Who better to break tech barriers than women veterans? VetTech Trek

The world seems to be spinning…and this time it’s not from a late night. As I settle into my seat on the Metro-North, I find myself trying to process the last 48 hours. I’ve been on a trek… invited to partake in a very special mission. But this isn’t the sort of trek one might expect.

I spent six years in the US Army trekking all over the place, weapon in hand and rucksack full. This time, I show up on Madison Avenue armed with walking flats and questions for the tech industry’s most disruptive minds. I meet a small army of powerhouse women veterans, with the common goal of bridging the gap between veterans and the tech industry.

 I’ve tried my best to capture the experience, if only to document that this actually happened.

Day 1:

It’s Thursday morning and we settle into Plated, a custom meal delivery service. The smell of home cooking wafts through the air, as we learn about their data analytics strategy and that ‘no one actually likes tofu.’ It’s followed by a panel hosted by their BAWs (Bad Ass Womens) group with women from consulting, finance, and, you guessed it, early seed funded entrepreneurs. We talk through the tough stuff-how and when to say no, why you can’t compromise on your workout, and knowing your worth before negotiating salary. We flutter over to Twitter, where we tour the new campus, enjoy some complimentary Questbars and nitrogen infused RISE coffee from a keg, with insights from diversity recruiting on how to find a role that fits. It’s clear that everyone at Twitter believes in the power of connecting the world; the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. In the spirit of connectivity, we check in over at Facebook, swindle a few more Swedish fish, and talk through the policies, operations, and the plans for the next 4 billion users. But before we get too far into building out the next Facebook functionality, we stop by Rent the Runway, where co-founder Jennifer Fleiss tells stories of the early days with Craigslist purchased furniture and the value of “scrappiness.” For those not deterred, (which is all of us) and interested in taking the plunge, General Assembly showcases their curriculum and student body, a microcosm of Silicon Valley. I find myself involuntarily eaves dropping on student conversations; these are brilliant minds. As the day dwindles away, I can’t seem to slow down my thoughts-the passion, the creativity, the desire to disrupt and prevail…veterans are groomed to be entrepreneurs.

Day 2:

Fast forward. It’s 8 am Friday. I hustle over to First Round Capital, coffee and breakfast in hand, ready to meet Hayley Barna, co-founder of Birch Box. It seems like a dream come true; I get about as anxious as I do before a Birch Box arrives. Hayley is just cool-the kind of girl you want to have over for a bottle of wine or three. She introduces us to four of the women she helped fund and has them tell their stories. They are so normal. My favorite anecdote, ‘I knew I needed to be in NYC. My dad had a friend of a friend who owned a Kinko’s. That was my plan b.’ If there’s one word to describe these women, it’s hustle. They literally craft their businesses down to every detail; the customer experience matters. Not wanting to leave, the trek must continue. We Uber over to the game changer that has become a noun, verb, adjective, and apparently now an entity-Google. As we walk in I can’t help but think of lunch, wondering if the cafes live up to the hype. Along with a few extra pounds, I leave the campus in awe. Googlers are incredible-they come from the quirkiest backgrounds with a desire to solve the world’s biggest problems. World hunger? Driving fatalities? The world needs Googlers, or maybe just more people with this passion. It seems to be the common thread between the military and the tech world; the desire to leave things better than you found them. And so, we head over to Microsoft where they showcase their work with accelerators, Platform as a Service (PaaS), and the importance of thinking big while moving fast. When someone mentions 1:1 time with Mollie Chen, the founder of Birch Box, I move fast into a subway car to arrive at a pink patterned, open air office (and collect my complimentary Birch Box).  The group of women is authentic, and their HR policies are as amazing as they are- 3 month paternity leave, 3 week paid sabbaticals, and parties with lip syncing to Taylor Swift. Who doesn’t want to work here? Before we stay for FAB (Friday Afternoon Beer), we finish off the night with Movable Ink, the smarter email…using AI to add a personal touch, and an introduction to the Digital Currency Group, Barry Silbert’s venture on building out the blockchain industry. This is the cutting edge of tech. I can tell by the gasps in the room- intangible assets, digital currencies, smart machines…more wine is needed to digest this. The trek culminates with a happy hour with the women tech vets and the trip sponsors. I float around the room, meeting, talking, and learning from amazing people- retail geniuses, Surface Warfare Officers, and economic game theory pros. I’m still not sure how I ended up here, but I don’t want to leave.

So here I am, headed back to Stamford, Connecticut in a train, texting Jill, my new friend and Navy veteran, and reviewing the Movable Ink product suite, head spinning. I’m excited, anxious, and somewhat amazed at the altruism of the world. To Steve, Mike, Brooke and the rest of the VetTech Trek team, your work is incredible. The power of the network is exponential and changing lives. Thank you.