DigitalSistas.Net
C - Level Roundtable Overview
January 24, 2003

The January 24, 2003 DigitalSistas.net C-Level Roundtable at the Community College of Philadelphia attracted 25 women from the Philadelphia region. Doubling the attendance of the June Roundtable, they had a number of concerns: pressures in current positions, opportunities in the industry, work responsibilities and projections for advancement. All were examined. Reflective of the times, many women were in a transition mode and seeking information about job opportunities.

Following introductions, discussion centered on research at the national and local level focusing on issues related to increasing the number of women and minorities in the IT industry. The issue of name discrimination was identified as a barrier that had been cited in a recent study which showed that resumes with names easily recognizable as African American were routinely passed over in various categories. The legitimacy of the concern about removing barriers was raised given the treatment of minorities in the industry.

It is interesting to note, that contrary to last year, the overall attitude of the group regarding their future in the industry was guarded. All could see the opportunities, what was missing, they felt, was the opportunity to reach new career heights in the current economic climate.

Ahmeenah Young, Vice President, Corporate Diversity, Searchwide, piggy-backed on this discussion and led a very timely discussion, entitled, "In Search Of….." She emphasized the importance of telling our own stories, pushing to get to the truth of the matter, and identifying who or what is the problem? Citing the beauty of the sharing that was occurring, Ahmeenah pointed out the benefits to the group and directed them to an evening workshop series where they could follow up the discussion.

Lynette Brown-Sow, Vice President, Marketing & Government Relations, Community College of Philadelphia, emphasized the need to be strategic in career planning. Know who you are and be true to yourself. It was her contention that these tenants should be paramount when evaluating opportunities. Lynette repeated a theme that came up over and over again at the June 2002 C-Level Roundtable - balance. The balance of work, family and social life still rank high as key concerns of executive women.

During and following the Luncheon Discussion Session, participants expanded on issues of interests, exchanged contact information, and job information. The Digitalsistas.net management team, Carole I. Smith, Narissa Wallace and Bernadine Hawes, announced the new TechJobs and HealthTech channels on the Digitalsistas.net website and solicited content contributes and assistance with Special Interest Group (SIGS).

The Second Annual African American Women in Technology Summit, Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th, 2003 was also announced. It will be held at the new Center for Business & Technology, Community College of Philadelphia, 18th & Callowhill, Philadelphia, PA. The theme is, "Identifying Opportunities in a Volatile Economy." African American women working in, or looking to work in, the IT and related industries are invited to attend.

Come and learn about opportunities and trends in the industry and how you can take advantage of them. Register on the website, http://www.digitalsistas.net or call 215-849-1929.

Previous C-Level Roundtables