Tag Archives: Inside Google

Get literary with Talks at Google

Books can fly us to space, transport us to the Seven Kingdoms or the Underground Railroad, take us on an 11,000 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, and teach us a thing or two about cooking. In the second installment of the “Talks at Google” Keyword series, get to know some of our favorite authors who have stopped by Google over the years:

1. Andy Weir, bestselling author of “The Martian”—later adapted into a film—reads aloud the first chapter and shares the extensive research done to maintain scientific accuracy throughout the book.
2. Angela Duckworth, author of “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” discusses her unique definition of “talent” and interesting findings from her data on predictors of success.
3. Cheryl Strayed talks about her moments of reckoning on the Pacific Coast Trail, which led to her memoir “Wild.”

I'm glad that I had exactly the experience I did because I learned the hard way, and all of the best things I've learned the hard way. Cheryl Strayed Author of "Wild"

4. Christopher Hitchens shares his opinions that led to his book, “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything,” exploring everything from scientific facts, to human morality, to world history.
5. Acclaimed novelist Colson Whitehead chats about the inspiration behind his book, “The Underground Railroad,” narrates excerpts and answers audience questions on topics like gender and race in slavery.
6. George R. R. Martin, author of the epic series, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which has been turned into HBO’s equally epic “Game of Thrones,” answers fan questions, from the hyper-nerdy (“Is it possible to warg into a dragon?”) to the emotional (“Which character in the series was the hardest to kill off?).
7. Chef Ina Garten shares her journey from budget analyst at the White House, to owner of a specialty food store, to author of a cookbook, to star of a hit cooking show on Food Network.
8. Lucy Kalanithi—wife of Paul Kalanithi whose memoir “When Breath Becomes Air” recounts his battle with cancer in the months before he died—talks about “connecting with people over suffering” and the deep, painful and moving experiences that we all share.
9. In one of his many visits to Google, Salman Rushdie discusses how we can see ourselves in the past and the "interesting things to discover from 400 years ago."

10. Yaa Gyasi, author of “Homegoing,” discusses the book’s strong female characters and how her journey to her mother’s hometown in Abakrampa, Ghana gave her a stroke of inspiration for the book.

When we look at the past, what we see in many ways is ourselves. Salman Rushdie Author of "The Enchantress of Florence"

As always, to see more talks, subscribe to Talks at Google on YouTube, follow them on Twitter or browse their website.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Chatting with the National Spelling Bee champ on her success and what’s next

Last month, Ananya Vinay clinched the National Spelling Bee with the word “marocain.” (I’m guessing she has never needed to use the "Did you mean" feature in Google Search.) When we ascertained that Ananya endeavored to visit the Googleplex, we invited her for lunch and a peregrination around campus. I had the chance to confabulate with her about her alacrity for spelling, her multifarious approach to practicing a preponderance of words, how Google Hangouts helped her maintain equanimity at the Bee, and which venture she plans to vanquish next.

Keyword: What was your favorite part of the tour at Google?

Ananya: I really liked seeing the first server (known as the “corkboard server”) at the Visitors Center. Then I got to use Google Earth, and zoomed in on my grandmother’s house in Kerala, India.

If you could work at Google one day, what kind of job would you want to do?

I’d like to work in the division where they do research on AI and medicine. I’d want to diagnose diseases. This summer I went to a camp called “mini medical school” where I got to do a bunch of dissections—I really like that stuff.

We heard you used Google Hangouts to practice for the spelling bee, can you tell us more about that?

There’s a spellers chat on Hangouts, and when you make it to the National Spelling Bee, another speller will add you to the chat. People use the chat to share resources on how to study and quiz each other, which helped expand my knowledge of words. When we used Hangouts Chat (instead of video), autocorrect got in the way of spelling, which is really hilarious. The words are so strange that autocorrect doesn’t recognize them. I’ve beaten autocorrect a lot.

Is there a word that always trips you up? Or does that only happen to me?

When I was younger I always messed up “mozzarella.” Now it’s easier for me to guess words because I go off of language patterns and word rules, so I can figure out a word based on language of origin. There’s a lower chance I’ll miss a word because I have a larger word base.

What’s next? Are you going to keep doing spelling bees?

I can’t compete again because I already won the national competition, but next year I get to open up the Bee. Now I’m going deep into math and science. I’m going into seventh grade, and my new hobby is going to be debate.

If you could have a dress made of marocain, what color would it be?

I’m going to use a spelling bee word: cerulean* (which means sky blue).

*Editor’s Note: While I was taking notes during the interview, Ananya immediately called me out on my misspelling of cerulean (not cirulian, as I thought). She’s good.

Source: The Official Google Blog

After a “close call,” a coding champion

Eighteen-year-old Cameroon resident Nji Collins had just put the finishing touches on his final submission for the Google Code-In competition when his entire town lost internet access. It stayed dark for two months.

“That was a really, really close call,” Nji, who prefers to be called Collins, tells the Keyword, adding that he traveled to a neighboring town every day to check his email and the status of the contest. “It was stressful.”

Google’s annual Code-In contest, an effort to introduce teenagers to the world of open source, invites high school students from around the world to compete. It’s part of our mission to encourage and inspire the next generation of computer scientists, and in turn, the contest allows these young people to play a role in building real technologies.

Over the course of the competition, participants complete open-source coding and design “tasks” administered by an array of tech companies like Wikimedia and OpenMRS. Tasks range from editing webpages to updating databases to making videos; one of Collins’ favorites, for example, was making the OpenMRS home page sensitive to keystrokes. This year, more than 1,300 entrants from 62 countries completed nearly 6,400 assignments.

While Google sponsors and runs the contest, the participating tech organizations, who work most closely with the students, choose the winners. Those who finish the most tasks are named finalists, and the companies each select two winners from that group. Those winners are then flown to San Francisco, CA for an action-packed week involving talks at the Googleplex in Mountain View, office tours, segway journeys through the city, and a sunset cruise on the SF Bay.

Group selfie.jpg — The 2017 Code-In winners

“It’s really fun to watch these kids come together and thrive,” says Stephanie Taylor, Code-In’s program manager. “Bringing together students from, say, Thailand and Poland because they have something in common: a shared love of computer science. Lifelong friendships are formed on these trips.”

Indeed, many Code-In winners say the community is their main motivator for joining the competition. “The people are what brought me here and keep me here,” says Sushain Cherivirala, a Carnegie Mellon computer science major and former Code-In winner who now serves as a program mentor. Mentors work with Code-In participants throughout the course of the competition to help them complete tasks and interface with the tech companies.

Screen Shot 2017-07-11 at 3.45.23 PM.png — Code-In winners on the Google campus

Code-In also acts as an accessible introduction to computer science and the open source world. Mira Yang, a 17-year-old from New Jersey, learned how to code for the first time this year. She says she never would have even considered studying computer science further before she dabbled in a few Code-In tasks. Now, she plans to major in it.

Nji and Mira.JPG — Code-in winners Nji Collins and Mira Yang

“Code-In changed my view on computer sciences,” she says. “I was able to learn that I can do this. There’s definitely a stigma for girls in CS. But I found out that people will support you, and there’s a huge network out there.”

That network extended to Cameroon, where Collins’ patience and persistence paid off as he waited out his town’s internet blackout. One afternoon, while checking his email a few towns away, he discovered he’d been named a Code-In winner. He had been a finalist the year prior, when he was the only student from his school to compete. This year, he’d convinced a handful of classmates to join in.

“It wasn’t fun doing it alone; I like competition,” Collins, who learned how to code by doing his older sister’s computer science homework assignments alongside her, says. “It pushes me to work harder.”

Learn more about the annual Code-In competition.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Talks at Google: one of Google’s most beloved perks, shared with the world

Every morning, a new name pops up in my inbox. It could be a scientist, an artist, a politician, an actor, a business leader, a cast from a Broadway show, an investor, or any expert. These people I’m getting emails about have one thing in common—they’re coming to give a talk at a Google office.

Talks at Google, a regular speaker series, is one of the company’s most beloved perks and a staple of our unique culture. It was started in 2006 by Googlers who noticed that some pretty interesting people were walking through the hallways, and thought, “how about we sit down and talk to them?” They invited anyone at Google to attend, recorded the talks and put them on YouTube so that—following Google’s mission—the talks would be universally accessible and useful.

Eleven years later, there have been more than 4,000 Talks at Google events. It started with talks from Googlers themselves, then expanded to authors and experts from all around the world with different backgrounds. The talks are hosted by Googler volunteers in offices around the world, with about 12 talks happening each week.

To share the talks with a wider audience, we’ll publish a monthly roundup of some of the best Talks at Google from that month or on a given topic. To kick things off, we’ve pulled together a list of some of our favorite talks from the past 11 years:

Andrea Bocelli

World-renowned musician Andrea Bocelli gives a special performance to Googlers in Mountain View, and tells the story of how, from an early age, he knew he wanted to be a performer.

Andy Puddicombe: "Get Some Headspace"

By testing out some meditation techniques with the audience, Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe shares how anyone can meditate—even if that means just sitting quietly for ten seconds.

Christiane Amanpour

Veteran journalist and Chief CNN Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reveals her top list of people she still wants to interview, and discusses her decades-long career of investigative journalism.

Chris Anderson: "TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking”

Chris Anderson, curator of the TED Conference, discusses TED’s evolution to “a media organization devoted to sharing ideas,” how to make a story come to life on stage, and the importance of nurturing curiosity.

Dan Ariely: On Dating & Relationships

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely discusses why a canoe is the best place to test your long-term compatibility, and shares insights and advice for relationship-seekers in the age of dating apps.

Diane von Fürstenberg

Iconic fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg shares a timeline of her life (and her unique sense of humor), sprinkled with personal anecdotes from her early days in Belgium and her rise to fashion fame.

Gloria Steinem: "My Life on the Road"

Legendary feminist activist, author and journalist Gloria Steinem discusses her eighth book “My Life on the Road,” the ancient cultures that most inspire her and technology’s influence on human interaction.

HBO's "Silicon Valley"

The Pied Piper team visits Google to chat about which cast members are most like their characters and how instances from the actors’ real lives (or the pranks that happen on set) make their way into episodes of “Silicon Valley.”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "Writings on the Wall"

Six-time NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes beyond the court to discuss his book “Writings on the Wall,” along with his perspective on race, equal pay and religion.

Marie Kondo: "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up"

Marie Kondo, author and guide to cleaning up your life, discusses why it’s important to ask yourself if each of your possessions brings you joy (and what to do with those joyless items).

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky, often referred to as the “father of modern linguistics,” muses about the development of his political views and the humble beginning of his writing career in 1939, when he was the “editor and only reader” of his fourth grade newspaper.

Janelle Monae and Pharrell Williams: "Hidden Figures"

Hidden Figures cast member Janelle Monáe and Executive Producer Pharrell Williams visited Google Atlanta to chat with computer science students from historically black schools about “women in STEM who changed the world,” and their advice for how to break through barriers and stay motivated through trying times.

The Broadway Revival of Spring Awakening

In partnership with Deaf West, a deaf theatre company based in Los Angeles, Google hosted a special performance from the cast of Spring Awakening, and heard about what it’s like to work on Broadway.

Tina Fey: "Bossypants"

Actress, writer, comedian and producer Tina Fey brings her comedic chops to Google to discuss her book “Bossypants,” and insights from her experience as a woman in Hollywood.

Toni Morrison: Home

In an interview at Google New York, author Toni Morrison discusses her book “Home,” how she builds her characters and her writing method—each time she sits down to write, “it’s like she’s never written anything before.”

To see more talks, look out for future roundups on Keyword—or subscribe to Talks at Google on YouTube, follow them on Twitter or browse their website.

Source: The Official Google Blog

Celebrating 10 years of GoogleServe

Every June, we celebrate GoogleServe—a month-long campaign to empower Googlers to volunteer in their communities. Googlers have clocked more than 200,000 hours during GoogleServe since it first began in 2007, and the program has inspired a culture of giving and volunteering all year long. As we celebrate our 10th annual GoogleServe, we’re talking with Seth Marbin, the Googler who first came up with the idea.

Keyword: How did the idea for GoogleServe come about?

Seth: I joined the Search Quality team at Google 11 years ago. I was inspired by the company’s culture, social mission, and the belief that any employee could dream up the next big idea. In 2007, our VP of Culture Stacy Sullivan asked Googlers for ideas on how to maintain our unique culture while the company doubled in size. My work with AmeriCorps and City Year taught me that volunteering can bring people together and break down social barriers, so I proposed a global day of community service (which I called Google-palooza!). Googlers jumped on board immediately, and 3,000 Googlers from 45 offices participated in our first GoogleServe.

How has GoogleServe changed over the years?

Well, for starters, it’s a lot bigger! And it’s inspired Googlers to serve beyond the month of June. Googlers now volunteer a quarter of a million hours each year outside GoogleServe, through Google.org programs.

We still provide hands-on help to schools, soup kitchens and homeless shelters, but we’ve evolved GoogleServe to connect Googlers’ professional expertise to nonprofit and community needs. For example, software engineers participate in hackathons, and our recruitment and staffing teams review resumes and conduct interview skills trainings for people who are unemployed or underemployed.

There are 20,000 Googlers volunteering this month. How do you pull off such a massive undertaking?

We work with great partners who ensure that our volunteers have meaningful experiences. For example, HandsOn Bay Area—which helps Googlers find volunteer opportunities—has been a fantastic and committed partner from the beginning. When we came to them in 2012 with 5,500 Google volunteers, we maxed out their capacity to help. They didn’t have the infrastructure to deal with a group of our size, but over time they adjusted and scaled their model so that they could continue working with us. It’s been such a pleasure to watch their evolution, because we wouldn’t be able to run GoogleServe without them. Our partnership was even written about as a case study for Harvard Business School.

What have been your favorite projects over the years?

My favorite projects tap into Googler expertise, align with our company values—like supporting women in tech—and have a lasting impact. U.S. Googlers have volunteered with schools and nonprofits to host Made with Code events, inspiring thousands of girls to consider careers in computer science. In two days of coding, 10 Googlers helped the OpenAustralia Foundation give two million people access to Planning Alerts, which notify residents about local construction and demolition projects. And a team of Googlers in our Seattle office helped launch a mobile app to enable RealChange homeless newspaper vendors to accept digital payments.

How has GoogleServe impacted Googlers?

I’ve found that many Googlers start out with one GoogleServe project and then discover a deeper passion for serving the community. Rebecca Howarth, who helps lead GoogleServe in the Bay Area, told me it’s the single most important part of her career at Google—and it’s not even her “real job.”

For some Googlers, the impact has been so great that they’ve committed their careers to community service. In 2012 Megan Wheeler joined our team as a 20 percenter (Googlers can dedicate 20 percent of their time, outside of their day job, on projects that they’re passionate about), and now she runs the program globally as part of her full time role on the Google.org team.

And it inspires others to continue to serve beyond Google. Former Googler Tory Faries participated in a GoogleServe project in 2010, helping to paint a youth homeless shelter in San Francisco. She was so inspired that she became a weekly volunteer at the shelter. Years later, she has helped to build and lead the global volunteer program at Airbnb.

How has GoogleServe influenced Google’s culture?

When Stacy sent out her email 10 years ago, I believed that a commitment to community service would keep our culture strong no matter how big the company became, and I still believe that today. GoogleServe connects Googlers to causes and community organizations they care about, but it also connects them to other Googlers they wouldn’t have met otherwise. Those bonds are the reason people continue to volunteer with us, and why GoogleServe has become such a big part of our company culture.

Why have you dedicated your career to service?

Community service has always been a part of my life. My wife and I met doing community service and we even incorporated it into our wedding! Before the ceremony, our guests planted seeds on an organic farm that grows food for low-income families. And my kids are a part of GoogleServe too—my daughter Kaia was born just before the first GoogleServe and she and my younger son Jahan have attended a GoogleServe project every year.

So while I’ve always had a passion for service, being a part of the GoogleServe founding team and Google.org honed my life’s mission: to serve and help others serve, to build a better, more compassionate, inclusive, peaceful and just world. I feel incredibly fortunate to work on this every day at Google with an amazing team of passionate colleagues.

What’s your advice for people outside of Google who are interested in starting a volunteering program at their company?

Launch and iterate. Don’t wait for all the details—just get your idea out there and invite others to join in. Volunteering is good for company culture, good for our communities, and good for the world. There’s a growing movement of social intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs working to create positive social change, and there are many case studies and guides that can help anyone create change in their local community.

Kaia Marbin helps her dad during a GoogleServe project in 2011

Kaia & Jahan Marbin are ready to get their serve on this year

Googlers in Dublin help clean up at a local park (2010)

Providing AdGrants support to nonprofits in 2016

Singapore Googlers volunteer at a beach clean up project

Planting a community garden in Hyderabad (2009)

Googlers in Nigeria partner with a graduate school during GoogleServe in 2015

Source: The Official Google Blog

Celebrating 10 years of GoogleServe

Keyword: How did the idea for GoogleServe come about?

How has GoogleServe changed over the years?

There are 20,000 Googlers volunteering this month. How do you pull off such a massive undertaking?

What have been your favorite projects over the years?

How has GoogleServe impacted Googlers?

How has GoogleServe influenced Google’s culture?

Why have you dedicated your career to service?

What’s your advice for people outside of Google who are interested in starting a volunteering program at their company?

Source: The Official Google Blog

Google Earth’s incredible 3D imagery, explained

Google Earth is an amazing tool that lets ordinary humans—sans wings or jetpack—zoom around the world. And, as you might know if you’ve checked out the new Google Earth, the 3D imagery looks insane. (As in, mind-blowingly realistic insane.)

But how does it get that way? I talked with a couple people from the Earth team to find out. I can’t tell you everything I found out here (because I made this video that *hint hint* I’d love for you to watch) but I will say that building Google Earth includes billions of pixels, a love of spring, confetti-colored depth maps, small planes that fly in lawn mower-esque patterns, and much, much more.

Thanks for watching—and hope to see you soon on Nat & Friends.

Source: The Official Google Blog

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.

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.”

Source: The Official Google Blog

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

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

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.

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?

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

Who is your favorite fictional heroine?

What is your life motto?

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

Source: The Official Google Blog

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

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.