Author Archives: Elisabeth Leoni

The She Word: Sapna Kalmadi, traveler, photographer and “Google Consultant”

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the powerful, dynamic and creative women of Google. Like generations before them, these women break down barriers and defy expectations at work and in their communities. Over the course of the month, we’ll help you get to know a few of these Google women, and share a bit about who they are and why they inspire us.

Today, we’re speaking with Sapna Kalmadi, a Senior Analytical Lead in our Mumbai office, known for her “take no prisoners” attitude when playing table tennis and “leave no chocolate” attitude when eating desserts.

Sapna Kalmadi 2

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I act as a “Google consultant” for businesses in India and help large clients connect with their consumers using Google solutions. Ad revenue is what helps drive the cool things that Google is best known for, including Search, YouTube and self-driving cars.

Why are you proud to be a woman at Google?

I'm proud to be a woman at Google because of the amazing people I work with every day.. I’ve worked at Google for five years, and I have learned something from every single Googler I’ve met.

I love the fact that diversity and inclusion at Google is not just an individual or HR initiative but rather there are employee resource groups like Women@Google, which actively works to connect and develop the women who work here. Thanks to Women@, I’ve had the opportunity to attend talks with women entrepreneurs and authors, have inclusion discussions with senior leaders and network with other women in tech.

If you could ask one woman from history a question … who would it be and what would you ask?

I would ask Mother Teresa about the key influences in her life and what drove her to devote her life to selfless service.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

Take on as many challenging, diverse opportunities as you can. Work in multicultural offices and interact with as many people as you can. Invest in self development so that you can keep learning and growing!

How do you spend most of your time outside of work?

I am an avid traveler and photographer. One of my personal goals is to travel to 30 countries by the time I’m 30—29 down, one to go. Travel and photography go hand in hand, and taking photos while I’m traveling gives me so much joy. One of my travel photographs even got featured in "Lonely Planet!"
Lonely Planet picture
Sapna’s photograph in a "Lonely Planet" magazine

Who is your favorite fictional heroine?

Hermione Granger. Growing up, I loved the “Harry Potter” series. Hermione is not only an academic genius—she’s a courageous friend who proves herself in the most treacherous of situations. Never the damsel in distress, she’s always coming up with a way to save the day. I really liked the way her character progresses as she grows up—she starts out as the ever-too-keen student and grows into an intelligent young lady who helps overcome the final challenge.

What is your life motto?

I get my life motto from my family: “Que sera sera,” which means “whatever will be, will be.”

The She Word: Sapna Kalmadi, traveler, photographer and “Google Consultant”

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the powerful, dynamic and creative women of Google. Like generations before them, these women break down barriers and defy expectations at work and in their communities. Over the course of the month, we’ll help you get to know a few of these Google women, and share a bit about who they are and why they inspire us.

Today, we’re speaking with Sapna Kalmadi, a Senior Analytical Lead in our Mumbai office, known for her “take no prisoners” attitude when playing table tennis and “leave no chocolate” attitude when eating desserts.

Sapna Kalmadi 2

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I act as a “Google consultant” for businesses in India and help large clients connect with their consumers using Google solutions. Ad revenue is what helps drive the cool things that Google is best known for, including Search, YouTube and self-driving cars.

Why are you proud to be a woman at Google?

I'm proud to be a woman at Google because of the amazing people I work with every day.. I’ve worked at Google for five years, and I have learned something from every single Googler I’ve met.

I love the fact that diversity and inclusion at Google is not just an individual or HR initiative but rather there are employee resource groups like Women@Google, which actively works to connect and develop the women who work here. Thanks to Women@, I’ve had the opportunity to attend talks with women entrepreneurs and authors, have inclusion discussions with senior leaders and network with other women in tech.

If you could ask one woman from history a question … who would it be and what would you ask?

I would ask Mother Teresa about the key influences in her life and what drove her to devote her life to selfless service.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

Take on as many challenging, diverse opportunities as you can. Work in multicultural offices and interact with as many people as you can. Invest in self development so that you can keep learning and growing!

How do you spend most of your time outside of work?

I am an avid traveler and photographer. One of my personal goals is to travel to 30 countries by the time I’m 30—29 down, one to go. Travel and photography go hand in hand, and taking photos while I’m traveling gives me so much joy. One of my travel photographs even got featured in "Lonely Planet!"
Lonely Planet picture
Sapna’s photograph in a "Lonely Planet" magazine

Who is your favorite fictional heroine?

Hermione Granger. Growing up, I loved the “Harry Potter” series. Hermione is not only an academic genius—she’s a courageous friend who proves herself in the most treacherous of situations. Never the damsel in distress, she’s always coming up with a way to save the day. I really liked the way her character progresses as she grows up—she starts out as the ever-too-keen student and grows into an intelligent young lady who helps overcome the final challenge.

What is your life motto?

I get my life motto from my family: “Que sera sera,” which means “whatever will be, will be.”

The She Word: Laura Marquez, helping Google show up in the Latino community

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the powerful, dynamic and creative women of Google. Like generations before them, these women break down barriers and defy expectations at work and in their communities. Over the course of the month, we’ll help you get to know a few of these Google women, and share a bit about who they are and why they inspire us.

LRM.jpg

Today, we hear from Laura Marquez, Google’s Head of Latino Community Engagement. Laura is a veteran of Capitol Hill, served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, and recently moved to New York for her newly-created role. The biggest difference between Google and Capitol Hill? Capitol Hill staffers don’t wear propeller hats on their first day of work...

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I am charged with looking across the company at how we can deepen and strengthen our relationship with the Latino community. This means asking ourselves the hard questions ... How can our corporate culture be more diverse and inclusive? Where are opportunities to connect with the rapidly growing Latino population? How can we expand our impact in the community, from Latino small business owners to educators to emerging Latino creators? For example, small business owners should know that they can pin their business name on Google maps for free, and every student interested in tech should know about our internship opportunities.

Why are you proud to be a woman at Google?

Women at Google are fierce, and we are redefining the face of tech. I am especially proud to be a Latina at Google. Many of us are the first in our families to attend college or move away from our hometowns—making those strides calls for a lot of grit and resilience.

I am one of the few Latinos with a dual MBA/MPA from Harvard, and back in 2005, I was the only Latino serving as a Congressional Legislative Director (and was fired up when a few others were hired later that year!). The Latinas here at Google have remarkable stories, and they have worked hard to advance our community’s economic and social well-being. I’m proud and honored to stand alongside the many Latina innovators here at Google and ensure that we have a seat at the table and among ranks of leadership.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

When I first started my career, I was one of the few Latinas working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Another woman took me aside and said, “All you have in DC is your name. Protect it.” I took that advice to heart—maybe too much. If I were to do those early years over again, I would take more calculated risks, and I encourage women early in their careers to have the courage to do so.

LMarquez Photo 2.jpg
Laura and her grandmother

Who has been a strong female influence in your life?

Growing up, my grandmother was one of the smartest women that I knew. She could name all the former U.S. Presidents, knew every piece of the day’s news, and ran her household with a firm but gentle hand. Those same hands belonged to a migrant farm worker who never had the opportunity to go beyond grade school.

During Women’s History Month (and all the time, really), I hear her voice telling me that it is different for women. She wasn’t discouraging me from my pursuing my dreams, but it was her way of telling me that I would have to work harder than everyone else. It was her way of saying sometimes life isn’t fair, but as women, we persevere.

Just as my grandmother helped create a new path for her children and grandchildren, I can only hope to do the same for others and to help shape a world where women from all backgrounds can succeed.

There’s no better way to celebrate women than to elevate their success.

What are you doing to celebrate to celebrate Women's History Month?

I am working with Google’s Business Inclusion team to highlight the achievements and advice of female small business owners and entrepreneurs. Our Business Inclusion team works with communities that are traditionally underrepresented online, and teaches them how to use online tools to market and grow their businesses. We want to inspire future entrepreneurs with women’s success stories—there’s no better way to celebrate women than to elevate their success.

The She Word: Laura Marquez, helping Google show up in the Latino community

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the powerful, dynamic and creative women of Google. Like generations before them, these women break down barriers and defy expectations at work and in their communities. Over the course of the month, we’ll help you get to know a few of these Google women, and share a bit about who they are and why they inspire us.

LRM.jpg

Today, we hear from Laura Marquez, Google’s Head of Latino Community Engagement. Laura is a veteran of Capitol Hill, served as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, and recently moved to New York for her newly-created role. The biggest difference between Google and Capitol Hill? Capitol Hill staffers don’t wear propeller hats on their first day of work...

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I am charged with looking across the company at how we can deepen and strengthen our relationship with the Latino community. This means asking ourselves the hard questions ... How can our corporate culture be more diverse and inclusive? Where are opportunities to connect with the rapidly growing Latino population? How can we expand our impact in the community, from Latino small business owners to educators to emerging Latino creators? For example, small business owners should know that they can pin their business name on Google maps for free, and every student interested in tech should know about our internship opportunities.

Why are you proud to be a woman at Google?

Women at Google are fierce, and we are redefining the face of tech. I am especially proud to be a Latina at Google. Many of us are the first in our families to attend college or move away from our hometowns—making those strides calls for a lot of grit and resilience.

I am one of the few Latinos with a dual MBA/MPA from Harvard, and back in 2005, I was the only Latino serving as a Congressional Legislative Director (and was fired up when a few others were hired later that year!). The Latinas here at Google have remarkable stories, and they have worked hard to advance our community’s economic and social well-being. I’m proud and honored to stand alongside the many Latina innovators here at Google and ensure that we have a seat at the table and among ranks of leadership.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

When I first started my career, I was one of the few Latinas working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Another woman took me aside and said, “All you have in DC is your name. Protect it.” I took that advice to heart—maybe too much. If I were to do those early years over again, I would take more calculated risks, and I encourage women early in their careers to have the courage to do so.

LMarquez Photo 2.jpg
Laura and her grandmother

Who has been a strong female influence in your life?

Growing up, my grandmother was one of the smartest women that I knew. She could name all the former U.S. Presidents, knew every piece of the day’s news, and ran her household with a firm but gentle hand. Those same hands belonged to a migrant farm worker who never had the opportunity to go beyond grade school.

During Women’s History Month (and all the time, really), I hear her voice telling me that it is different for women. She wasn’t discouraging me from my pursuing my dreams, but it was her way of telling me that I would have to work harder than everyone else. It was her way of saying sometimes life isn’t fair, but as women, we persevere.

Just as my grandmother helped create a new path for her children and grandchildren, I can only hope to do the same for others and to help shape a world where women from all backgrounds can succeed.

There’s no better way to celebrate women than to elevate their success.

What are you doing to celebrate to celebrate Women's History Month?

I am working with Google’s Business Inclusion team to highlight the achievements and advice of female small business owners and entrepreneurs. Our Business Inclusion team works with communities that are traditionally underrepresented online, and teaches them how to use online tools to market and grow their businesses. We want to inspire future entrepreneurs with women’s success stories—there’s no better way to celebrate women than to elevate their success.

The She Word: Rosie Rios, former U.S. Treasurer, “Be brave, be empowered, be yourself.”

Editor's Note: In a special guest edition of the She Word, we talked to former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios about the work she’s done (in and outside of government) to inspire and empower young women. 

rr2

Let's start off with an easy one ... tell us about your work as U.S. Treasurer.

As U.S. Treasurer, I oversaw the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, and and was a senior advisor to Secretary Tim Geithner. But my main focus in my eight-year tenure was putting a woman on the U.S. currency for the first time. We engaged the public to decide which historic women would be featured—there were roundtables and townhalls, and a social media portal for people submit their suggestions via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This effort wasn’t about one woman, or even 10 women, but about the hundreds of women overlooked in our history. I call these women “buried treasure.”

How did this lead to your current efforts to inspire and
empower women?

We learned about a lot of amazing women during the selection process, so we put all the information in a database, and posted it on the Treasury’s website. Now that I’ve left the Treasury, I am working on an initiative called Teachers Righting History, which gives teachers and students access to the database so that they can recognize the contributions that women have made to American history. They can do this in any way they choose—one of my favorite examples was a young man in high school who choreographed a dance about Margaret Hamilton’s experience as a software engineer working for MIT and NASA. It was really powerful.

How does Teachers Righting History influence young girls?

Girls’ experiences in school shape their confidence. What they are exposed to has the same influence as what they are not exposed to. So if they aren’t seeing women celebrated in history lessons or in the classroom, they get the message that women are invisible, and then will question their own value and abilities. When we shine a spotlight on women who have changed history, their accomplishments will inspire other women to change the world, too. And here’s what’s also incredible ... Teachers Righting History is resonating just as much with boys as it is with girls.
nasa
Here's an example of an International Women's Day Expedition—this one gives you a glimpse into what it's like to work at NASA.
yt
Rosie's playlist of amazing women. Rock on. 

You teamed up with Google for International Women’s Day. Can you tell us about that?

I worked with Google’s Education team to create some cool stuff through Expeditions and YouTube. Let’s talk about Expeditions first, they are amazing on so many levels! I’m a huge fan of the visual arts. Videos, pictures, and today’s technology allow kids to connect much more powerfully with information and data—they can almost feel it and that is how they learn.

For International Women’s Day, we created 40 new Expeditions to expose kids to career paths they never knew existed. They could experience what it’s like to be an astronaut, an engineer, a UN policy advisor, a female firefighter and more. We are giving young girls a glimpse of these careers now, so that they’ll be inspired to pursue those careers one day. Our future leaders need inspiration in order to have aspiration.

I also worked with the YouTube team to create a YouTube Kids playlist called “Super Women of Our Past,” about the women who shaped our country’s history. Some of these women are already in history books (like Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Tubman) and others are less well-known—so this is another way to help young kids discover the buried treasure I mentioned before.

Back to the buried treasure … who is an example of a woman you discovered and never knew about before?

Grace Hopper—she was one of the pioneers of coding. Imagine what it would look like if this generation of young girls grew up wanting to be the next Grace Hopper?

If you could ask one woman from history a question … who would it be and what would you ask?

I can’t pick just one! I’d want to ask all of them, “what did you want to be when you grew up?” A person’s aspirations as a child are so important, but most of these women grew up during a time when their options were limited.

When you were growing up, did you ever dream that one day you’d be U.S. Treasurer? What did you want to be when you were young?

I never in a million years thought I’d work in the federal government, but I had no doubt that I would go to college. I was raised by a single mom, and she sent all nine of her kids to college during a time when the dropout rate for Latino communities was really high. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and I thought I’d go into family law. I wanted to be a champion for families like my mom was. She was the one who would drive someone to the doctor if they needed a ride, or would hold a meeting at our house about installing a stoplight at the corner. My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
rr3
Here is Rosie with her son Jack, her mother and her daughter Brooke. 

You worked at a local library when you were in high school. Who are your favorite fictional heroines?

I have always loved Shakespeare’s female characters—Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Rosalind in “As You Like It” are two of my favorites. There’s a rebellious side to these women. They had a protest mentality, whether it meant dressing as a man to get their way or speaking their minds, even though it wasn’t “ladylike.” These characters are defiant and I love their spirit.

If our daughters lose, we all lose.

You worked in the highest levels of government. What would you to say to women who are considering a career in government, but are intimidated by entering the public sphere?

There are a few ways that I think about this. First, you have to find your voice. When I asked why it’s taken so long to get a woman on U.S. currency, the answer was “no one brought it up.” I found my voice on this issue, and it led to an important change.

It took us eight years to get there, which brings me to the second piece of advice: be persistent. I approached this project the same way I’d approach any job—I did my due dilligence and I stuck with it, I never wavered.

The last important piece is to find your champion. Most of my champions have been men with daughters. They invested in me because of the future they envisioned for their daughters. If our daughters lose, we all lose. When I was sworn in as U.S. Treasurer, my daughter asked why my secretary was conducting the ceremony. She thought Tim Geithner was my secretary! I raised her to believe in a world where I am the boss and a man is my secretary.

Source: Education


The She Word: Rosie Rios, former U.S. Treasurer, “Be brave, be empowered, be yourself.”

Editor's Note: In a special guest edition of the She Word, we talked to former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios about the work she’s done (in and outside of government) to inspire and empower young women. 

rr2

Let's start off with an easy one ... tell us about your work as U.S. Treasurer.

As U.S. Treasurer, I oversaw the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, and and was a senior advisor to Secretary Tim Geithner. But my main focus in my eight-year tenure was putting a woman on the U.S. currency for the first time. We engaged the public to decide which historic women would be featured—there were roundtables and townhalls, and a social media portal for people submit their suggestions via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This effort wasn’t about one woman, or even 10 women, but about the hundreds of women overlooked in our history. I call these women “buried treasure.”

How did this lead to your current efforts to inspire and
empower women?

We learned about a lot of amazing women during the selection process, so we put all the information in a database, and posted it on the Treasury’s website. Now that I’ve left the Treasury, I am working on an initiative called Teachers Righting History, which gives teachers and students access to the database so that they can recognize the contributions that women have made to American history. They can do this in any way they choose—one of my favorite examples was a young man in high school who choreographed a dance about Margaret Hamilton’s experience as a software engineer working for MIT and NASA. It was really powerful.

How does Teachers Righting History influence young girls?

Girls’ experiences in school shape their confidence. What they are exposed to has the same influence as what they are not exposed to. So if they aren’t seeing women celebrated in history lessons or in the classroom, they get the message that women are invisible, and then will question their own value and abilities. When we shine a spotlight on women who have changed history, their accomplishments will inspire other women to change the world, too. And here’s what’s also incredible ... Teachers Righting History is resonating just as much with boys as it is with girls.
nasa
Here's an example of an International Women's Day Expedition—this one gives you a glimpse into what it's like to work at NASA.
yt
Rosie's playlist of amazing women. Rock on. 

You teamed up with Google for International Women’s Day. Can you tell us about that?

I worked with Google’s Education team to create some cool stuff through Expeditions and YouTube. Let’s talk about Expeditions first, they are amazing on so many levels! I’m a huge fan of the visual arts. Videos, pictures, and today’s technology allow kids to connect much more powerfully with information and data—they can almost feel it and that is how they learn.

For International Women’s Day, we created 40 new Expeditions to expose kids to career paths they never knew existed. They could experience what it’s like to be an astronaut, an engineer, a UN policy advisor, a female firefighter and more. We are giving young girls a glimpse of these careers now, so that they’ll be inspired to pursue those careers one day. Our future leaders need inspiration in order to have aspiration.

I also worked with the YouTube team to create a YouTube Kids playlist called “Super Women of Our Past,” about the women who shaped our country’s history. Some of these women are already in history books (like Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Tubman) and others are less well-known—so this is another way to help young kids discover the buried treasure I mentioned before.

Back to the buried treasure … who is an example of a woman you discovered and never knew about before?

Grace Hopper—she was one of the pioneers of coding. Imagine what it would look like if this generation of young girls grew up wanting to be the next Grace Hopper?

If you could ask one woman from history a question … who would it be and what would you ask?

I can’t pick just one! I’d want to ask all of them, “what did you want to be when you grew up?” A person’s aspirations as a child are so important, but most of these women grew up during a time when their options were limited.

When you were growing up, did you ever dream that one day you’d be U.S. Treasurer? What did you want to be when you were young?

I never in a million years thought I’d work in the federal government, but I had no doubt that I would go to college. I was raised by a single mom, and she sent all nine of her kids to college during a time when the dropout rate for Latino communities was really high. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and I thought I’d go into family law. I wanted to be a champion for families like my mom was. She was the one who would drive someone to the doctor if they needed a ride, or would hold a meeting at our house about installing a stoplight at the corner. My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
rr3
Here is Rosie with her son Jack, her mother and her daughter Brooke. 

You worked at a local library when you were in high school. Who are your favorite fictional heroines?

I have always loved Shakespeare’s female characters—Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Rosalind in “As You Like It” are two of my favorites. There’s a rebellious side to these women. They had a protest mentality, whether it meant dressing as a man to get their way or speaking their minds, even though it wasn’t “ladylike.” These characters are defiant and I love their spirit.

If our daughters lose, we all lose.

You worked in the highest levels of government. What would you to say to women who are considering a career in government, but are intimidated by entering the public sphere?

There are a few ways that I think about this. First, you have to find your voice. When I asked why it’s taken so long to get a woman on U.S. currency, the answer was “no one brought it up.” I found my voice on this issue, and it led to an important change.

It took us eight years to get there, which brings me to the second piece of advice: be persistent. I approached this project the same way I’d approach any job—I did my due dilligence and I stuck with it, I never wavered.

The last important piece is to find your champion. Most of my champions have been men with daughters. They invested in me because of the future they envisioned for their daughters. If our daughters lose, we all lose. When I was sworn in as U.S. Treasurer, my daughter asked why my secretary was conducting the ceremony. She thought Tim Geithner was my secretary! I raised her to believe in a world where I am the boss and a man is my secretary.

The She Word: Rosie Rios, former U.S. Treasurer, “Be brave, be empowered, be yourself.”

Editor's Note: In a special guest edition of the She Word, we talked to former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios about the work she’s done (in and outside of government) to inspire and empower young women. 

rr2

Let's start off with an easy one ... tell us about your work as U.S. Treasurer.

As U.S. Treasurer, I oversaw the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the U.S. Mint, and and was a senior advisor to Secretary Tim Geithner. But my main focus in my eight-year tenure was putting a woman on the U.S. currency for the first time. We engaged the public to decide which historic women would be featured—there were roundtables and townhalls, and a social media portal for people submit their suggestions via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This effort wasn’t about one woman, or even 10 women, but about the hundreds of women overlooked in our history. I call these women “buried treasure.”

How did this lead to your current efforts to inspire and
empower women?

We learned about a lot of amazing women during the selection process, so we put all the information in a database, and posted it on the Treasury’s website. Now that I’ve left the Treasury, I am working on an initiative called Teachers Righting History, which gives teachers and students access to the database so that they can recognize the contributions that women have made to American history. They can do this in any way they choose—one of my favorite examples was a young man in high school who choreographed a dance about Margaret Hamilton’s experience as a software engineer working for MIT and NASA. It was really powerful.

How does Teachers Righting History influence young girls?

Girls’ experiences in school shape their confidence. What they are exposed to has the same influence as what they are not exposed to. So if they aren’t seeing women celebrated in history lessons or in the classroom, they get the message that women are invisible, and then will question their own value and abilities. When we shine a spotlight on women who have changed history, their accomplishments will inspire other women to change the world, too. And here’s what’s also incredible ... Teachers Righting History is resonating just as much with boys as it is with girls.
nasa
Here's an example of an International Women's Day Expedition—this one gives you a glimpse into what it's like to work at NASA.
yt
Rosie's playlist of amazing women. Rock on. 

You teamed up with Google for International Women’s Day. Can you tell us about that?

I worked with Google’s Education team to create some cool stuff through Expeditions and YouTube. Let’s talk about Expeditions first, they are amazing on so many levels! I’m a huge fan of the visual arts. Videos, pictures, and today’s technology allow kids to connect much more powerfully with information and data—they can almost feel it and that is how they learn.

For International Women’s Day, we created 40 new Expeditions to expose kids to career paths they never knew existed. They could experience what it’s like to be an astronaut, an engineer, a UN policy advisor, a female firefighter and more. We are giving young girls a glimpse of these careers now, so that they’ll be inspired to pursue those careers one day. Our future leaders need inspiration in order to have aspiration.

I also worked with the YouTube team to create a YouTube Kids playlist called “Super Women of Our Past,” about the women who shaped our country’s history. Some of these women are already in history books (like Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Tubman) and others are less well-known—so this is another way to help young kids discover the buried treasure I mentioned before.

Back to the buried treasure … who is an example of a woman you discovered and never knew about before?

Grace Hopper—she was one of the pioneers of coding. Imagine what it would look like if this generation of young girls grew up wanting to be the next Grace Hopper?

If you could ask one woman from history a question … who would it be and what would you ask?

I can’t pick just one! I’d want to ask all of them, “what did you want to be when you grew up?” A person’s aspirations as a child are so important, but most of these women grew up during a time when their options were limited.

When you were growing up, did you ever dream that one day you’d be U.S. Treasurer? What did you want to be when you were young?

I never in a million years thought I’d work in the federal government, but I had no doubt that I would go to college. I was raised by a single mom, and she sent all nine of her kids to college during a time when the dropout rate for Latino communities was really high. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and I thought I’d go into family law. I wanted to be a champion for families like my mom was. She was the one who would drive someone to the doctor if they needed a ride, or would hold a meeting at our house about installing a stoplight at the corner. My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
My mom was my first exposure to true feminism.
rr3
Here is Rosie with her son Jack, her mother and her daughter Brooke. 

You worked at a local library when you were in high school. Who are your favorite fictional heroines?

I have always loved Shakespeare’s female characters—Viola in “Twelfth Night” and Rosalind in “As You Like It” are two of my favorites. There’s a rebellious side to these women. They had a protest mentality, whether it meant dressing as a man to get their way or speaking their minds, even though it wasn’t “ladylike.” These characters are defiant and I love their spirit.

If our daughters lose, we all lose.

You worked in the highest levels of government. What would you to say to women who are considering a career in government, but are intimidated by entering the public sphere?

There are a few ways that I think about this. First, you have to find your voice. When I asked why it’s taken so long to get a woman on U.S. currency, the answer was “no one brought it up.” I found my voice on this issue, and it led to an important change.

It took us eight years to get there, which brings me to the second piece of advice: be persistent. I approached this project the same way I’d approach any job—I did my due dilligence and I stuck with it, I never wavered.

The last important piece is to find your champion. Most of my champions have been men with daughters. They invested in me because of the future they envisioned for their daughters. If our daughters lose, we all lose. When I was sworn in as U.S. Treasurer, my daughter asked why my secretary was conducting the ceremony. She thought Tim Geithner was my secretary! I raised her to believe in a world where I am the boss and a man is my secretary.

Source: Education


The High Five: game time and morphin’ time

This week, we saw lots of high fives on the basketball court and among Power Rangers fans … but not on a particular episode of “Wheel of Fortune.” Here are a few of the top five trending Google searches from the week of March 20.

Tragedy in London

People turned to Google find out more information about the tragic attack in front of the U.K. Parliament in London, and developments in the days that followed. Many questions centered on the identity of the attacker, who killed four people in the deadliest terror attack in the U.K. in over a decade.

It’s searchin’ time

Children of the ‘90s, rejoice—and go, go to the movies. The Power Rangers are back, with a reboot hitting theaters today. Some people are nostalgic and searching about past Power Rangers, while others want to know who’s who in the new movie. One thing’s for sure, the graphics and costumes have improved over the last couple of decades.

Bracket racket

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is in full swing (oops, wrong sport). In addition to bracket updates and scores, people wanted to know: “What are the conference records for the NCAA tournament?” And “Gonzaga Men’s Basketball” is a trending search now that they’re one win away from their first-ever Final Four.

The other type of Court

Searches about Neil Gorsuch continued to rise this week, as the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation hearing took place in Washington. So far, searchers seem to be in the “small talk at a dinner party” phase—they’re curious about his age, where he lives and his marital status.

wf

Not so fortunate

This week on “Wheel of Fortune,” Tennessee Williams fans groaned. And so did the contestant whose performance left something to be desired. With $600 on the line, Kevin was one letter away from solving a puzzle that read, “A Streetcar N-A-blank-E-D Desire.” He went with K (the correct letter was M). STELLLLAAAAAAA!!!!

Source: Search


The High Five: game time and morphin’ time

This week, we saw lots of high fives on the basketball court and among Power Rangers fans … but not on a particular episode of “Wheel of Fortune.” Here are a few of the top five trending Google searches from the week of March 20.

Tragedy in London

People turned to Google find out more information about the tragic attack in front of the U.K. Parliament in London, and developments in the days that followed. Many questions centered on the identity of the attacker, who killed four people in the deadliest terror attack in the U.K. in over a decade.

It’s searchin’ time

Children of the ‘90s, rejoice—and go, go to the movies. The Power Rangers are back, with a reboot hitting theaters today. Some people are nostalgic and searching about past Power Rangers, while others want to know who’s who in the new movie. One thing’s for sure, the graphics and costumes have improved over the last couple of decades.

Bracket racket

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is in full swing (oops, wrong sport). In addition to bracket updates and scores, people wanted to know: “What are the conference records for the NCAA tournament?” And “Gonzaga Men’s Basketball” is a trending search now that they’re one win away from their first-ever Final Four.

The other type of Court

Searches about Neil Gorsuch continued to rise this week, as the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation hearing took place in Washington. So far, searchers seem to be in the “small talk at a dinner party” phase—they’re curious about his age, where he lives and his marital status.

wf

Not so fortunate

This week on “Wheel of Fortune,” Tennessee Williams fans groaned. And so did the contestant whose performance left something to be desired. With $600 on the line, Kevin was one letter away from solving a puzzle that read, “A Streetcar N-A-blank-E-D Desire.” He went with K (the correct letter was M). STELLLLAAAAAAA!!!!

Source: Search


The High Five: Top searches from the week of March 20

Here are a few of the top five trending Google searches from the week of March 20.

Tragedy in London

People turned to Google find out more information about the tragic attack in front of the U.K. Parliament in London, and developments in the days that followed. Many questions centered on the identity of the attacker, who killed four people in the deadliest terror attack in the U.K. in over a decade.

It’s searchin’ time

Children of the ‘90s, rejoice—and go, go to the movies. The Power Rangers are back, with a reboot hitting theaters today. Some people are nostalgic and searching about past Power Rangers, while others want to know who’s who in the new movie. One thing’s for sure, the graphics and costumes have improved over the last couple of decades.

Bracket racket

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is in full swing (oops, wrong sport). In addition to bracket updates and scores, people wanted to know: “What are the conference records for the NCAA tournament?” And “Gonzaga Men’s Basketball” is a trending search now that they’re one win away from their first-ever Final Four.

The other type of Court

Searches about Neil Gorsuch continued to rise this week, as the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation hearing took place in Washington. So far, searchers seem to be in the “small talk at a dinner party” phase—they’re curious about his age, where he lives and his marital status.

wf

Not so fortunate

This week on “Wheel of Fortune,” Tennessee Williams fans groaned. And so did the contestant whose performance left something to be desired. With $600 on the line, Kevin was one letter away from solving a puzzle that read, “A Streetcar N-A-blank-E-D Desire.” He went with K (the correct letter was M). STELLAAAAAAA!!!!

Source: Search