Happy Women’s History Month! Here at Carolina Advanced Digital, we’ve got a stellar group of women helping lead our team. From sales and marketing to account managers to engineers, these women have not only impacted our company but have helped shape our field for women in cybersecurity and IT.
We’re grateful to have such hard working, intelligent, and strong women on our team every day, but today, we celebrate their accomplishments and growth in a special way. Keep reading for a Q&A with our female leaders to find out what Women’s History Month means to them and what we can do to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the field for years to come:
Julie Allen, Director of Sales Operations at Carolina Advanced Digital
Can you tell us about a female role model who has inspired you?
I am lucky to have been surrounded by strong women for my entire life, personally and professionally. They are all inspiring to me in different ways, and I have taken pieces of inspiration from each of them to guide my decisions and actions along the way. We have strong women in our company leadership here at Carolina Advanced Digital that are inspirational on a daily basis, and I’ve worked with women in leadership roles at a local youth sports organization that have devoted their careers to empowering young women.
What motivates you to work at Carolina Advanced Digital?
Our leadership – we have a great team here that cares a lot about growing our company as a group and each of us individually. Even when things get super busy, it’s easy to stay motivated and keep going since our management team leads by example and is right there next to you getting things done.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
I think it’s a time to stop and appreciate the women before us who have made sacrifices and dedicated their lives to creating opportunities for future generations. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate and thank the women in my life now that have helped me grow into the person I am today.
Alex Price, Inside Sales Specialist at Carolina Advanced Digital
Can you tell us about a female role model who has inspired you?
Jane Goodall is primatologist and anthropologist. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and has worked on conservation and animal welfare issues extensively for the past 60 years. She has inspired many throughout the years to conserve and protect our animals.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
Women’s History Month is a month to remember and honor the women who have paved the way for us today – the women who have done the work. It is also a reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done.
What was the biggest female empowerment moment for you this past year?
In 2020, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work in developing Crispr. This is a highly precise gene editing tool currently changing cancer research and treatment.
Bre Verreen, Account Manager at Carolina Advanced Digital
What advice would you give to other women interested in this field?
Do you want to be in Information Technology? Then just do it. Be strong, good at your trade, be yourself, and then you will be left with the most successful version of yourself. Being a woman makes you strong because you have worked through given challenges to be where you are, and you will succeed from those experiences.
What was the biggest female empowerment moment for you this past year?
Madam Vice President Kamala Harris. Madam? It still sounds strange to me, but wonderful at the same time. In grade school, I would talk about being the first female president and I remember thinking it would be an impossible goal to achieve. Side note – can you imagine me, as president? I would wear pink on Inauguration Day and have fresh Krispy Kreme donuts in my office at all times. Anyways, Kamala Harris pushed through challenges with being female, a person of color, and daughter of an immigrant, and is now our Vice President. The standard has risen and will continue to rise for future generations.
What does Women’s History Month mean to you? Women’s History Month celebrates the female contributions to history, culture, and society, but to me, it’s about remembering those who were not recognized for their contributions and the countries who still do not allow women to have a voice and act on their own. It’s unfortunate that women were ever seen as less than equal, but it’s amazing to see how even through adversity women show up and thrive.