too! Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    20 min
  • EP 50 | 5 Key Jobs that Could Exist in the Metaverse

    Back in the early 90s, it would've been difficult to imagine that people would have jobs solely dependent on the internet, such as a Social Media Manager, a Cloud Engineer, or even a Content Creator. Right now, the world is changing right before our eyes as talks of the Metaverse continue to unfold. What new job opportunities could the next evolution of the internet bring and how can we prepare for it? Today on the show Grace discusses 5 key jobs that could exist in the Metaverse.

    Join our Women of Color study group

    Looking for Save space to learn about emerging technologies like Blockchain, Crypto, NFTs? sign up for our WoC Study Group

    Articles:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXEvlkmFc8Y/?utm_medium=copy_link (IG post)

    5 jobs that will exist in the Metaverse & how to prepare for them

    https://influencermarketinghub.com/virtual-influencers/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig8ZnFt3UPA&ab_channel=CNBC

    https://analyticsindiamag.com/career-opportunities-in-the-metaverse/

    New Jobs in the Metaverse

    https://metropolismag.com/projects/architecture-virtual-environments/

    Lil Miquela And The Rise Of Digital Models

    What you' ll learn:

    • What exactly is the metarverse
    • 5 Careers that could exist in the metatverse
    • Why people are investing in digital assets
    • Is now a good time to buy virtual land
    • Questions we need to ask about in metaverse

    Follow Tech Unlocked for updates and career tips:

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Instagram

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Tag us @techunlockedpod on Instagram or Twitter too! Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    26 min
  • EP 49 | A beginner's guide to NFTs with Harold Hughes

    NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are currently the hottest buzzwords in tech. What is the big deal about NFTs and why should you care about them? If you want to learn about NFTs but find the concept confusing or overwhelming then this episode is perfect for you.

    Today on the show, Grace chats with Harold Hughes the Founder and CEO of BandwagonFanClub, a venture-backed identity infrastructure company that helps its customers transparently manage, aggregate, and store valuable consumer identity data They chat about NFT basics, risks vs benefits of investing in NFTs, and the wealth creation opportunity for Black & Brown communities in the NFT space.

    Harold Hughes is the founder & CEO of Bandwagon – a venture-backed identity infrastructure company that helps its customers transparently manage, aggregate, and store valuable consumer identity data. A rising star in data, identity, and experience space, Harold has had his ideas validated as a graduate (and now mentor) of the Founder Institute Greenville chapter; graduate of Capital Factory – Austin, one of the inaugural companies in Google for Startups Black Founders Exchange Program, and most recently the inaugural cohort of the IBM Blockchain Accelerator in 2019.

    A man of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Harold is actively involved in his community participating on the Board of Directors for Rebuild Upstate and Visit Greenville. He also serves as a board member for Women@Austin, a non-profit that focuses on the advancement of women entrepreneurs as they grow their companies. To that end, Harold is also an active angel investor, investing in women, people of color, and Black founder-led companies. Most notably, he has invested in Partake Foods, the Jay-Z backed CPG company making allergy-friendly, healthy snacks, and HireKanna, a marketplace and training platform for the gig economy in the cannabis industry. As a strong believer in mentorship, he makes time to speak with youth and his peers about his journey to entrepreneurship and how he has found success along the way.

    Harold Hughes is a graduate of Clemson University where he received Bachelors degrees in both Economics (B.A.) and Political Science (B.A.). As a "Triple Tiger", he also completed his MBA at Clemson, before pursuing a graduate certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Stanford University.

    What you will learn:

    • Wealth creation opportunities for Black and Brown in NFTs
    • What is an NFT and how they are created
    • How to become a creator in the NFT space
    • The risks of investing in NFTs
    • Difference between Ethereum vs Bitcoin
    • What does it mean to mint an NFT
    • How to decide if an NFT is worth buying
    • How to secure your digital wallet using cold storage
    • How to earn crypto for free (via coinable)
    • How DAO, Web3, and NFTs are shaping the future of the internet

    Resources:

    Fractional Ownership is Ownership (Part 1) — My intro to NFTs

    Fractional Ownership is Ownership (Part 2) — Creating Community with NFTs

    Bandwagon

    Proof of Experience

    NFT handbook by QuHarrison Terry

    https://mashable.com/video/beeple-explains-69-million-nft-success

    NFT sites:

    https://opensea.io/

    https://mintable.app/

    https://foundation.app/

    https://rarible.com/

    Follow Tech Unlocked for updates and career tips:

    Substack

    Twitter

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    Connect with Harold Hughes:

    Website

    Twitter

    Linkedin

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Tag us @techunlockedpod on Instagram or Twitter too! Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    53 min
  • EP 48 | How to get unstuck and make successful career transitions with Linda Vivah

    Do you currently feel stuck in your career? Do you want to make a career transition but don't know how to start? This is the perfect episode for you! Today on the show, Grace chats with Linda Vivah a Software Engineer, an AWS Community Builder, a mom of 2, a part-time wedding singer & founder of Coding Crystals about how to get unstuck in your career and develop the mindset needed to make successful career transitions.

    Linda Vivah is a Software Engineer at a major media organization in NYC, an AWS Community Builder, a mom of 2, a part-time wedding singer & the founder of a shop called Coding Crystals: a jewelry & accessories company taking inspiration from STEM. She creates content around tech including coding, cloud computing, career tips with a sprinkle of lifestyle.

    Linda had an untraditional journey into tech and broke into tech post-college via self-studying and attending a coding bootcamp. She currently works as an SRE (Site Reliability Engineer). She was previously working as a Web Application Developer (mainly JavaScript) for 5 years and transitioned from Web Development to an SRE role last year to be more hands-on in the cloud computing space.

    Key takeaways:

    • How to shift your mindset when you feel stuck in your career
    • Practical tips for getting unstuck in your career
    • How to learn a new skill while balancing your day job
    • Why most people in tech experience imposter syndrome
    • The truth about coding bootcamps
    • Top 3 things you should look for in your first tech job

    Resources:

    AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01)

    The Cloud Resume Challenge

    AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

    Flatiron Bootcamp

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Instagram

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Linda:

    Instagram

    TikTok

    YouTube

    Twitter

    Medium

    Coding Crystals Shop

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    56 min
  • EP 47| How to launch your data science career with Marizza Delgado

    Data science is one of the fastest-growing careers in the tech industry. According to Linkedin, there is a 650% job growth in data science since 2012 and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 11.5 million new data science jobs will be created by 2026.

    You don't need to be a math expert, have a master's degree or Ph.D. to become a data scientist.

    Today on the show, Grace chats with Marizza Delgado a Data Scientist on Etsy's Product Analytics about how you can launch your data science career and the skills needed to thrive in this career.

    Marizza Delgado is a Data Scientist on Etsy's Product Analytics team, fashion model represented in NY and SF, and Miss New York Earth USA 2021. As an advocate for Women in STEM, she uses social media to increase the visibility of women in stem role models and expose young girls to the opportunities that come with working in technology, such as financial responsibility, work/life balance, continuous learning, and how empowering it is to work in a male-dominated field.

    Key takeaways:

    • Three different types of data scientists that exists in this career field
    • What happens in the data science interview process
    • Technical skills needed to become a data scientist
    • A day in the life of a Data Scientist
    • How to handle post-grad anxiety & rejection
    • The power of community

    Resources:

    Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera

    Towards Data Science Podcast and Medium Blog,

    Algorithms of Oppression Book by Safiya Noble

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Website

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Connect with Marizza:

    https://www.instagram.com/marizzadelgado/

    https://www.instagram.com/missnewyorkearth/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/marizza-delgado/

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    34 min
  • EP 46 | Is the Metaverse fake? (5 things you NEED to know about the Metaverse)

    Bloomberg Intelligence believes the market opportunity for the metaverse could be eight hundred billion dollars by 2024. Recently, there has been a lot of excitement & chatter about the Metaverse but there is also a lot of confusion as well. So what truly is the Metaverse and why should YOU care about it?

    Key Takeaways:

    • What is the Metaverse?
    • Where is the Metaverse located?
    • Who is building the Metaverse?
    • Why should you care about the Metaverse?
    • Is the Metaverse fake or a new reality?

    Sources:

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/what-the-metaverse-is-who-s-in-it-and-why-it-matters-quicktak

    https://www.matthewball.vc/the-metaverse

    https://www.matthewball.vc/all/forwardtothemetaverseprimer

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvZSdDC9rWo&ab_channel=JohnCoogan

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99BnZ8js1_k&ab_channel=Reuters

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DpJlRbbgGU&ab_channel=CNETHighlights

    Follow Tech Unlocked for career tips:

    Substack

    Twitter

    Instagram

    Connect with Grace:

    Instagram

    Twitter

    LinkedIn

    Enjoyed listening to this episode? Please leave a review on iTunes and Spotify. Questions about sponsorship? Email us [email protected]

    19 min

About Tech Unlocked

From the publisher's feed

The Tech Unlocked podcast aims to demystify & diversify emerging tech and give people of color the keys they need to unlock a successful career in tech. www.techunlocked.co/