Following in the series of article on leaders in IT (see my previous post, The 100 Most Influential *People* in IT) eWeek just released the 10 Most Powerful Women in IT. While I continue to struggle with the genderizing of the technology world (in other words, it’s only an issue if we make it one), I do believe we have to make sure we help girls realize that technology related fields are not just “for the boys.”
Browsing this list, there are women in high places in some pretty powerful companies. This is what I think our girls need to see – bright, public, female leaders helping to shape our technology world. The one that jumps out at me is the person in the #1 spot – Diane Greene, CEO of VMware. VM stands for virtual machines – a technology that is just starting to come into play, and will likely transform our everyday computing experience in the next 10-15 years. Its great to see a female leader in an arena that is up & coming.
Girls – remember – you are bright, capable, and have the absolute ability to change and shape the world – do not forget it!!!
Citation:
"10 Most Powerful Women in IT." EWeek. 31 Aug. 2007 <http://www.eweek.com/slideshow_viewer/
0,1205,l=&s=26744&a=214069&po=1,00.asp?p=y>.