I Don’t See Myself As a “Woman in Tech” And That’s Been My Advantage

“Were you intimidated being the only woman in that room?”

I’ve been asked this question many times throughout my career.
And the honest answer is: No.

That’s me teaching a Computer Science class at KU many years ago.

In many rooms, I’ve been the only woman.
The only brown person.
The only one who might fit into someone’s definition of “minority.”

But here’s the truth:
I’ve never thought of myself that way.

I never walked into a meeting or a client engagement thinking:

• I’m a woman in tech.
• I’m a brown engineer.
• I’m a minority software engineer.

I walked in thinking:

• What problem needs to be solved?
• How can I help this team move forward?
• What outcome are we driving toward?

The Power of Not Giving Labels Power

Most of my career has been spent on teams where I was outnumbered by men.

Sometimes I was the only woman.
Sometimes the only person who looked like me.

But I never felt out of place.

Because I didn’t hand that power over to the labels.

Instead, I focused on doing what I love:

• Solving hard technical problems
• Guiding teams toward better software architecture
• Delivering value to clients who trust me with their systems

When you focus on the work and let your results speak,the labels quickly fade into the background.

Labels Exist. But They Don’t Define Me.

Representation absolutely matters.
We need more diversity in tech. We need more voices at the table.

But for me personally, letting go of labels has been one of my greatest advantages.

It allowed me to show up as:
✅ A software consultant
✅ A problem solver
✅ A trusted partner to my clients

Not a category. Not a box. Not a stereotype.

The Mindset That Has Served Me Best

If I’ve learned one thing as a consultant, it’s this:

The work speaks.

At the end of the day, clients and teams care about:

• Can you help them solve the problem?
• Can you simplify complexity?
• Can you deliver results?

Focus on that. Obsess over outcomes.
Let the quality of your work become your story.

The rest? Noise.

Sometimes the best way to break barriers… is to not see them at all.