Meet the Speaker — Jasmine Suarez
Jasmine Suarez is a Senior Congressional Innovation Fellow at TechCongress. Her session at WITS Southeast is Leveraging the power of your voice to drive value, stimulate innovation, and embrace change.
Why is speaking at WITS important to you?
It is essential to me to speak at WITS because, as a woman who is a member of many underrepresented and underserved groups, our voices and narratives are frequently unheard or conveyed by those who lack
our direct experiences. Do the efforts continue after the confetti settles, the cameras stop filming, and DEIA is no longer in vogue? I believe it is essential for me to use the platforms I am given to convey to
others, through my own and the shared experiences of others like me, how we are or are not being consistently and genuinely included, and what that implies for the current and future state of technology.
Through open and transparent dialogue and collaboration, we can alter how we recruit members of underrepresented and marginalized communities who are eager to contribute so much to technological
and societal progress. When people like me see ourselves in these roles and advancing at these companies, we have a practical model of what is possible and can imagine ourselves in psychologically
secure, positive environments where they can feel a sense of equity and belonging, and access growth opportunities we often aren’t privy to as opposed to simply being hired for diversity.
What or who inspires you?
My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but the students I interact with and listen to while volunteering across the country are the most influential. We have some extremely ambitious visionaries
and profound thinkers who have the courage to believe in themselves and pursue their goals on their own terms.
Most useful article you’ve read in the last month
The most useful article I’ve read in the last month is entitled “The Future of Algorithmic Warfare Part II: Goose Chase” by War on the Rocks (Benjamin Jensen, Christopher Whyte, and Scott Cuomo).
When you were a kid what was your dream job?
When I was growing up, I truly thought I would be a chemist or niche artisan of some kind using chemicals. My heroes were Dr. Mae C. Jemison and George Washington Carver.
Tell us something about your session
My workshop will elevate, but it will also require participants to act on and commit to reaping the benefits of establishing their professional (or personal) power circle, which will help them launch to the
desired next level they have for their careers in the technology industry. We will brainstorm to identify mentors, sponsors, and coaches.
What other sessions or speakers are you most excited to see?
As a first-time WITS attendee, I’m looking forward to attending as many seminars as possible and taking up as much information as possible.
Hear from Jasmine and all the other amazing women in tech speaking at WITS Southeast by registering here.
