Portland Women in Tech, known as PDXWIT, is celebrating 10 years as a community resource, and next year will see the group expand even further.
We contacted Executive Director Elizabeth Stock to talk about how the group has changed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, how it has professionalized and what’s in store. Hint: it involves taking its work to other cities and taking work directly to companies.
Want more Portland startup news? Sign-up for The Beat delivered to your inbox twice weekly
How has PDXWIT shifted in the last 18 months due to the pandemic, especially now that it seems things will be changed for the foreseeable future?
Prior to March of 2020, much of our identity as an organization was wrapped up in bringing people together in person. Or at least that's what I thought. Now that I have some perspective and distance from those early months of the pandemic, I am realizing that our identity wasn't about bringing people together in person, it was just about bringing people together. And our commitment and ability to that has only gotten stronger over the course of the last 18 months.
In addition to converting PDXWIT to a fully virtual environment, we also changed our mission statement earlier this year to be more reflective of the work we do. We’ve made a conscious decision to speak up and out on what we believe in, and be clear on what we are not OK with. Maybe some of that courage has come from having some years under our belt, but I also believe the pandemic has brought a lot into focus for all of us when it comes to what is important and what we need to stand up for.
The group has become more professionalized, with you as ED and staff and an expanded board. How has that changed the organization and its work?
Having a variety of skills and perspectives executing on day-to-day operations and driving strategy forward has been critical to our success. Our Operations Manager Dawn Mott has worked closely with volunteers and community members to build out affinity spaces for many populations either working or hoping to work in tech, including Native Americans in tech and people with disabilities. Our Communications Specialist Isabel Rodriguez has brought their expertise in data analytics to the team and is laying the foundation for our 2022 State of the Community Survey to go national.
While we have always been a force, having an expanded board and staff team over the last few years has really taken our work to the next level. Having said that, we continue to lean hard on our volunteer community, who are highly involved in the work we are doing every day.
You have been with the group since 2018, what brings you joy in what can be a challenging field to work in? By that I mean, working in support for marginalized people in an industry that can seem so lacking in change.
I am lifted up by the success stories coming out of PDXWIT. From community members sharing that PDXWIT's virtual events have been a "bright spot" during an otherwise challenging time means a ton to me. I was just reading an email this morning from a scholarship recipient who PDXWIT purchased a laptop for. They said:
“The last couple years have been extremely difficult with my personal health, professional transition, Covid, and the weight of the political climate. I just needed a 'win' of some sort, and while my journey is far from over I feel exceptionally encouraged knowing that I have the equipment to support me.”
Even the little emails or updates I see on Linkedin that say "I got my job through PDXWIT!" or "I had the courage to ask for a raise thanks to my PDXWIT mentor" will never get old. I have a folder I add screenshots to when I see these types of updates, and on the days when I am feeling like the work is too hard, or like nothing will ever change, I take a look at those and I am immediately ready to keep going.
What is on tap for the group for 2022?
Oh, 2022 is going to be a big year for us. I don't want to reveal all of our secrets but I will share that we are launching a new fee for service consulting arm, which will directly support companies in identifying, implementing and executing on their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. We also plan to make our programs and services even more available to other communities, starting with our neighbors in Seattle and SF. Our heart will continue to stay in Portland, but for years now, we have been hearing from those cities that they could really use "something like PDXWIT" in their area, so if we have the opportunity to expand our reach and community building expertise, why not go for it?
We know that the hiring frenzy in tech isn’t suddenly going to disappear in 2022, so we are eager to launch additional recruitment-focused events and services to help match companies who are hiring with great talent. We will continue our commitment to using our platform to advocate for job seekers and workers in tech when it comes to what they need in a workplace. Whether that is flexibility (trust your employees to do their work on a schedule that works for them!), pay transparency (put the salary in the job description!), or relevant benefits (paid leave over beer on tap!) job seekers and employees hold a lot of power right now, given this competitive market. Why not leverage that power to create company cultures that are inclusive and equitable for all?
