Men may still outnumber women in the tech field, but that’s something the amazing women profiled below are changing. In their own words, read stories from women on the front-line of coding in Colorado. Learn how they are forging their way, making great products, impacting the lives of those around them and get their take on entering the field.
Rachel Vecchitto, GNIP
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You became interested in technology after making websites in high school. What is it that has kept you interested in technology?
Being able to build something that people can use immediately is a ton of fun and really satisfying. Whether you're building a quick toy project that a handful of your friends use, or working on a website that millions of people use, it's a blast to just to be able to build things and get them out there.
What is your number one priority when taking on a new role or project?
I want to work on interesting things that I can get excited about and I want to work with smart people... there's not really a formula beyond that. I've been very lucky that I've gotten to do a lot of both in my career so far.
You seem very entrepreneurial – what are your goals with Gnip and Slope Squad?
Well, you know, Gnip is my job, so my goals there are to meet smart people and work on interesting projects at scale and be exposed to technologies and methodologies I might not otherwise come across if left to my own devices. Slope Squad is unfortunately probably never going to be a business at this point, but it's got a small, loyal user base and I love working on it, so it's going to be around in some form for a while. I also just inherited the Beeline 2 RTD iPhone app, which I'm really excited about and am looking forward to turning into a great local transit app.
This is one of the things that's so great about this field, though -- you can experiment with things and see what sticks without needing to have the resources of a company behind you. You can play around on whatever you want and have a lot of success individually. It's really motivational.
How does it feel to teach at GDI Boulder?
GDI in general is a fantastic organization and I'm really glad I got involved with the Boulder chapter. Learning new things can be intimidating under any circumstances, and that's especially true when you feel like a minority in a given situation. It's really satisfying to be able to help provide an atmosphere that hopefully has a bit of a lower barrier to entry to women who are interested in learning more about tech.
What is your secret weapon?
Pizza?
What advice do you have for women just starting out in the field?
This is intimidatingly open ended, but if I had to pick one thing off the cuff I'd say that it's worth it to prioritize working at a place that values diversity of all kinds. Company culture in general is incredibly important in so many ways, including what kinds of opportunities you get and how supportive your coworkers are. Try to work at a place your gut feels good about.
