With Women's History Month coming to an end, Google's Austin office shared highlights of several exemplary women who are making big moves both inside and outside the tech world.
Meanwhile, Austin Inno reached out to those leaders to learn about the women who have inspired them in their lives and careers and to ask about pivotal moments along their paths and how they might help or inspire others.
Below are their biographical highlights, provided by Google, and their responses, shared via email with Austin Inno.
Laurie Evans
Role: Director, Americas Inside Sales, Google Cloud
Been with Google Austin: 9 months
Personal and career highlights: At Google, Laurie leads the sales and strategy for inside sales, but at home, Laurie is a busy mother of five. In addition to serving on several booster clubs for her kids' activities, she is a member of the Austin Leadership Council for Google and is one of the original board members and founding team members for National Charity League, North Austin, a mother-daughter philanthropy program.
Inno: Please tell us about a woman who has inspired you – professional or personal. And what is it about that person’s story that inspired or motivated you?
Evans: Sheryl Sandberg, Author of Lean In, Founder of Leanin.org and COO of Facebook. Her book inspired a lot of dialog in the high tech community and sparked a number of dialogue circles that were pivotal to my developmental years as a rising female exec in high tech. These conversations certainly helped developed who I am today on a personal level as a working mother and wife and on a professional level as a female executive in a male dominated industry.
Inno: What was one of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? And how might other women in tech learn from that?
Evans: My first field sales role in high tech and trying to dress and look the part. It was in the early ‘90s. I wore the long skirts below the knee, suntanned panty hose and the lovely collared white blouse with a silk bow tie around the neck. I was very business like in all my meetings and it was soooooo boring and sooooo not me. It was stifling and I hated it. I was trying to look and act like a man. I’ve embraced over time to be my authentic self, to embrace femininity while still being strong and confident.
I also recall getting my first executive promotion. It was something I had to lean in and work to get. It doesn’t just get bestowed on you overnight. You have to early on, prior to a promotion, accept more responsibility, show you have the capability both IQ and EQ, and jump at any chance you get to demonstrate it. Promotions mean you have demonstrated capability to work at the next level and showcase the consistency of your work. It also means you have to network, get your brand out there and understand the politics of how promotions are decided.
Anna Eilering
Role: Software Engineer in Tools and Infrastructure
Been with Google Austin: 2 years
Personal and career highlights: Before switching to software development, Anna spent a decade as a chef. As a software engineer for Google Play Services, she is responsible for writing software that makes it easier for other developers to write code. As a child, she was inspired by teachers and volunteers and now seeks out opportunities to show kids the cool things they can do with tech.
Inno: Please tell us about a woman who has inspired you – professional or personal. And what is it about that person’s story that inspired or motivated you?
Eilering: There are a lot of amazing women in and out of tech who have inspired me from a distance. On a personal level, though, my first job as a developer was at a Texas company working on cloud technologies and I was hired after interviewing with their VP of Quality Engineering, an amazing woman named Gigi Geoffrion. I had seen amazing, inspiring women from a distance - via TV, articles, etc - but this was the first time I met someone in person who was a VP, super technical, and a woman. There's something different between knowing that somewhere out there there are amazing technical women and actually meeting a successful, c-level technical woman. Working with her was really the first time I felt that I could be that person, have that career, and be that influential.
Gigi's was present in the workplace. She was a person who I could know and see and talk to. She was active in the community, she did outreach, she walked into a room of engineers and everyone knew her and she knew everyone. She provided guidance and technical leadership. She was a strong voice in the room. She exemplifies the skills and work that I hope to achieve in my career.
Inno: What was one of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? And how might other women in tech learn from that?
Eilering: I was a chef for 10 years. People are always a bit surprised by that given my current career. I struggled in high school, especially with math, and, although I enjoyed programming and technical work, my teachers guided me away from going to college for anything technical. "You're just not the kind of person who's good at that."
So I became a chef. Other stuff happened of course but I needed to get a job and support myself and my family. So I went to culinary school, 'made my bones' as they say, and, eventually, became a chef at a fine dining restaurant in the midwest. I was coming up on my 7th year as a chef at this restaurant I was working at. I hadn't had a day off in over a year, I was working nights, weekends, and holidays to support the dining public. While I might have been able to ignore that, I also wasn't feeling challenged anymore. After one incredibly long week I got home and thought about where I wanted to be in 10 years. I remembered the enjoyment I had working with tech when I was younger and I started looking resources up at my local library and online.
I got a part time IT job to sort of test the waters and make sure I didn't hate the work. It was great! I took the plunge and, while working nights and weekends, went back to school for Computer Science.
It's been 10 years since I made that choice. Sometimes I miss the work and camaraderie in kitchens but I love the work I do and the people I work with. It's never too late to chase your passion. There's no shame in trying something different.
Helynn Nelson
Role: People Consultant
Been with Google Austin: 2 years
Personal and career highlights: As a People Consultant, Helynn serves the People Operations organization through HR generalist services delivered in a scaled manner with empathy. She recently spearheaded a successful South by Southwest partnership at the Google Austin office with Generation Titans and volunteers with Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Generation Serve around the Austin area. She is a Level 3 Sommelier and travels all over the country through her business, Seedless Grapes, educating and consulting with companies, retail partners and private citizens about wine.
Inno: Please tell us about a woman who has inspired you – professional or personal. And what is it about that person’s story that inspired or motivated you?
Nelson: I am inspired by so many women, however, a personal shero that I quote and aspire to be like daily is my late maternal grandmother, Helen D. Bluitt. My grandmother was a Texan through and through. She didn’t take anyone’s stuff, she was self assured, self actualized and so accomplished. My grandmother literally had excellence in her DNA. She was the daughter of Wayne Wright Johnson, a founder of a freedman’s colony called Nigton in East Texas (between Livingston and Lufkin). My great-grandfather instilled a sense of confidence in his children by promoting education and self-reliance.
The translation of his teachings was exemplified in how my grandmother’s lived her life- and Helen lived! She was a college graduate from Prairie View A&M University and had a Master’s degree from Texas Southern University. She was an educator, a hairdresser, a nanny to an oil tycoon, a twice divorcee’, a single mother and a cancer survivor. Witnessing my grandmother live her life with unapologetically authenticity was magical. She was larger than life and I wanted (and still want) to be just like her.
Inno: What was one of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? And how might other women in tech learn from that?
Nelson: The most pivotal moment in my career occurred 10 years ago when I decided to leave the legal field and change careers. I have always been a very planned person. I knew what I wanted to be when I was nine years old and there was no changing my adolescent mind. The thought of deviating from any planned path was a risk that I just couldn’t compute. So picture me on the floor plotting and planning this leap with an unfinished powerpoint presentation, charts, graphs, a pro/con chart and nine months pregnant when I looked at my husband and said, “I am not going back. I am not happy.” In nine words I blew up everything I ever knew, ever studied for and ever assumed debt in the name of --and this was one of the most freeing things I have ever done. From that moment on and what has been true for me since is the assurance that happiness is key to my productivity.
My message to other women would be that at any stage of your career you can consciously “blow it up” and pivot to something that intrigues and presents a professional curiosity. Take a class, get a certification, take on a new project or switch it up entirely.
Women in tech and any industry should find comfort in their unique abilities and capabilities. They should know that they carry with them a gift and will be an asset wherever they decide to deploy their talents. Taking risks (whether big or small) have become apart of my professional portfolio and I am so glad I had the courage to blow everything up.
Cassandra Johnson
Role: Devices & Services VP Global Customer Care Support
Been with Google Austin: 7 months
Personal and career highlights: Cassandra was born in Georgia, raised in Alaska and educated in Ohio and Tennessee. At Google, she leads a team of approximately 2,000 staff. She's also a member of the Black Googler Network, Google's Black Leadership Advisory Group and the Trinity Episcopal School SEEDS (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) Parent Council.
Inno: Please tell us about a woman who has inspired you – professional or personal. And what is it about that person’s story that inspired or motivated you?
Johnson: I had the honor and privilege of introducing and sharing the stage with Shirley Chisholm while attending college at Georgia Tech. Ms. Chisholm was an American politician, educator and author, who in 1968 became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. Her life was one of selfless leadership and an undeniable commitment to better those around her and those who had no voice.
It was during that time, she stated so powerfully, yet so eloquently, "You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." At that moment, I had an epiphany and realized that my call to action was one that still resonates with me to this day and is my moral and leadership compass. It allows me to be true to who I am, my authentic self, valuing my creativity and individuality in regard to my Passion, embracing and living out my Purpose, and empowering and making a positive impact to those around me; People.
Inno: What was one of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? And how might other women in tech learn from that?
Johnson: While at The Home Depot, I had the opportunity to work under the leadership and along-side Marvin Ellison, who is now Lowe's CEO. It was during this time that I received various career and promotional opportunities, however, it was a statement that Marvin shared with me when I asked him for advice on a promotion opportunity that I still ask myself and also share with others as guidance. The statement was, "Not EVERY invitation, is the RIGHT invitation." Marvin followed up by expounding on why it was critical that everyone was true to their authentic self and truly understood and embraced "who" one wanted to be and "what" one wanted to achieve. This meant that there was indeed a path for everyone but not all paths were meant for everyone.
To this day, as I continue to live my purpose and embrace my individuality, I ascertain every opportunity through various lens (i.e. questions) such as, a company's/organization culture, values/style of the leadership, alignment with my professional goals and personal beliefs/values, etc. The asking and discovery of these questions and respective answers allow me to answer with the utmost confidence and with no regret whether or not an invitation is indeed the right invitation for me. Whether the answer is an unequivocally YES or NO...my answer is always the RIGHT answer. This may be contrary to others who may use the title, salary, etc. as deciding factors, however these criteria do not take into consideration the person and where they are within their journey in life and their circumstances at that particular moment whereas one's "personal invitation" question does that and without regret, compromise or unconscious bias.
Ada-Renee Johnson
Role: Staffing Program Manager, GPS
Been with Google Austin: 8 years
Personal and career highlights: A graduate of a Spelman College, Ada is an advocate for diversity, including serving on a recent panel at the inaugural McCombs Business School Diversity Conference, as well as being a member of the St. Austin Catholic School Diversity Council. In her role at Google, she is responsible for the strategic direction, implementation and alignment of Google’s hiring to ensure a robust and diverse talent pipeline. In her free time, Ada can be found quad roller skating or playing volleyball.
Inno: Please tell us about a woman who has inspired you – professional or personal. And what is it about that person’s story that inspired or motivated you?
Johnson: Octavia E. Butler has definitely been an inspiration for me. An author known for blending science fiction with African-American spiritualism, she thrived in a genre typically dominated by White males. Any research done on Butler will highlight she was dyslexic, but she didn't let this deter her from her passion.
When asked about the motivation for her second book, Kindred (1979), Butler shared she “wanted to write a novel that would make others feel the history: the pain and fear that Black people have had to live through in order to endure." As a Black woman in tech, my identity with and passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seamlessly align with the message of Kindred. Butler’s quote most eloquently explains my dedication to not only pushing my limits, but influencing others to do the same. There is neither a flight plan or “True North” because Diversity, Equity and Inclusion refers to the absolute basics required to understand the importance and harrowing need to shift the narrative in order to change the culture within Tech and beyond. In the words of Brene Brown, “You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” Remember, everyone we engage and/or interact with has a story ... and it is not to simply endure.
Inno: What was one of the most pivotal moments in your career so far? And how might other women in tech learn from that?
Johnson: From Silicon Valley to Silicon Prairie...a calculated move. I am where I am today, because I was encouraged and supported at work and home to go where no one expected. For me, the opportunity was a “no brainer”, but the location (Council Bluffs, Iowa) was far from Mountain View, Calif. Though a step back from my current career trajectory, to me this “no brainer” role was the exact move I needed to propel my career. I owed it to myself to seize the opportunity on my journey to success.
With resolute nerve, I dug deep to be unswerving and more self aware than ever. I was determined to pull up that seat at the table to effect change. What appeared to be an opportunity in the most inopportune location was my chance to take my career to the next level. Every step outside my comfort zone was worth with and five years later, I am still benefiting from the experience. Had I not had a fixed mindset, I would have missed out, then and now.
