A Time To Give

Throughout my career, I've actively sought opportunities to give back and support people who wanted to level up their personal or professional development but maybe didn't know where or how to start.

There are so many people out there with realized and latent talent if only they had the opportunity to demonstrate it. I've never taken the chances higher-ups gave me to prove myself for granted, and I always strive to create similar opportunities for others.

But things got a little crazy during the pandemic and over the past few years, including a big move to Japan. Now that the dust has settled, I have once again arrived at a particular place on the career ladder where my gut is telling me to reach back and help others.

Last July, I saw an announcement for an upcoming event in Tokyo in my LinkedIn feed that caught my attention. As if an invisible thread was pulling me, I was pre-registering for it before I knew what was happening. The next thing I knew, I was at the French Ambassador to Japan's residence, attending a networking happy hour for the newly launched WOMEN IN TECH ? Global Japan chapter.

Women in Tech? is an international organization on a mission to close the gender gap and help women embrace technology. The aim is to educate, equip, and empower women and girls with the necessary skills, confidence, and opportunities to succeed in STE(A)M career fields. Headquartered in Paris and under the high patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron, WIT is a Global Movement with chapters in six continents and over 200,000 members.

Not only do I deeply believe in the mission, but I was also blown away by the caliber of people behind it: women AND men who understood and internalized the data that when women do better, everyone benefits. Everyone.

That's why I'm excited to announce that I've joined the Women in Tech Japan chapter as Marketing Director to officially volunteer my figurative and literal hands to make a difference. I can't think of a better 5:00-to-9:00 than helping local women and girls unlock their unique power and contributions with the help of technology.

And, wow, Japan has so much talent and latent potential.

Last month, the team was in Paris to attend WIT's Global Summit, and the best recap I can give is to echo what everyone at the event said, "The energy here is unlike any other event I've attended. It's so positive and human."

Life gives us opportunities to do something bigger than ourselves, and it behooves us to take up the gauntlet. I passionately believe that.

I can't wait to help drive the same positive energy and proactive mission in Japan as I felt in Paris. And I get to work with a great team of people, partners, and sponsors to do so.

Let's do this.

Massive thanks to Ayumi Moore Aoki , Yuki Aizawa 愛澤友己 , 湯本勉 , and Keiko Murata 村田圭子 for the opportunity to partner together to make the world a more equitable and educated place for all.

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Is your organization looking to partner with WIT Japan to empower women in the tech world and beyond? If so, I'm just a message away for more information on how to get involved.