Making HERstory - 127 Women In Congress And Counting
Famous Firsts in the 116th Congress
We all know the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. When that workplace happens to be where the laws shaping the future of the United States are made, it's not just important - it's vital. We've still got a long way to go for gender parity, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate our victories.
Check out 10 of our favorite "famous firsts" for women and diversity in the 116th Congress.
1. First (Two!) Native American Congresswomen
Deb Haaland (D - NM) & Sharice Davids (D - KS)
3. Youngest Woman Elected to the House (& Only Viral Dancing Sensation)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D- NY)
5. Most Women of Color Ever (47) in Congress
6. First (Two) Latina Congresswomen Representing Texas
Veronica Escobar, Sylvia Garcia win, will be first Texas Latinas in Congress By @Nicolemarie_A https://t.co/iiVJlTFw0U— NBC Latino (@NBC Latino) 1541562044
Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)
8. First Congressperson Born in South America
I’m proud to make history as the first Ecuadorian in US Congress and the first Latina member born in South America.… https://t.co/bYSitzowp3— Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (@Debbie Mucarsel-Powell) 1542291938
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL)
10. Most First-Time Congresswomen (42) and Most Women EVER in Congress (127)
Baby steps. Here's to even better numbers in the 117th Congress.
SeatGeek Employee Spotlight: Jamie Hooker, Director of Talent
Below is an article originally written by Nate Rattner at PowerToFly Partner SeatGeek. Go to SeatGeek's page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
Welcome to SeatGeek Employee Spotlights - an opportunity to meet the fantastic folks on our world-class team.
By day, we're a group of talented developers, designers, marketers, and businessfolk working together to build something new and different. We represent live event junkies of every kind: diehard sports fans, passionate concert-goers, sophisticated theater enthusiasts, and more. From our lives outside the office and before SeatGeek, we all have interesting stories to tell.
Up next: Jamie Hooker, our Director of Talent.
Name: Jamie Hooker
Role: Director of Talent
Where were you born?
I was born in Georgia - outside of Atlanta.
Have you always lived in NYC?
No — I've lived in close to 10 places, but have been in New York for almost three years. I came to New York from Wisconsin, and was in Tennessee before that, and Colorado before that — Colorado will always be home, though.
Where did you go to school?
I went to Vanderbilt — go 'Dores! I'm one of a few Vanderbilt folks here, and actually wasn't the first Vandy hire — Ben Clark holds that title. There are four total now, and hopefully we can add more to that count!
Where is the weirdest place you've ever lived?
I don't think I've lived anywhere very weird, but when I was little, we lived in France and Belgium, which is unique I suppose. I was there for a couple years when I was a toddler so my memories are pretty limited — we moved back to the states when I was about 5 years old.
Any funny roommate or apartment stories in NYC?
When I first moved to New York, we decided to turn our living room into an additional bedroom, as many people do, to make our apartment more affordable. I was lucky enough to be able to live in the extra room — my "lean-to." I had to get a wall built, and for some reason there was a really big disconnect between my landlord and the wall company, and I ended up living without a wall for my first two months here. Basically, you'd walk into the apartment and be in the living room, the kitchen, and my bedroom at the same time. The wall is still there, and I'm still in the same apartment, but I've since upgraded rooms.
What's the best project you've worked on at SeatGeek?
Being involved with hiring so many people in one year was really exciting — we hired around 50 people, more than doubling the size of SeatGeek. Of course, there were a lot of people who were a part of that, but being able to be involved was really exciting. Seeing that SeatGeek had gotten to a point that we were really taking off was so cool.
What are three "fun facts" about yourself that people would be surprised to know?
1. I have not always been a Broncos fan — shocking, I know. I did not become a Broncos fan until I moved to Colorado in the fifth grade — prior to that, I have a vivid memory of the Broncos and Falcons playing in the Super Bowl and rooting for the Falcons. I try not to remember my pre-Broncos era — I think I've seen the light since then.
2. I really, really love the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July — it's one of my favorite American pastimes. I went to the event the first 4th of July I spent in New York, and Joey Chestnut won that year, but he didn't break the record. It was the first time they split the contests into Men's and Women's competitions, and Sonya "The Black Widow" was the female champ.
3. I lived in Europe as a child, but I guess you knew that already.
Any favorite place(s) to hang out in NYC?
I like to watch sports at my favorite sports bar, Triona's — any time there's a major game going on or if it's an NFL Sunday, you can find me there. It's become a really fun gathering place for me and my friends. Other than that, I'm probably eating out. I do that a lot, and keep a running list of places so that I can get to as many different restaurants as possible. I'm also really lucky that my building has a nice courtyard, so I spend a lot of time eating dinner outdoors or drinking a glass of wine out there.
What's the best vacation you've ever taken?
Last fall I went to Thailand and we split up time between several different cities — they were all pretty amazing and wonderful in their own right. But the bulk of the trip was spent on an island for some beach time — it was really nice to be literally on the other side of the world. And I got to play with elephants, which was a big highlight.
Do you have a favorite SeatGeek snack?
I have two favorite snacks — one is Babybel cheese and the other is chocolate, which we always have a really nice selection of. They serve very different snack purposes in my life, but they're equally important.
Why do you love SeatGeek?
I love SeatGeek because of the people who work here. Everyone really believes in SeatGeek as a product, and you can tell that people here are really passionate about what we do. People are really driven and work really hard, and it's very easy to believe in the mission and what our product stands for. People are also really great from a social aspect as well — they hang out with each other, get along well, and I enjoy spending time with my coworkers. It's exciting that we can all work together on something that's so cool.
What is your favorite part of the new office?
I still need to do some more exploring — I like so much of it — but I think the stadium seating is really cool. Not only is it great because it gives everyone in the company a really nice spot to congregate, but I think it will be really great for hosting events. It's perfect for hosting meetups or recruiting events.
Perspectives @ Mastercard: Discovering Technology
In the video above, women at Mastercard share how they developed an interest in technology.
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5 Reasons Why Working At AppNexus Was The Best Decision I Ever Made
Below is an article originally written by Erika at PowerToFly Partner AppNexus, a Xandr Company, and published on February 28, 2017. Go to AppNexus' page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
Steve Jobs once said, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."
AppNexus and the industry we are in is so fast-paced that everyone is constantly learning and innovating; there is not a single day I'm at work where I don't learn something new. I'm given the opportunity to thrive and accomplish my goals alongside some of the industry's smartest people. Since starting at AppNexus Sydney, a remote office, I've learned that working outside of our New York City headquarters has its perks. As someone who is relatively new to AppNexus, it works in my favor the office is small enough that if I shout out a question, I'm bound to get at least three people's attention.
I work in an environment where my opinion is valued and my voice is heard. I have a great support network both at an international level at our headquarters and within the APAC region with our Singapore office. As a remote office, we do miss out on the bigger events but we always make up for it and do it with Sydney style – whether that's turning a Women's Network conference to a wine and cheese event or getting lunch catered so we can re-watch a Razzle Dazzle as a team.
If I had to put my finger down on one thing that I enjoy most about working at AppNexus, it's the people. Here are five reasons why the people at AppNexus make working here the best decision I've ever made.
1. People embrace the Learn & Teach value.
There is no denying that I love a challenge, and learning a lot of information in a short period is a challenge that comes with the territory of a new job. The learning curve I experienced at AppNexus surpassed my expectations, and the growth I experienced was only possible due to AppNexians who embody our Learn and Teach value. During the first few months at AppNexus, everyone I encountered was willing to answer any question I had. Everyone is willing to share what they know and help you grow in your role and your career. During the mere 3.5 months that I have been with AppNexus, I have been able to expand upon the knowledge learned in from my Master's degree in ways I never thought possible.
2. At AppNexus, Friends = Family.
Growing up as an only child, I have always valued my friendships very deeply. My friends are one of the most important aspects of my life, and I would do anything for them. I never expected to find those kinds of lasting friendships at work, but my colleagues have become my friends, and more importantly, they have now become my family. They are my biggest supporters, rooting for me to succeed in every aspect of life – whether that be thriving in a client meeting or waking up early for our Friday morning workout sessions.
3. You become who you surround yourself with.
I spend an average of 40 hours a week with my team I work with at AppNexus - and this number doesn't take into account the Friday after work drinks or the Sunday afternoon barbeques. Based on that, one would deduce that I spend most of my time with them. There's a saying that you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If this is true, I'm a lucky person because the people I work with are the smartest, funniest and hardest-working people I know. Working in a global office with fewer people, I have the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of teams and individuals at various stages in their careers. It's not often that an Associate can say they have exposure to the Senior Consultants all the way up to the Managing Director of the region. How lucky am I that I literally get to sit next to them and pick their brains every day? They are all so driven and passionate about everything from work to their personal lives, even to beating their own personal best's on video games!
4. It's not just about us.
Giving back to my community has always been important to me. As a teenager, I used to spend my summers volunteering at organizations that catered towards under-privileged children and their families. I was so excited to discover that AppNexus also finds value in giving back with AppNexus Impact. AppNexus Impact is an initiative that encourages businesses to pledge 1% of their time, equity and/or product to the greater community. During my third week, the Sydney team volunteered at a local animal shelter, where we assisted with various tasks such as cleaning the rabbit homes. I know I can speak on behalf of my team when I say that we all had an amazing time. My friends outside of work saw my Snapchats and asked how they could get involved, because it looked like we were having so much fun! Going to work that day was incredibly rewarding to say the least.
5. It's FUN!
As Neil Young said, "It's cool to go places where working people are happy."
There is not a week that goes by where one of my friends doesn't make a comment along the lines of "your office looks like so much fun" or "did you really ride a tricycle through the office"? They live vicariously through my Snapchats and Instagram posts where they see pictures of the team at Family Lunch, watching the NHL, or playing Nintendo 64, and more. I am excited EVERY SINGLE DAY to go into work. Sunday nights/Monday mornings don't look so bleak anymore, and Friday rolls around before I know it.
I am so lucky to have the luxury of working for a large company in a smaller office where I can see the differences I make and how it contributes to the overall business and strategy. It has also given me the opportunity to travel both internationally and domestically, and work with some of our biggest clients. Whilst the past few months have been a steep learning curve, I have no doubt that choosing AppNexus, and having AppNexus choose me, was the best career move I could have possibly made.
About the Author:
Erika is an Associate Technical Account Manager at AppNexus in our Australia office. When she's not writing about herself in third person, you will find her exploring the beautiful beaches of Sydney or convincing her partner to go homeware shopping. If you don't find her doing either of those things, she's probably playing with a pug she found.
