Celebrating Women in STEM at Adastra

In 2023, women working in technology are still facing barriers to equal opportunities and career progression. In Canada, only 25% of the workforce in large technology companies are women and in the United States, this number is 26.7%.

Adastra is a strong advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and practices providing equal opportunities to hire and support women in technology. We believe this empowers our future generation to choose and succeed in their own careers in the industry. For organizations, hiring and supporting women in STEM is a win-win, as diverse companies lead to more innovation and better business outcomes. 

Today, in honour of International Women’s Day, we have chosen to shine a spotlight on some of the intelligent leading women at Adastra to celebrate their achievements, as well as inspire more women to choose careers in STEM. Learn what they have to say about working in the data and analytics space:  

“I joined Adastra as a Nova Consultant in 2013 right after my graduation. Since my first day here I felt like I was supported by every person around me in the company.  

I always wanted to work in a client-facing role, and at the same time I loved problem-solving and analytical challenges, so accepting a role at a data and analytics consulting company helped me to find exactly what I wanted to do in my daily work.  

Being a consultant gives me a chance to become a better person every day. On one hand, I have to constantly learn new technologies and related data and analytics skills to stay on top of my game. On the other hand, the number of people I’ve met in the past 10 years is probably in thousands at this point and every one of them has taught me something new without even realizing it. I learn from my clients, from my managers, and from my team: everyone has different perspectives on things or went through experiences in life that I probably have never had. 

Becoming a woman in tech was always something that slightly frightened me, because I was always one of a very few girls taking advanced physics and math in high school or doing BSc in Computer Science in university. However, I’ve never felt more empowered than I have in the past 10 years working at Adastra.” 

"When I started at Adastra in 2019 after an academic-oriented work experience, I had to leave my comfort zone to step into the IT-world. Making a major professional change and entering a sector with significant gender inequalities was a bit frightening at that time, but my motivation for a career in a dynamic and innovative environment with endless learning opportunities overcame the fear.

Over the last 4 years at Adastra, I have been part of intriguing projects with many strong and inspiring colleagues. The support from my colleagues motivated me to be more open to change, to embrace new challenges and at the same time encouraged me to empower women around me.    

I believe active promotion of women, especially in sectors where they are underrepresented, is fundamental for equity and it can only be achieved if men contribute to equity as much as women do. We all need to fight against unconscious biases and build more inclusive and fair work cultures to provide comparable opportunities to women."
 

“I started with Adastra in 2019 with a background in bioinformatics/life sciences. My master's degree immediately ignited my passion for programming and data science, and once I joined Adastra I knew it was a perfect fit.  

While out of my comfort zone initially, Adastra provided me a platform to excel in the data and analytics space through a company culture that fostered growth and inclusivity. I have been given opportunities to grow in both technical and client-facing roles and am able to couple my passion for problem solving and building client relationships as a Lead AWS Sales Engineer. Throughout the last 4 years, I've learned to love new challenges and embrace the uncomfortable, as this is where I develop most professionally and personally.” 

“I joined Adastra in my late 20’s and now I’m entering my mid 40’s. Over the years my role has changed significantly but the goal is the same: to ensure that every interaction I have with our partners and clients adds value and contributes to their success. I truly believe that their success is my success. 

Before attending college, I had not given any thoughts about gender disparity in science or math-related programs. The first thing I noticed in my freshman year was that most of my professors and fellow students were men. It was suddenly no longer a gender-neutral world. As I moved on through my first professional positions, the same theme permeated. It was common to be the only woman in the room. This was over 20 years ago, and yet, I still hear similar stories from young women who are starting their career.

We need to change this experience for the next generation of technology professionals. STEM is not for everyone but if you’re a young woman, and you’re interested, there’s no reason why you cannot succeed. Having women in STEM is vital to ensuring that we have a female viewpoint or lens on the next generation of innovative ideas and products.” 

“I was raised to be self-assured, outspoken, kind, and thoughtful. To know my value and speak for the voiceless. Because this business is far from being fair or equal, I work every day to be a part of changing it for the better, and I am proud to work at Adastra where the culture of inclusivity allows me the space to pay it forward to the next generation of women in STEM. Thank you to the women who came before us, who had less than us, who taught us and fought for us.... Happy International Women’s Day!”