Here’s A Roundup Of Our Favorite 2023 POCIT Interviews 

In 2023, the tech industry witnessed both advancements and persistent challenges concerning the experiences of Black and Brown individuals.

Some companies are making strides in diversity and inclusion efforts, incorporating initiatives such as mentorship programs and targeted hiring practices.

However, the sector has grappled with the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) issues and ongoing legal battles against affirmative action. 

Concerns regarding biased algorithms and AI systems perpetuating discrimination have prompted discussions about the ethical use of technology in hiring and workplace practices. 

However, no matter how good or bad your year has been, we compiled a list of our favorite interviews with people of color in the tech space that have reshaped our definition of success.

Google’s $20K Race Pay Gap: Black Ex-Employees Share Their Insights 

Following a leaked Google spreadsheet revealing that Black employees earn less than white colleagues, it left questions as to why this was happening and how things can change.

We spoke to Black former Google employees about their experiences negotiating employment contracts at the tech giant and their insights.

Ryan”, a former Black Google employee who worked as a Growth Strategist for two years, and Alex, a former Program Manager at Google, were two ex-employees who shared their experiences with us.

“I was given a bump up at that stage. However, I soon realized that while they had bumped up my salary, they had actually reduced my equity,” Ryan shared. “This meant there was no move in anything.”

“When we are in tech, there is an imposter syndrome, often that we’re just lucky to be here and we shouldn’t be here,” Alex said.

To read the full interview, click here.

Musician-Turned-QA Engineer Matt Castilla On His Unconventional Path To Intuit Mailchimp

At the beginning of the year, we spoke with a senior software quality assurance engineer at Intuit Mailchimp, Matthew “Matt” Castilla.

Although he has had an unconventional entrance into the tech world, Matt carved his unique path to succes.

In this interview, Matt told us how he went from an accomplished musician to a thriving career in tech.

“My father connected me with a colleague of his at Apple, who ended up recommending me for a job. While multitasking as a professional musician, grad student, and Apple employee, my father, unfortunately, passed away,” Castilla told us.

As his career progressed at Apple, several of Castilla’s colleagues were leaving and going to work at Mailchimp and they encouraged him to do the same.

“One of the most rewarding things about working at Mailchimp is that they have let me find my journey. The environment is very healthy, and I can ask questions without judgment,” he said.

To read the full interview, click here.

Making Coding A Second Language: An Interview With Latinos In Coding CEO Marcos Navas

For Hispanic Heritage Month this year, POCIT spoke with Marcos Navas, the CEO of Latinos in Coding, about his work to empower Latinx communities in tech and make coding more accessible.

Navos founded Latinos in Coding to ensure his community takes its place in the digital future.

Noting the underrepresentation of Latinos in STEM fields, Navas turned his attention to making coding more accessible to his community.

“We really want to focus on the youth when it comes to Latinos and coding because we understand that’s where the change is,” Navas told us.

“We want to start treating coding and computer science as a second language because that’s really humanity’s second language.”

To read the full interview, click here.

Why I Feel Tech Distracted Me From My Natural Goal

In an interview with POCIT, Ifeoma Igwe shared her experiences entering the tech industry, facing layoffs, and discovering her unique path that blends literature with tech with her text-to-speech app, Easy Edit.

After entering tech in 2022 at Nibble as a growth executive, she faced several layoffs.

She then developed some more technical skills to decrease the chances of layoff happening again and took courses to help.

However, after securing an offer as a data scientist at the R2 factory, it was rescinded due to economic instability.

Igwe then shifted her focus to other skills she was naturally good at, such as literature. She began incorporating tech into things she loved, leading to her text-to-speech web application.

“I put my dreams on hold because I thought a career in this industry would stabilize me well enough to chase them, but I’m glad for the early wake-up call,” she told POCIT.
To read the full interview, click here.