Guest post submitted by Leslie Sanchez
Today I had the honor of being one of the four panelists representing The Hartford on Emerging Technologies at the Latinas and Power Symposium. I was reminded how fortunate I am to work for a company that embraces diversity and allows us to bring our authentic selves to work. I say it all the time, I work with the most talented and passionate group of individuals. I really enjoyed getting to know the other panelists as we prepared for the session and I left the event feeling motivated and rejuvenated.
For those of us attending from The Hartford we had a team’s chat going and everyone was sharing all the great tips and quotes and agreed what a moving and inspiring session it was. Hearing the stories of the 2 keynote speakers Carolyn Aronson, CEO and founder of It’s a 10 Haircare and Loren Ferre Rangel, Chief Business Development Officer of Grupo Ferre Rangel was truly inspiring. They both came from very different backgrounds but had many similarities in how they became to be so successful. Passion and work ethic were definitely two key factors that we heard throughout the symposium. Another key factor was having a sense of community and support system whether it be personally or at work. Here at The Hartford I truly feel I have that.
As I was doing some research in preparation for the panel I came across some data: “Data from the National Center for Women & Information Technology states that although women make up 47% of all employed adults in the US, as of 2015 they hold only 25% of the computing roles and of that only 1% of those are Hispanic.” I am thankful for the Hispanic Leadership Network as an ERG to connect with other Latinas and have that sense of community and also that The Hartford partners with outside organizations such as Latinas and Power to broaden our reach and hopefully inspire others to consider a career in technology. I’m also a member of WIT and PWN ERG’s and strongly encourage others to get involved outside of our day to day jobs. Not only does getting involved give that sense of community but also allows you to broaden your network, learn new things and enhance your skillset.
According to Laura Lorenzetti at Linked In, “women who have been successful publicly may inspire other women to consider the job for themselves. When more women join the field and succeed, it can have a lasting impact on what kind of worker is encouraged, and welcomed, to join certain professions.” I think that’s true regardless of profession. When we see others who look like us succeeding, it gives hope and inspiration to be courageous, be passionate, work hard and be successful ourselves.
