Women working in the data analytics/business intelligence fields was the topic of discussion at the spring meeting of Chicago’s Tableau Users Group meeting, where more than 100 data experts gathered at DePaul University for a panel discussion.
Four women leaders in the information technology fields shared their experiences:
Anya A’Hearn, Owner of DataBlick
Joanna M. Bauza, President, and Co-Founder of The Cervantes Group
Devon Embery, Business Intelligence Consultant at Slalom Consulting
Raffaella Settimi-Woods, Associate Dean of DePaul University’s School of Computing.
Attendees came from across the Chicago area to participate in the discussion. They represented a wide range of business, civic and educational organizations including banks, insurance, universities and cultural institutions, among others.
Rina Bongsu-Petersen, Director of Strategic Analytics at DePaul University has organized meetings of the ad-hoc interest group for the past four years. “Although the events are free, they ‘sell out’ within minutes, and for this event, there was a waiting list of about 40 people,” according to Bongsu-Petersen.
One of the most lively topics was one featuring the best career advice participants had received. Panelists and participants shared useful guidance friends and family had given them. Among the recommendations that resonated with the crowd were:
.Money isn’t everything; work that makes you happy is important
.Be resilient; come back strong after a setback
.Find a niche you are passionate about
.Always ask for what you want
